Suggestion for dealing with summer program deadline conflicts

Hi all,
I was just accepted into Tanglewood high school vocal program. They require a down payment by March 15, and I still want to apply to the Eastman Horizons Vocal program because that is my first choice. I will not be able to record all the repertoire that Eastman requires until 4 days until the deadline (April 1) because of my extremely busy schedule. I know that Tanglewood is a fantastic and competitive program that I should seriously consider, but I feel that going to Eastman the summer before my senior year would be a really good way to see if I would like to attend Eastman for college ( that is if I were to get accepted;). And get to know the the campus, some of the faculty ect…
Also the price difference between the two programs is substantial, and honestly I am not considering BU for conservatory. I have been in contact with the director of the Eastman Horizons program, should I try reaching out to him with my dilemma?

Would Tanglewood extend their deadline until I find out if I get into Eastman? Does anyone else have any suggestions/ experiences with these programs?

It’s been my experience that Tanglewood fills up quickly and has a waiting list, so I would doubt that they would extend a deadline, especially since it would be clear that they’re not the first choice. It doesn’t hurt to ask though, and if they say no, ask if you could be put on THEIR waiting list if you truly want to wait to hear from Eastman. As for the Horizons Program, be aware that not all of the regular ESM faculty teaches there since it’s summertime and they are scattered to other places. You will get a good look at the school though, so there is that to consider.

Can you pay the deposit, and be prepared to lose it if you have another choice?

I don’t know if it is too late, but wanted to point this out from the site for New Horizons:

Faculty: Students study with members of Eastman Community Music School faculty and members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

This is not the same as Eastman faculty. I looked up three faculty members randomly and they did not teach at Eastman, but others may.

Eastman is a three week program, BUTI is 6 weeks and looks fantastic.

I am not knowledgeable about voice so defer to others, but on the surface of things, I would go for BUTI.

@sopranogurl BUTI is a suberb program. Well done on your acceptance.
Are you thinking about applying to Oberlin Conservatory? Their Summer HS Vocal intensive is 9-10 days long with all the voice faculty and you really get a great feel for the school. My D loved it and made some amazing connections and friends she’s been auditioning with all season. It’s not a huge time commitment and yiu could possibly do another program around it. Last Summer it started July 24th. Take a peak, it might be a good option for you.

There are a lot of benefits to Tanglewood that have nothing to do with BU. I can’t say much about voice. My daughter went to the workshop for her instrument and it gave her face time with NEC professors, one of whom makes most people’s top three list on her instrument. More than that, though, it’s given her access to a peer group of kids who are as serious on her instrument as she is, and a window into what’s to come as far as the college audition process. She worked her tail off. And yet, she also had a huge amount of fun.

Everyone’s experience varies, of course, that’s just ours.

You might get a more relevant impression of Eastman by making a visit now while college students and faculty will be on campus than you will from the summer program, which doesn’t sound like it has a lot of overlap with the conservatory outside of the physical facility.

If you’re not aware already, you should know that Eastman is really only 3 buildings. The school with Kodak hall. The library which is directly across the street and the dorm which is about 50 feet from the door of Kodak hall. Other then that there is nothing. My son is a junior there now. Great school. He attended the intensive workshop the summer between junior and senior year. He and 2 of his classmates attended that workshop. The intensives are run by the faculty. Not sure if there is a vocal intensive. Good luck!!!

@bigdjp , I still can’t get used to hearing the words “Kodak Hall”! It will always be the Eastman Theatre to me; I sat through many concerts in there, two “remodelings”, all-state chorus events, and my daughter’s high school graduation… and then they decided to rename it, which was so odd when you consider that Kodak’s presence in the city had diminished so much at that point as to be almost minuscule compared to what it had been a decade before.
Ah well, now I REALLY feel old!.

One other push for Tanglewood, being able to go to the music performances there is also a huge plus, you get to see all kinds of music there, including vocal if I remember how the summer music at Tanglewood goes. It is a way to get immersed in music a different way.