Ok- thank you. For Vocal it appears to be different. They confirm nothing until the music is received. Our date request changed when she was invited to audition at NEC also, so they have to confirm that first before we can book. Happy New Year! I’m going to try and celebrate a bit and worry less tonight ??
Re the Frost live audition for jazz, I remember reading that there was a required jam session later in the day but the email re live auditions details doesn’t mention it.
Trying to figure out if we can book a flight home the day of the audition and what departure time would be safe. Anyone else doing an audition for a jazz instrument?
Ok my own question is answered by a better reading of the email. Jam session from 5-6 pm so I guess we will book the last flight out at 8:35 pm and scramble to the airport. I know my S would rather not spend an extra night. When we visited in Dec we spent 4 nights which was way too long (got there super late on a Sat and his meetings were on Mon and Tues, flew out Wed, newbie mistake!)
When we were there in December for the EA auditions, we shared a ride to the airport about 6:30 with an applicant who had been there for the jazz jam, so it seemed like it was totally over by then. The airport is also very close – less than half an hour – and airport security was not bad at all.
It’s ridiculous, I know, and I’m getting a jump start on it, but stressing early and often is one of my specialities! 
Wondering if anyone could offer advice about travel from Rochester, NY (Eastman) to NYC (NYU - Steinhardt). One of our first-choice dates was unavailable, so instead of being separated by one week, these two auditions will happen one day after another. I’m not complaining. We’re super grateful for the opportunity! I’m just very nervous about the travel. We are planning to drive to Eastman. It’s approximately six hours from home by car, and six(ish) hours to NYU from Eastman. I have always avoided driving into NYC in the past–opting instead to make the drive to a train station or park-n-ride somewhere outside the city, and taking a train from there. Since we’ll be driving to Rochester, I guess we’re now also driving to NYU. Anyone have experience doing this / approaching from that direction, etc.? Wondering if I should just bite the bullet and try to drive into the city, or if there is some user friendly commuter option. Help please!
@mom2clarinetobsessedkid I did that exact drive. We were at Eastman in October and drove our rental car to NYC. It was actually pretty simple until I got to some bridge with a $20 toll. Totally unprepared for that. I honestly don’t know what route we followed because I just went with my Google maps navigation. I say go for it.
Haha this is my neighborhood! Getting into the city through bridges and tunnels is always expensive (leaving is free). I recommend the Holland Tunnel over the George Washington Bridge but it also depends on the time of day. And that’s the biggest question: when do you plan to make the drive? Going at rush hour could add an hour or more to the trip.
The Eastman audition is much more
Involved than NYU. So even if you are a bit tired, it should be fine.
Ha! Maybe armed with your information and encouragement I will be brave enough to give it a try! I wouldn’t even have thought about the expense of getting into the city. Good heads up! If I understand correctly, Eastman takes most of a day, and NYU takes only a few minutes. Lol. I imagine we will be exhausted after our time in Rochester. Don’t know that we have a specific time yet for the NYU audition, but I was planning to drive 3+ hours the night before. Collapse. Then finishing the drive on Saturday morning. Not sure how that timing will impact things. Probably trying to get into the city around 11 or 12?
@mom2clarinetobsessedkid, here’s a link to park and ride if that helps.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/511NY?mode=Park%20and%20Ride&type=All%20Categories
I really think you ought to just drive it in with plenty of lead time. Reserve a parking space on the app ahead of time and go (expensive but easy when you’re focusing on the audition). I use ParkWhiz.
Saturday morning is a good time to drive into NYC. It’s truly easy at that time. Lots of parking in the area as well. I’ve parked on the street at NYU on Saturdays, but you’ll also see signs for parking all over the place. App is great but, on a weekend morning, probably not necessary. All of these are nearby: https://www.nyu.edu/about/visitor-information/parking.html
If you want to do part of the trip the evening before, keep in mind that you will be tired! Maybe just drive the 1.25 hours to Syracuse and stay there, do the rest the next morning. Binghamton is another logical stopping point. I would not plan on driving any more than that after a full day audition.
Last year, my S had back-to-back auditions at Eastman and Syracuse. We drove to Rochester (about 6 hours from New Jersey), stayed over, did the Eastman audition, then drove to Syracuse and stayed right near the 690 to I-81 turnoff (there are a Crowne Plaza and a Marriott there, among others). I was beat! The drive to NY after the Syracuse audition was a little over four hours. If you can make it to Binghamton (tons of hotels there as well), you’ll cut it to three hours.
I hope you are planning to stay at least one night in NYC as a treat after all that driving!
Suggestion for the group: Try to connect with other parents from this board during the longer auditions. I was lucky enough to meet @mperrine during the Eastman audition and hang out with her at Java’s Cafe. Our kids are now there and have become friends.
It’s good to compare notes and put faces to names. We also helped each other strategize the scholarship negotiations!
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Regarding the parking- some of the parking apps offer discounted rates if you book ahead,
Sorry for being late to the advice-giving game . . . I’ve been off the boards for a few months.
Simple but useful advice for parents and students: bring a refillable water bottle, especially to longer audition days like Miami Frost, USC Thornton, and Peabody.