@tatteredandfriendly – Just jumping in here as I have a current freshman MT at UMich. He is loving life right now and has found the culture of the MT program, the SMTD and UMich as a whole to be supportive as well as challenging (in a good way). He wanted to be in a large college environment but have some feel of a conservatory setting and he has found the right mix at UM. The MT students are very friendly and welcoming to the freshmen. The freshman are paired with a Senior Buddy the first month they are there which is a nice way to get them immeresed. The faculty is top notch. My son has enjoyed the schedule, he was already used to a rigorous schedule. He stays very busy and has time to socialize as well. He has found the faculty to be approachable and has learned a lot in only a semester. He has found piano challenging but has grown a lot, there really have not been any other complaints about the program or culture. Hope this helps! Best of luck!
Thank you so much for the info! Super appreciate it. My S will be auditioning with them this weekend.
@tatteredandfriendly - Go see a show if you can. There’s always a show going on!
we are west coast, so we won’t be popping in for a show. We did manage to visit over the summer, but because it was summer, there wasn’t any MT program staff around
Is anyone still out there on this thread?? My D is waiting for financial aid and maybe second round merit scholarship consideration… She was accepted 2/15 but I didnt realize they needed another tax return…sent in March and still waiting for what looks like good estimated Financial Aid to be finalized. We are OOS. (ca) She is a wind player. We think UMICH is #1 choice… Hate the waiting on the $$.
Any advice? Did anyone get a merit scholarship in mid April?
Did anyone have to wait a while for Financial Aid? Any surprises? Any OOS who got good financial aid??
@MomOD4 I hope you have heard from financial aid. My son was offered a talent scholarship early April last year and we appealed for more money because we are out of state but we did not get any additional funds. He committed to UM anyway and has been very happy this year.
@Dody5678 Just saw your reply on accident…didn’t get a notification. Lucky. Dean’s office said that merit appeals would roll out between this week and next. I have heard stories of those who have waited and then got nothing as well as those who got lucky in the end. We have found some scholarships to apply for and have been told by an alumnus that there are many more scholarships available for continuing students and to just try to get through the first year.
Our financial aid did finalize and is good, so that was a relief. Need some renewable merit aid to make it reasonable for the 4yrs…one can dream, right?
I was wondering if MT students are allowed to participate in Greek life?
Yes - it is definitely allowed - however, with classes, cabarets, main stage shows, game days, school work, parties, and sleep, there is honestly no time to get as heavily involved in the sorority like other majors can. My D rushed sophomore year and got into her “dream” sorority. She barely made any events, and didn’t even make it to her induction ceremony. She ended up dropping out at the beginning of second semester. That said, there is a girl in her class who’s making it work. She skips a lot of the MT stuff to do the sorority stuff. I guess the choice is up to you! 
Did your daughter audition on campus or at Unifieds?
She auditioned on campus - but it truly doesn’t make a difference. Her class is a mix of on-campus and Unifieds.
Hi @DrowsyChaperone! If you are still reading this thread, have a couple of questions. Have a HS sophomore D interested in MT. And we are just starting the college process. She wants to be able to minor in an academic subject so Michigan is on her list, but realizes it is the Holy Grail of MT 
and very difficult to get in to. Questions: 1)Does one apply academically to UMich in addition to submitting prescreen etc to the MT program? 2)How key is using a coaching firm like MCTA or Mary Anna Dennard to getting in? I am happy to have my D use one. 3)From my research it looks like they look for MT talent in addition to that ‘something else’ - what are some of the ‘something else’s’ that admitted students have done? Just want to see if she is competitive or not. 4)ACT or SAT. - does it make a difference which test she takes? Thanks for any advice!
Hi Debrina - I’m still here! Happy to answer what I can. 1.) You academically apply (to all of the schools, I believe) so when you pass prescreen you know that you would be academically accepted as well. 2). I would say a little over half of her class used a college coach. We used Moo, and doing the Moonifieds auditions prior to her “big” auditions really helped build confidence and calm nerves about the audition process. 3). Yes - they do like kids who are well-rounded with other interests. My D’s were interior design and songwriting. 4.) Doesn’t make a difference at all. Feel free to message me if you have specific Qs. Best of luck to your D!
newbie parent here. DC has an on-campus audition coming up. We’re pretty unsure what to expect.
Do they have a bunch of students in the audience and call you up one at a time, or are they all hanging out in the hallway waiting to be called? you hand your music the the person playing the piano and it’s OK to spend a second given them some notes (tempo, whatever?)
Is it held in an auditorium, with the reviewers sitting where the audience would be?
we’re flying cross-country to get there, so there isn’t really an opportunity to pop by in advance and check out where it’ll be. any info on what to expect so it’s less unknown would be super helpful.
Happy to help @ASwimDad!
Please note that this is how it was run in the past, so it may not be completely accurate today…
On audition day, students and parents will gather at the Walgreen Center on North Campus to check-in. Then, they will assemble into the Arthur Miller Theatre for a brief introduction from the U Mich MT Department chair, Vince Cardinal. (He’s a great guy and his presentations are very enjoyable! ) A few current seniors will come into the theatre afterward to answer some questions.
Once that is over, you will all leave the theatre and return at your scheduled audition time. Parents are encouraged to walk next door to Pierpont Commons to relax (ha!). There are restaurants and shops to occupy your time.
Students can join their parents at Pierpont or hang out in the Walgreen lobby. There are less than 100 kids at each audition day, so it’s not terribly crowded. My tip would be to leave and let your kid stay with the other kids. Having them meet and bond with other auditioners tends to calm nerves better than hanging out with mom and dad! If he/she does leave, be sure to come back to the Walgreen about 30 minutes before your call time just in case you are called in early to audition (that happened to us). You can also seek out a private space to warm-up.
Auditionees will be called into one of two rooms that have an adjudicator (in the past it was Mark Madama and Vince Cardinal) and a high-ranking piano accompanist (like the Director of Music). The kids will hand in their supplemental essay at this time, which they may briefly go over with you. Then they will have you perform your song and your monologue.
Definitely stick to the required number of bars (it used to be 16) and don’t go over. Don’t put your sheet music in those plastic sheet protectors. And yes, it’s okay to give the tempo to the pianist, but remember again that they are likely making the decisions, too. Also, Kids may be asked to sing a second song or to run scales … or they may not be. Don’t read anything into it either way. (You should have 1-2 extra monologues and 2-3 extras songs ready to roll at every audition just in case.)
Once the audition is over, they won’t have to be back until the group dance call, which is typically right after lunch. This is a great time to talk to the current MT students who will be in the halls monitoring the audition.
After the dance call you are done. I believe we were done by 2 pm , but I wouldn’t book a return flight until early evening to be safe. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thank you! Super helpful.
"Definitely stick to the required number of bars (it used to be 16) and don’t go over. "
I think this remains the biggest question/sticking point. The instructions read:
"Generally two or four bars of introduction are appropriate. Remember that the bars of introduction do not count as part of your 32 bars. […]
Remember that each song may be up to 32 bars each, but should not exceed 60 seconds in length and must be memorized."
his preferred song is in a fast 3/4, and 32 bars is ~30 seconds. Most people have suggested that the time limit is what actually matters and it’s fine to ignore the # bars…but that’s making everyone nervous.
We played it safe on all auditions and followed all schools’ instructions to a “t”. That way, there were no regrets, and no “if only I would have…”. His/her voice teacher can help craft the perfect cut for each audition.
@ASwimDad – Feel free to message me if you want me to take a look at the audition cuts. I could even share my D’s videos so you can see. Happy to help in any way for future Wolverines!
seems there’s now a 10-post minimum before one can DM anyone. It’s unclear if I can receive one and then reply to it. 
@ASwimDad My D auditioned last year at Michigan. I described our experience on the Sharing, Venting Thread (Post #1069).