<p>same here, amtc!–my older D is majoring in Studio Art (sculpture and painting), probably less practical than ceramics even. I seem to specialize in impractical dreamers…</p>
<p>I love these posts and agree with everyone about ‘vibes’ My kids are all big on vibes, but they are also able to specify why they feel this or that college is right or wrong. To use a non MT example, my oldest thought he wanted to go to Columbia. But the moment we stepped on campus, it was ‘off.’ He dressed and ‘carried himself’ literally like no one on campus (at the time he was more ‘hippy,’ with very long hair and a beard). Literally all the guys at the time were clean cut and very conservative looking in dress. Right there he immediately felt like an oddball. And he didn’t want to feel like an oddball. (THe visit went downhill from there.)</p>
<p>I realize that it is perhaps unfair to judge a program based on their website but it does say something about how the school considers its program. One college’s theatre website was shockingly ridiculous–littered with grammatical and spellling errors. It stayed up for months. Sure, maybe the office got some poorly educated intern to do that, but it says something about how the college regards the program. Not worth their investment and time, not worth serious presentation; also the program itself would implitictly not have much power or not care about how it presented itself. </p>
<p>Appearances matter. We tell that to our kids. Who would audition in ripped unwashed jeans, unwashed hair and a dirty sweatshirt? Appearances indicate your own self regard, your respect to others, your level of professionalism, and so on. In my opinion, the same goes for college websites and their emails and official interactions with you. IT’s not a be all or end all, but it’s a factor. </p>
<p>For my kids the absolute biggest factor are the current students and the classes. FOrmal tours are the lowest on the list because they can easily be ‘canned.’<br>
YOu can tell SO much by spending a day or two with current students and sitting in on classes.</p>