I would like to second hiring a coach - but you need to hire the right coach- one with connections who will help sell your child. I hate to say that, but it’s true. We hired a coach to help my child with his audition material and interviews, but our coach had no school connections. Find one that will also promote your child to each and every school- there are some that will contact them before your child’s arrival. I know for a fact now that it works that way. I would have definitely done that part differently and if he decides in the end to take a gap year that is what we will do.
@milmom2 We used MTCA and the connections there came from the master classes. There was one my D took with Barbara Mackenzie-Wood and a professor from NYU. But other than that I don’t think they call the programs directly to sell their kids. They’ve never said that to us at least.
@Ouiser I am so sorry that you are feeling so down right now. Please hold on til the end – one of those last few could be a Yes or a WaitList. (There truly is no rhyme nor reason to who gets accepted and who doesn’t.) As you pointed out, some of the fantastically talented kids applied to A LOT of programs and got admitted to many - and they can attend only one, so there will spots opening up.
But if it happens that your student doesn’t get accepted to a program he/she applied to, there are still options of wonderful non-audition BA theater programs that offer top-notch training. Look back on this discussion thread to find those. Ultimately, success in this business, depends more on personal drive and determination, than on what prestigious college you attended. Best of Luck to your son/daughter!
@marg928 they may not call, but I do know of a coach that sends emails in advance for her top students and knows many of these directors personally. It’s sometimes about the connections you make. These directors also follow these top coach’s sites where the kids are highly promoted. We didn’t have these same connections as a friend and I truly regret that.
@milmom2 And why wouldn’t it work this way…silly me for not being strategic enough to think that way. I have got to stop working so DARN hard and start working smarter.
Sending all of you waiting on 1 yes many, many hugs. At this stage you are grasping at every straw to figure it out. Many of us looked backed and said shoulda, woulda, coulda at some point in this process, so you have many sympathizers here. It is also a process that only others going through it or have gone through it will understand, so it can feel isolating outside of CC. That’s why we have to be careful how we discuss kids with multiple acceptances or an acceptance to a school you or your kid wanted. They have done the same preparation, traveling, and agonizing everyone else did, just with different results. In many cases they are here encouraging and supporting like everyone else. The suggestion that a student was admitted for any reason other than right fit, type, talent for a program (at that time) is insulting and not kind to the people here providing support or information.
Best wishes to all still waiting to cross the finish line. So many people who read your post everyday are rooting for you, even when we don’t comment.
@daughtersdreams and others Thank you for your sweet words. It not over till it’s over, but I guess I am prepared for the worst and gearing up for the next step. You are absolutely correct that there are some wonderful BA programs out there.
@milmom2 and @marg928 I am just chiming in here a little. We also used MTCA because we needed an acting coach and help with monologue selection. She just didn’t have any one at her school who could really help her with this. We had our own list of schools and stuck with it - even though they wanted us to really diversify and they really encourage “walk-ins”. We enjoyed working with them but in no way do they promote or sell your child. They do have masterclasses that we could not attend because we are too far from New York and the one thing they seemed to offer that was different was the individual BW audition (which we couldn’t go to because it was the same day as the ACT!) I know of others who have used other coaching companies and never seen any kind of special communications between these organizations and the schools. I think they give some top notch advice on how to present yourself, vocal coaching, acting, etc. and in the end it is your kid in the room. When you are looking at numbers like 1500 or 2000 kids for 20 spots - it’s your kiddo who has got to bring it on home - I don’t think you can sway these directors with an email or a phone call (that’s just my 2 cents…)
I hope my comment wasn’t insulting that was not my intention. I never said anyone wasn’t equally hard working or deserving. I blame myself for not utilizing every resource available and not helping my child prepare in every possible way. If I knew then what I knew now right? I wish I would have been prepared better that’s all and given my child every edge I could have. I’m sure every parent feels that way. They are all talented, hard working kids and I would never take away someone’s success. I just wished I had educated myself better about all the resources out there.
I think you nailed it @singoutlouise!!!
@singoutlouise I agree 100%! That BW audition was a great perk but it was only for MT, not straight acting unfortunately so we didn’t do it…Our coach Leo is a graduate of CMU MT and I still don’t think that gives him any special pull except for maybe getting Barbara over to NY to teach the master class.
not insulting at all @milmom2!
@IfYouOnlyKnew I don’t think anyone was implying that these students don’t deserve the programs they were offered. They ABSOLUTLY do!! But I do think that having a coach that trains and promotes her students seems incredible. It is absolutely a given that every student that gets into any program is deserving of their spot, but I was naive at the complexity of the system. It is no different that a student that has a parent as an alum. The student must earn the spot, but the name gets the judges eyes looking up.
You are also not wrong that sometimes it is just the right “fit”, voice or look for a program, but I’m thinking we could have used some help on our “pitch” of why we were the right “fit”, voice or look. Just a thought.
We are doing this without a national coach - my kid is working with local acting and voice training, but nothing specifically directed at college auditions. And he has only participated in local summer intensive programs. Until a week ago, I was second guessing the choices that we’ve made, but then, as so many of the experienced folks on this page have said, we got the one yes, followed by two others. He has had successes and failures at every step in the process - applications, prescreens, and auditions - and now is at a place where he has choices. But this is an extremely difficult process - and I am in awe of the kids who choose this route. I cannot imagine having done so when I was 17 or 18. I’m rooting for all of you, and am so grateful for the support and advice of everyone on the MT threads.
There’s been a lot of talk on this thread about not getting in a MT BFA program, so I started a thread on the topic. Thought it would be helpful for those of us going through it or those preparing to avoid it. 
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1973172-not-getting-in-an-mt-bfa-program.html#latest
This is a very difficult process and the acceptance rates are mind boggling. Very talented and deserving kids receive rejections. It is natural to wonder, “what if…” you had done this or that differently.
To my knowledge, most audition coaches and independent college counselors, do not promote their students directly to individual colleges. I am a college counselor (not an audition coach), and I have never had any contact with my advisees’ colleges on their behalf. Most audition coaches do not either. I can think of one audition coach who likely does, however. And so it is.
My daughter went through the BFA in MT college admissions/audition process and now is a working professional in this field. She did not have a national audition coach. None of the programs ever knew a thing about her other than on her application materials and in the audition room. She had no connections. She got into several well regarded BFA in MT programs. I think she is not unique in having been admitted without any pull or special situation. She went to a rural public high school where hardly anyone has pursued the BFA path. Sure, I would think at that time, look at all the kids who went to performing arts high schools, and so on, but it is what it is, and I firmly believe that kids can be admitted to these programs coming from anywhere (even the middle of nowhere like my kid). My kid had no prior connection to these colleges and didn’t attend any of the pre-college programs.
I read in some recent posts some lamenting that their kid doesn’t have a commercial look. My daughter does not have a commercial look. Someone mentioned having a son who is small. In my D’s BFA program at NYU/Tisch, I saw kids of all types, shapes, and sizes. I can think of many small boys there and in other BFA programs, in fact.
You have to go into this process knowing that it is highly competitive and that due to low acceptance rates, every kid is going to get some rejections. It goes with the process. You have to be well prepared. Your kid has to have a comfort with the audition process (that itself is a skill). You have to create a well balanced list (of odds) and an appropriate college list that fits your child (not everyone has the right college list for themselves, I have found in my work when families approach me for advising). Students should have some sure bet schools on their list too. Those with the appropriate college list vis a vie their academic and artistic profile, typically do not end up with no school to attend.
In any case, things end up working out in some fashion. Right now, you are all immersed in the intensity of this process, but with some time, this process will fade away. Your kid will land somewhere (or even a gap year) and make their way in the world. Wherever they got rejected will not matter at all. They need to make the most of where they are planted. The individual can create their own success. Where you go to school is not the defining factor.
Well said @If You Only Knew…we are very grateful to come out of this process with options and we wish the same for outcome for all of the talented kids on CC. While I can only speak with regards to my S, he did not have a coach that emailed schools on his behalf, he hasn’t spent numerous summers at prestigious summer programs, he has never done professional (paid) theatre; however, he has worked his tail off, both artistically and academically, since 5th grade so he could make himself a strong contender for college acceptances. I think it is unfair to assume that students with multiple acceptances had an easier road than others…it is an exhausting and financially draining process for everyone involved…everyone feels the sting of rejection. With that being said, let’s stay positive and remain a support system for all families agonizing through this process. A few more weeks until we can all breath again.
@soozievt Well said! Thank you
@Ouiser I tried to word my post to not specifically call out any person. It was written based on several posts I’ve read in last week, so no worries! I’m assuming no one has intentionally said anything spiteful. I believe most people are just feeling drained and frustrated. There have also been quite a few posts that say my child got a no from “x” program, but we are glad because we didn’t like them anyway. Imagine how someone pining over that program would feel? I just think this point in the process sucks, but we still have to be kind.
As for coaching. My S auditioned in 2015 and did not use a coach. While I find many reasons he was disadvantaged by not having one, the audition seems equal. I felt once he got into the room, everything from that point was between him and the adjudicator(s). I’ve highly suggested getting a coach, if possible, to everyone I’ve discussed process with, so we don’t disagree that coaching has value. I just wanted to share he has gone through experience recently and he had success without a coach.
The bottom line is we’ve all suffered in some way, either your kid is a stress basket and hot mess, YOU are the same , your bank account has taken a HUGE hit and you have done nothing else the past three weeks but check email while in the bathroom , stalk the mailman and talk your husband’s ear off with albeit every conspiracy theory on MT auditions known to man.
I have never been able to decide whether I agree on the coach thing or not. Like getting one. …we didn’t , but I know there are benefits to securing one obviously. Now I don’t like someone putting in my head that some coach is calling or emailing schools beforehand … um im not liking this at all. But… can I see this happening? Well yeah… I wasn’t born yesterday. But I’m thinking that is an outlier and not the norm. Like I said before I don’t really subscribe to the “buying your way into MT College programs”. You can’t. Is some of it elitist and political… yeah of course , but they want what they want and they don’t want what they don’t want. It’s nuts it’s crazy and feel secure in the knowledge that you weren’t the only nut case parent to agree to this! =D>