We found using a coach to be extremely beneficial due to a lack of knowledgable expertise specific to musical theater college auditions in our area. We have great voice teachers here. We have wonderful directors and acting teachers here. And we have fabulous dance teachers. But none of them were versed in the world of college auditions. Please be aware that being a great teacher in those skills does not make you knowledgable about the college audition process. Make sure you work with someone who understands the process - from how many schools you need to apply to, to what sort of material works in the audition room, to how to create your prescreen videos … this is all important to your success. Work with someone who knows the process. I cannot stress this enough. Every year you read about kids whose teachers could not believe they did not get into one of the few schools they applied to because they felt their talent was superior. It probably is. But you have to be more than talented to navigate college auditions. For us, the college audition coach was in addition to the regular skills training done at home.
We used Mary Anna Dennard (Moo). We worked with her mainly via Skype as we live far away from TX where she resides. And she connected us with a song coach in NYC who was incredible that helped with song selection and presentation as well as technique. We worked with him via Skype also. Having a coach definitely lessened the stress for us in this process. Having guidance on everything from developing a list of schools, to choosing audition material, to support throughout the auditions and decision making process were invaluable. Moonifieds in November is a huge plus. Having some early acceptances and concrete feedback on audition material was really worthwhile. As I have mentioned in other threads, the camaraderie among the Moo Crewers was incredibly important as well. The kids shared in each other’s successes and rejections, kept each other posted on what to expect at auditions, when to expect a response, etc… It was very nice to feel you were in this together with such kind, caring people.
You can work with Mary Anna in many different ways so the cost will vary. We spent between $2000 - $2500 in working with her for 1 1/2 years (we started Spring of D’s junior year). As many have mentioned, we feel it was money well spent. If you do nothing else, please look at a copy of Mary Anna’s book, “I Got In”. It’s a fantastic resource for all things to do with the college audition process. You can keep it with you to refer back to over and over again.
Obviously we were very pleased with Mary Anna. But there are many good coaches out there. Do your homework. See whose personality fits well with your family. Determine whose costs and schedule work well for you. And figure out what will be best for your student. None of these coaches is a magician. Their job is to inform and prepare. They cannot promise you admission in to any program. If someone does promise you admission, run the other way. And, if you have great resources in your community, know that every year many kids do get in great programs who do not use a coach. You just need to figure out for yourself what works best for your family. Best wishes in this fun and crazy adventure!