<p>My daughter is auditioning for the Musical Theatre program at four schools in the next month -- Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati, Carnegie Mellon, and University of Michigan. I've been trying to find info on any of the existing threads about the odds of getting in at these schools, but I'm not finding much. </p>
<p>Can anyone tell me if they know how many apply/audition/get accepted at any of these schools? Thanks for your info and help!</p>
<p>Tiffw, </p>
<p>Not sure I am the best person to answer this but as an extremely nervous mother of a daughter whose lifetime dreams have all led up to this, I can relate to the question. My daughter is going a similar route - auditioning at all the best MT programs. I see the answer to the odds of my daughter getting in being in some crystal ball I can't read. How does she sing, act, and dance compared to the others? I don't know. What will one particular school be looking for that others aren't and she has or hasn't got? I don't know. </p>
<p>When I posed a similar question to some schools that you are asking, the answer I received based on past years was this. Typically 1200 to 1400 or more will audition...most of these girls. Openings at MT programs vary by school...could be 10 or 25...half of these only for girls. So from a purely logical approach you may be facing 800 females competing for 5 openings...and increase or diminish the odds based on her talent. Not an answer I know but it's my take on the situation. </p>
<p>Univ of Michigan narrows this field by pre-qualifying academically. From what I read from last year's post this narrowed the field to 500. Then again Univ of Mich is known as the home of the triple threats. </p>
<p>What we have done to increase the odds is apply to many schools and also apply to schools outside of MT. We are shooting for the stars but understanding the possibility that she may be rejected at every MT program. Right now I just want her to have choices to make in March at academically great schools.</p>
<p>Good luck to you and me and our daughters...and our nerves.</p>
<p>The odds of getting in varies from person to person. In terms of the percent accepted, however, it varies a bit from school to school but generally speaking....the acceptance rates at most BFA in MT programs are between 2-10%. While not an EXACT percentage, I'd say CMU admits approx. 2%, CCM and UMichigan about 5% and BOCO about 10%. In my view, the differences in those percentage points is negligible. Suffice it to say, the admit rate at most schools is in the single digits. However, some schools are artistically more difficult to get into than others and so admit rate alone is not the sole indicator. Some schools draw from a national talent pool and attract from the best of the best. So, some schools that also have an admit rate of 10% conceivably might be "easier" (but NOT easy) to get into than another more artistically selective school. </p>
<p>And yes, it is harder for girls. </p>
<p>Each person's chances varies depending on their qualifications and talent and also how they may fit a slot in the class. </p>
<p>With such low admit rates, even IF qualified and talented enough, one can still be denied at some schools. Usually if truly qualified, one will get admitted at one or more schools. It is important to have a balanced list in terms of academic odds and artistic odds. </p>
<p>To the OP, I HOPE your daughter is applying to more than BOCO, CCM, CMU, and UMichigan. She may be the most talented kid out there but that list BY ITSELF is very very very chancy FOR ANYONE. I would suggest four more BFA programs that are not at the very tippy top just in case, and a BA back up.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that about 67% of MT auditionees are female. From my experience, it seems more like 75-80%. </p>
<p>Most of the top universities with the exception of BoCo, CCM, UMich and CMU, usually audition 700-900 people, the aforementioned seeing probably over 1000 (NYU says they saw about 1600 last year). You can almost always find out how many freshmen attended last year. That means how many ATTENDED, not were ACCEPTED. A general rule of thumb (at least for not-quite-so-desired-but-pretty-darn-good schools, ie: Elon, Northwestern, etc...) is multiply that by 2. Schools that want to keep their incoming Freshmen class at about 22 students may accept (around) 44 students to yeild a class of 22. This estimation is based off of years of studies. The four schools your D is auditioning for probably has a much lower acceptance rate because most people accepted will attend. For instance, if BoCo usually has a class of 30 students, they might accept 35 to yield a class of 30.</p>
<p>Also, most schools will try to have an even number of guys and girls.</p>
<p>So lets do a little math. I'm going to do this for some information I obtained from Roosevelt University (CCPA).</p>
<p>22 current students x 2 (estimation)= 44 accepted/2= 22 accepted guys or girls</p>
<p>800 auditionees x .67 (percentage of girl auditionees)= 536 girl auditionees</p>
<p>800 auditionees x .33 (percentage of male auditionees)= 264 male auditionees</p>
<p>22 girls accepted/536 girls auditioning= 4.1% acceptance rate</p>
<p>22 guys accepted/264 guys auditioning= 8.33% acceptance rate</p>
<p>NOTE: This was a gross estimate, I may be completely wrong (or I might be right!)</p>
<p>moral of the story: have your daughter get a sex change; it will be much easier on her :D</p>
<p>freedom....</p>
<p>A couple of things....</p>
<p>The number that audition at a certain school truly varies. You mention those schools seeing over 1000 at auditions and this is very different from school to school. CMU and NYU do see over that number, but for instance, UMich sees less than that. That figure actually doesn't even matter. A school is not more selective if more audition. The admit rate is related to how many audition and how many are accepted. The size of each program differs. </p>
<p>While you are correct that the admit rate is based on how many are accepted which is not the same as how many slots are available (how many enroll) due to yield, it is NOT true to figure on multiplying the slots available by 2. Not at all. Schools admit based on the yield in past years and know approx. how many to admit to yield a certain size class. Just for your information, CMU accepts EXACTLY the number they plan to enroll and uses a Priority Waitlist if someone doesn't take the spot. UMich accepts a few more than they plan to enroll....nowhere near double. I think that is true at CCM as well. CAP21 used to accept 80 to yield 64 but has recently accepted less as the yield was higher than expected. BOCO actually accepts quite a lot more than they plan to enroll. It is also a big program. So, this is very variable between schools. The one thing that is true is that most BFAs have admit rates in the single digits. </p>
<p>I am not sure Roosevelt's admit rate but 4% sounds too low to me for girls for Roosevelt. But even if that were correct, it demonstrates a point I made in a previous post....that you can't just go by admit rate alone. For instance, Roosevelt's supposed 4% admit rate (your estimate) is not identical odds to say UMichigan's 5% (general estimate give or take) admit rate. Some programs are less artistiically selective due to the applicant pool. For instance, the kids I know who applied to UMich or NYU did not apply to Roosevelt and vice versa.</p>
<p>I see your points, but I was just trying to say that it was a very gross estimation and things very a lot from school to school.</p>
<p>When I was at Elon they said that they accept almost twice the usual class size to yield their expected class size. I used 2 in my estimation for Roosevelt so that I wouldn't confuse people by using another number.</p>
<p>I was also pretty shocked about the 4% acceptance rate for girls. I would have thought that to be maybe 7% and guys to be 10-12%. I might have done my math wrong or something.</p>
<p>I know a sophomore MT at Roosevelt and she has something like 28 in her class. More started the program last year and some have left for various reasons, both by choice and not by choice.</p>
<p>tiffw: When my son auditioned at CCM in Dec, they told us that there would be about 750 audition this year and they were taking approx. 30.</p>
<p>As a Mom who went thru this last year, I have some advice. Also apply to a school that has a good program that is not dependent on auditions. (Muhlenberg and some others). No matter how terrific your kid is, if they don't need her 'type', she won't get in. How many short blond altos can they use?
My daughter is happy in the Montclair MT program and academically could have gotten in anywhere but did not get accepted due to auditions. I'd have prefered Muhlenberg, but she wanted that BFA. HAVE A BACK UP PLAN!</p>
<p>Too late now for this year. . .but after starting this process with my son. . .the BEST ADVICE would be to apply to a school or two with ROLLING ADMISSIONS. If you do this, and audition early, within a few weeks of the audition, you will get some very important feedback about how you (or your son or daughter) stack (s) up against others who are applying. While it would be difficult to wait for these results before you begin to isolate and identify other schools to apply to, it is incredibly helpful to have SOME IDEA of where you stand. If you get in, all the better--then you have a place to go; maybe it's your dream program, maybe it's a back up. If you do not get in, you might want to assess what you could do to improve your chances--change something in yourself, or change your list of schools.</p>
<p>Lets....GREAT advice. We used our early auditions as a litmus test of what the talent pool was like...after all, you can play well in Hoboken but not not be up there with the big guns until you try. We met a lot of kids who were the leads in high school and community programs for years..talented, smart, triple threats..who did not get into the "big guns" the OP mentioned....broaden your scope and you will significantly up your chances of finding the ' perfect school'!</p>
<p>Good luck!
MikksMom</p>
<p>To add to Mikksmom above, I believe that many of the hundreds of students auditioning for MT each year have had leads in high school shows or have done major performing work in their home cities. At a college program that only takes 20, for example, they cannot in any way take everyone who has done so well and has been a great triple threat at home. The numbers just don't work out, if you think of all the cities and high schools around the US who are probably producing great talent.</p>
<p>Look around and find some safeties or some possibly less competitive programs to add to your list.</p>
<p>Since I first posted this question a week and a half ago, we've greatly appreciated all the feedback and advice we've gotten back! As a result, we have submitted applications to three more schools, and are looking at a couple of other possibilities whose deadlines are coming up. Obviously, we all want to think our child is amazing (and of course, they ARE!), but it was good to have my daughter hear it from someone other than me that we needed more back-up plans!</p>
<p>My daughter NEVER had the lead in her high school shows (yes, she tried out EVERY year). So, there IS hope!!</p>
<p>According to Mr. Wagner, acceptance is 3-4% this year at Michigan.</p>
<p>I know those small percentages can seem daunting, but remember the more prepared you are, the higher those percentages go. I am no expert by any means, but after attending two auditions with my child, I was amazed at how many hopefuls were not prepared or had not followed the audition do's and don't posted on the auditioning school's website. Follow their instructions to the letter and practice, practice, practice. You will increase your chances dramatically.</p>