@massmom my dd did a visit/scholarship audition at Illinois this past weekend. She really loved it, but it’s hard to see it coming together financially–it’s the most expensive school she’s applying to. Also it’s the farthest from home, which is a minus for her. We are planning a visit to Ohio State in the spring, but it has the same $$ issues.
We had a brief visit at Towson and really liked it. Looking forward to going back to take a closer look.
We are going to Montclair in December (and Temple as well) so can report back after that.
I don’t really come here that often anymore- it can be discouraging, you know? But this was entertaining enough that I thought I would share. My daughter has been rejected by point park. Three times. They sent her three separate letters on separate weeks. I think she gets it already. Oye. Ha ha ha!
Has your daughter come up with a plan? Which schools is she thinking about? College dance is so much more than the competitive background my daughter has experienced. She needs a program that will give her the opportunity to perform, but ultimately prepare her to choreograph and teach.
@Massmom72, your D will probably only get one- my D seems to be unlucky with stuff like that. Her first once actually arrived on her bday. Ha. She applied widely and won’t be done auditioning until February, so it’s going to be an ongoing process for quite awhile still. She also has acceptance and a scholarship to a non-audition program that she actually loves enough that she may choose it in the end regardless of where she’s accepted. She has two other dance acceptances so far too, just didn’t have amazing luck at Dancewave, all things considered. And that’s ok too- she’s gonna have options and get to dance in college, and that’s amazing. I just don’t think she’s necessarily on the level of the kids whose parents are on here (she’s only in her third year dancing), and that can be disheartening for me. I’m more sensitive to the process than she is.
@milgymfam That is just plain awful and excessive. I agree sometimes these threads can be disappointing. We didn’t have great success at Dancewave either… just more auditions! I get way more upset than my D about it! I keep telling myself (and her) that she will end up in the right spot for her! Good luck to your daughter! It does sound like she has some great options so far! This process is so difficult. Hang in there mama! <3
@milgymfam So sorry you were notified three times. I know it is disappointing and seriously the process at times feels like torture. I also think it is way harder for us moms/dads as we feel the disappointment triple… Good luck to your D, she will def find a place that she is meant to be at.
@milgymfam that is certainly over the top. I have certainly found that this process is way more stressful for me than for my dd! She has pointed out more than once that as a dancer/artist she is going to get plenty of no’s in her life, so she can’t be overly sensitive about them.
I’m glad to hear that your dd already has an acceptance in her back pocket to a school she likes. At this point my dd has one school with both dance and academic acceptances AND a reasonable price tag—and while probably not her first choice, it does seem like a solid possibility.
Good luck to all the parents out there as we try to keep our cool on this crazy roller coaster ride!
@milgymfam Oh my! I thought the one rejection letter from them was harsh enough. Three would have made me crazy!
I do wonder if my DD would have had better success at some of the schools if she had gone to the campus instead of at Dancewave. Live and learn, I guess. On the other hand it did give her callbacks and acceptances to a few schools that weren’t really on our radar.
DD has her first non-Dancewave related school audition this weekend. Excited to see how it goes!
@threegirlpileup we don’t even have one school yet where she has both academic and artist acceptance yet. Really hoping that will change after this weekend. It’s nerve wracking!
@elmom25, best of luck to your D this weekend!! Where is she auditioning? With nutcracker rehearsals and YAGP prep my D has put auditions on hold until mid-January.
I think my D may have been better off at individual auditions too- where they would have more time to observe and get to know her. Having a… non-traditional ballerina body… can’t be great in the short form of Dancewave’s audition, but one shot at so many schools, in a place where we didn’t even need a hotel… well that was the budget. I kinda regret not trying to broaden that budget, but then maybe she’s just not what they want regardless. Don’t wanna play Monday morning quarterback.
@elmom25 in the 2017-2018 year my daughter didn’t have that magic combo of dance and academic acceptances until mid-February. She had two rejections in October/November. But then she had four acceptances in February/March with a couple of scholarships to boot. October - January was an emotional time and very, very long. In the end things worked out but I do not envy all of you going through the emotional ups and downs this year. Hugs and empathy to everyone!
@milgymfam I did some Monday-morning quarterbacking too and it’s true, you really can’t go down that road. Just keep looking ahead and adjusting plans as you can. That fall I started Googling all over for other programs to consider after those first two rejections. I looked for non-audition programs that still seemed to offer enough of what she thought she wanted. She wound up adding a school based on that so that she had some kind of back up. I hope your dancer lands in a place where she can feel challenged, supported, and celebrated.
I knew I would be stressed out about all this so I made sure my dd auditioned early at a school that was a likely dance admission, an academic safety, and (relatively) affordable so that we’d have that in our back pocket. I don’t think I’m going to be really calm until all of this is settled, though—which is likely to be well into the spring!!
Serious question, I promise. It seems like your daughter was basically accepted everywhere- it’s still stressful? I think I’d be on cloud nine, bursting with confidence and thinking my daughter could get in anywhere she wanted. Ha ha ha.
@milgymfam fair enough! I am mostly stressed about the $$ factor at this point. Our EFC is over 1/3 of our family’s income, and while we have some savings for college, it’s not enough to pay for college for our two kids out of pocket. And it seems like lunacy for an artist to take on a lot of debt to go to college.
You are absolutely right that I am so pleased for all her successes in her auditions so far—especially because she does not have a “dancer body,” and we were worried how much of a hurdle that would be. I do not think she could get in anywhere (she’s had some rejections, too) but I’m so thankful that she has a number of promising choices that seem like a good fit for her. And it is such a gift seeing her work appreciated by professionals in the field.
I think the nature of the process is that it’s stressful, even when it’s going pretty well. Maybe especially the first time through? I’m definitely having to do a lot of LETTING GO, which is hard for me, but I think good for both me and my dd.
@threegirlpileup thank you for answering! That does make sense! My daughter is lucky enough to have a full GI bill to use, so money isn’t something we have to put at the forefront, otherwise it would be the number one concern. What she does have is a few learning differences, making academic acceptances more stressful and few years of training, making the artistic side stressful- oh and of course her very short, very thick body type… and no money for many non-local auditions. I guess we all have the stresses piling up right about now, and it’s hard on all of us parents with the worry and the not knowing. Hugs to you momma!
@milgymfam, she is auditionIng at Ball State tomorrow. She has the musical theatre production at her school in February, so we’re trying to get a few in before Christmas. She did have to take a much smaller part in Nutcracker to do so.
@mom2adancer thank you for the perspective of a parent who has been through this. I was feeling pretty good because she has many academic options and a few artist options until I realized that she doesn’t have both anywhere so no where to count on yet. Lol But at the rate this year is passing spring will be here before we know it.
@milgymfam Jumping in to make a few suggestions for your daughter. Have you looked at Goucher College? They are a College that Changes Lives. They have a very strong dance department but it is not audition based. You need to be accepted academically and then you do audition but it is for placement. My daughter’s good friend received a very nice financial package from them.
Also, Muhlenberg College is also a small liberal arts college with a very strong arts program. Again, the dance is not audition based.
Just a few thoughts if you are looking for alternatives.
@amom2girls thank you for the suggestions. Muhlenburg is particularly interesting because they’re test optional. I will have her look into them more and see if they’re part of the yellow ribbon program.
I also think it is way harder for us moms/dads as we feel the disappointment triple… Good luck to your D, she will def find a place that she is meant to be at.
