<p>Hello, so I'm a current Junior and some of the schools I plan on applying to and auditioning for require scores that are a lot lower than mine. I'm not trying to sound pompous or anything, but I plan on applying mainly because they have great dance programs that I think I would love. Anyway, as I think about these auditions I start to get nervous because I know how great everyone is out there and I'm worried about my dancing compared to theirs. I love dance, sometimes I just get nervous thinking about it even though I have had some practice auditioning. So, if a school's requirements are lower than what I have, can this help me get into the school and the department? Thank you!</p>
<p>If the dance program is selective, your audition will be what determines your admission to that department. You must be academically qualified for the college itself, but the dance department will decide your admission to that program. Sometimes the university will lower its academic standards for a dancer the program especially wants, but for many (and my experience here is with selective ballet programs) the academic admission and the artistic admission are separate. You are academically admitted (often with a sizable scholarship) before the dance folks determine whether they want you for their program. This is true of Indiana, Butler, Utah, in my daughter’s experience. Other schools, NYU, LINES/ Dominican, SUNY Purchase, let you know simultaneously–that is you are notified of admission to the specific department as well as the university in a single communication. There may be some interaction there between academics and dance, but I think it is usually the dance that bolsters some less than normally acceptable academics. On the positive side, your good academics will put you in line for some merit aid, if the school offers it.</p>
<p>But also keep in mind that you want to feed your intellectual soul, as well. If you shoot too low with the academic requirements, you may very well end up unchallenged and bored in your academic classes. So be very sure that THAT dance program is worth the lesser academic challenge and exploration.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses.
@quilll This is what I thought from what I read so, thank you for clarifying. I am hoping for merit aid from these schools if accepted!
@treemaven I think being a dance major enough is challenging and I want to double major either in business/marketing or go into a dance education program depending on what school I end up going to so, that will be challenging too. Maybe, I’ll get into an Honors Program at those schools too. Thank you for the concerns, I have thought about those as well.
Any other advice would be appreciated!</p>
<p>Also, any suggestions on less competitive programs audition or not? Thanks</p>
<p>What type of dance are you wanting to focus upon. Different schools focus on different types of dance. My DD felt that her skills in ballet and modern were not as strong as tap and jazz so she looked at schools more focused on ballet and modern to get better training.</p>
<p>Having the strong academics in your profile allows you more schools to add to your list for auditions, and takes the stress out of any concerns about the academic admission, allowing you to concentrate on the dance admission/audition component. And yes – academic merit scholarships tend to be MUCH more generous than talent-based scholarships, if only that the dance department doesn’t have that much $$ to award.</p>
<p>My d entered college as an auditioned musical theatre major/dance minor, and received generous academic merit awards. She chose to participate in her school’s Honors College, and has truly enjoyed keeping her brain in shape as well (there are often Honors College “perks” like a nicer dorm, earlier opportunities to schedule classes, which helps a student get the schedule they want, interesting, challenging classes, etc).</p>
<p>As asked above, what form of dance do you want to major in? Are you looking at a BFA program or BA? How important is performance at school to you? Is your double-major thought stronger toward business or education? What part of the country are you looking at? When all is said and done, do you want a performing career, or to own your own studio and teach, or other plans? Have you talked to your current dance teachers? It is very good that you are beginning to think about these things now…would love to hear more from you as you begin to narrow your focus of schools!</p>
<p>Thank you for more information @mommafrog. I’m mostly looking at schools that have strong BAs or both the BFA and BA. Some schools offer a Dance Ed major that way I would be able to do business/marketing as well. I’m staying on the east coast. I live in New York so closer to there. I already have a list of schools in mind that I am applying to. I’m looking more at schools that offer the triple focus or have jazz classes available. I would like to possibly perform for a short amount of time and then teach either at a studio/have my own or teach in a school. I’m doing Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary summer intensive soon and not doing summer dance at my studio, so, in the fall I will ask my teacher for help with my solo that I would start working on my own. Then another one of my friends is majoring in dance and photography (or minoring, cant remember) and has offered to take audition photos of me.</p>
<p>While you assume you may be academically qualified for certain programs, you would still have to qualify artistically based on your dance audition. I am led to beleive that many applicants with superior talent with lower GPA’s or SAT scores will receive acceptances. Obviously the more competition in a given year comes into play, but basically, a student with the highest marks and little talent and/or potential doesn’t stand a chance. You have to be accepted on both academic and artistic merit.</p>