noccadad

Doctorjohn,

Thanks for the feedback, very appreciated! D does have a coach and the play is of course a classic, but we were a little worried and your comments on context for the emotion really hit home.

Moreover, your directness on what you can comfortably offer in this forum has always been appreciated and hopefully respected from our end. I know and trust you'll tell us straight if we exit the comfort zone.

Thanks again for your time as a resource to us parents. I thought all the preparation over the last couple years would alleiviate some of the pre-audition stress, but I was WRONG! D goes to Elon next week and wife and I are a wreck although we don't show D who is / or appears quite calm.

doctorjohn

noccadad:

You're welcome. Glad I could help. Wish I could help you with your stress, too, but that's part of the territory. When David was auditioning for music schools, I had to keep reminding myself that it was his life, not mine, and that I needed to keep breathing. You might consider starting a thread about the techniques parents have used to cope with their own stress.

Good luck. My best wishes are with you, and with you all.

vocaldad

doctorjohn:

Love your post. I am only the parent of an HS junior, but "the pressure is on." We all need to get together and do yoga or something. It's quite a trip.

vocaldad

Prof. Himmelheber

I've seen a short monologue cut from Emily's scene in the soda shop with George that is lovely.

And I am in total agreement with Dr. J on this issue - the "Goodbye, Grover's Corners" speech demands a certain level of emotional commitment and connection that is VERY hard to tap into in an audition situation (little transition time into the audition + big emotional commitment required of the character can lead to terribly pushed acting). It is better to not choose the climax of any play for this very reason.

illinisue

Just to let you know - my D was accepted to Otterbein today....not for Theater, that may/may not happen in their winter quarter, but she was thrilled to get the phone call today. The admissions director could not have been nicer - and recommended her for a higher academic scholarship! I will take everything we get

dancersmom

Illinisue,

Tell your D that my D and I say congratulations! Has she had her audition yet? We'll keep our fingers crossed. I'm guessing this is her 1st college acceptance. I know that it feels good even though she doesn't know about the theatre decision yet. Again, give her our best. PM me when you have time.

soozievt

illinisue...hey, that's great! What a way to start the admissions season off....gotta feel good about that! Seems so early! I'll keep fingers crossed on the BFA program there or just any of the schools on her list.
Break a leg wishes and kudos on the academic admission!
Susan

illinisue

Thanks for the kind words - my d has changed her focus. She is going for a BA in Theatre with minors in dance and arts administration. It still involves an interview/audition and isn't a "slam dunk". She is very involved in her school shows this year (4 straight shows, 2 musicals, stage managing 2 shows and some choreography for one of the musicals - Disney's Beauty and the Beast) and loves it, so she wants a broader degree than she originally thought she did.

Susan

nytheatermom

By the way, since Otterbein is back on top of the thread, I would like to comment on how nice Otterbein is in many ways -- beyond just pleasant on the phone (and doctorjohn on this forum). Unlike so many other schools the fees are modest for the application, without an additional audition fee. AND they actually send you an envelope that is postage paid when they need other things! Thank you Otterbein.

theatermom

Isn't it amazing how much "little" things can mean? I think it must have to do with the Midwest "thing." I have one child in an Ivy League school and another at Michigan and I cannot tell you the difference in the interactions I have with each school. I LOVE calling UM because they are always so kind and responsive on the phone. The Ivy League school (also my OWN alma mater!) - NOT!!

If only all schools realized what these kind of interactions "say" to both potential and current students and families and how easily and frequently this info is circulated. They are also in a competitive market and sometimes it is things just like this, the "little" courtesies, that help people make the important decision of where to spend their education dollars.

Bravo to Otterbein!

soozievt

Illinsue, thanks for explaining. Your daughter seems to have a lot of direction. I have hopes for her to get where she wants to be. She surely has a lot of shows going on this year!

NYTheatermom, I'm not surprised to hear that about Otterbein. From just DoctorJohn alone on this forum, I am most impressed. Admittedly I had never even heard of Otterbein until this forum and my child did not know anyone else who was applying there. In her case, she wanted the east coast though made an exception for UMich, so never looked into Otterbein. I hope someone from this forum gets in there this year. Sounds like a great program.

Theatermom, I wholeheartedly agree that one would think schools would think about how they come across in the contacts and things of that nature. People DO make judgements from phone calls with the admissions office, tour guides, logistics with mailings, all sorts of "little things" and we are all consumers. There is quite a variation in how this stuff goes from school to school. The only thing I don't totally agree with is that when it comes ot the Ivy league schools, they are not concerned so much if you are picking them over the next Ivy or attracting students because there always will be PLENTY of students attracted to THEM no matter WHAT they do. It just is how it is, even if it is not right. They are sorta in the driver's seat and they know it. They don't have to attract the kids or worry about the competitive market for students. They've got more than they can handle trying to get into their gates. But in general, I very much agree with that these programs should think about how they come across. Schools that don't put care into that or are "arrogant" that the kids should be so lucky to get in that they don't have to reach out on their end, really do give a message.

Susan

illinisue

I just have to share one more thing....She spoke to her counselor and told her the news. Her counselor told her that she was assured to get into theatre because of her academics. When my d explained that it was by no means assured, her counselor said she'd never heard of that. Yes, even at a performing arts school, we have a clueless counselor. I don't know what I would have done without all of YOU! Thank you!

mezzomom

I want to add to the kudos for Otterbein. My daughter was accepted also and received that wonderful phone call in advance of the written acceptance. She is auditioning for a BA in music and had absolutely no difficulties in setting up her audition date...one e-mail and a response the very next day. Our visits to the campus were also wonderfully coordinated and very welcoming.

Contrast that with two other schools that she's looking at. My daughter sent e-mails asking to visit and mentioning the sorts of classes she'd like to sit in on. She received e-mails back from both schools, telling her she would have to call the individual departments and make her own arrangements. Of course, that means Mom has to make the calls...do they not realize that the kids are in school? I made the calls yesterday and today, and spent more than an hour on the phone with each school trying to coordinate everything, and then recoordinate when the initial plans didn't work out between departments. I came away feeling as if I'd been asked to jump through multiple hoops, and I have to admit, if I were the one going to college, at least one of the schools would have been immediately removed from my list. Oops, that sure turned into a mini-rant...

The real point here is that Otterbein really does have it together, and it means a great deal.

theatermom

Mezzomom,

I don't know the schools to which you are referring, but it must be kept in mind that the size of the school may have something to do with coordination issues. Not taking anything away from Otterbein because they demonstrably seem to have their act together, but it is quite a small school when compared to the NYU's, UM's and UCLA's of the world. I also don't think that it is unreasonable to expect a prospective student or parent to contact the specific departments involved in order to schedule class visits or individual faculty meetings. Although we are all understandably concerned with our own schedules and needs, these schools have hundreds of kids coming through and these requests, as appropriate as they are, create scheudling nightmares for the administration and faculty of these usually small departments. And the departments involved must also keep in mind the needs of the students already in the program, insuring that their classes are not disrupted by too many visitors at once or even in the same week. It's a tricky balancing act and the degree to which all of the folks getting ready to begin this process can keep in mind that both the visitors and the visit-ees have needs that must be met and that patience along side of persistance is the key to getting what you want, the easier the road will be to travel. We all have the right to expect our phonecalls to be returned in a reasonable time frame and to be treated with courtesy and respect, but believe me when I say that a little "sugar" goes a very long way.

alwaysamom

mezzomom, I would echo theatermom's good advice here. In this process, it's best not to take such things too personally, in either direction. You'll find some schools, and individuals, that you have contact with will be wonderful and easy to deal with, and some won't. It is not always a reflection of the quality of the program so it's best not to allow it to influence your decision-making too greatly. Most here would agree that CMU's program is one of the best, and yet, every year you'll hear of people having big problems with their office staff in arranging visits, auditions, etc. That's just one example. This is a long road you moms, and kids, have ahead this fall and winter. Try not to let this kind of thing bug you too much!