Should I cancel my other auditions to commit???

College Majors Musical Theater Majors
1

I’m a senior in high school this year, and I’ve already auditioned for 2 musical theatre programs, and I’ve already heard back from both. I was luckily accepted to both programs (YAY!). One of them I’m already sure that I’m not as interested in because, even though it’s a BFA, the training isn’t as MT focused as I’d like. It’s very much a liberal arts program and not a conservatory style one at all, and the course load is actually a little over half MT and theatre courses and the rest gen. eds. This school in a medium-sized college city in the south, in my home state, and, though they are kind of expensive, I received a really great scholarship that would take care of that problem. The other school is a conservatory BFA program in a large city in the north, and I am extremely interested, and it was one of my top choices (I didn’t rank schools by 1, 2, 3, but instead I ranked them in tiers because I’m very indecisive, but needless to say this school was in my top tier). Every time I research more on this school (which is just about everyday) I find myself getting more and more interested. I was unsure about it at first, because it is a fairly new program, and it is quite expensive, but along with my acceptance letter–which I got a few days ago–I received a HUGE scholarship which now makes it as affordable as the first school I mentioned. My dilemma is that I have 12 more auditions left! One of them is a scholarship audition at one of my in-state “safety schools,” which I suppose I don’t need anymore now that I’ve already been offered spots in two MT programs. Another is an in-state BFA program (so I would audition on campus), and the rest are all out of state, and I would be auditioning for all 10 at the Unified auditions. I’ve already been academically accepted to all of these (except a few that don’t accept you at all unless you’re accepted artistically), and I’ve already paid the application fees, scheduled the auditions, etc., and my mom already made the hotel reservations for our planed 5 day stay at Unifieds. However, every day I feel more strongly that the second program (I’ll call it School #2) is the one for me. I even made a pros and cons list with all 14 of the schools, and none had more pros than School #2 for me! Before I commit, however, I would want to visit the school to be completely certain that it’s where I want to be, but I am literally 99% sure that visiting the campus will only make me love it even more! My parents, however, would like that, if we make the trip to visit School #2, I cancel the Unifieds auditions. (I have a sister who will also be in college next year so spending thousands on plane fare is pushing it for us.) I’m just not sure, because I really do feel like even if I go to Unifieds and complete these 12 other auditions, School #2 is where I will end up! I also don’t have as much experience as most and am TERRIBLE at auditioning; I come from a small city with very limited theatre opportunities, and nobody to assist me with my auditions, so I also feel like all of my auditions at Unifieds (which are all for larger, well established programs) won’t get me anywhere. I don’t want to waste my opportunities, but at the same time are they worth it if I’ll end up sticking with my gut anyways?

Please share your opinion and help me out! Sorry for such a long ranting post, especially on Christmas, but I’ve just been thinking about this since my audition for School #2 (I kind of already knew I’d be in because they very heavily hinted at it). I am also not naming the schools because the first school that offered me a spot in their program advised me not to post about it until January or February, because it was an on-the-spot (and then later by email) acceptance. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies, and happy holidays!

2

I think you should really consider going to Unifieds and the other auditions. Here’s why: 1) You may love School #2 on paper, but you may really not love it when you see it. There were a couple of schools that my D loved on paper…really loved…but when she went to the campus, she realized she would be miserable there; 2) Even if you continue to be in love with School #2, you may find out that School #7 is a program you love EVEN MORE; 3) You may continue to love School #2, but really like School #5, which you also get into…you may decide to go to School #2, and after a semester realize the fit is completely wrong, and you may want to transfer to School #5…luckily, you auditioned for School #5, they loved you, and they open their doors to you for second semester of freshman year and beyond (I have seen this happen).

Bottom line: A sample size of 2 schools is not very big, particularly when you have not seen the one school you think you want to go to. Don’t close doors yet. The fact that you have been accepted to a school you love should make the stress go away and your auditions easier. Go for it. Break legs.

3

Have you visited school #2, or any of the others for other than audition-day visits? I think visiting school #2 for an “accepted student” visit and sitting in on classes would be a good idea. Perhaps you can get a truer sense of what the school is like - other than what’s on their website. I see no problem canceling other auditions as long as your “gut” is based on truth rather than hype. And if this option is a true financial fit, all the better. Two ago, my S was accepted to his first auditioned school (November) with a very hefty merit scholarship. He went through all the other auditions (7 total, all on-campus), except one he cancelled in March that we were pretty sure would be a financial reach and not exactly what he was looking for. He had been able to spend a master class day at “November” school and saw one of their fall musicals. In his gut, this school felt right, but he continued to do other auditions (mostly at his parents’ urging). He could “relax” a bit at other auditions because he already had a “sure bet” in his pocket. He ended up with two other very fine acceptances, but they were pretty big financial reaches for us. He auditioned for some of the “big boys”, as well, but was not accepted. By the end of the audition season, his “gut” choice only became a clearer frontrunner when compared to all the others. Of course it was very nice to have the added validation of comparing to other schools - at least as experienced on audition-day visits (most schools had also been visited during junior/senior years), but in the end, S wished he had just stuck with his gut and gone with that first acceptance. He did not participate in any school/studio performances during winter/spring audition season and as you have noted, our family spent a lot of money going to those auditions. We don’t regret that S was able to compare all those schools, and was not left with the “what ifs” of not auditioning for bigger name programs, but he was still left with “what if I had prepared differently?”, “what if I had a different coach/material?”, “what if I had applied/auditioned for school X?”. . . There will always be “what ifs”. If you feel strongly, that you can live with the “what ifs” of not going to those other auditions, then listen to your gut. Many of us don’t listen to it enough.

4

I agree with the two posts above. I would do all possible to both visit your #2 and also do at least most of the Unified auditions. More so that with “regular” B.A. any subject applicants, most of the MT programs consist of a very small faculty working intensively, day in day out with a small group of students, for four long years. So even with an on paper love for the school, it’s pretty important to get even a vague feeling for key faculty members. I’m sure that as an admitted student, you would have access to sitting in a couple of classes and scheduling a meeting with the head of the program or an experienced faculty member. Doing it (if the school can accommodate you) on a non “accepted students” day gives an even better sense of the school, in my opinion. It may confirm all your pre- seeing the place love, but then again it you may have a slightly less than enthusiastic response, and better to experience that now than a couple of months into your freshman year. At Unifieds, it may be more difficult to suss out the vibe similarly, but at least it gives you a small window to try to do so. Congratulations, by the way - great results thus far! On top of all this, doing multiple auditions at Unifieds, walking in cold and doing things to their specifications, is great training for all the auditions yet to come in a professional life.

5

First, congratulations! What a wonderful way to kick off your audition season. I would just echo the above and say that it is very early in the process to commit without seeing the campus. I wouldn’t cancel any further auditions without seeing/visiting/sitting in on classes at the school to which you want to commit.