@AlphaScorpii….LOL…you were so nice I figured you were a student…I crack myself up. All of what I said I still mean wholeheartedly! Kudos. CC was a great place for me last year. Very helpful and encouraging. Hopefully your year will have an amazing thread like this except not all the derailments that have occurred this year. There could be 40 spin-off threads created from this one. My best!
@Calliene - It actually seemed very simple to me – only Class of 2019 is the Class of 2019. Not the Class of 2012, 2017 or 2021. I really don’t wish to do what actually prompted my, very open, post and hijack the thread. I said what I needed to say in my post. There is no hidden meaning, conspiracy, ill intent, and definitely not a need for paranoia. This is my last post on this topic.
Thank goodness those who had gone before me were willing to share their wisdom, tears, suggestions and honesty with me or I would have had a nervous breakdown last year. I have made some amazing friends from this sight and many of them were not 2018 parents. Not sure how us old timers would be able to help out if we weren’t allowed in this thread. But I can respect that request for sure if that’s what is asked…would hate to be hanging around where we are not wanted or needed. I completely understand the need to vent and share with those who are going through this very stressful time. Good luck to you all…Your kids are going to be amazing!
Here’s my stance: I doubt that @AlphaScorpii is the voice of all 2019 parents on this thread. Certainly if one finds my posts unhelpful as a class of 2012 (and 2016 parent), one certainly doesn’t need to read them. But I am going to continue to post if I can be helpful to some people, because I think it’s the right thing to do. I know that I am here for the right reasons 
@uskoolfish, @calliene, and @bisouu…I agree with your posts this evening. CC would not be what it is without those who have gone through this process staying on and participating. If it were just this year’s crop of students and parents, sure, it would be a support group of people going though a stressful and overwhelming time together with experiences to share, but would also be like the “blind leading the blind” so to speak. The strength of CC (and there is WAY more to CC than the MT Forum!!) is that there are parents and students who have been through college admissions who stay on and pay it forward who have a lot to offer the current crop going through this process who then benefit a great deal. I felt that way when I came to CC 13 years ago and am grateful to old timers who were knowledgeable and helpful! Some are still here (such as @AlwaysAMom). I have met MANY CCers over the years in person from the MT forum and other forums on CC. In terms of “support” groups, I am in a few Facebook groups that mostly grew out of friendships made here on CC. In those groups, we can share in greater depth about our personal experiences, such things that we don’t post here on the forum. Real names are used. The groups are friendly. You can make a group if you wish for just your year. The groups I am in are not restricted to one year.
But CC is open to ALL. And there is no way that a thread or forum on CC will ever be limited to certain participants, nor should it be. I receive many PMs either asking me for help or else being very supportive and thankful for the old timers’ input. The tone of some posts in this year’s group on this MT Forum are truly not what is typical of the MT Forum. The “them” vs. “we”…I have never seen this here before until now. Even a post upthread mentions the “two sides.” What? There shouldn’t be two sides. This forum has always been supportive and consists of people helping others. And particularly people who have been there, done that trying to help those who come after. That is really what makes the forum great. If you want to have a little private group, you can do that on platforms like Facebook. But that is not what CC is about and has never been about. Like @uskoolfish posted, the old timers are here to stay and others can ignore our posts if they wish. There are lots of people who are grateful for the help and have said so many times both publicly and privately. On this thread alone, there are many who do not have a child in this year’s cycle, even though the thrust of this thread is a general discussion of sharing the process this year. Questions arise. People can help. Take or discard what you find useful or not. We have had such threads on here for years, and have never had this “problem” in the past on the MT Forum. Some of this year’s MT parents seem unhappy with stuff here, but it was never broke or problematic in the past, and so hopefully we can keep a great thing going. I hope some of you in this year’s cycle also stay to pass it on and I am sure the next year’s folks will welcome your input and experience.
Lastly, some participants here, including myself, are not just parents of MTers. Some of us work in this field and try to be helpful and share information or advice. That is another strength of CC as there are various folks who work in different aspects of higher education or the field (in this case, theater) that participate. I am thankful of the college reps, coaches, theater/music teachers, counselors, etc. who choose to help out or share on CC too. They don’t have kids in this year’s cycle either but I sure am glad they are here. I continue to learn a lot.
no,no,no…I don’t think she is talking about the helpfulness of one person over another perse. She’s talking about the times the “Class of 2019 (the journey begins) - Sharing,Venting, Etc” gets derailed onto a topic that then it overtakes the original Class of 2019 intent. @uskoolfish and @bisou and @Calliene…I think you’ve been very helpful. When “NYU Tisch & Steinhardt…numbers” was a spin off out of here making its own thread debut it was great…people who were interested in that argument/discussion went over there and had a great time and this site got back to what the OP intended. If one topic goes on for 3+ pages and is only being discussed by the same 4-5 people, perhaps it should be moved. And I loved her last line and would love to use it now or this could go on forever. This is my last post on this topic. Peace.
I’ve said it before, and I’m perplexed about why I’d even have to say it again, but, as a mom of someone in the 2019 class, I do not know what I’d do without the parents and students who have gone before me and my D, even in this specific thread. I’m supposed to celebrate and vent only to those going through this? The people going through this are as green, weary, excited, and sometimes crazy as I am! Who would provide perspective and a deeper knowledge? Who would say, “It’s okay, we survived; you will, too” no matter what happened that day? I’ve learned an absolutely incredible amount from those who have gone ahead of me and I am sincerely thankful for them. I hope that they will continue to guide me and others in this journey, including in the everyday venting and celebrating that we are doing right now. I don’t get why their support and helpful words would ever be a negative.
I do think that sometimes new threads can be created when a topic is derailing one thread, but I would not want to see only “our class” on this or any thread.
The following isn’t specifically about the suggestion to keep this thread to the “class members,” but I feel compelled to say it, and this seems like a good spot:
This past week, I had the opportunity to meet a wonderfully kind and smart mom of a junior in high school who will be auditioning next year. It was great talking to her, sharing some of what I’ve discovered, hearing her thoughts. I couldn’t believe that I was in her shoes just last year; it seems so far from today, yet, at the same time, like it was yesterday! Anyway, she’s a lurker here on CC. She commented to me that it seems like some people on this MT forum like to annoy certain others, and she thought that they may possibly just say some things to get their goad, basically. How sad! Whether or not that is true, I’ve recommended this site to a number of people, including her, yet the snarkiness that @MomCares mentioned earlier today or yesterday in another thread (and in other places throughout the past weeks by others) makes me wonder if this is such a great place right now. The meanness seen more than a few times the past couple months is a big turn off, and it hasn’t helped me, personally, in this time that can already be tense. There are times when I even wonder if I really want to open threads.
Come on, people! There is a great wealth of information and perspectives here. Let’s celebrate that and be the supportive group I’d come to expect before!
@puma69: By the way, the NYU acceptance rates discussion was not a tangent on THIS 2019 thread. It was a tangent that began on the MT Admit Rates/Numbers thread. Then, it got split off into its own thread.
It’s definitely happening, what your friend is feeling, what @Momcares feels and now what @AlphaScorpii is expressing. We must take it seriously instead of saying its not there or that everyone else can’t think that. But EVERYONE who is guilty of this MUST see this in order for it to stop. And seriously I don’t think it will happen this year. Too far from the station. Look back on this thread…there were wonderful, helpful, camaraderie spoken with care and empathy and then BAM, derailed, people insinuating others either covertly or overtly are all wrong, don’t know what they are talking about, being disrepectful by not really thinking about what they are saying. I was totally down in the dumps because I felt one poster totally offended 80% of my family. Sad. I’m leaving, maybe I’ll check in from time to time, but I’ve had it and I know someone who will be totally thrilled. And I find that sad, because I have had tons to offer and I started the dang donut thing last year that brought joy on these boards. And I have come to care about a ton of people, but I cannot stand by anymore with the rudeness, the condescending, the duplicity and the deceit. I will come back for decisions. I cannot sit quietly. Today my family and many I loved were held up to ridicule. That’s too much for me. Its sad.
Please realize that the forum was a very pleasant community and quite supportive for years and years now, and many of us have been here all along. The “mean” tone that @Momcares was alluding to is NEW, in the past couple of months. So, the camaraderie has been here until now (and frankly, it still is here now among most). The long term members are not, well, “new.” The snarky stuff IS new.
I think everyone has something to offer and all are welcome. Disrespectful rude comments are what is not welcome. Commenting about specific members isn’t even permitted on CC, and so all should be cognizant of that.
I really hope we can get back to the supportive community that is friendly because I know those who have been here a long while are not happy with the change in tone of posts.
I hope people choose to stay and participate but everyone needs to do what feels right for themselves.
I was here eight years ago with my daughter and now this time with my son and the tone and lack of respect is absolutely something new.
As a long time lurker and current audition year parent, the tone this year is harsh! As someone in the middle who doesn’t feel apart of the Us or Them, it is frustrating. I can see where “new” and “old” posters have both been wrong, but no one seems willing to back off!
Here’s a suggestion-- Perhaps there can be a general off topic thread created so conversations that detract from main point or go back and forth between a small few can be moved there? I’m not sure if that will work, but I don’t want to be one of many who complain without at least a suggestion.
I personally have found new and old posters to have valuable information. I would like to continue to have diverse views because that’s where the real meat of this board lies. No one answer will ever fit all, but with multiple replies from new, old, up and coming, etc, we are certainly to find something for everyone.
On my mobile and rushing to work, so please forgive my typo’s.
So back to this class’ journey…just ONE more week to go everyone! Those who have been through it, are eager to welcome you to the other side of college admissions…where your kid will be in the driver’s seat to pick his/her college (rather than vice versa) and all the angst of college admissions will become a memory and your child will be happy at their new school. It will happen. Getting over the hump is almost here!
“…it is frustrating. I can see where “new” and “old” posters have both been wrong, but no one seems willing to back off!” - I couldn’t agree more, @IfYouOnlyKnew ! Now pass the donuts.
One wait ends, another begins. Has anyone gotten Financial Aid packages from public schools? My D has gotten FA packages from private schools, but is still waiting for all from public/state schools. Dunno if coincidence or not. A friend suggested that public schools have to wait for next year’s budget to be approved by board (which happens this time of year) before FA offers (talent, not merit) can be extended. If anyone can shed any light on this issue, I would greatly appreciate it.
Only private schools FA pkgs here… still waiting on the public. We were hoping to have them all in-hand before spring break and campus visits, but I’m not sure we will…
I heard of someone getting a public school package. Perhaps their fiscal year is different than other states. The school is in NJ.
We have received pkgs from both private and public
S got Penn State’s pkg (on portal) Penn State is public, Haven’t received Univ. Miami (private)
@tmygirl Univ. of Miami - I hope your S qualifies for Merit Aid from them…MT/Theatre dept aid is very very limited.
RE: financial aid…you can ask for more, politely. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does. My D mentioned to one (very expensive school) that she couldn’t afford them, and they said, “Check your email in 15 minutes.” Fifteen minutes later there was a VERY generous talent scholarship offer. At another school, she emailed and said, “You are my top choice, but it’s a difficult decision b/c there are other schools that are offering me so much more money…is there anything you can do to help?” And they did. Again, it doesn’t always work, but it is worth a try. (And I hesitated to post this b/c I am an “old poster.”) @-)