cheerios1120

Son rec'd first rejection from New School. He is looking for Jazz Performance - Drumset. Didn't even make it past pre-screen. Very disappointed - number 2 choice. Haven't heard from others - William Paterson (top choice), UMiami (will probably not pass the high academic standards), and CalArts. Do you think we should just planning a gap year? Not sure what to do.

lorelei2702

How disappointing......it is a hard thing to experience. While this is his dream, he also has to prepare for the hard realities of life, and that may mean getting a more general education while he works toward his dream. What about taking core classes (needed at any school for a degree) while he continues private study? Good luck to the whole family.......Lorelei

dntw8up

The title of this thread bothers me. "First" suggests there will be more rejection in the future, which is not a productive attitude to have at this stage in the application process. A more supportive mindset seems desirable. Since only one of several applications has been decided, I think it is premature to be thinking about a gap year.

lamom

Try to relax. If there are more auditions, see if New School will give son some advice from the audition which might help him in the future. Jazz Performance is very difficult to get into.
Good Luck, I am certain there are others here who will be able to give you advice.
LA

violadad

dntw8up wrote : <The title of this thread bothers me. "First" suggests there will be more rejection in the future, which is not a productive attitude to have at this stage in the application process. A more supportive mindset seems desirable. Since only one of several applications has been decided, I think it is premature to be thinking about a gap year.>

While I agree in general principle with what is stated, I think that taken within the context of this specific forum and for one considering a performance based professional course of study and career, rejection is a daily occurrence.

cheerios, I know how you and your son feel. You've still got three schools out, and while any audition based admit is always a crap-shoot, it's not over yet. Your son may well have several options open at the schools you've mentioned.

I do have to ask if you and your son have gone into this process with your eyes open, knowing what might happen and if other possible options were considered. If you've accurately assessed your son's level of talent with the aid of professionals and instructors, and picked a range of reach, match and safety schools, you've done your homework.

In the event the worst happens and he's not admitted anywhere, consider what lorelei has said. Core courses at a community college can be taken to satisfy basic requirements for most any program, and are normally transferable. At the same time, your son can continue intensive private study, continue to build his skillset and perfect audition repetoire, and reaudition next fall. (Some of the programs you mention MAY have spring admission programs... it is rare, but worth looking into.)

Just for reference, check your health insurance coverage if son does take a gap year. Many plans require kids over 18 to be full time students in order to be covered under parent's plan(s).

Here's a past gap year thread which may prove useful. musical gap year Keep us posted.

Good luck to you both.

librarian377

Have you looked at/auditioned at Montclair?

violadad

cherrios, I forgot to mention this thread Rejection Letter - Ccm It gives a number of different perspectives of dealing with the angst of rejection, waiting for prescreen results, etc. Pay particular attention to Post #60, where the initial prescreen rejection was re-evaluated.

stringfollies

Cherrios - Sorry! My S did not get past the prescreen at one school, got through it at another (he only had 2 prescreens), had a great first audition 2 weeks ago and we're now all feeling cautiously optimistic. It was very hard, though, when the first letter he got was the rejection - perhaps harder on parents than on him, though. He is used to competing in the music world and takes disappointment well. Rejection is part of the territory I'm afraid. Hopefully yours will respond as my S did and just practise harder and harder for the live auditions he does have. I really wasn't convinced that he had the determination necessary for a music career until I saw this so it served a purpose.

A gap year, regular liberal arts college, etc. are all among the choices we have anticipated since music is so difficult. Just remember that he's only 18. There are many choices he will make in the next few years - unfortunately a few will be made for him. I know so many lawyers and doctors who are would-be musicians. They have happy and productive lives. Good luck to him in the rest of his auditions!

jazzzmomm

cheerios, William Patterson is a very good jazz program with excellent teachers, many of whom teach at the New York City jazz conservatory programs. I think their acceptance rate is high, but the quality of the program is probably very similar to New School. The New School is an extremely competitive Jazz program. According to my son's teachers it is right up there with the biggest schools for Jazz.

One more bit of experience to offer: I have a friend whose son did not get into any colleges last year (!)--this probably will not happen to you, and I don't mean to scare anybody--but the happy ending is that the Guidance Dept at the high school and the parents spoke seriously with one of his colleges, and got him in anyway, after having the kid work extra extra hard in his last semester to bring up grades and test scores. There is sometimes hope even when it looks bad. AND New School has Spring acceptance--if he really wants to go there he can reapply in November for Spring of 09.

cheerios1120

Thanks to all for their kind replies. I didn't mean to sound so negative with the title, but it is just we are used to rejections with two older kids in college. (D was rejected by 9 schools and ended u going to her last choice and son #1 - graphic artist - was rejected by several 4 year schools before deciding on art school). Son #2 knew the music school route was tough, but several of his teachers all felt he had enough talent to get in. We will just have to tough it out and wait until March. He will have no other live auditions - all schools wanted him to send in a CD. Perhaps we will have him go to WPU as a regular student for a year - take his core - and reapply!

marylandmom3

Last year when our daughter received her first letter and it was a rejection, she did a lot of thinking about what she wanted and what she would do if she received all rejections. She didn't make any decisions but I know she thought a lot. After her auditon at her top choice (she already been accepted for admission) she decided that regardless of what happened this school was where she belonged. She told us that if she wasn't accepted into the music school she would go to the school as an elementary ed major, take private lessons and try again next year. (I wish she had decided this earlier. It would have saved us a lot of money but I think all the auditions made her audition at her top choice stronger.) At every school where she auditioned there were current students auditioning for the music program so she knew this was an option. Fortunately she was accepted into the music program. But she has a friend at her school who was not accepted and just went through the auditions to try again. I know my D said that the professors were really pushing her friend and trying to help her get ready for the audition. So there is always the option of enrolling at his top choice school and trying again next year. He can take some music classes and get to know the professors and their expectations.

hornet

I can really emphasize with you on this. The music auditions are so competitive. They also can appear arbitrary and sometimes political. D auditioned on violin to three residential music schools to finish high school at. Rejected at two and wait-listed at a third. This past year she took a realistic look at her skills (she had won scholarships to music festivals for the last three summers and felt she was more in the running than she apparently was).
The series of polite rejection letters was painful but really quite helpful to her. She elected to attend a LAC that has a conservatory associated with it and was told she could take classes, lessons and play in chamber groups and the back of the orchestra (which she is fine with). Like the earlier poster, I would encourage your son to attend the local community college and earn core liberal arts credits while studying music more intensely if he is really set on this path and then reapply. D had a friend that did this with cello and this girl is now at IU. It is also possible that he could shift his decisioning like my daughter did. She decided that, with the competition as tough as it is, and with our family being unable to maintain her as an adult in a comfortable lifestyle (she would need to be able to support herself), that she would be better off keeping violin as a part-time avocation. Many outstanding musicians weave their music around their profession in another field and are quite happy.