<p>When I was touring with D, I would often ask about the retention rate for theatre students. Websites can report the overall retention/graduation rates for the school as a whole, but I often wonder if our kids have a higher rate of staying and graduating in four years or so. </p>
<p>I’m new to this, but I suppose my thinking is that since our kids are coming into a program where they are immediately in a “group” of like minds, that are constantly doing things together almost daily, does this make for better satisfaction?</p>
<p>People have said that students do better when they find a group and become involved. Since theatre kids have a group even before they start classes, are they likely to have less home sickness or dissatisfaction with school in the beginning? Is their transition easier?</p>
<p>My D had auditions right away when she got to school. She was lucky enough to be in the show and the guest choreographer came in Labor Day weekend to work with them all weekend. It did make for an easier adjustment to be busy all the time. Being 800 miles away and not being able to come home the theatre kids do become a family. Many weekends are filled with rehearsal or attending shows. It keeps them very busy and they don’t have as much time to get homesick. I know the group of them had a brunch for Easter last year since many of them couldn’t go home. </p>
<p>My D also had auditions right away and immersed herself in working on shows both on stage and behind the scenes. She got homesick but was so busy that it made the time pass quickly. In her school students are not separated in the dorms by majors as some schools tend to do. She had friends that were not MT majors, some kids she met at the dorm and others were in her orientation group or in gen ed classes. I would say the majority of her friends were MT students though. </p>
<p>Another “my D!” - the performance majors (MT, Acting, Dance) all live on the same hall in the Honors dorm. They were all so busy from day 1 I don’t think they had time to get homesick. They had “met” through a FB group, so they didn’t feel like complete strangers. Their auditions were not immediate (other than the fall MainStage show that needed some boys), but they started working on scenes and projects for classes immediately. I worried that she would need non-theatre friends (ok, truth, they call them Muggles, haha!), but although there are a few on the hall, her best friends are other MTs & Actors. They “get” each other - the crazy hours, shower concerts, song composition in the halls, etc. I think we had to do way more adjusting than she did!
Adding: The mentors (students) are an added bonus, and the upperclassmen were very welcoming to the freshmen. They also had performance opportunities in the student run theatre 1st semester, as well as performances they could attend every weekend. I am STILL adjusting to her being gone & she was ready to “go home” at the end of Christmas break. :’) </p>
<p>My S’s school calls the non conservatory students “muggles,” too! Funny! He felt at home there before his boxes got unpacked, I think. They started rehearsing for freshman showcase almost immediately and bonded that way. he’s got some non-theater suite mates and hangs out with some of the music conservatory kids, but I think it’s mostly the theater kids he’s friends with, all years, not just freshmen. </p>
<p>I would imagine the attrition rate at the most competitive programs would be lower than average. When a program has so many applicants to choose from, one of the things they must be considering is an applicant’s demonstrated interest and determination to prevail against grueling schedules. And often, students admitted to the “top” programs have several good options. However, at the less competitive programs, attrition probably varies and is determined by a number of factors. My D’s auditioned BFA-MT program had a couple students drop after 1st semester and some more drop after 2nd semester. Some reasons they gave were cost, homesickness, or not feeling the fit was right. My D’s school does not keep their freshmen as busy as others, which is not a good thing for kids who are used to being involved in productions at all times. They also do not have a mentor program, either with a professor or with other students. One of the reasons my D will be transferring is that the program is not rigorous enough. She craves what she has seen and heard about at other programs. More dance classes, more opportunities to perform, more support between students across the “grades,” more effort by the head of the department to get to know the students and address individual needs. There are plenty of students who select a school from among their bottom picks because they didn’t have the options they had hoped for. There was a reason these schools were on their lists, but there was also a reason they were at the bottom of their list. I am trying to remember that we learn from all of our experiences, good and bad, and just OK. Although a disappointment, it is not the end of the world to transfer! A student who does so is doing it because they have learned something about their needs and will be more mature and appreciative of where they end up.</p>
<p>@mtmomagain, I was going to include the “was it one of their top choices” factor, but I thought I was getting a little long winded already. I do wonder if going to one of their least favorite schools, in essence “settling” plays a part in satisfaction. </p>
<p>Mtmomagain, I’m inclined to disagree about the competitive programs having a lower drop–out rate. Without any statistics, I do know of students at such schools who found that the intensity was too much. I also know of students who dropped out because they booked a national tour! Schools differ in flexibility also. Some will allow a student to take a semester or year off without having to reapply; other will not.</p>
<p>I’d also be interested to know whether the programs that do an annual review and impose “probation” achieve a higher retention rate by helping struggling students to turn their academic performance around. </p>
<p>I wanted to bump this thread as we are nearing the end of the 1st semester for the class of 2018. How has it been? My D has really enjoyed herself. Some parts have been great (she adores her BFA classes)- others a challenge (roommate probs) but overall quite positive. Still, I know several kids who have not been so fortunate. Some are planning to change majors (have discovered theater life in college is different from HS), others leaving a program (BFA and BA) and trying to transfer. What is going on in other people’s worlds? </p>
<p>My daughter is in heaven. Couldn’t have found a better fit. She loves living so close to NYC but not being right in the mix because she would never get anything done. LOL. She is a big fish in a little pond which for her is exactly what she needed. </p>
<p>My D just completed her first show, is getting ready for her next auditions, her semester juries and finals. I would say the most challenging part of college for her has been getting up on time. She loves the program - says “Music is Hard” - but she’s still holding her own in theory and piano classes. Her one academic class (English) is fine. Every time I talk to her she’s very happy! She has almost zero relationship with her roommate - I don’t’ think she even came to see her in the show - but they don’t NOT get along - meaning - neither of them has complaints - they just have no personal connection at all… which I think is a shame - but doesn’t seem to bother my D. I think she may sleep through the first week of Christmas Break!! But overall - in love with her program. I would say you could count us in the group where the kid found their “fit”!</p>
<p>My BFA MT S is loving his first semester. He loves being able to spend nearly all day, every day focusing on the nitty-gritty of honing theater skills. He has only one academic class, and though he was a good student in high school he enjoys not being distracted by pesky things like writing papers and reading text books. He wishes dance classes were more rigorous, but hopes he’ll be able to be with dance majors as sophomore - schedule permitting. He has a part-time theater-related job and was able to be a “swing” for the fall MainStage musical - all the work without the “glory”. Managing the details of his own schedule, what clothes need to be clean by when, finding time to eat, and dealing with non-school related issues while getting enough sleep has been a challenge. To my surprise, he’s actually much more capable than I ever gave him credit for in high school. (personally, I think it’s because he LOVES what he’s doing and knows he has to get all the ducks in a row if he wants to succeed.)
He and his roommates are not BFFs, but they get along just fine. They live on co-ed theater floor of dorm and hardest adjustment was negotiating when the room is “private” and when it’s “open door” - there seems to be LOTS of sharing and togetherness on that floor. So far, the roommate/dorm life issues seem to be the most vexing for some freshmen.
Another adjustment has been working out “hierarchy of democracy”. Freshmen were put in charge of putting together their own spring showcase, with nothing provided except the performance space. Negotiating the “power balance” of decision-making is a whole new field for kids that are used to following a director’s instructions. Some constantly question “who died and left you boss?”, yet do not contribute to collaboration and moving things forward. S is getting first taste of “how-do-you-get-things-done-when-you-really-care-about-the -outcome, but-don’t-want-to-piss-everybody-off?” In high school it’s easy to sit back and complain about how things should be different, but now there are several balls in every student’s court - HUGE life lessons. So far, S is thriving.</p>
<p>My son had some struggles early in the semester. He had just come out of UArts summer program, and I think he thought college would just be an extension of that. He was quite surprised at the workload. But he got a part in a student production of “Rocky Horror” and started to seem much happier by the end of October. Now he loves the program and the city—which is good because this storm may strand him there over Thanksgiving. </p>
<p>My D is loving life! She’s a BFA MT who has found the perfect fit for her. The first two weeks were rough since she’s just under 5 hours from home and was feeling homesick. Once that wore off and she and the other MT kids bonded, it’s been smooth sailing ever since. She’s already done at least a dozen (university-hosted) symposiums with professionals in the field, performed two numbers in the fall cabaret, and auditioned for and performed in the campus dance show. In 2 weeks she will audition for the spring musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. She has her own room, which she loves, and she’s really enjoying the independence. Her classes are challenging her to become better, and her only complaint is the Gen ed writing requirement, which is not surprising. She really likes her private piano and vocal lessons, which are part of the program. She just finished her schedule for spring: 2 dance classes, voice, piano, acting, & general math. She’ll only have classes on MW&F, which she thinks is so cool. There are 20 freshman MTs, the largest MT class they’ve ever had. I’m thrilled she loves it so much, and o can say that she 100% ended up exactly where she was supposed to. </p>
<p>My D is happier than a pig in slop! Once she got to campus, she took off like gangbusters! </p>
<p>General auditions for the entire year yielded being cast in two shows , the first of which just closed and was spectacularly done. She was in a music video on campus and the subject of two news articles. </p>
<p>She always had a problem with organization and without me there cracking the whip, she still has issues with it. Of course, only for her one academic class!</p>
<p>Theatre group was well bonded (via FB) before school started and has continued. </p>
<p>She has always been involved in various other things besides theatre and she keeps trying to encourage her theatre friends to do the same (she says they always want to eat every meal together. She wants to yell “there’s a whole other world out there people!” Haha! So, she volunteered as a greeter during admissions tours and is trying to become an orientation leader for next summer. </p>
<p>She plays the alto sax and has private lessons for that, so she interacts with music people too. </p>
<p>She does miss her friends and promptly took my car when she came home and has been playing catch up for the past 24 hours. </p>
<p>My S couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I really thought he would regret taking himself off CCM’s waitlist but he says he knows he made 100% the right choice. He has a dance minor and is very impressed with the dance training he is receiving at Otterbein. The head of dance is his Adviser and he really doesn’t know what he’d do without her. He thinks its a completely underrated part of the program because its tough and he is challenged every day. S says he is surrounded by people that kick his butt every day in dance. He really likes his vocal coach and he is completely over the moon for his acting professor. </p>
<p>He was cast in the fall musical, Sweet Charity, rehearsals started the first day of classes. Then he was cast in a rather large role in the annual dance concert. So he has been very busy and at times completely overwhelmed. I have to admit he’s handling the organization and balancing act better than I expected but it hasn’t been without a few stumbles along the way. He and another freshman choreographed a dance piece for the student festival and it was accepted. They held auditions Saturday AM. He REALLY loved being on the other side of the table. The festival is the end of January so sadly his winter break is cut short by a week. This week he auditioned for the play and next week he’ll audition for the spring musical, Into the Woods.</p>
<p>He is very happy Otterbein is a Conservatory like program. He doesn’t have english, history or math, he’s not sure how he could’ve handled that type of homework on top of everything else. Next semester he’ll take choreography, he’s looking forward to it. He is also learning how to play the piano and is very excited about that. One of the first things he did when he came home today was play me a song. </p>
<p>Right now he’s preparing for summer stock auditions. He’s scheduled for OTAs on 1/17 and hopefully Strawhats in February. There are few others he plans to attend as well…so this really never ends. I am much less stressed about these auditions than I was with college auditions. I am sure its because other than helping him with a few logistics and opening up our home to anyone auditioning at the PCLO I am not intimately involved in any way and I’m happy about that LOL</p>
<p>To me he’s changed already. He’s taller and he’s got muscles everywhere. He also seems more mature but he’s still my silly little boy too. Moral of this story is most of the time they end up exactly where they are meant to be. </p>
<p>Only two weeks more and I’ll be hearing my son’s voice.
Son couldn’t be happier at Otterbein. He is enjoying his classes, and though he is BFA Acting (which he chose over MT acceptances elsewhere) he is taking dance daily and has private voice lessons. He just auditioned for next semester’s main stage play and will audition for the musical next week. He isn’t super chatty, but he says he has managed to stay on top of assignments for his classes, which is a relief for me as organization/executive function has been a challenge for him. He has also joined a local fraternity that is very inclusive and diverse in its membership. We were apprehensive about his joining at first, but realized it provided structure and sense of family for him. Joining the frat has expanded his social circle to include non-theatre folks, though he is very happy with his theatre classmates. I plan to interrogate him more thoroughly when he comes home in two weeks :)</p>