Excited and relieved to finally be able to post D’s decision!
Applied To: Ithaca, Boston Conservatory, Pace, NYU-Tisch, Oklahoma City University, Webster, Otterbein, Ball State, Hartt, MaryMount Manhattan, CCPA (Roosevelt), UW- Steven’s Point, Columbia College Chicago
Academically accepted at all schools where separate from Artistic
Dropped MaryMount Manhattan and Columbia College Chicago from list due to audition scheduling conflicts.
Prescreens: Ithaca, Pace, Otterbein (passed all)
Redirected: Oklahoma City University (BA-Music)
Waitlisted: Ball State, UW - Steven’s Point
Accepted: Otterbein, Hartt
Audition Coach: None
Summer Programs: None
Training:
Voice: 6 Years Private Study, 4 Years in Opera training program
Acting: Voice coach gave advice on monologues but no formal acting training or coach
Dance: Drop-in classes in Tap, Lyrical and Jazz as schedule permitted over past 3 Years
Background:
D fell in love with MT after doing her first show in Middle School. She spent the next 3 years performing with a wonderful children’s theater in our area, and continued to participate in her school shows.
When it came time for High School we discussed the PA school in the area. However, the academic reputation was iffy, and she didn’t want to get up at 5:00am to deal with the 1.5 hr public bus ride, with 3 transfers, to get there. So she ended up at the local Public HS. With the transition to HS (honors IB) she had to cut back on her outside theater. Luckily her school, while it doesn’t have a strong theater program, does put on several shows a year and she quickly became involved. She also found time to take a few dance classes. Freshman year she was invited to participate in an Opera training program which gave her a vocal challenge she wasn’t getting in her school choral programs. This was life for a couple years with a few community theater productions thrown in. Cut to Junior year and its time to start getting serious about college. We knew MT was an option but hadn’t really looked into the process. When I suggested other options like music education she informed me that “the thought of doing anything else makes me want to vomit”. Her voice teacher, and a few directors she’d worked with encouraged her.
As we started doing research we realized she was behind on training. It was too late for most college summer programs, so we started piecing together options. She took a Shakespeare intensive at the Guthrie in Minneapolis, attended a wonderful workshop taught by Betty Buckley, and spent 3 days a week in dance classes. We also quickly tried to get up to speed on the application/audition process, getting the list of schools together, and putting her audition package together.
After applications were in, auditions were scheduled, and we were able to take a breath and reflect D realized her school list wasn’t very balanced and there was a pretty good chance she’d get shut out. We talked, and rather than adding some non-audition programs to the list she determined she’d take a gap year if necessary.
Due to D’s school and performance schedule we weren’t able to visit schools or do on-campus auditions. So all auditions except OCU were in Chicago. In general she felt fine about the majority of her auditions. Some went better than others but she didn’t feel like any were a total disaster. Her opinion of some schools definitely changed based on the audition experience and a couple of her “top” choices she determined actually weren’t good fits. And a school she added at the last minute became one of her favorites.
Then came the results. As D was doing her hair and makeup for the last performance of her last high school musical the phone rang. It was Otterbein accepting her into their MT Program. So, just as one phase of her performing career was ending she learned that there was going to be a new phase. JOY. That didn’t last long though as a string of rejections arrived, including 2 within 5 minutes one afternoon. She was starting to think the Otterbein acceptance was a fluke. But then came the acceptance to Hartt, and waitlists for Ball State and UWSP, and relief that she now had options.
So after quick trips to Ohio and Connecticut it was time for a decision. It was harder than she thought. But that school she added at the last minute, which was her favorite audition. Where the current students really seemed like a family. Where the professors and even administrators seemed excited to have her there and were genuinely interested in her. The school that was the furthest thing from what she thought her dream school would be. That school turned out to be the best “Fit”
Final Decision: Otterbein University