So, I am so glad to be able to start this essay on my Son’s journey through this process. CC has been an invaluable help in this incredibly challenging process.Thank you to all who responded, added input and advice.
Programs Applied to:
Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina, Catholic, Missouri State, James Madison, Nazareth, U Tampa, Suny Cortland, Muhlenberg, American , Stevens Point, Indiana, Penn State, Baldwin Wallace, CCM, CMU, Fredonia, Ball State, Rider, UNCSA, Point Park, Pace, WestCONN, Syracuse, BOCO, Oklahoma, Emerson, Shenandoah, Michigan, Pace.
Prescreens: Passed all but CMU, Ithaca, Michigan.
Artistically accepted (eventually) after audition to:
Coastal Carolina (redirected BFA acting), Western Carolina(BFA), Catholic (BM), Missouri State(BFA), James Madison(BA), Nazareth(BFA), U Tampa(BFA), Suny Cortland(BA), Muhlenberg (BA), American (BA) , Viterbo(BFA), Stevens point(BFA).
Accepted but redirected to BA theater:
Indiana, WestConn, Baldwin Wallace, Ball State,
Rejected after audition from:
Penn State, Pace, BOCO, CCM, CMU, Rider, Fredonia, Ithaca, Syracuse, Point Park, Oklahoma, Shenandoah, Michigan, Emerson MT redirected to BFA acting but withdrew before audition,
Coach: None
Summer Programs: Penn State S.T.A.T.E junior year.
I realized that is a lot (30), but that was the plan - we weren’t taking chances after we read last year’s forum of kids getting to April w/out an acceptance and the numbers of applicants rising as evidenced by CMU telling us 1500 applied last year for 10 or so spots. The admission director at Shenandoah asked us early on “how many programs are you applying to? Make it at least 15-20” So we did. It was then that I realized we were in for an expensive ride (credit card be damned!)
Background:
My son started performing when he was 7 in a local youth theater, amid trying football, baseball, and soccer. He was tall for his age, so sports seemed natural. But he quickly shined on stage in various youth theaters and school theater. We quickly realized that his voice was different than the other kids his age, so by the time he was 10 we enrolled him with a vocal coach. He started to get leads in every show, so we supported what he said was what brought him joy. He started doing local theater groups and was cast in “Oliver” for 25 shows at a dinner theater in Westchester, NY (where we live). If he could do 25 shows at 12 years old, and liked it, then he could handle this career choice. He said after the 25 shows, “I want more”. He attended Penn State Summer program the summer of his junior year and “loved it”. He wanted Penn State badly at that point to be “the one”. Heartache awaited.
We did our first audition way back in October at Indiana, and scheduled some big schools early in the process. Since we had his essays written and applications in by labor day, scheduling became very easy. A tip I learned was to check the audition dates for each school,make a chart, and do some logistics scheduling from October to March live auditions and unifeds in NY. We did not do Chicago. If I had to do it over again, we would not do his top tier schools early, as he got better as audition season progressed. So quick rejections came from Indiana and Baldwin which were 2 of the 1st schools we auditioned. Now comes the heartache. We auditioned for his top school Penn State on Dec. 1st for both acting and MT. He loved both programs, so he gave it a shot. We got a letter from The BFA acting that he was “deferred” which the director said was a “very good thing” and that you are on a list of students we are considering. He was very excited. MT was denied after audition. NOW, we called Penn to find out what “deferred” really meant, and the director was shocked. He said Sam ws “denied” from both programs, and it was a mistake. Sam was devastated. How could they do this to him. Especially a big school like that, to make a “mistake”. Pushing the wrong button on the computer should not happen at this level. He felt dejected that Friday we found out and went to bed upset. Had I checked the mail that day things would have been different because in the morning, we had a letter from Catholic U in DC that he was accepted into the Musical theater BM program after his remote audition. Wow. That changed the mood of the family. BTW, we did remote audition for Catholic, Tampa, American, and Western Carolina and were eventually accepted to every program. So remote auditions do work as long as prescreen tapes look good. From there it was a roller coaster of unifieds, live auditions and acceptances and denials. This is where it gets fun.
His last audition live was at Missouri State in NYC on March 9th. We really liked the program and they offered a nice merit scholarship plus in state tuition when we were academically accepted. The first week of March we were thinking we would either be accepting Catholic U , Viterbo, James Madison or Coastal (waitlisted). The other acceptances at this point (6 of them by then) were not high on our lists. Now came March 21, and we were making plans to visit Viterbo in April when Missouri State (Bob Westenberg) called us and accepted Sam into the MT program. We were ecstatic. Note: Future MT’er’s do not overlook this school in your journey, it is wonderful.
So plans changed and we were looking to get to Missouri for a visit. We bought tickets to go to Missouri with a detour to James Madision and then drive back to NYC. It would be a crazy 2 days. We cancelled Viterbo’s visit until after we visited Missouri. Just as we were set to go to Missouri, Western Carolina notified us that Sam was pulled off the waitlist and would be one of 10 in their Stage and Screen BFA MT program. WOW! Big surprise here. We had liked Western early in the game, but knew it was slim when they only accept 10 to MT. The Missouri visit was great. Loved the program, director, campus and the price. Sam felt really good here and he wanted to cancel JMU and Viterbo, which we did, but still wanted to see Western Carolina. So I got him tickets (more $$) to Western carolina for a last visit on April 22nd. I was sure he would choose MIssouri and their amazing program. He was shocked when he visited Western to say the least. The beautiful campus in the Blue Ridge mountains, artistic community of Asheville, the MT program with Terrance Mann on the faculty and directing one musical a year, and the kids were really welcoming. So it came down to Missouri and Western. Western was the ONLY school that I did not attend with him on a visit.
Final decision: Western Carolina School of Stage and Screen BFA MT. Western won him over. He said it was hands down “the feeling you get when you know it felt right”. I had to give it to him, he really convinced me that he knew what he wanted. We committed the next day, and he has been all smiles ever since then. It’s funny that he never bought “swag” at any school visits until he visited Western Carolina. I guess that was the sign that he had found his home. He will be a “Catamount”.
