<p>If I could do it over again, I would have applied to more match schools. I spent too much on applications to Ivies and other top-tiers, fully aware my chances of acceptance were slim. </p>
<p>I’m so lucky that I got accepted into a few great places; if I hadn’t I would have had to attend a school which I /didn’t/ want to go to, my only safety.</p>
<p>Valium for jkellynh17 also, please. My mom always says, "The problems don’t ever go away…they just get “different and more complex”. Sorry you’re having a rough day. And no doubt my son will be “waiting until the last possible minute”. No. Doubt.</p>
<p>At least, it’ll be interesting. And, yes, @smalltownpen, it seems like the Ivies and similar are more of a crapshoot every year. Back in the late 1970s, I applied to two of them, no safeties, and got into both. Now I’d be taking a gap year. (Which sounds oddly appealing right now, come to think of it. Do moms get gap years?)</p>
<p>That’s an extraordinary story, MsMommy. Thanks for sharing it.</p>
<p>Wow, MsMommy, there is no doubt in my mind that your intervention made all the difference in success now versus a reality check after unsuccessful auditions. Sounds like there wasn’t a strong recipe for success at the start. Your S is lucky to have a mom like you to watch his back. It’s hard to balance doing the work for them and simply managing the pieces that kids this age just don’t have the capacity (or need) to really keep on top of. </p>
<p>I guess the short version of the long version is that in the midst of choosing schools, filling out applications, writing essays, filming prescreens and scheduling auditions, don’t forget that for the auditioned programs, the MOST important thing is choice of and practice of monologues. Period. You have maybe ten minutes in that room with the auditors. That is what will count. And if you can relax and let your personality shine through while performing your monologue and answering/asking questions…that’s a powerful audition. That is my opinion…after the dust has settled.</p>
<p>PS…The most difficult thing was that my son never doubted himself and his abilities. So at times during the process, it seemed to him as if I doubted him and his abilities. I guess we’ve come through it with a stonger respect for each other, but damn…it hurt sometimes. For both of us. If I could save anyone that part of it, I would.</p>
<p>Wow, Ms. Mommy, my stomach was actually hurting with nerves reading your story! Thanks for sharing. Btw, you can pm if he’s interested in Northwestern and you have any questions. </p>
<p>I would like a gap year. And a valium. </p>
<p>I would help my daughter get a really good handle on the differences between BFA and BA programs and how each school differs on what that means. Still don’t fully understand it all…</p>
<p>It means different things at different schools. So, there’s really no easy answer to that one. I’ve done this twice without a coach. Really, three times once with a little bit of a coach. at the end, but it’s a long story. I would never do that again unless the goal was a non-auditioned BA. No audition changes everything…</p>
<p>These are all so interesting to read. It took us quite a while to get a handle on BA vs. BFA … and agreed, that some schools really blur the lines …</p>
<p>My daughter is kind of the odd duck in her theatre major at a performing arts high school. The rest of her classmates will either not major in theatre at all in college, or they will be going to auditioned BFA programs. My daughter was in a lead or principle role in almost every high school show in this arts magnet…but, realized that she is much more a BA person than a BFA person. We arrived at this through much reading of CC stories … and it finally came down to her asking herself: can you see yourself singing, dancing, and acting from morning til night, never having the benefit of an elective (art history, journalism law, social media, marketing), etc…because most of the kids we know doing performance degrees have maybe one “academic” class a semester (if that), and they want to focus on training.</p>
<p>My daughter’s drama teachers were also urging her in the direction of BFA (NYC, Boston, etc), and I understand that. It reflects well on them if their students are in big MT schools. HOWEVER (and this is a big however in my book): pick out 10-15 random actors you admire (of all ages). Then go look at their bios to see where they went to school. Lots go to “the big name schools”, but lots also go to small private LACs, and large state U’s, etc.</p>
<p>In other words: there are many paths to success, and many stellar theatre programs in well-ranked LACs and smaller programs. The BA is not an also-ran to the BFA … it is an intentional choice to study broader topics, and gain perspective in the arts from other subject areas. Don’t let people make you feel as if you’re not as committed if you choose a BA and not a BFA. Thank goodness, my daughter had directors at conferences tell her as a junior that in many cases, BAs could better inform a production. This made her feel confident about her choices, and in knowing herself.</p>
<p>I guess my advice here about what we’d do differently is to realize faster that there is no right and wrong approach…it’s all about fit. Know your kid, your finances, and be confident. The other thing we found is that “top” theatre/MT programs do not offer good financial aid - only merit. If you need financial aid, you need to cast a wider net. My D was awarded academic scholarships on top of merit scholarships, along with financial aid at several schools - but her list was made only after vetting out schools who do this. She didn’t audition at Elon, for example, because we couldn’t afford Elon and they don’t give good aid … and it seems most top schools listed here do not.</p>
<p>My daughter is still awaiting financial aid final letters at several schools in order to compare, so we’re not finished. Best of luck to all still deciding :-)!</p>
<p>I would start preparation earlier, as soon as my D told me about her decision to go to a performing arts school. I optimistically thought she’d change her mind 
Instead, I should have started reading CC! I would have tried to persuade my D to start making the college list earlier during the junior year so that she could visit most of them, especially safeties/matches, before the beginning of audition season. I would have hired the coach in the end of the junior year, not in the beginning of the senior year, so that my D worked more on her monologues during the summer, when she could meet with the coach and work with her live, not through Skype only. I would have asked the coach to work on a song too, my D was asked to sing at two important auditions and she was not well prepared to that. I would schedule the auditions differently-- start with Juilliard, CM, NYU and British schools and then continue with the less competitive BFAs and finishing with her favorites, such as CalArts, UCLA and USC. I would advise my D not to apply EA to Chapman. I would attend Unifieds. </p>
<p>Well, I am very happy with the results even though I do think some mistakes were made. I guess my D got lucky :)</p>