Oh thanks for explaining @allthatjazz12345 - I thought for sure there was something wrong w that sentence but now it makes sense. 
Thatâs pretty interesting; I had no idea they did that!
Yeah itâs a cool opportunity for them and us. They get directing experience to put on their resume and some extra money and we get to work with Michigan MTâs, I really love my theatre program.
@allthatjazz12345 - I wish you the very best as you continue to wait for news, and I donât want to sound argumentative- but I wouldnât consider knowing students in an MT program as a âconnectionâ. My D went to a PA HS and knew someone (or multiple people) at every single school she auditioned for (minus one) sometimes those students were even working the audition - but I donât think it made a bit of difference. When I think âconnectionsâ I think of access to the decision makers- program heads etc. THAT might be where âwho you knowâ could tip a scale
I havenât been online much but this thread about kids bombing out in college reminded me of my friendâs son who they thought was doing well in Miami, and only found out in his sophomore that he had flunked out and hadnât been a student for the past 3 months! I remember how devastated they were. (I mean the type of devastation that comes from thinking you really failed as a parent). Son came home, worked for a year and a half, transferred to our local community college and then to a more prestigious university where he graduated. Got a job with a major sports network, had several promotions and we have now seen him on stage 3 times collecting the Sports Emmy award for his show and he has not yet turned 30. I use him and a friendâs daughter as proof that their can be all sorts of dips and crashes on the road to success.
@SingerDancerMom - I donât know. Was just passing on what another Mom told me via text message.
Is anyone waiting on miami? Any idea how or when we will hear? I have heard portal, mail, email.
Well @allthatjazz12345 I do know that my Dâs voice teacher told her that she could call in a big favor at one school my D auditioned for because she knew my D would be good for that program. She worked closely with that school but she did warn ( as people do when they pull favors) that D would have to go there if she did make the call. My D declined as it was not the school of her dreams as she first thought it might be. I think this happens at other schools, too.
Wow, @mtmcmt. I donât doubt what you said happened, but I sure doubt your Dâs voice teacher has the power to do that. I cannot imagine any program accepting someone b/c a friend is calling in a âbig favor.â Maybe @KatMT or @VoiceTeacher could weigh in here, but I would be very, very suspicious of someone who told me they could get my kid in to a school program by calling in a favor.
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My Dâs voice teacher and one of her PA HS teachers (both of whom she has continued to work with since graduating) were staff at a program where D was auditioning - didnât make a difference. Though to be fair- the voice teacher told D that she wasnât the âtypeâ the program head prefers- so the decline was not a surprise.
In the opera/vocal performance world a voice teacher pulling strings is quite normal. In MT, not so much. I would never pressure a colleague and I would not respond well if someone tried to pressure me to take a student. In a voice performance program, it is ALL about the voice and teachers do a lot of hold handing throughout the pupilâs career. In musical theatre the voice is just one piece of the puzzle.
Besides, it is best for a student to get into a program on their own merits. Otherwise, they walk into the program believing they are there because of a connection and they can then start doubting if they are really talented enough to be there. If the other students catch wind that there was string pulling going on, they could single out that student and make things very difficult for them.
~VT
@ldunk99 My daughter is also on the waitlist at Emerson and she wants to give them a little time to see if she gets picked. I am new to all this and wonder if most people wait or do they go with a sure thing? Are there 24 for MT?
I have actually been pleasantly surprised at how things have turned out for my D. She goes to a public high school and has never had a role in a production outside of school. She has 5 BFA MT admissions, 5 rejections, and two waitlists (as well as two pre screens she did not pass). We are thankful for working with a coach who helped her develop a solid, diverse list of schools. Having access to an experienced coach made all the difference in the world!! Without that list, we would be in a very different position simply due to our lack of knowledge. Good luck everyone!
Most wait lists donât start âmovingâ until after May 1 when colleges know how many applicants have accepted their offers of admission. Therefore, you MUST enroll and put down a deposit at one of the âsure thingâ schools that accepted your child by May 1, the National Reply Date. THEN, if your child comes off of a wait list, which likely wonât be until after May 1, your child is free to accept the wait list offer, and then needs to tell the school that they put the deposit down at that they can no longer attend as they accepted an offer off of a wait list (schools understand this completely and your childâs spot will then go to a wait listed student at that schoolâŠthere is a domino effect that goes on starting in May). You will not get a refund on that deposit, but it is imperative that you put a deposit down at a school by May 1 as your childâs spot wonât be saved after that date. But your child needs to embrace the schools that have accepted her and pick from among those and once that is done by May 1, consider what she would do if she were to get off the wait list (in this case, at Emerson), but by the same token, move on as if it may not happen and if it does, what a pleasant surprise.
I have always maintained that the right college list for each individual applicant is crucial. I think some do not craft an appropriate list or a balanced one. Iâm glad you got help in creating the right list for your daughter since you did not have enough knowledge to do so effectively on your own.
@monkey13 Yes, well, to be sure, it wasnât at a top 5 super duper program. But it is respected. Nor would I believe a voice teacher could work magic on a director who wasnât disposed to a student. In this case, a school which doesnât adhere to the 6-7 student limit, there is flexibility. This teacher is professionally connected to influential people at the school. And one other factor.
Someone made the point that to get in on a favor puts the student at a disadvantage. I agree.
Itâs a moot point since D is not interested in the school any longer. So who can know?
My D is clearly not one of the most talented, beautiful, polished applicants in this pool. Thatâs why she didnât get into the top programs. She knows that and itâs no shame to admit it. Sheâs good and pretty. She needs training to bring out her talents which are sizable but not jaw dropping. She will need to get to know all the people she can and position herself well, work hard, keep going, be professional, prepared, and open to opportunities that donât look familiar. If she can do that there is a place in the industry for her. If not, she doesnât have a chance.
Some of you posters have kids that are far better than she. I know this must be true for some of the long time posters whose kids who are always working.
Maybe they humor us by encouraging our studentâs endeavors knowing full well that only the best and brightest will get a break. I donât know. Schools certainly humor parents. Perhaps they donât know which one will do well but they certainly know that most donât.
In the end, I think performing onstage is fun and thatâs why they all want a shot at it. Just like sports careers. You buy your ticket and you take your chance. D will go to some school ( youâve never heard of) where I hope she enjoys and makes the most out of it.
I hope she learns to do all I listed above which will serve her well no matter the path.
@ldunk99 Do you happen to know what the 24 kids on the Emerson wait list are for - is it MT, Acting, both, and is it boys and girls?
@mtmcmt There are some hugely talented students in all programs. In the end, success isnât based on what school you attended but on the individual. People can succeed no matter where they are from or which school they attended. Certain characteristics, along with talent (and some luck) can take someone far. There are some who attend so called âtop programsâ who donât end up succeeding in this field post graduation too. Further, I know very few (no matter how talented) where their success came easily.
@mtmcmt
Agree with @soozievt . FWIW I looked at your childâs acceptances and your child has some fantastic choices. Your child may not have gotten the yesâs from her top choices but here is hoping she applied and got into schools that intrigued her for some reason.
@mtmcmt, I think itâs important to note that our kids are 17 YEARS OLD! Yes, some kids get lots of great acceptances, but I for one do not think they are necessarily more âtalentedâ or have more âpotentialâ than many others who receive fewer acceptances. Nor do I think that big-name school auditors have crystal balls. I think they go for polish, looks and type, with grades and resumes as back-up data. Throw in great song/monologue selections and thoughtful school lists, and some kids will get more acceptances than others. But neither pitch-perfect auditors nor proud parents can predict how well our students will turn out at the end of four years or how their interests will take them. Nor can they predict how the MT scene will have changed four years from now. Let those lucky kids (and luck plays a huge part) enjoy their multiple acceptances from tippy-toppy schoolsâwe each only need one!