@DaddyDoRite: Yes, and to further complicate matters, one school’s “It” is another’s “not It”.
Just to clarify, both the MT Certificate and VP programs at Northwestern are by (very competitive) audition. The VP program has a traditional pre-admit audition, but entering Theatre students are screened via application/resume on both academic and artistic merit. The ~100 initial admits include future MTs, straight actors, directors, writers, stage managers and designers, so the incoming NU Theatre class is like another school’s MT/Acting/Technical programs combined. At the end of the first Quarter, both Theatre and VP freshmen can audition for the MT Certificate, but even those students who are not admitted can usually arrange to take most of the same voice, dance and acting training as the MT cohort.
It is a different system than all other schools, but if you look at the program’s list of alumni you’ll see that it’s one with a long and very successful tradition that has outlived many program directors.
Emerson is a 50-50 academic/audition and JMU is required that you are admitted to university prior to acceptance to MT program.
@MomCares, to clarify further: Since the original post mentioned MT and not VP that is what I spoke to, I am sure the audition at the end of the first quarter is very competitive for the MT Certificate. However, just those already admitted to the school (with SATs in excess of 2000+) not 800 students from around the country who have sent in video prescreens, been reduced to about 400-450, and then reduced to 22 admitted students as is the case with say, Michigan. So I do think Northwestern is in a class by itself in its approach to Artistic Admissions to the MT aspect.
I mentioned VP because they are included (along with Theatre students) in the pool from which the MT Certificate grads at NU are drawn.
It is true that the Northwestern process works very differently than other MT programs, but understand that many students there were also admitted to tippy-top BFA programs, so the selection results may not be a different as you might think. For example, I personally know of two kids who wound up in UMich MT who applied to Northwestern ED, and when D was at MPulse Mr. Wagner mentioned that he considered Northwestern the most similar to their program in many ways.
Not to be argumentative, but the difference is rather huge: the admissions panel/auditors have never heard applicants sing, dance or act before admitting a theatre student at Northwestern. In the case of VP, the audition is likely heavy on classical voice. Not something most MTs screen for. I have do doubt there are some Northwestern students who were also admitted to Tippy-top BFA programs. But the process is far different because Northwestern excludes all talent below a certain and rather high SAT and GPA. So the pool is vastly different.
Yes, you are correct that the pre-screen process is different, and at NU that means some very talented kids are screened out based on academics (just as another school might screen out 90% of kids based on appearance, height, vocal type, etc.), but that is not to say the ultimate pool is vastly different. That assumption is only valid if you believe there is a finite pool of top talent, and that you’ve seen it all at BFA auditions.
Sadly, I think after your child graduates and you see who they meet on the audition trail you may realize you’ve only seen the tip of a huge talent iceberg. 
I stand forewarned! Thank you!
You’re welcome.
There are a number of schools that have a bifurcated process whereby the academic acceptance is separate from the artistic acceptance and so the audition isn’t the sole factor of being admitted.
I agree with MomCares that there are many students who either were admitted to BFA in MT programs or were considered to be quite competitive prospects for such programs, but chose to attend BA schools, wanting a certain type of college experience. I know some personally who attended schools like Northwestern, Yale, and Brown (just some examples) who have since been on Broadway, National Tours, Off Broadway and the like.
Clarification Re Post #22 – At JMU a prospective student must have been admitted to the university before we send the program admissions decision. However, for RD students we will send our recommendations to academic admissions of students we would like to admit to the program.
If a student is not admitted academically to the university they will not hear whether or not they may have been admitted to the program.
Any student admitted academically to JMU may attend the university in a non-restricted major (or as undecided), and could declare a theatre minor if they choose.
@KatMT, is it still your policy that students admitted to the university but not to MT or acting can re-audition as freshmen if they enroll at JMU?
@times3 – yep. students can re-audition for the program freshman year.
@KatMt Thanks for clarifying my post #22 - was just speaking generally - so nice to have you here
Thank you everybody for the words of wisdom. You’ve given me a lot to think about and consider, and I really appreciate every response!
@samantharae: the following schools have musical theatre programs with what I would call very good academic statistics for entering Freshman (a median 25/75 SAT above 1200, retention rate above 85 percent, and admit less than 50 percent of applicants). The dollar signs indicate relative cost for someone likely to receive merit aid and are based on out-of-state tuition if they are a public school (merit aid estimate is based on average non-need based merit grant per collegedata.com). The relative costs do not include need-based aid estimates, you can determine that by running the cost estimators for each school from their websites, as recommended by previous posts:
Northwestern University $$$$$
Carnegie Mellon University $$$$$
University of Southern California $$$$
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor $$$$
New York University $$$$$
University of California-Los Angeles $$$$
Tulane University of Louisiana $$$
University of Miami $$$
Boston University $$$$
University of Florida $$$
The University of Texas at Austin $$$$
Southern Methodist University $$$$
University of Tulsa $$$
Pepperdine University $$$$
Muhlenberg College $$$$
Brigham Young University-Provo $
Emerson College $$$
Elon University $$$
Baylor University $$$
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus $$$
Illinois Wesleyan University $$$
The following schools have a little bit lower academic stats than the ones listed above but are close:
Florida State University $$
Texas Christian University $$$
University of Central Florida $$
Syracuse University $$$$
SUNY Buffalo $$
James Madison University $$$
Indiana University-Bloomington $$$
Ohio Northern University $$$
Belmont University $$
This list may not be all-inclusive, some schools do not report enough data to the National Center for Educational Statistics and therefore would not show up in this list (or I may have just missed them somehow!).
Missouri State has a wonderful BFA MT program that my D chose over many others! It is a competitive audition program with a NYC and LA at showcase. With her ACT ( little above average)and GPA scores(3.9) we are only paying 13,500 a year with Room and board and books and tuition! Talent scholarships will be added in Jr. And Sr. Years! Beautiful campus of 24,000 students. They take 12-16 BFA MT students a year!
@samantharae I think some of the posts misunderstood your intention, I think you were asking not does your GPA count but you want a good academic school correct? My D is looking for the same as you! She wants to be academically challenged while also studying MT. The list is not long for that! Thanks once again to @EmsDad for his great list…that should be a great start for you and my D too:) Good luck!!