09-10 Applicants

keepingcalm · 09-10-2009, 09:29 AM

Just getting a thread started for those of us (as families) who have finally reached the application phase. At our house we alternate between stress and excitement, but for D has she sends off each application there is a little squeal of glee. We are not fully orgainzed and she is still adjusting her list (and retaking ACTs on Sat) but she is clearly excited about seeing her future self begin to take place.

So before I send confused or fristrated messages, I wanted to share a little of the excitement that for D is a new beginning.

perischack · 09-10-2009, 11:14 AM

Keepingcalm, enjoy the ride. It is exhausting but exhilarating, and a wonderful thing for you to share with her. Best of luck to you all!

showmom858 · 09-10-2009, 11:19 AM

keepingcalm - We are right there with you. DD is also very excited about the process. She is retaking the SAT's in Oct, but has been working hard each day to get applications completed. She has two auditions scheduled already and is working on how to fit in the ones she wants to do at LA Unifieds. She meets with her vocal/acting coach twice a week now and is dancing 2-3 times a week to get ready for auditions. DD says she is feeling comfortable with the songs and monologues they have chosen although they are adding a couple of extra songs just to be safe.

For my part the vocal coach has asked me to arrange a Sunday afternoon in early November where he can have some of his professional theatre contacts over to critique both DD's songs and monologues. He will have a pianist and DD will do a mock audition. That's where we are right now.

austinmtmom · 09-10-2009, 11:30 AM

We're there as well! Several applications submitted and others in process. Lots of vocal, dance and monologue work. Doing a mock audition next month. Auditions for Elon and OCU scheduled for November. Very exciting times!!

Best of luck to all going through the process

We plan to take perischak's advice and enjoy this exhilarating ride!!

SRED · 09-10-2009, 02:57 PM

Us too. Hoping to get a couple applications off this weekend so we can get the auditions scheduled (though her essays are not quite there yet). Are any of your kids auditioning for local productions/school performances this year? My D just auditioned last night and I can't help thinking that her plate will be awfully full without rehearsals. She's usually happier when she's busy, so maybe that will be best...?

onstage · 09-10-2009, 03:02 PM

Once the auditions are over, you will still have a long wait before acceptances go out, so I agree that it's best to keep busy. That worked very well for my D when she went through this process 4 years ago. We also made a point of spreading out her audition dates, so it wasn't too overwhelming. Her first audition was in October, with several in November and December.

showmom858 · 09-10-2009, 03:46 PM

DD decided not to audition for any productions for the fall/winter as she wants to concentrate on what she needs for auditions. She was in rehearsals or productions (4 different ones) between last November and June. Then she spent the month of July at the UARTS precollege program.

She likes to keep busy so she is doing more dance classes as she feels this is where she needs to work extra hard at this point. The musical for her hs will be in the spring so she will audition for that.

austinmtmom · 09-10-2009, 03:50 PM

SRED - My D is happiest when busiest, so she is in rehearsals for a show right now at a local theatre and getting ready to audition for shows to start after this one closes. The hardest part is managing the "conflicts" schedule since she has the November auditions on top of all her vocal/dance/etc. classes - but so far so good.

keepingcalm · 09-10-2009, 11:51 PM

Fortunately DD is doing mostly dance auditions (significantly less prep) with just 2 MT, becuase between now and Dec, 7 she has her school's musical, a blackbox dance performance, and nutcracker, plus this weekend is still finishing her "summer" job at a theme park. She is also filming with MTV's reality TV show "taking the stage" but is having trouble getting enough 'drama' in her life so thinks she will be cut. So she will be doing mostly winter auditions. We are trying to squeak one in in November just to get one under her belt.

hushinfazen · 09-12-2009, 06:10 PM

Wow keepingcalm,

Are you able to keep calm with everything going on? Sounds like your d is having an amazing year MTV WOW!!!! make sure to let me know if she is going to PP. I can't wait to hear about all her successes!

CalvinsDad · 09-16-2009, 12:06 AM

Our son has narrowed his list of MT schools down to 10, and has decided he wants MFA in MT (not an MA) and tends to prefer conservatory schools. With acceptance rates so low, are there other schools he should consider that would fit into his criteria?

Cincinnati Conservatory of Music,
Michigan University
NYU Tisch
Boston Conservatory
Emerson
University of Hartford (Hartt)
Ithaca College
Syracuse University
Carnegie Mellon
UNC (University of Northern Colorado)

So far, ACT scores submitted, SAT test scheduled (got to try for high marks for schollarships) and request for reference letters were just dropped off. All school applications started and pretty much complete except for essay sections which he is writing in MS Word to first spell & grammar check. Wow, quite the work load on just filling out applications and figuring our all the scheduling logistics and what tasks must be done first. That's beside his main priorities of selecting the best monologues and songs to use. He's reading through a couple of plays a week too as he finds more and more playwrights he appreciates.

It's a fun & fascinating wild ride we are on now. Our son just landed one of the lead roles in his Senior HS musical and he's in two other serious choirs at school. Plus auditions for All State Choir are coming next month, he needs to take the SAT next month, and he is taking private lessons to prepare for auditions. What a busy young man. He wakes by himself to leave out the door before 6am for choir practices, has play practice after school, and gets home after 6pm. Nights with private lessons he is gone 7-10pm on top of his 12 hour day. Eat, sleep, sing, study, sing, act, sing, repeat.

His dog & parents are missing him already! It sure makes us appreciate when he's home. What a different world from when I was a teenager!!!

MichaelNKat · 09-16-2009, 07:58 AM

CalvinsDad, I assume you meant BFA (not MFA) and BA (not MA) since you are talking about undergrad programs. While your son prefers a conservatory BFA program, keep in mind that some of the schools you have listed put great emphasis on academics as part of the admissions process and have extensive academic course requirements as part of their curriculum. Foe example, at UMich, you can't even get an audition until your application is pre-screened on an academic basis. Tisch and Emerson both weigh academic credentials as 50% of the admissions process. All 3 schools include substantial gen ed requirements as part of the curriculum.

Also, since your son's list does not include any non-audition programs, he should think through carefully whether he is comfortable with taking the risk that he may have no acceptances and no "safety" school to fall back upon. This is not intended as a comment on your son's talent and ability but is simply a reflection that a list of all audition based BFA programs is risky regardless of the student and the list of schools. The only true safety is a non-audition program where the admissions requirements are the same academics driven ones as any other L.A. program and where a student is a very strong academic match.

britbrat1961 · 09-21-2009, 12:30 PM

From a parent that went through this process last year

A couple of words of advice.

If your student can set a goal of having all applications completed by Nov. 1, it will make the rest of the year go so much easier. It can be so stressful trying to write essays and complete applications during the holidays, and quite honestly by the time a HS Senior gets to the final semester of their last year of high school, the energy diminishes for college apps. The time and energy goes toward the proms and graduation preparation, etc.

Especially with an MT kid, the earlier the better being that they are also having to consider scheduling audition dates and some schools require academic acceptance before an audition can be approved.

Our journey was long, time consuming, and sometimes stressfull but absolutely worth every minute of research, travel, and of course a lot of hard work on my son's part.

It all pays off when you see your child so very happy in the next stage of their life's journey. Our "singing, dancing, engineering student" is as happy as he can be at UMich and I highly recommend the time and effort that it takes to go through the process.

Good luck to all on your individual journeys as they are INDIVIDUAL journeys. You can take suggestions and advice from others, but no 2 MT students will have the same journey or results, so hang in there and "ride the wave"

beernut0415 · 09-21-2009, 04:52 PM

Agreed, the earlier the better as far as getting apps in. You should also have a non-audition safety school that he thinks he could attend. It will greatly reduce the stress factor. The audition process is insane. And you as a parent should be prepared for a wild ride as well. Take some deep breaths now - and continue to do so for the next 6 months.

mountaintime · 09-21-2009, 05:46 PM

Organization can't be over emphasized. It may take the whole dining room table. Auditions don't have to be stressful if your kid is prepared. D found them fun and inspiring..and the best part was meeting the other auditioners and keeping tabs with them. Get your apps in by Nov. 1 regardless of final date. Moving on and preparing needs focus and those essays are time consuming and never ending. Pick appropriate programs. Check how many are accepted for next year..don't put your all your hopes on 8 schools that only accept 4 girls and 4 guys. Have a few that take a larger number. If you can't go to each on your list, visit different kinds of schools..conservatory, small, large..rural..city. Unifieds in Chicago worked great for us. Then a few on campus auditions..reduced number of days missed from HS. Get those apps in..as they all are still performing and dancing at home. MAke smart choices..from what you feel..not what you hear are the top schools. They're all great..good luck.