@bsc57 my daughter will be a freshman there and can’t wait. She has bonded with incoming class and with several students who are there now. It’s a little over two hour drive for us so it’s not to close not to far. I did put her final decision story on here if you want to read that .Feel free to private message me with any questions .
@dramamama3 I will look for her story! Thanks!
@bsc57 both my oldest daughters are the same. Top of their class GPA wise; terrible test takers (for high stakes testing - school testing and even APs are fine). So I’d wish they would just scrap them as well. My youngest D does fine in school, but she’s definitely more laid back and much to her sisters’ annoyance does great on standardized tests LOL
Test scores. Ugh. Recent studies indicate grade point averages are a better indicator of success in college than standardized test scores. Educators (and I am one) are also better judges of students’ abilities. My BFA Acting D did not score well enough on the SAT to apply to Michigan. Fortunately, Michigan was not her dream school, and her dream school, where she is now a student, was test optional. D’s GPA was well above average, and I am sure her teacher recs spoke to her motivation and diligence in school. D’s sibling, a STEM major, had her pick of schools with a wickedly high SAT score but keeps me up at night with her attitude of earning grades that will be good enough to retain her scholarship. My hope is more colleges will re-examine the testing policy for the sake of kids like my D and the students I teach that don’t have the means for test prep, multiple tries etc. Gifts come in many different packages and they are not all wrapped in high standardized test scores.
@roleepolee YES!!!
This board has been quiet lately! For anyone who doesn’t already know, there’s a group on FB called MT Parents that is still very active right now.
Now that we’re hearing that lots of auditions will be virtual this year (my D is doing CAP United and it has gone virtual), we’re trying to get an in-home space to film in set up. I just ordered a photography backdrop/stand off Amazon because she prefers to do Zoom classes (and will soon be doing auditions) in her room where there aren’t any blank walls to film in front of. She already has a ring light. Is there anything else any of you have found helpful in preparing to do virtual auditions?
I purchased a Blue Yeti USB Mic for my S from Best Buy. He is very happy with it and just finished using it during a 2-week MT summer intensive. I believe they can still be ordered through Best Buy and Amazon for $130.00. My S believes it really improved the audio especially when he had to step back a few feet from his laptop to perform. It can also be connected to his iPhone for filming prescreens, but that does require a fairly inexpensive adapter.
@AmarilloTX We just purchased a Blue Yeti X(per a recommendation) And my D loves it! I didnt know about the adapter tho! I will have to look into that! Her voice Coach loves it too! Says the quality is much better than just the laptop mic.
Any advice on external cameras?
Most of the cell phone cameras these days are pretty good @Mamacitateatro - we tried using an external video recorder and decided we liked the iphone’s picture better, lol.
@Mamacitateatro I agree with @CaMom13 regarding cell phone cameras as being very good for video recording prescreens, etc. This is with the caveat that good lighting and good sound are also vitally important. This is why I invested in a ring light and a good USB microphone that can be connected to both a laptop and a cell phone.
If you are thinking about an external camera for a computer, I went through that same decision making process. I ultimately decided that an external camera was not needed. Good lighting will greatly improve a mediocre laptop camera and I believe good sound to be the most important for MT auditions. There is also the practical problem of laptops having 3 or less USB ports. We had to use one port for the Ethernet connection using an adapter (looks like many new laptops do not have Ethernet ports) and one port for the USB microphone. I didn’t want the final USB port to be used by a camera that I concluded was not really necessary.
Bottom line, invest in high quality lighting and a high quality USB microphone, and you should be set to go.
ITA @AmarilloTX . We were discussing this topic in the MT Audition support FB group and it seems like one of the questions applicants need to address is how to make space in your home for auditions. Prescreens were awful enough when we went through them but this year’s crew will need to do video’d or live/remote auditions and interviews, which are different animals than pre-screens. I jokingly suggested everyone just give up their living rooms for good but seriously, families should consider where the auditions will take place (especially… dance? yeep) when buying equipment / lighting for prescreens.
@CaMom13 I am hoping that the dance portion of the auditions will be by video submission. That would at least give kids an opportunity to find a good dance location outside of the home. We shall see.
@CaMom13 What is the name of the FB page?
@iowamtmom look for “Musical Theatre & Acting College Application Support”
Hi everyone. I tried posting a thread on the CC before but nobody responded to it at all and I’m extremely anxious after reading several threads about the possibility of getting accepted into a MT BFA program. I’ve seen so many stories of 18 year olds getting accepted to at least one school out of 18 schools. Their also has been stories wheras a senior got accepted to none at all and was almost forced to go into a BA program. I know myself the best and if I was accepted to not a single BFA program at all I will undoubtedly miserable in a BA program
My biggest concern is what are the chances of applying to at least 18 or 20 programs and being rejected from all. Is this the inevitable truth for a large amount of MT bound seniors?
If it helps I’m a male 4’7 baritone and I’m extremely nervous and its not even my junior year yet. If anybody could answer that would be amazing. Thanks 
A 4’7" baritone? I thought I had seen it all…
@RainbowHigh Tough question to answer but here is my advice. 18-20 programs should be plenty PROVIDED you have a well balanced list. Shoot for a few dream schools but have the bulk of your BFA list consist of schools that (1) are a good fit and (2) you can afford. Once you have that it comes down to the audition and what happens in the room. Make sure you have songs that showcase you and songs you can do well dead tired with a cold. Make well though out choices in your age appropriate monologues. Lastly make sure you have a safety school meaning a BFA program WITHOUT an audition requirement that you could see yourself thriving in. You got this. Also pick up the book “I Got In” great information on the process and contains a ton of resources. BAL
@RainbowHigh I second what @TheatreDad69 said about the balanced list and about the solid audition material. I’ll only add that the schools that are considered “fit” schools shift every year as they get more applications, so it’s a good idea to stay in touch with this forum and/or to get an advisor on board to help you come up with your list when that time comes.
As for material, the good news is you have plenty of time to go looking for it and start working on it. So please don’t stress now - time is on your side and looking around this early can only help you to make sure you’re exactly where you need to be when the time comes for you to do prescreens/applications.
Lastly, as for BA programs, there are many out there that are BA “in name only” and provide you with a solid level of preprofessional training despite the different degree name. I wouldn’t write programs off just because they don’t have an “F” between the “B” and the “A” - do look into curricula and see where you might have some fit programs there, you might just find a gem you didn’t know existed.
Good luck to you!
Thank you so much @tsamuique and @TheaterDad69 I will definitely keep up with forum to the time comes. I have a list of schools already but I may have to switch them out over time… Im going start finding monologues and songs as well. One last things would IW be considered a reach or lottery school.