<p>Yay to all on the wonderful news!</p>
<p>mtboymom, I remember your son from SDM last summer and the year before. Tell him Yente the Matchmaker (from Fiddler)'s mother sends her congratulations!</p>
<p>MTBoyMom, I forgot you are a SDM family and I am not sure that your son knows that there are several Stagedoorians at CCM right now, but they stopped going to SDM right before your son began, so he doesn't know them. But there are kids to contact there if you need names. I can think offhand of 2 freshman boys, 1 sophomore girl and one junior or senior all in MT and one senior in Acting. Your son is off to a great start on his college admissions journey. Good luck on the rest. My D is visiting Stagedoorians in your neck of the woods over New Years.</p>
<p>soozie,</p>
<p>S is also visiting with stagedoorians from down south of us over New Years! They might just meet up. A couple of the kids are already in college. He would love to get the info about the CCM kids. If you would PM it or email him. He does know the 2 freshman boys. Although I believe one is transferring to Boco next semester. Take care.</p>
<p>Brownsugar,</p>
<p>Thanks for the congrats. He said to tell her HI! He is very excited about it.</p>
<p>MTBoyMom, I will try to email you with names of SDM kids at CCM, one of which is my D's best friend from camp who is a soph in the program. Both the CCM freshmen boys had posted here on CC last year. I did not realize that one is transferring mid year. </p>
<p>Hmm, that is funny about the New Year's trip. My D will be in Coral Springs staying with Stagedoorians (though is also going to Amelia Island after that to be with her entire Tisch a capella group...and then flies to Brazil with Tisch Scholars...what a life, LOL...my kids do the good stuff....one is on a flight from Italy to France as I write this!). Her group of SDM friends primarily are kids that came before your son's stay at SDM and graduated before he started and did not overlap. My D overlapped your son's first year in 2005 but she only stayed first session that year as she was heading to college. However, she is likely about your son's age (18).</p>
<p>Yes, I've also heard that he is transferring to BoCo mid-year. But I know he (mtboymom's son) knows the other freshman boy there from SDM who, I believe, was in Tommy with him this summer.</p>
<p>is the boy from CCM transferring name begins with Z? My son roomed with him at SDM 3 summers ago. They speak online but I dont know if my son knows that this is possibly the boy that is transferring?</p>
<p>No. The boy who is transferring's name begins with a M! And yay for BoCo for wooing away such a talented young man!</p>
<p>Do colleges/conservatories actually woo/recruit kids who are already at other colleges or conservatories, even in their first year? That surprises me. I know quite a few freshmen do decide (within the first semester or first year) that they are not in the right place, and they apply to transfer. But wooing them? That does surprise me.</p>
<p>NMR, I haven't heard of "wooing" current college students to transfer. However, this student at CCM was admitted to BOCO in the last admissions cycle. Normally I have not heard of transfers mid year to BFA programs as there were no auditions for mid year admissions. Perhaps since he was already admitted last spring, he was able to make the switch. I do not believe BFA programs are recruiting kids already at other colleges. Perhaps if a student needs or wants to leave a program and transfer elsewhere, he/she can talk to schools where they were already admitted and work something out, but I am merely suggesting that as a possibility but not commenting on this particular student as far as how that might work, as I do not know in this student's case. I've seen him perform, and know him and that he was admitted to BOCO last year as he posted here as well, so that is not new information. He also went to my D's camp as did IJElkiss, and the sons/daughters of other posters on this thread.</p>
<p>I don't think schools recruit at other colleges. If a student needs or wants to leave their current school, then I would imagine a student would initiate talking to another college about a transfer. Normally, one would have to apply for transfer for the following fall and audition, etc. Maybe if it is so soon after having been admitted to the school they wish to transfer to, the student can work out a switch anyway, if space allows and the receiving school wants them bad enough? That is how I think that could work. Again, my comments are in general and not specific to this student (other than the fact that he has posted that he was admitted to BOCO last year).</p>
<p>The boy was definitely not "recruited", but decided he was looking for a different experience than he was receiving at CCM. I believe he really liked the program, but was not happy with the location of the school along with several other things not related to the MT program. As Susan stated, he was accepted (with scholarship) during the last audition round and requested a transfer. It is quite unusual circumstances, but I believe since his training was certainly comparable to BoCo, it was possible to make the mid-year transfer.</p>
<p>Lynnm is correct. I suppose I worded my previous post incorrectly. BoCo did not actively pursue this young man, but he was drawn to the program for all of its merits. I meant he was wooed by BoCo's reputation and by its program, not by any administrator. Sorry for any confusion. This student decided that although he was getting perfectly good training that he prefered the atmosphere at boco better. As Lynnm said: the location as well as the people and the program structure were factors in his decision to transfer. This is a highly unusual occurance at boco and was only allowed because as Susan saud, the programs have such similar training and he was already admitted for the previous semester. However, he does have to forgoe any scholorships that he had earned for the remainder of the year as those funds have already been alotted to other students for this year.</p>
<p>This is about SDM but not about your guys's conversation, I was just hoping youall could help me out. I've wanted to go to SDM for years but my parents never wanted to pay. I finally have a job so I am thinking about going...but after reading all the posts about it I am pretty intimidated. I LOVE musical theater but I have never seriously persued it besides doing school musicals. I am a much stronger singer, and take voice lessons which have helped, than I am a dancer or actor. I did take ballet seriously for about seven years, but I quit about three years, was never good, and now have lost all of it - I consider myself as having no dance experience. I want to go to a camp where I can do musical theater with talented kids but I don't want to be really inexperienced compared to everyone else. All the posts I have read make it sound like everyone there is pretty much already broadway-level...I won't mind not being as good as other people, but I"ll mind if I'm expected to be better than I am. So I was hoping someone could help me out, tell me if you think SDM would be a good camp for me. Or is there another suggestion? Next summer I'll be 17, and a rising senior, so it's pretty much my last chance to do a summer program anywhere...
thanks!</p>
<p>mkt16a17....I just read your post and ironically, my husband and I just finished watching the documentary movie called "Stagedoor" (you can rent it from Netflix). And right in the movie, Carl Samuelson, the late founder and owner of Stagedoor Manor, says (and I paraphrase): "At Stagedoor, we have kids who have been on Broadway, kids who have only done their school shows, and kids who simply love theater and have no talent at all." And ya know, that is exactly the case.</p>
<p>My daughter went to SDM for 8 years 16 sessions and I have seen a lot of kids and shows there over the years. First off, very few have already been on Broadway. A few have. Some have done professional regional theater and some have done community theater and some simply school shows. Many have a lot of prior training and some not very much. There is a RANGE of talent at SDM. The common thread is that everyone who attends is passionate about theater. If someone is not, this is definitely not the place to go. You live and breathe theater 24/7 there....in classes, rehearsals and down time with friends. </p>
<p>If you go only wanting a big part, then that may not happen. Even very talented people get cast in ensemble. It isn't about the part. It is about the experience. The classes are great and then being in a high quality youth production is an experience many don't have at home. There is a larger concentration of talent in one place with kids who are serious about theater. There is a level of professionalism expected. You put together a musical or play in about 2 1/2 weeks, on top of classes (and in the case of those in Our Time Cabaret, on top of a second show). It is intensive. Most who go love it. Trust me that there will be many at SDM of your level of background. Also, the casts tend to not be over about 22 kids, on purpose. Each person can be seen in a show. In certain shows, even ensemble does a lot (depends on the musical of course). Someone in any part can shine on stage. I've seen standouts in the ensemble. They also try to rotate opportunities. If you are there six weeks, often if you play a lead one session, you don't another (in general). </p>
<p>Yes, there are some highly talented kids but there are also kids who simply like theater and don't plan to pursue the field in college or beyond. But with some of the top talent and those who do want to pursue it, there seems to be many who succeed. I know a very large number who have been accepted, attend or have graduated top BFA programs and another big number who have chosen BA paths at schools known for good theater (my D's pal and castmate from SDM just got into Yale EA, though won a NFAA Arts award and I feel certain could have gone for a BFA but wanted Yale as have a few other SDM friends, for example). As well, there are several fairly recent graduates of SDM, as well as some from a while back, currently on Bdway and National Tours, etc. But that is not a reason to pick SDM. </p>
<p>If you love theater and want an intensive experience taking classes, as well as experiencing applying your skills to a quality production, and bonding with others who you have a lot in common with (and these bonds go on for a lifetime in many instances), it is worth seriously considering. If you can talk with current or recent Stagedoorians, you will get a sense of what they are like or what the experience can be. SDM is not for everyone. But it is for a range of talent. The only thing necessary is wanting to be there and just do it. The kids who attend are very supportive of one another, wildly cheering each other on, no matter the level of talent. You are not expectd to enter SDM already professional. They treat you and expect professionalism in the work but there are no prerequisites. After one day there, you too will feel "at home" as they say at Stagedoor. And you may be one of the many who absolutely do not want to leave when it ends. You will learn a lot and make many close theater pals.</p>
<p>Speaking for my own kid, SDM was a huge influence on her life and who she is today. I cannot speak highly enough of her experiences there. I am positive there are other programs just as wonderful out there. I am sure of it. Look around and compare and find the program that offers what you are looking for. If SDM happens to be that program, go for it. Your level of talent is not a factor in what you will get out of it. The range is great. It already sounds like you have a background. In fact, your background is on par with many campers. Like anywhere, you will find some who are more advanced than you, and some less. This is not going to be a problem. Focus on you and what you want to get out of it. Find the program that fits what you want. You surely sound like you have the desire, a key necessity.</p>
<p>PS...if you rent the DVD, "Stagedoor", you will see that there is a range of talent in that film and they focused on certain kids, and actually not necessarily the most talented or the leads, etc. The movie will demonstrate that. There is very little footage of the actual shows or the most talented or leads, etc. I think you will be able to see that there is truly a range, if you watch that film. The film did not focus on talent, but focused on different types of kids who go there with a common love of theater.</p>
<p>thanks so much soovietz...that is encouraging to hear....I think i'll try to get that movie out!:-)</p>
<p>The movie was great! It was filmed during my first session at SDM.</p>