hoosiermama12

I have been a long-time lurker on this site, and due to recent events I thought it necessary to post.

To preface, my husband and I are both proud IU graduates, and we (as well as our children) bleed cream and crimson. When our S applied for admission in November, he was awarded a large scholarship that would take care of most of his tuition (which was also decreased because we're in-state).

Our S has always wanted to do musical theater, and he was thrilled to hear that his dream school was beginning a new program that would offer him a degree in it. He auditioned in February and was rejected. The letter from George Pinney was very encouraging and personal, but the rejection was a lot to swallow. Our S is crushed.

That being said, our S just found out that he was accepted to the University of Michigan for MT. We both cried when he found out. He is completely honored and humbled by this prestigious offer. However, even after his rejection at IU he began talking about attending Indiana anyway as a BA major. Also, finances are an issue, and my husband and I don't know if we can afford to pay the out-of-state tuition.

During our audition, the faculty and students all said that there was a camaraderie amongst the BA and BFA students, and that the BA students could take many of the same classes as the BFA majors. Also, as we understood, the BA majors could audition for all of the same shows as the BFA majors. The facilities were beautiful, the MTs were beautiful and eloquent, the faculty was so friendly and helpful, the curriculum was reassuring, and the overall environment really suited our S.

We had an equally positive experience at Michigan... but our S didn't fall in love with it. He wants Indiana.

Our S has also been accepted at Balstate and Western Michigan for MT, but he decided that even if he were accepted at those schools, he would go to IU's BA program no matter what. He didn't plan on being accepted to UMich.

Can anyone offer any advice? He knows that the decision is ultimately up to him, but he keeps on asking my husband and I what to do. We have no idea either.

poohie57

I don't know either program but I would tell him first and foremost....DREAM BIG! If you can work out the finances, UMich is huge. But he does need to be happy also. Possibly one more visit to UMich just so he can weigh his options. I tell my 3 kids...2 in college and one waiting answers on her acting auditions to dream big. This is the time dreams come true...

NewbieMTMom

This is a dilemma hoosiermama! But a BIG congrats to your S on the Michigan acceptance!! I do not have any expertise in MT as my D is a high school senior currently auditioning. BUT -- if your S is talented (which he undoubtedly is), he's gonna make it by way of Michigan OR IU. Michigan MT is highly established and reputable but I guarantee after one year at the newer, less-known IU MT, George Pinney will scoop him up and move him from the BA to the BFA. Even if he didn't move him, your son's talent and drive (and yes, training, but he'll get that training at either school) will prevail and ultimately get him the work after college.

If I were in your shoes, I would HATE to give up Michigan too -- I think that would kill me. But I would weigh his happiness and your finances (and do another visit as poohie57 suggests) to make the decision. (Not worth you giving up your retirement for I don't imagine unless you want to burden him with the debt and lord knows, these kids are not going to make any money when they graduate).

I also think allowing him some time to contemplate the significance of the Michigan acceptance over the next few weeks might help him think things through more clearly.

I feel for you because I would be totally hung up with the brand name.

Happymom08

Well, to my I'd tell my child to go with his heart. U Mich is a great program, but if he feels it's not a fit, then why have him go and be unhappy. My child woke me up a 1:00 AM prior to a 4:00 AM alarm to tell me they did not want to audition at a large well-respected program that for sure they would be accepted to because there are people they know there who are not as good. At first I was like "Go to bed, what are you doing, of course you are going", and then, when I realized I was being a tyrant, I asked "why". The answer was the school had not been on their radar until the other kids made it, and actually there were so many conflicting things said about the school by the kids at the visitation day vs. the profs at the visitation day vs. the kids that go there, that it just seemed they wanted money first, lots of kids second, and actually training them came after the professors were sure they could not get an acting gig that semester. I actually had had my misgivings about the place when I heard professors saying things that I felt put the kids down at the visitation day, and felt we were being told different things, too, so I said "OK, go back to bed and get some rest." I thought there might be some second guessing, but until this day they are happy with the decision, even if IU's BA is the only good program they get into.

MTgrlsmom

hoosiermama12 - congrats on your son's acceptance at UMich, which I think is a huge accomplishment and recognition of his talent.

That said, I wholeheartedly recommend to let him attend the school of his choice. Ultimately it is really all about where you feel you fit in, and will thrive as a person, as this will help you to do well and succeed in life. As many have said before, to succeed in musical theatre you really don't need to attend a "big name school", even though as some say it is easy to get hung up on a brand name.

Also, as I believe Dr. John pointed out on a different thread, it is possible that George Pinney simply overlooked his talent this time, and that your son could try out again for MT at IU next year.

The fact that he has been accepted with a big scholarship at his dream school should be reason for a a happy time. Tell him to no longer feel crushed, but that there obviously was a different plan for him right now. May be sort of an ultimate test as to how much he really wanted to attend IU. Again, things usually happen for a reason, and as time goes by, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

In closing, I simply find the fact that, in spite of all his BFA acceptances, your son sees himself at IU, very telling, and for me there truly lays the answer to solving your dilemma.

Sending you congrats and hugs from California !