<p>I’ll stand by my disappointment in the end piece in this story. I really liked the fun, humble and excited way he wrote the earlier pieces, and I found this one flip and frustrating. Its faults weren’t due to its being short - as an example, kids here have written plenty of 100-700 word essays that were supposed to portray their personality, aspirations, and values, in an interesting, entertaining and respectful way. I think he could have done way better.</p>
<p>I don’t begrudge him his acceptances, but I think his editors forgot their audience in encouraging the tone of this last installment. After reading so many posts by kids and parents on CC about their journey, especially now, in the decision-making phase, I’ve seen more honesty, humor and sensitivity in 2-sentence remarks than in this particular piece.</p>
<p>That’s just my opinion. I think he’s going to have a blast at MI and have a terrific education.</p>
<p>So I know “this little creep” quite well. We have had classes and done many shows together at our high school. He is a real high school senior, who really wrote this, really got into all of those schools, and is unbelievably talented. I just wanted to say in his defense that he is one of the nicest people I have ever met and he truly worked hard to get into these schools. I for one am so proud of him and could not be happier for him. He is an amazing person and will go very far in acting.</p>
<p>By the way, he did get accepted into the BFA program at U Mich. He has an unbelievable resume and his high school GPA displays nothing lower than an A. I have heard his speak publicly so i know how eloquently he writes. He’s legit and not at all snarky or arrogant. He really is a great kid.</p>
<p>I can certainly believe he is a wonderful, talented and deserving student. I didn’t really doubt it, myself. But he is only 17 or 18 and didn’t have the wisdom to realize just how widely his blog is being read, or he might have given a second thought to how he expressed his feelings. Had he thought about all the talented kids who auditioned for those BFAs and didn’t get offered a spot? Did he realize he was slamming schools and programs right and left that others are excited to attend? There are ways to express one’s true feelings and yet have some consideration for how others will feel, too. </p>
<p>Aside from the fact that he seemed truly ill-informed about the programs that he had worked so hard to audition for, seemed to argue against the intensity and dedication of a BFA program (who forced him to apply/audition for them all?), expressed a bit of anger over the auditors who didn’t admit him to the one BFA he was not invited to join, dissed the academics of another Tier 1 university that offered him a merit scholarship, and topped it off with a self-justifying rationalization about asking his parents to spend about 80K more that they may have wanted to spend so he could go to the more prestigious school, he didn’t express the mature judgment that some of us may have expected from the same boy who wrote the very mature and intelligent blogs in the past.</p>
<p>I’m not interested in attacking him. I’m disappointed he didn’t use his platform to be more inspirational to other kids/families that are to follow. They may get the skewed idea that BFA programs are a) pretty easy to get admitted to, and b) not at all a good choice after all.</p>
<p>As my D would say, meh. I will second the fact that the theatre world is very small indeed. And when you put yourself out there in cyberspace, what you write never goes away.</p>
<p>You guys probably do already realize this, but I would just like to point out that when you google a topic (such as your own name) CC rises quickly to the top of the page. Try Googling Avery’s name and see what I mean. So if you have criticism for him, you can be sure that he and those close to him have heard it. </p>
<p>The internet has changed the way we communicate with people. Just a few years ago, you would have read a column such as this in a print newspaper. You would have had only a print edition “letters-to-the-editor” forum for discussing it. The discussion, if any, would have died down almost immediately. If you wanted to get a message to this young man, you would have had to mail to to the paper, or to his high school office, but few would have bothered. </p>
<p>I cannot speak for his intentions, but I don’t think he was trying to be dismissive or cruel. He had to wind up his series within 800 words, tying up as many loose ends as possible while still retaining his breezy style. That is a tall order. His original draft may have been longer and cut for space issues by the editors (it happens often.)</p>
<p>Too late to edit above, but I also wanted to point out that now that the NYT has imposed a subscription for its online content for non-print subscribers, these comments will be more accessible to the casual Googler than the blog itself. Another brave-new-world effect of the internet, almost unimaginable a decade ago.</p>
<p>I agree with EmmyBet and Madbean. I loved this guy, and was extremely disappointed in his last post, and they have expressed why I felt that way. I’m sure he’s a terrific and nice kids, but I still stand by my comments that in this particular post he sounded “snarky” and did not represent himself or his own decision-making in which schools to apply to (let alone accept) very well.</p>
<p>I never ever thought that he didn’t write it or that he wasn’t an accomplished person. I actually find it a commentary on how tough and random the admissions decisions by the most academically selective schools are when someone with his writing talents (I know nothing about his acting talents) and apparently a stellar academic record was rejected by Northwestern and Yale!</p>
<p>I liked the last installment, because it shows that he actually did some thinking about his choices. Key word being “HIS” choices. Sure, he used some common perceptions about some of those schools, but that’s OK, because his perception is his reality.</p>
<p>I suspect that he may eventually regret some of the comments he made, but I think most of his statements were harmless.</p>
<p>How can you argue that he thinks Emerson is too artsy? That is by design and is considered very much a good thing by those who choose that school. How can you disagree that Ithaca has a challenging location? Especially if you are like some of us who struggled with arrangements on how to travel there from the western part of the U.S.</p>
<p>As the father of a kid that has gone through this ridiculous audition process, I would have preferred that young Avery be more tactful and more outwardly appreciative of his awesome results. </p>
<p>But I don’t begrudge him for putting his personal thoughts out there on a very public blog. He’s just a kid, an obviously bright and talented one, and I’m betting that he will probably learn something from it.</p>
<p>Hey, I am happy for the blogging boy’s success, and hope he enjoys being what he hopes will be his experience as a big fish in a smaller pond at Michigan (since when is Michigan a small school, LOL?) because even if he doesn’t come to NYU now (where no, he won’t toil in obscurity in studios – he would have received excellent training and personal attention, but where, yes, he would’ve been one of many “big” fish and have to compete with them for roles), he will eventually come with all the other young actors to New York, where he truly will be a small fish. Every actor has a turn at that feeling, and it’s better to learn sooner rather than later how to cope with it. Well, of course that’s my view: my kid is at NYU! :)</p>
<p>fwiw, I did always think that Avery did himself a huge disservice by only having NU and Yale as his non-auditioned schools. For someone so interested in academics, he could have had a wider range of options. Thinking that a BFA or only NU / Yale are the only ways to go in theater training is really limiting.</p>
<p>NMR and SDCC - Thanks for your comments. My daughter is very likely going to Tisch, and after I read the blog post in question I was like “OMG, is it really like that? Have I failed as a parent and ruined the next four years of my daughter’s life???” (Well, not exactly, but I did get a sinking feeling in my gut, like maybe I had totally missed something important - you moms and dads know how it is, especially at this stage of the game.) We will be attending “admitted student day” on Sat., and hopefully she ( and we) will come away reassured and full of warm fuzzy feelings.</p>
<p>OneToughMommy, no worries! I will admit that there is not a lot of “warm and fuzzy” at Tisch drama, and very little hand holding. You are in New York and, in general, the teachers and the university treat you like a New Yorker, which means that you are, in general, expected to be somewhat independent and to ask for help if you need it. But acting/musical theater students do get personal attention from their studio teachers, who get to know them well and are there for them in ways both professional and, at times, personal. That said, NYU Tisch drama <em>will</em> for most kids, be an experience of being a formerly big fish who suddenly may feel quite small in that huge pond that is both New York City and NYU. As in other high profile BFA programs, at Tisch most of the other kids were also the “stars” of their high schools and some have done quite a bit of professional theater, as well as (some) film and television. Some have had agents since they were small and they appeared in commercials and sitcoms. Some have been on national tours. All are talented. For many freshmen, this is kind of a jolt and results in them questioning whether or not they really have “it” and if they are “as talented” as their classmates. Quickly, however, they begin to love being surrounded by kids who have so many different gifts to share, and they learn from one another. My kid was adamant that she was going to NYU once she was accepted, and even though I personally had imagined her in a much smaller pond for the four years of college, NYU turned out to be the absolutely right for her. She’s learned a ton in the last three years and only part of it includes techniques and approaches to acting, singing and dance! When she “launches” into the “real world” of New York a year from now (or thereabouts), I feel confident that <em>she</em> knows how to survive, and even thrive, in that very big pond.</p>
<p>I would say, cut the young man a little slack - true I tend to like him. That being chiefly that I have spoken extensively with his parents, especially his Father. They are very down to earth people, who like many of us escorted their child around the country to find the “place” were he could follow his dream without having to take out a second mortgage. I would just say to those of us in that 30 - 50 year old age group, especially males, think back - I know I was smelling my on S***, thinking I was the greatest thing since slice bread. I am always willing to cut a young person slack, Lord knows I had mentors who did the same for me; also, I think we would all agree the older you get and the more one lives life tends to offer more chances of curbing arrogance and growing as a person.</p>
<p>Onetoughmommy: “My daughter is very likely going to Tisch, and after I read the blog post in question I was like “OMG, is it really like that? Have I failed as a parent and ruined the next four years of my daughter’s life???” (Well, not exactly, but I did get a sinking feeling in my gut, like maybe I had totally missed something important - you moms and dads know how it is, especially at this stage of the game.)”</p>
<p>Believe me, if your kid is NOT choosing NYU/Tisch you have the same sinking feeling in the gut! I think we are destined to feel a bit nauseous either way.</p>