Hi
My D is a junior and we are deep in the MT college searching and requirements and looks as though most/all of the school are still test optional. My kid has a great gpa but is a horrible standardized test taker and do not think the amount of $$ on tutors will help get a respectable
Score to submit. She is also in a performing arts high school and carries 4 extra classes in her vocal major along with being 1 of 28 only in the MT program. This makes it impossible to take more than 1 year of language.
It will be hard enough to audition for aa ton of schools but need some
Advice regarding the act/sats
If you mean language other than English, what level will it be? How does that compare to the requirements or recommendations at the colleges of interest?
Based on previous testings of ACT, SAT, or PSAT, or practice tests under testing conditions?
Whether to take the ACT or SAT depends on what score she is likely to get and whether it would help or hurt (or is required) for admission or merit scholarships at the colleges under consideration.
If they are only looking at bfa and audition based programs it really doesn’t matter. There are a few schools that look at academics (NYU and CMU have thresholds but don’t require standardized tests and the threshold is lower than the. rest of their schools). Northwestern is the big one that may be an issue and the language requirement would be more than the standardized testing. The place where standardized scores may help is non bfa schools that take MT artistic supplements. Most are test optional but a good score will help. I think the thought in general now is that if your child won’t score within the 50% for a school you don’t submit and I don’t think that any MT requires scores but there may be one or two.
We were in the same position. Great GPA, lousy test taker and little desire or time to study. We made a list of schools (I think we started with 40 to explore) and almost all were test optional. We looked at the ones that weren’t to determine if they were really going to stay on the short list and they weren’t. We decided to just skip ACTs all together. His PreACTs didn’t go so well and there was little chance they were going to go up enough to positively impact his application as he already had great grades, ECs and leadership positions. The stress and time just didn’t seem worth it for something that would have no positive impact.
I know nothing about MT, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that as a MT theater major her audition will be what is important and the SAT/ACTs will have little impact.
Yes, it is unlikely that standardized test taking skills will have much impact on a performing artist beyond college admission (and probably a less than typical impact even then) and scholarships. It would be quite different for someone going into pre-med or pre-law or other paths with multiple high stakes gateway tests to get through before starting practice in the profession.
Thank you. It is time consuming and a lot of $$ for tutoring to prep and based on the practice tests psat no prep- 690 and act no prep 15, there would not be much growth or time to achieve a competitive score. Focus on audition, essay, EC and community service??
She took Spanish 1 her freshman year. Spanish 2/3 are considered electives and if you get into the school musical ( only 28 kids out of a school of 800) that slot is filled with the mt class period and afterschool rehearsals. Because she got in her Soph/Junior year she wasn’t able to take Spanish 2 and the schedule doesn’t allow for outside Spanish 101 through college now program.
Check if the colleges of interest want to see foreign language to a higher level than level 1. Many colleges that want to see foreign language at all want to see at least level 2, sometimes level 3 or 4.
That seems like a poor high school policy to shut students in the MT program out of typical college prep courses.
You need to find out what the college requires you to have. She may need to fulfill the FL requirement and take the SAT or ACT if those are required for admission to the school.
BUT if she is applying as a musical theater major, her SAT/ACT score will not carry as much weight as her audition and resume.
My son ended up taking his second year of FL through an on line course to have the requirement fulfilled. I won’t lie, it was painful on top of his busy music practice and performance schedule. He ended up at a music conservatory, so he ultimately did not need it. Nor did he need an SAT or ACT score. But he wanted to keep all options available.
So many schools are test optional, at least it looks like through next year’s admissions cycle, that unless there are schools that are high on her list that require SAT/ACT it does not sound like it is worth the extra stress.
Another route could be to take the SAT or ACT just to have a score to submit if a school high on her list changes their test policy.
Only one year of foreign language seems like a larger hurdle that could more strongly impact her admission opportunities. Many schools require two-three years of a foreign language, and while some will accept academics that are of a slightly lower level than the general applicant pool for performing arts majors, this is not the case at all schools, particularly programs that are housed within universities. It may be worth contacting the regional admissions counselor and/or arts admissions counselor at each of the schools on her list to inquire if only one year of foreign language could be a deal breaker for a performing arts major applicant.
Could she take foreign language through dual enrollment or an online high school program that offers students the opportunity to take classes on a class by class basis? Perhaps there could be an opportunity to do so in the summer, so as not to put another class on her schedule during the school year?
Ultimately, it may not be needed, but may be worth exploring in order to maximize options.
Consider if your D can fit in a Spanish 2 class over the summer or next fall – even if it is at a CC, a local college, or an accredited online program.
I would definitely look into the foreign language requirements for the schools she is interested in. My daughter didn’t take math her senior year (took trig in junior year but opted not to take calculus senior year) and it actually became an issue for general admission at uncg (I think that was the school). They require 4 years of math - no exceptions for theatre students. She didn’t get in artistically so didn’t end up being an issue.
First, have you started a balanced list of schools: BFA programs and BA programs?
Most BFA programs are heavily weighted towards the artistic application, and you will not need a score. But, as others have said, FL is another thing entirely. You need to look at each individual school on your list and see what they require. And remember, there are more academically inclined BFA schools: NYU, BU, Emerson and Carnegie Mellon come to mind as being more 50-50ish (artistic-academic). Every school will be different, so there is some research to be done here.
In addition, you need to have some BA schools on your list as well. As those are all academic, with maybe a theater supplement, you will most probably need a third year of language. Do your research now! Don’t gamble this and then learn more FL was needed after it’s too late.
Second question: are you hoping to get scholarship $? This will impact the SAT/ACT decision. I know many parents whose score was helpful in getting more scholarship $. Again, specific to different schools.
I have been contacting admin offices for all the schools we are interested in. The majority are still test optional for the incoming class 2024. Let’s just hope she gets callbacks!
Check individual schools on the foreign language requirement. I checked the requirements for a few states worth of public universities and they all required 2 years of the same language in high school. Honestly, I think she needs to take Spanish 2 in summer school or she is going to lose out on a bunch of school options. 2 years is pretty much universally considered minimum college prep level for non competitive colleges.
All public universities in Florida and North Carolina, at the very least, will require either an SAT or an ACT score next year. Without some score you will simply not be eligible. Better to have a bad test score that MAY get in the way of admission than not even be able to apply.