Summer Programs - Discussion

<p>Thanks for your reply!!</p>

<p>I wish I worked harder on my academics :(
But yep MPulse is not the only program I'm applying for as I know how competitive it is. I'm applying for others too :)</p>

<p>ICT is basically just computer so I'll cut that out..
So my Year 10 grades are:
English Lit: A
English Lang: A
History: A
Maths: B
Science: (Double Award: its the average of all 3 sciences) BB
Spanish: B
Psychology: B</p>

<p>GCSE (Yr 11) - I did soooo badly :(:
English Lit: A
English Lang: A
History: B
Maths: C
Science: CC
Spanish: B
Psychology: C</p>

<p>and we do IB.. VERY tough:
I take: History, Music, English HIGHER
and Maths Spanish and Biology STANDARD</p>

<p>I calculated and I JUST got a 3.0... more like.. 3.0125 or something hahahaha</p>

<p>I am definitely going to take my academics more seriously...... @____@"
and work EXTREMELY hard in my SATS.</p>

<p>Does anyone know if it's possible to attend the UARTS summer programs when you're fifteen?</p>

<p>I assume Music Theory AP would count in any GPA calculation since it is an academic course? I am guessing they mainly want courses like choir dropped where "graded." My understanding is that most colleges recalculate GPA for all students dropping grades for PE, fine arts, etc.</p>

<p>Mmmaia-- I attended the Uarts program this past summer, and one of my roommates was actually 15. As long as the student is going to be a junior, I think it's okay. You might have to contact the school to make sure, but it shouldn't be a huge problem. BUT-- I do suggest that only a mature 15 year old should go (not implying that you're not .. haha). My roommate wasn't so mature and seemed to have a hard time fitting in and adjusting to living on her own. The age difference was VERY apparent. But in most cases, I'm sure the age difference shouldn't be a problem! If you have anymore questions, feel free to contact me.</p>

<p>The UArts program is an excellent one and for anyone interested in a detailed review of it, I posted one on the UArts sub-forum. In some respects, it does require a heightened degree of maturity and self sufficiency since there is no meal plan (the dorms are apartment style living with kitchens) and the campus is the city streets in and about the theatre district of Philadelphia as opposed to more traditional dorm living, with a meal plan, on a self contained college campus. For students who fit in well with this kind of living experience, the program offers excellent training and opportunities for growth as a performer.</p>

<p>Anyone know about summer SAT review programs at colleges? I saw SummerStudy offers Kaplan at Penn State, and ASA offers Princeton Review at U Mass, Amherst. Any one who has gone to, or looked into these?</p>

<p>I never looked into summer SAT review programs myself and my kids never would have spent their summers that way. But there are loads of such programs out there. I am working on some things for a client today who did such a program at Northeastern this past summer (as well as a summer theater intensive....did both). My personal view is that I am not into SAT prep courses, not just summer ones. I think the best prep is taking timed practice tests and reviewing your answers. I think if one can afford it, private SAT tutoring which is geared to the individual's needs is far better than an SAT class which I believe has limited value.</p>

<p>PS, I am not sure if this is the program my student went to but it sounds like it... but it is through Musiker (very reputable company) which offers many summer programs including travel programs but they also offer a two week college admissions prep program on various campuses in conjunction with Princeton Review.
Summer</a> Discovery Junior Discovery Precollege and Enrichment @ UCLA UCSB UCSD Michigan Georgetown Vermont Cambridge England
Hmm, I could not directly link you but when you go to the link above, you then need to click on "The Princeton Review College Discovery Experience" to get to the programs I meant that are about college prep and SAT stuff.</p>

<p>soozievt - I have heard the same thing from many people regarding SAT prep courses. This past summer many of my D's friends spent week after week in some well known courses that parents paid big $$$'s for and my D has said that only one person she knows really brought up his score significantly. But let me preface that by saying that this friend of my D's is probably one of the brightest kids I have ever met and he has spent all of his summers back in the Johns Hopkins programs for gifted kids.</p>

<p>My D (hs junior) is taking the SAT for the first time in Dec. She has been taking the tests out of the College Board SAT book for practice. I have a friend from my book club that teaches SAT review courses and does private tutoring. She is going to look at D's scores after her Dec SAT's and we are going to have her tutor D privately in areas where she can specifically help improve her scores.</p>

<p>Thanks so much music<em>is</em>life and MichaelNKat. UARTS had been one of my top choices for a summer program until I found out that you had to be sixteen, and I wouldn't be turning sixteen until August, so I'm pretty happy as you might imagine. Thanks again.</p>

<p>Maia</p>

<p>My D did the CMU precollege drama program last summer and LOVED it. This summer she is thinking about the U of Mich Program, the Cherubs program or one of the two CAP 21 programs. It may have been covered before, but can anyone clearly explain to me the differences between the two? Is it true that the one through Tisch is a non-audition program? Also, is the audition program the one where you have to figure out your own housing? I'm confused. Also, is one more supervised than the other, and do the kids in the two programs have any contact?
In addition, I'd like to know which programs include a production and which, if any, are just for training. By the way, if anyone wants to know more about the CMU program, feel free to ask here or to PM me. Thanks!</p>

<p>NYU Tisch CAP21 (4 weeks $6813)
Non audition, 34 kids total. College credit. Housing provided. Supervised evening and weekend activities. Catch: application does involve essay and resume submission. Receive between 300- 400 applications. From our experience they really must do a thorough job sifting through the applications as in 07 the majority of those who attend, are really very talented, and we saw almost everyone wind up at competitive BFA's.</p>

<p>CAP21 direct (5 weeks $3500)
By audition only. Program is larger and seems slightly less selective in spite of the audition aspect. No college credit. No housing provided. More free time. Just as great of an amount of attendees wind up at BFA's.</p>

<p>The difference?
Essentially what jumps right at you is the difference in price :). Remember though that you will need to come up with housing and so that difference may shrink. </p>

<p>The conservatory training is the same, all voice/dance/acting classes are taught by CAP faculty. All students receive individual evaluations. One program has more free time than the other, since NYU's program involves a substantial amount of homework and includes a "regular" theatre studies class the kids have to take, to earn their college credits. </p>

<p>It really all depends, what you are looking for, and of course fate plays a role too :). Our D ideally wanted to get the "full on" NYU experience, homework, college credit and all. For us it was a nice "trial run" to see if the BFA in NYC was really the right thing, and I liked the idea of things being a bit more supervised.</p>

<p>Ask and you shall receive! Thanks so much MTgirlsmom!</p>

<p>HSN - whoops, I still missed a few of your questions :D:</p>

<p>There is no "production" at the end of either program, just an "open classes" day for parents and siblings (my D actually also invited 2 NY friends, who were curious about CAP). Kids do not really mingle at all as CAP classes for the NYU TSOA summer kids are taught at Tisch :D.</p>

<p>HSN,
MTgrlsmom gave you the skinny on the difference between the two CAP21 summer programs, the one through NYU and the one directly through CAP21 and yes, they both end with more of a "demos" type performance of songs...not a true production. At Cherubs, at the end of the five week theater program, they do put on plays. At the end of the two week MT extension, there is a revue type show. The program is heavy on training, however. I have had clients who have done Cherubs (one did both CMU and Cherubs like your D could do) and many who have done either the CAP21 or the Tisch/CAP summer programs and all have loved these programs and have learned a great deal. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them and there are simply some differences. For example, the Tisch or CAP21 program are MT whereas Cherubs is five weeks of drama, though there is the two week MT extension. The kids I have had who have done Cherubs are often MT kids but they got a chance to hone their acting chops and then also did the MT extension.</p>

<p>I just want to add one little tidbit that MTgrlsmom didn't mention (though she was very thorough in the differences between the two CAP summer programs)....but when she mentioned that those who do the program directly through CAP do not have housing....that is true....BUT, many live in NYU dorms for the summer. True, there is no supervision and it is just like college living in a dorm, it is not like the student must find an apartment in NYC or something. It would be similar to attending college. The Tisch program has supervision in the evenings and is more structured when not in class and the CAP program is not. But in either program, you could be housed in the NYU Dorms.</p>

<p>To SoozieVT: Where does MPulse figure into all of this? Do you know roughly what percentage of the kids eventually get into UMich from their summer program?</p>

<p>
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To SoozieVT: Where does MPulse figure into all of this?

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</p>

<p>I am not sure what you are asking. I'm sorry. </p>

<p>
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Do you know roughly what percentage of the kids eventually get into UMich from their summer program?

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</p>

<p>I don't know a percentage or number and someone who has attended would be able to give you more of a first hand report....but I believe maybe approximately 1-3 students who have gone to MPulse may enter the freshmen class in the BFA in MT each year at UMich. I don't wish to be quoted but I do believe it is a very small number. </p>

<p>In my opinion, I would NOT (!!!) pick a summer program with thoughts of how that particular summer program may be beneficial in some way with admissions to that college's BFA in MT Program. The odds are too chancy to count on that, particularly at summer programs like CMU and MPulse. Rather, I would pick a summer program on the merits of the program and how it best fits what your child wants in a summer program. I would not view any of it in terms of some "advantage." I would do the program for its own sake and nothing more.....a chance to be immersed in a MT intensive training program. In some cases, it may be affiliated with a college and a chance to sample what a BFA might be like. In some cases, it has no affiliation with any college but is a very worthwhile summer MT intensive (either just training or a combo of training and production experience). Many of those who have had such experiences at any number of summer programs, end up attending fine BFA in MT Programs, even if not the college program related to their summer program. For example, my own child attended Stagedoor Manor which is not even a pre-college program. Kids who went to her summer program have gone onto all the well known BFA in MT programs. The same could be said for summer programs like Tisch, CAP21, CMU, MPulse, BTP, Interlochen, Cherubs, OCU, UArts, and many many others. So, pick the program that best fits what you want for a summer intensive. It can be a stepping stone in terms of your training and in mixing with talented students from all over. It need not be affiliated with any college or even the college you hope to attend.</p>

<p>Thanks, Soozievt. I tried to send you a PM but your box is full.</p>

<p>Anne, I prefer emails to PMs. </p>

<p>Admittedly, I am extremely busy right now with college counseling and can't always field all the PMs and emails that are sent asking for help. I try to volunteer on the forum to help a bunch of people at once. You can try emailing me but please forgive if I am backlogged on volunteer emails as there are just so many hours in a day and I must give first preference to the families with whom I am working.</p>

<p>A big Thanks to Soozie for adding the bit about CAP21 and the option for NYU housing :D. </p>

<p>Another 'insider tip' about this from some of D's friends, who have participated in this program. NYU Summer Housing tends to fill up fast and one "competes" with NYU students, or others who sign up for NYU summer classes, and who are looking for NYU housing as well. Your timing of registration will be key. Auditions for CAP's direct program take place in January through March. If you audition in March, and wait until then to sign up for NYU housing, your chances of actually still "getting" housing are bleak. </p>

<p>You may want to consider this; one of D's friends actually put in a request for housing and sent in (what I think is a non-refundable) deposit as soon as NYU Housing put up their summer application (in Jan.), just to be sure he had a place to stay. When he auditioned at CAP, he was actually asked how he was planning to go about housing, and they seemed to appreciate the fact that he had taken care of this in advance. It was not considered presumptious, but merely taken as an indication that he was "thinking ahead".</p>

<p>Just an idea :D.</p>

<p>I am very glad that MTgrlsmom pointed that out about summer housing at NYU. You must keep abreast of the date that they allow sign ups and sign up for summer housing right away. It would be a good thing to do whether or not you have heard from the CAP21 (direct) summer intensive program. </p>

<p>I just want to mention that the fee is NOT non-refundable for the summer housing (I know that is a double negative, sorry). I guess I should say it IS refundable. There is simply a penalty for cancellation. </p>

<p>This is the penalty:
28 or more days prior notice
$50 charge</p>

<p>21-27 days prior notice
$125 charge</p>

<p>14-20 days prior notice
$250 charge</p>

<p>7-13 days prior notice
$375 charge</p>

<p>Less than seven days prior notice
$500 charge</p>

<p>In my view, if your kid is auditioning for the CAP21 summer program (through CAP), then you should reserve the summer housing when it opens up for reservations and if your child is not admitted, you would only forfeit $50.</p>