It’s weird how much this varies between states. Our state basically has no required attendance ever since about 2016 or so, so it really doesn’t matter if something is excused vs. unexcused - teachers still accept work and you still graduate. Our district just counts everything as excused and my kid misses 20 or so days of school each year for auditions, internships, competitions, etc. and now worse with college/audition trips.
Schools should be more relaxed on their approach to these absences - they have to know that the kids (at least around here) who have 5.0 weighted GPA and are always in school often don’t even get into any top schools other than maybe one full pay option and they get almost no merit aid. They end up mostly at state schools. On the other hand, some of the musicians get accepted to top name schools, and with scholarships!
It IS so weird how much it varies. Like TwoManyViolinists he is going to a large public in a high population county. My older two kids went to a different public high school in a different county, but in the same state. Every college visit was excused, without limit. I think it must come down to the school board? If I had more kids coming through the pipeline this might be something I try to change, but he’s a our youngest and I’m exhausted
Yes! My son has said, “How can they not excuse something that I have to do to get into college for my major, when part of high school is supposed to be preparing me for college!”
My musician son’s large public exused just about anything. On the other hand, my daughter is at a small Catholic HS and they basically want notarized letterhead to get it excused…I got a “truancy” letter after her 4th absence IN MAY last year…I didnt send in a note for flu. It’s crazy. I just laughed thinking about my son’s 20ish due to music stuff
In May! That is crazy! It seems there should be a common sense policy that wouldn’t be difficult to implement. A certain number of allowed college visits and the student shows some proof of attending (every college gives out paperwork). Then if a student is applying for an audition based major they can get more absences pre approved by showing the email with the audition appointment.
I think it’s hard to grasp if you’re not in the city, but LA is humongous. I do believe that by February, things will churning along. The parts of the city that are not directly in/near/adjacent to the fires are already plugging along. The entire region has not shut down as it did during the height of covid.
That said, with your concerns, why not call the admissions people at each school and explain those concerns and ask for an alternative to an in person audition? All they can say is no and you’re back where you were.
We live in LA, not far from the Eaton Fire and S25 goes to school in Pasadena. His school is open on Monday. Most of LA is managing and the air quality is fine if you aren’t in the Pasadena area or further east or near the Palisades (Brentwood, Encino, Calabassas, UCLA). We evacuated to a hotel near USC medical (closer to the fire than USC) on Wednesday night and it was much better than where we were. So USC’s main campus should be fine.
I agree with the above. An important aspect of being in music is managing a budget (or being in life, maybe). My father was in finance…so this was part of my upbringing and I have passed in on to my D. We talk about money! And…be aware that the money issue does NOT go away…if anything, it will accelerate in college (summer programs in Europe with nice price tags unless you are willing to haggle).
If the budget is going to burst, I would suggest a call to music administration about your kid’s sincere interest in the school…and alternatives to an in-person visit (only kid should contact faculty). For most schools, an in-person visit is NOT required to audition. In the case that you cannot travel, your student should be in contact with music admissions and faculty (if possible) about how very serious you are about the school…but that you having a budget crunch…and may not be able to fly there.
I shared on another thread how I had not understood that each step of this process is so important so we did not stay long at all schools (missed portions of presentations and meeting with teachers) and my D got accepted to all VP programs for UG. For grad school, again, she had a budget and had to send in a recording for her audition to one school (and was allowed to use her pre-screen one which is what she did) and was accepted. She did email the school with her reason (money!) for not attending the in-person audition. It was not held against her.
I still hold that the AUDITION, in any way the school will accept it, is key. The other elements are great, informative etc but not necessary for an acceptance.
And…I do remember now that my D’s school had an onerous policy on school absences that that stressed me out…but the counselor was able to go into the system (after we would get automatic threatening letters about an unexcused absence) and “make it go away”. She could switch something in the system. So be sure to ask the school/counselor for assistance…it may or may not help.
Unfortunately there are a handful of schools that do require in person auditions. Colburn, Curtis and Juilliard come to mind but correct me if any of these now allow a remote audition.
For those schools, it is challenging to weigh the cost vs opportunity.
I will add to @Baribassmom’s and @wendylop’s comments above that unless one is in or very near an evacuation zone, life here in LA is relatively normal. LAX has been unaffected, the downtown area is functional. Even the air quality in most of LA is not in the unhealthy range as the winds (terrible that they are) blow the smoke west over the ocean.
Definitely contact the schools for updates and to answer questions, though.
As far as I know Juilliard, Curtis and Colburn all require in person interviews still. There is a lot of debate out there about in person versus virtual auditions and whether being in person gives the student an advantage. My guess it will depend on the school and the panel doing the audition. Obviously if the student really wants to try and got to a particular school that requires a live audition then you don’t have a choice.
If you are casting a wide net (which I don’t have experience with, my son applied to relatively few schools undergrad or grad, like 5 or 6), then my thought would be to prioritize the schools and limit live auditions to the top schools on the list to keep it within budget, then do virtual auditions with the lower priority schools. If a school isn’t in the top tier on your priority list and insists on a live audition, then maybe from a budgetary standpoint it may be wise to drop it (and that is just how I would handle it if faced with that with my son).
My gut feeling is that doing a live audition is very different than a virtual one for the student and the panel and that being there might provide advantages (as playing a performance being streamed from an empty concert hall is different than doing it with a live audience), but it also isn’t a killer either, it may make a difference if you are on the edge of making it or not I would think, but if you are a strong player and within the range of the schools standards, it may not make any difference at all (and again, there is no science behind this, no way to prove or disprove it.).
Sadly schools can be a pain with music students and things like auditions. If a school is a music magnet and makes those unexcused absences that would be crazy. But with regular schools, even if they have a music program, the board and the people running the school don’t have a clue how auditions work, they probably think you can schedule it on weekends or off hours doing it virtually, they literally don’t have a clue. That private schools are not flexible is just mind boggling.
With public schools I kind of understand it. In NJ, there are a required number of days of school that schools have to be in session, and there are also rules about attendance that on a state level that they can get in trouble if they find students have too many unexcused absences (or even excused ones) and I suspect that the state doesn’t even have policies with excused absences, let alone music related things. If they find this, they can cut funding to the school for programs. They think auditions are like college visits, that they can be scheduled during school off times like school break periods, they really don’t have a clue. This is one of the reasons that serious music students often homeschool, because the schools are just far too rigid to understand the realities of music students, like they might have performances on a school day for outside groups.
Yes, my point was simply…as the reality of doing multiple auditions in multiple cities comes into view (money, time, energy, school absences - how in the world do people do this??)…recorded or virtual auditions are an option. By no means do I mean they are better or should be done for your top schools…but they are an option now…or as burn out comes on, for some, in Feb. Be careful!! You definitely want to protect your auditions at key schools by being rested, if possible. It’s a type of chess game to figure out your best strategy. And, dare I say that there can be bad weather and illness that forces your hand…making a recorded/virtual audition your only option. You can get an acceptances in this way.
Wondering about UCLA specifically… S has an audition scheduled for Jan 24. Classes have been switched to remote until this Friday the 17th. I’m concerned that they will extend that mandate another week. He has USC the following Sunday the 26th, but USC doesn’t seem to be affected by the situation.
I don’t even begin to know who to contact about this…
LA is huge, February is a few weeks away, and life goes on. The whole city is not shut down, most places are proceeding with business as usual, if not now, they will be in a few days to a week. Most of the schools music students are considering are not near the fires.
Yes we are in New Jersey too. Also why serious athletes will transfer to catholic schools that have more flexible policies for absences for tournaments etc.
3 more auditions to go! Our son has been admitted to 1 out of 7 that he applied to. Hopefully he hears from 2 more by the end of January and then the rest in February and March.
international student here! i’ve already passed some prescreens for VP undergrad and i’m planning to fly to the US to audition. do you guys have any tips (specifically for ground travel & accommodations!) i am flying on my own, and because of the dates it seems like i have to stay in the US for a month. i can lists the schools i’m planning to visit if it helps.
