I've been rejected, and I did NOT expect it (tho it was possible...i need opinions!!)

Colleges & Universities McGill University
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<p>so here’s the deal: mcgill was my top school till i got rejected from it. i would have done ANY THINGAH to get into it. but, i got my rejection on minerva for schulich and nearly blacked out. i was like SHOOT! here is my issue. i KNOW i have to let it go because it was a rejection and all, but the thign is, i was convinced i would get in (not by myself really.)</p>

<p>It all started back at the classical singers competition in philly, may of 2006. I was singing in the room and i didn’t think i did that well, but the lead tenor on staff at mcgill stood outside of the door and was like “hi i’m __________ and i think you have a fantastic voice.” so this was when i was not really considering mcgil but then he reassured me that i would get in if i auditioned. He also invited me to sing at one of his masterclasses, which i did, and he was like “jeremy is almost this and does this right.” so i figured everything was in the stars and looking good!</p>

<p>We kept in contact through email so that he could answer questions, and we met up with him when we went up to Montreal last summer. it was great because he was a huge wealth of information and he was talking very assumptively like “when you go here.” so i was kinda tinking i was in. then again, i doubt myself, so i was still not TOO keen on the situation.</p>

<p>All until my audition. I was singing on the stage and in the middle of one of my songs it hit me, “he completely lied to me the whole dam time.” It was a thought. I pondered that maybe he just said that to get my hopes up, but i don’t know! HE said “as long as you are a good student, it’ll be ok.” So, you know, I’m there singing, and then i talked to him, along with another judge that I MET at the same competition with him! </p>

<p>A week and a half ago, after 3 weeks of insane waiting, I logged on at 7 in the morning, kind of expecting an acceptance but wondering if maybe he lied so i was thinking it was going to be both. It said Refused. My eyes kinda did a dance and I thought i was going to be sick. And then, my top school was completely bitten off of the list and i just didn’t know what to do. I am now deciding between U of Miami and Tulane, but it still isn’t the same without McGill. </p>

<p>Now, please tell me you think that this is kind of the meanest thing anybody could ever do to someone! Lead them on to believe they would get in and then it turning out the opposite! Go figure. I just don’t know what to do. He emailed me and he was like “good luck at the audition1 you’ll do finnne.” apparently not. so what’s next? should i email him and just completely freak (probably not?) I don’t know what to do.</p>

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<p>Time to move on. You have learned something: auditions are never a sure thing. He may have believed what he said at the time, and even at the audition, but there may have been more applicants than usual, better ones than expected, fewer openings than anticipated, or a combination of the three. Or you may have had a bad audition – these things happen. It is also true that he should not have misled you and it looks as though he did, perhaps inadvertantly; he should be more wary about seeming to promise something he can’t deliver. But McGill Schulich school is not the be all and end all of programs (my kid decided not to go to the audition after passing the screening and just wrote it off – too far, too cold, too expensive to fly there, didn’t want to make a DVD): it is in Canada, it is incredibly cold there, students rave about Montreal but not about university classes, which can be huge and impersonal; the school is the size of U Michigan but has half the faculty. You have some good options; if you still want to go somewhere else in the future, you may be able to transfer.</p>

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<p>I’m sorry you’re disappointed jeremy, but that is how the music (especially the voice) world is… if you can’t handle rejection like this, perhaps you should start rethinking your career move.</p>

<p>it is not the teacher that decides if you are accepted; you audition in front of a panel, you need to be recommended by every panelist in order to gain acceptance… he may have recommended you, but you need all of their approval. </p>

<p>now please stop flooding the McGill and music boards with these very unprofessional comments, it is not how the system works… time to let go.</p>

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<p>thanks for the input. Thank you also rideltrain. Oh, rideltrain, just a comment: Where is it unprofessional? I’m technically kind of “over” the rejection, but i’m kind of vindictive if you know what i mean lol. I got rejected from a lot of music schools i wanted to go to but most of them it only took a day to get over, really. mcgill was different. so, whatever. i guess.</p>

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<p>as a prospective music student you should be well prepared for rejection, its not about grades or solid scores, it’s about an audition, and you have to sell yourself in that audition… you also need to understand that hundreds of people want those dozen or so spots in the program (as I assume you’re a tenor, probably only 3-4 spots), people may be qualified and have a great instrument, but only a small portion of those qualified players will be accepted. </p>

<p>it’s a small world (especially the voice/opera world) and you should be careful to behave in such an ill manner, as it reflects on your professionalism- and may end up biting you later down the road. Accept rejection, (as a musician you will need to, it comes a lot!) and keep on working to improve, but do not question the legitimacy of the rejection- that will only lead to more disappointment.</p>

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<p>Jeremy: I am sorry for your disappointment and understand that nothing but time can make it better. Here is my adult advise on what to do, you may not like it as there is no “revenge” satisfaction, but you asked:</p>

<p>I would e-mail the lead tenor and let him know that you did not get admitted and are very disappointed. I would also thank him for all his help and advice. (You never know when you might want to transfer to McGill- dont burn any bridges). I would also use this as a learning opportunity and ask the instructor to see if he can relay any review comments from the audition so you can know where you need to improve for future auditions.</p>

<p>This time next year you will be in love with Miami or Tulane.</p>

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<p>Don’t give up yet; I’m proof that McGill does consider appeals, though it may be significantly harder for music.
And what’s unproffesional about Jeremy’s posts? Pretty sure forums are for people to complain all they want, you’re not forced to respond if you don’t want…</p>

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<p>hehe thanks EbolaZaire. Yes, you are inspiration <em>singing the inspirations ong. whatever that is lol</em> I think I’m pretty much over it, I just wasn’t sure if that was kinda misleading what the tenor said, so i don’t know. the funny thing is i don’t think i’m going to consider it for grad school b/c i have my eyes set on yale and stuff (probably another reject) but i won’t think about that until i’m well into my undergrad studies lol. ebolazaire, where are you going to school now out of curiosity?</p>

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<p>Jeremy, sometimes I wish I didn’t get in…and I’m not even a music major. Music major’s work loads are just ridiculous. Plenty of kids fail out. And guess what? Goldman Sachs doesn’t hire music majors. Tulane and U Miami have better weather. I would feel bad for you if your only goal was to get into a top science program or something, but for music, who cares??? Have fun. </p>

<p>If I were more pragmatic, I would have to gone to a grade inflated school in the states, had fun, and then went on to a decent grad. program. At McGill, you kill yourself for a degree that isn’t respected in Canada (because no undergrad degree is respected in Canada) and isn’t heard of in most of the U.S. All I get in the end is the respect of people in academia who know how hard Canadian Uni’s are.</p>

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<p>Yep. Thank you so much, wutanfinancial. I’ve definitely heard about how difficult McGill is. But MUSIC? lol. That’s actually kind of amusing. I wouldn’t have guessed that they would have a lot of work. But oh well. I doin’t understand WHY the grades are so deflated! I mean…why? It makes no sense. What I will say is that i don’t know what i’m doing for college, but … if this makes sense to you, things kind of work out the way they should. In the past few days, i’ve kinda detached myself from mcgill. so, it’s working and i am moving on! and, i hope that miami or tulane (though they have GREAT weather lol) have somewhat easier academics. not my goal, but i don’t want to have the “treadmilll” effect…rwork and work and work and get nowhere.</p>