Some disturbing allegations in this article. Kudos to the University for taking them seriously and opening an investigation.
My D just got her June ACT scores back. Her composite is 29 which I think is just fine for an MT applicant, but she thinks she needs to score at least 30 to be an academic admit for some of the more academic schools like Northwestern, USC and Michigan. I keep hearing the audition is weighted more, therefore, rather than have her spend her summer studying to retake the SAT or ACT, I’m suggesting she concentrate on prepping for her pre-screens and working on the college apps.
Thoughts from anyone who already had a child go through this or knows people who have?
For some of the academic schools the academics are weighed equally (i.e. NYU). My D did not have good SAT scores and even though they say audition matters more my take when compared to her friends who also got accepted to the same schools and got slightly more scholarship money was because she didn’t submit scores (they did and were higher than hers). Just speculating that a higher score in most cases helps to get $$ and getting you in in some cases. Whether a few points make a difference for your D - if you think she has the ability to improve a lot by retaking, you have to weigh that in vs. the time she needs to prep the audition part.
@flippedout If Northwestern is a top choice for your d, I’d have her retake it. Otherwise, 29 should be good for most places. My D1 got in Northwestern with a 33 and that was the low end that year. Above 30 is better for scholarships across the board, but you can look at the individual school websites for the schools on your d’s list to see the different dollar amounts associated with various scores (many schools list that info) and decide if it’s worth it for your family.
Do I believe she could improve her (math) score? Definitely. She spent 1 week prepping for the ACT after school was out for summer. Do I think she will take the time to do so? Not sure. She says she wants to improve her scores, but she has so much going on this summer, not sure if she will actually make it a priority.
@flippedout I agree with @ourturn2 regarding Northwestern. It is a BA program and acceptance is based on academics. I think their acceptance rate was around 8% this year so she should definitely take it again if she really wants Northwestern as an option.
If you have a 29 with a high GPA (over 4.2) would that help for scholarship money or are scholarships based mostly on test scores.
@flippedout Her score is fine for Michigan: on the SMTD page on the UMich site it lists a 3.0 GPA or better and an ACT of 24 or better as the cutoff. Michigan uses these academics as part of their prescreen, so if you pass their prescreen, you are cleared for academic admission (that’s what they told us on audition day last January): although getting admitted artistically is the harder part!! USC’s MT program is new; its first class is starting this fall. On their website they do list that they consider academics as part of their prescreen process, but are not specific about their requirements.
@flippedout - has she taken the SAT? My D’s both only took the ACT. They both had over 30, but a friend later suggested that D2 should have tried to SAT - scoring is different. Because her score was over 30 - which we realize is good - our high school’s college counselor never mentioned the SAT. She took it 3 times and got the exact. same. score. every. time. She took it cold, took a class at school and then had math/science tutoring. It didn’t change. If she’d gotten another point or 2, she would have been eligible for more scholarship money. I think that the way she tests that the SAT might have been better for her, but I didn’t know!
I can’t speak for anyone else but I think my son’s test scores were the biggest factor in merit money awards.
That being said, if merit money is not going to be the number one determining factor where your child will attend, I’d weigh the cost/benefit analysis of putting more time/effort/resources into trying to bump up to the next test score level at this point. There is a lot that is going to need to be done at a fast pace over the next few months. (The essays? Have we talked about all of the supplemental essays?) Not all schools offer significant merit awards and even some that do are still need based as well so in the end, it may not be worth the effort to go for higher test scores at this stage in the process.
@MTmom2017 Yes, she took the SAT in March. According to an equivalency table her composite ACT score is the same as her combined SAT score. She studied for 3 months for that test. The math brings her down.
She knows how to do the math (took pre-calculus this year) but under timed conditions doesn’t perform well.
Yes, we would love for her to qualify for merit aid, but I personally don’t think it’s worth her stress when she has so many other college-related things to prepare.
@jbtcat My D might have to drop Northwestern from her list. i can’t see her bringing up her math to get to the 25th percentile overall.
@flippedout - I would check the websites of some of the schools in which she is interested. Many schools have very straightforward formulas for how much merit money you will get. Typically it is based on a combination of your GPA and test scores. One thing we wished we had known was typically, it is your unweighted GPA used for these calculations. So D would have been better off getting an A in a regular class than a B in an AP class. But that is another subject. At any rate, check and see what merit money she has already qualified for at schools on your list. That may help you decide if you need to test again.
@flippedout - we had the EXACT same problem with math. She knew how to do it but being timed made her anxious so she did not do as well as she should have. We had to quit worrying about getting to that “next level” score and focus on applications/auditions.
Agree with @vvnstar about GPA. D2 chose not to take some AP classes (math/science) so her unweighted GPA would be higher. It was a lesson we learned with D1 - she missed out on some money because of B’s in AP classes. This was our choice - many people feel differently - there’s a whole discussion on that on a different thread!
@MTmom2017 my husband and I have been trying to convince my D to drop some of the honors classes to enjoy her senior year, but she’s been in the Honors/AP track for the past 3 years and doesn’t want to be in “regular college prep” classes. This means that for senior year she is enrolled in AP Language and Literature, AP Govt.,AP Statistics and for her 3rd year of science (she didn’t take science last year so she could take both theatre and choir) she’s taking Honors Anatomy/Physiology. She might switch to Honors Marine Biology.
She doesn’t need the extra grade points. She has an unweighted GPA of 4.0. She’s just that kind of student. Thrives on the challenge.
That said, I’d prefer she concentrate on college audition related stuff.
@vvnstar Thanks for your reply. I have now added new tab on the master spreadsheet is for GPA’s, Test scores and merit aid.
The stuff about Roosevelt/CCPA that is emerging on social media is disturbing to boot. Suggests “getting in” isn’t the only objective–caveat emptor. Was high on D’s list but this changes the equation. “Conservatory environment” is not an excuse for the kind of abusive behavior repeatedly alleged. I don’t give credence to all of it, but there is enough corroboration it seems like it will be a complete mess to clean up.
I’m glad I logged in to CC to find only 13 pages of this thread so far.
D is a MT BFA 2024 candidate…we are trying to prepare but it seems like there is no such thing as over-prepared. We have to the end of the month to get 10 different vocal cuts, 6 different monologue cuts, 5 dance videos, innumerable slates, and common app essay in the can before she leaves for the rest of the summer.
I will be amazed if we can fit this in among the four shows left for her community theater production and daily dance classes.
just an FYI- Baldwin Wallace posted their audition dates today, they fill up fast & they dont go to Unifieds… also of note Point park is adding pre screens this year…fun fun!
@NYYFanNowMTdad can you please share where you found that online about the Point Park prescreen? Thank you