psucat

They called back, out of a group of 40 yesterday, about 10. The numbers are getting smaller and smaller each year! The group next week will be about 60 kids auditioning!

actrss100

are the people who get called back the ones that they are interested in?

soozievt

Actrss100...yes, that is how PSU's college audition process works. You audition and if you are not asked to stay for the callback, then you know on the spot you won't be admitted. If you are called back, you still may not be admitted but you are still in the "running" so to speak, at that juncture. I recall my daughter getting the letter of acceptance within a week following the audition day. I don't recall how many auditioned on her day last year (there were a LOT that day) and I don't recall the exact number called back that day (among those auditioning on that day) but it was about a dozen. However, not every kid called back got admitted because the program takes about 16 kids and there were many on campus audition days, plus various Unified Auditions. So, if a dozen or so were called back the day my kid went, you know they did not all get in. If you are called back, that is an indication that you are being considered. Few schools do it this way and you just wait. But at PSU, if you are not called back that day, you already know your admissions decision. It makes that day a little "rougher" in a way, but the positive side is knowing sooner, I guess. Actually, when my D attends an audition in the theater world (not college auditions), it is done this way....(think A Chorus Line), and they tell you right there if you have a callback or are asked to stay for the next round, etc.

Melsmom

Just to add to what soozievt said, if your are not called back, you may still receive an offer of ACADEMIC admission about two weeks after the audition, I assume if you are not accepted academically you will hear then as well. My D was accepted and asked to choose another major, which I believe she indicated she would be willing to do on her application. We also know of one person who did get called back only to receive a deferral (definitely better than a NO) about the program. That walk of shame in front of your fellow auditionees is tough...Yes it builds character, but also may chip away at one's confidence. So I recommend putting it later in your audition schedule if at all possible, in order to keep the moral high. Obviously rolling admissions has its pros and cons. It is good to know early on that you have acceptances, but tough to think you might not have what it takes...

actrss100

What are the auditioners asked to do at the callbacks usually

soozievt

Trying to remember it as it was almost exactly a year ago....Everyone attending the audition had the dance call which had a ballet and a jazz combination. But then half the people did their singing/monologue auditions with one set of auditors and the other half were assigned a second set (thus not everyone saw the same auditiors). Also, current BFA students sat in on the auditions as an "audience". By the way there was a Q and A session for parents with the director and a parent panel of current students while the dance auditions were held. Anyway, after everyone had their audition turns one by one, a callback list was generated. Those called back then had turns one by one with the entire audition panel (the two audition panels combined). The director of the program had been part of one panel initially but now anyone called back would also been seen by him, if not originally. I think at the callbacks, they auditioned again with their songs/monos (do not redo dance) and then there is a little interview type segment as part of that callback. That's it and then you find out if you are in or not via mail.

Susan

psucat

Susan is right on...at the callback this week, the people who were asked to stay had to sing again (its usually just one song) and then there's about a 5-10 minute interview. Its the easiest part of the day--you get to let loose and be yourself with the faculty. They usually ask you questions all about yourself, your training, why Penn State, the usual questions )

TheatreJock

yes, what are the auditioners asked to do? lol...and melsmom, you said "walk of shame"...are you saying that, as everyone standing together and they call names out and if your name isnt called out then your walking out the door?

Melsmom

Yep, theatrejock, pretty much. You're all in a holding room and go in one at at time (you'll hear the belters beyond the door, believe me!) Then when you come out, you are either smiling or taking "the walk of shame." She got a couple of hugs and said goodbye, quickly I might add due to my having packed up while she was "in there." There was a group of "callbacks" chilling together in the middle of the room congratulating each other and that's it... pretty much.
She just finished her last audition yesterday and said that PSU was the most stressful, partially because she loves the school, but also because of the process... All the teachers were in the room, along with many current students. You also had to listen to - and watch- the person go before you while on deck. Stress is
She did not, however, audition for CMU which from the posts sounds like an even tougher one.
Hope I didn't make you too nervous.

TheatreJock

nah, seems nerve racking..but having ccm as my fist audition..i feel pretty relaxed as i take on the rest of my auditions..good luck to your daughter.

Melsmom

Thanks, best to you too. It is usually better to know what to expect, and how to prepare, so now you do! My D did not do CCM either, so if you survived that, you'll ride out PSU, and from there it is uphill sailing!

monkey

It is true that it is a difficult and unnerving experience to have to leave rather abruptly as described above. I do think it is important to say that this scenario is not designed to humiliate anyone or put them on the spot; it is simply the way this faculty handles the initial audition. As soozievt pointed out, in the professional world one knows right away if they have been called back to audition further. Not having to wait for months to know if you are being considered can be seen as a positive result of this process as well.
I also think it is important to say that the PSU faculty sets up the experience so that auditioning students are made to feel that the school is glad they are there and the auditors want them to do their best. I know that the current MT students spend a lot of time mingling and answering tons of questions while the auditioning students are waiting. My D mentioned to me that many students commented to her that PSU might not have been at the top of their list coming into the audition, but after visiting classes, meeting the people, and seeing the current production ( The Boyfriend ), they have changed their mind. Although the audition process is bound to be stressful at any college, I wouldn't want people to avoid auditioning at PSU because of their callback procedure. I think most folks who audition here come away with the feeling that it is a well run ( and challenging ) audition, no matter the end result.
Good luck to all going through this audition season!

Melsmom

While it may be true that The truth of the matter is that the majority of these kids that made the trip, visited the classes, met the people and saw the current production...were sent ultimately on the "walk of shame."
There surely is a more discreet way of letting these kids who may have about PSU being on the top of their list...down. I have to disagree that the kids have to know the negative result immediately, while the "interviewees" can wait 2 weeks. The other schools we have seen this year interview at the same time they audition, and the child leaves...to hear the results at a later date, either rolling or RD.
It may be the way the professional world does things, but it seems unprofessional for a college to do so.

soozievt

I have to say that PSU did run a well organized audition and my D actually liked the school and program lots more after visiting than before hand. She did get to mingle with current students and also we sort of knew PSUCat before hand and she really added to my D's experience. The Q and A session for parents was well done, including with current students' parents and the director, considering some schools like Emerson offered NOTHING informative on the audition day. My D liked Emerson and it is a fine program...I am only talking the facts of the audition day (which basically is not how I judge a program....afterall, I have critiqued some improvements that I think Tisch could make to their audition process even though I think the program itself is great and my kid is happy there).

I do have a heart, however, about the finding out on the spot if one is sort of "cut" or not. It is that way at real auditions. I know other colleges didn't do it this way though. I guess each way has its plusses and minusses. Some say they liked knowing so soon. But on the other hand, the letter of rejection could just be mailed a few days later too. CMU has a way of having more auditors see a kid, including the director without there being an "observable" cut that others are aware of. Like for the singing AND for the monolgues, for each of those portions, my D saw 2-3 different people, doing it over again for each one....same idea but just one on one and other kids were not as aware of that....like no annouced call back list.

Obviously at PSU, my D didn't go through the "no callback" part so my child's experience was positive but I do understand how tough it was for those not called back and even at the time, my heart sank because the day is so full of anxiety and they do find out rather publicly. I know there was a waiting room for the parents and I stayed in there the entire time, not wanting to even be a part of that stuff. I know when my child found out she was called back and came into the parent room to tell me, she tried to do it with little emotion and to be discreet because she was VERY conscious that other parents were in there, some kids, and it just didn't feel right to display any excitement. So, I do understand all the feelings being discussed here.

I do think the program seemed really good. I like that we were able to see a production and observe a class....which was not possible at some schools on the audition weekends. They made an effort to have current students and parents available....some other schools also nicely did this, but not all. I do understand Melsmom's point about not informing kids of being cut from the running right on the audition day. I have mixed feelings about it.....I don't think they HAVE to do it this way as other schools do not, though I do think it helps to get results quickly (much easier for the kid in private, I agree). This procedure, however, is one they will have to grapple with a lot in the audition world (I understand this is college, though), just saying. My D has been through that before. I know it is hard. At some point, you just have to almost toughen up inside and while disappointments are so difficult and kids really have a right to feel badly, they also have to eventually just know that this field is so many "no's" to get the few "yes's" and it goes with the territory and is not a sign that they are not good enough but just that they the odds are so difficult and that there will be many no's along the way. As I said, my D has gone to auditions outside of college where it is done just this way. Whether colleges should do it this way, I can't say, but it definitely will be the typical experience every other place. I know my D was at an audition when many many hundreds were trying for it. While she is a confident person overall, she also is realistic and knows how unlikely it will be to get whatever it is. Sure, if she is on the lucky side and makes all the cuts, it is clearly a happier feeling but she doesn't come to expect it and so you almost need to just pick yourself up and go onto the next one. I think my kids didn't get upset with a college denial because they knew how unpredicatable and difficult the real selective ones would be. But granted, as you say, Melsmom, it was in private. Just saying, they didn't get worked up over it in private but it is easier in private, for sure. The rest of their theater lives will involve cuts on the spot, just like in Chorus Line. I can tell you that's the experiences she is having in the audition world. And yes, it is exciting to be on the side of having your number called for a callback. However, I am sympathetic for when that moment comes and someone doesn't have their number called right in front of others in a line up (it is SO like Chorus Line). I expect my kid to have the latter happen way more than the former.

I do understand all the sides of the issue. I did think overall that PSU did run a good audition day. I know that may appear because my D had the callback experience plus felt real positive about how it all went but just saying as an outside observer, having attended 8 different college auditions, it was one of the well run ones relatively.

Susan

psucat

Melsmom,
My take on the audition process was--
When I auditioned at PSU, ithe interview itself was different than any other school I auditioned at. Its very personal and they take a lot of time with each "interviewee". It wasn't a couple specific questions, and then "do you have any questions for us?" and thats it.

It is easy to do it the same day because some students travel from out of state or they have other auditions the next few weekends and are not able to make it back to campus. They do not do it at the same time as the initial audition because sometimes the faculty is split, and the whole faculty wants to be able to meet each interviewee. The entire MT faculty sits in on these auditions. As you said above, so do some of the students. We are on your child's side as we sit in there--we know what they are going through because we went through it too!