<p>mtmommy
Ditto to your comments about next year's travel expenses and your d being away from school. We too have a jr and will be starting the whole audition cycle soon. We also live in the southwest where school options are limited so we are looking at several schools out of state. We probably will do unifieds in LA for most schools unless we have to travel to the individual school. One school, U of A, is actually in state and seems to have a pretty good rep. It is one of our choices. Our d would rather stay close to home also but realizes she can't limit herself to one school so she has several(10 total)schools that range from CA to NY. Our other concern, which many parents have also expressed here on CC is the overall costs(tutition, etc). That is always lurking in the back of my mind!</p>
<p>Hi all,
Count me in for posting for auditions this coming season. My D is also a jr and will be trying for various MT and Dance Major/MT minor type schools. My main concern is that in order to have the applications in, we would have to let her teachers know by the end of this semester in order for them to have their recommendations in by early Fall. I think a few of the schools have November auditions, and it may be good to space them out so that we aren't going crazy in Feb & March. So hopefully we get those Fall dates up here shortly!</p>
<p>We haven't sent away for any admission info yet...it sounds like maybe we need to do this pretty soon. Should we be sending in apps already? I was hoping to do the apps process this summer but maybe that is too late. I quess we are still in the gathering info mode and might need to speed things up a bit!</p>
<p>Schools are not yet taking apps for next year. Generally, I think, no applications are submitted until at least September. (There may be some excpetions for schools that do rolling admissions, but can't say what that might mean in terms of audition -based MT programs that do rolling.) </p>
<p>In the meantime, it is not a bad idea to get on mailing lists. Go to the various websites and sign up to get application materials as they become available. Get a sense also of which schools you are interested in take the "common application." Get a sense of what the essays might involve. </p>
<p>This way you will have a head start on things in September.</p>
<p>this year ocu had their auditions: november 13-14, feb 18-19, and april 8-9. i'm sure they will be about that same time next year.</p>
<p>additional note. you have to be "applied to" the university, but not necessarily accepted, in order to audition.</p>
<p>good question, my counselor said I have to apply for at least three schools by my fall break, which the last week in October? But, I'm taking the Sats in a few weeks, so if my scores are good, I might apply right away. any advice anyone?:)</p>
<p>OCU and BW will take applications starting this summer. I've been able to get, so far, current applications for OCU, Ithaca, and TCU. I don't know of the others having them out yet for 2006. Many of them recommend applying online these days. BW is not yet ready online for our year. Several of the schools will have material ready sometime this summer.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks so much. I'm glad that we can apply early this summer. I doubt any of my friends from school will..but they're not going into to musical theatre, so it's not the same:)</p>
<p>From my d's experiences, try to get a good selection of viewbooks/information from any and all of the schools you MIGHT be interested in this summer and try to read up on their program as well as their audition and application requirements. We made a spreadsheet of all of this info just so we could compare (and keep it straight!) I requested this information by visiting the school websites while my d was away at Governor's school. We also researched all of the info on this CC board, all the way back to the very beginning. It was probably the most helpful info we had. Try to begin looking at potential audition dates as soon as they are posted (so you can try to arrange trips/schedule around each other) unless you choose to do unifieds where you can take care of several auditions on one date. My d applied EA to three of her six choices so she got three auditions over with before Christmas break AND had some idea of where she stood acceptance-wise. Also, because my d was fortunate enough to get accepted EA into an MT program she really loved, she chose to cancel the remaining auditions (which saved us A LOT of travel money). We did lose the audition/application fees, but oh well. Of course, had she chosen to continue, we would have done so. At OCU, they allow potential MT majors to audition more than one time, so if this is a school you are interested in, I would try for the earliest date so you can try again if you choose. My d had all of her applications completed and submitted by November 1, which gave her a good chance to get the audition dates she requested (and a breather before most of the auditions AND the scholarship apps/essay she would be doing.) She did take the SAT again after she submitted a couple of apps, but they just updated her scores when she got the new ones. As far as auditions themselves go, I read on this board that it is a good idea to audition first to a school that is NOT your first choice, simply because you may be more nervous, etc at the first one and the added experience and any feedback you receive is very helpful for future auditions. Hope this helps! Good luck to those who just about to begin this process. We will stick around to support you next year.
Lexasmom</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the wonderful advice. I will definitely take it to heart in the next 6 months and so on. I'm happy to say that I've already gotten information from school website's and taken 3 college visits: Otterbein, Millikin and Baldwin-Wallace. I think I'm pretty good shape. I just hope I do well on the SATS. I think I will probably take the ACT too, just to see if I would do better on it. Where did you daughter decide to go? I'm sure she will do well wherever she goes!</p>
<p>best wishes-
Amy*</p>
<p>My d will be attending OCU next fall in the MT program and also was accepted to the Honors program academically. She considered many programs, applied to six, auditioned for 3 prior to her acceptance at OCU and then cancelled the rest. I think it is a great idea if you can visit the campuses prior to the audition date...it was not something we were able to do. That being said, my d fell in love with OCU when she was there auditioning (and even before because her admissions counselor was so great and contacted her often as soon as she expressed interest) and we both knew right away it was the right program for her (even though the distance from home is incredible). Best wishes to you...sounds like you are headed in the right direction. (and don't stress too much about the SAT!)</p>
<p>Thank you very much. Congrats to your daughter. I haven't even looked into OCU because of the distance factor. I'm glad that you kept your options open, as we all should. </p>
<p>best wishes and hope to hear from you soon:)</p>
<p>Amy, I gave you a hint on the Webster post, but please go back and look at my original summary of our visits by clicking on my name and reading my second and third posts of 11/24. There I listed an overview of our feelings about the schools we have visited. Since then we've either removed the maybe's from our list, or they have become for sure yes's. Since you were asking about OCU and Webster, they are both on that 2nd post I did. Also, since that post, we have visited both IU and TCU and plan to do them both as non-audition wonderful options. I notice you are in Indiana - great if you could get in-state tuition at IU. They have some of the best facilities we have seen. We also visited BW and hope to audition there in the fall - I think we'll meet you there based on what you have posted. These 3 schools were visited in Feb., and hopefully I posted about them. Also, concerning BW, our friend saw the senior showcase last week and raved about it - the seniors are all very strong, and she loved how close and supportive they seemed with each other. I'm not ready to post my son's final audition list because he has more schools on there than I hope we'll do, and we need to narrow it down some if possible. I must tell you that, in addition to the 4 I mentioned in that early thread as being our top schools, BW and Point Park moved way up on the list after he got to know some people in a Christmas show here, and Ithaca College seems to be very high for him, and higher than Syracuse, which I didn't distinguish in the earlier post. I think I've adequately expressed on the Elon thread how much we loved both Elon and Michigan, and we continue to feel that NYU CAP21 is a great program - CMU also. Lastly, although we have waffled, he seems set and determined to try for one of those 20 drama spots at Juilliard - I have no idea what he would do if he actually got in after all this MT prep!</p>
<p>If you have time to read all the very old threads, I can't tell you how helpful it will be to you. I read them for 6 months before ever posting. Someone way back when posted that if you are in the middle part of the country (and Indiana arguable fits into that category) and don't visit OCU and Webster, you are really missing out. I'm telling you that, in our opinion, they are both very strong and are worth a visit from Indiana. I say that because they are the closest for us in Arkansas, and Indiana isn't that much farther for us. Good luck!</p>
<p>We now have the dates for next year's Unified Auditions:</p>
<p>New York: Saturday-Sunday, February 4-5, 2006
Chicago: Monday-Wednesday, February 6-8
Las Vegas: Thursday, February 9
San Francisco: Saturday, February 11
Los Angeles: Sunday, February 12</p>
<p>Chicago's auditions will be at the Palmer House. We have not yet settled the place for the others.</p>
<p>I won't be able to post these on the website for awhile, since I'm out of town. But this should help with everyone's planning.</p>
<p>Best wishes.</p>
<p>Dear Juniors,
My D decided 2nd semester of her Jr. year that she wanted to pursue a BFA in MT so we were were pretty far behind as far as research goes...we found out! </p>
<p>APPLICATIONS & ESSAYS
My advice for anyone applying to college, but especially to those having to complete college applications and auditions, is: go ahead and get applications from several schools...NOW...most have their applications online and may not make many changes from year to year. Read through the application thoroughly and compare the ESSAY QUESTIONS from different schools. A few have very specific questions, but most have similar questions. A good essay can be tweaked to fit different schools.</p>
<p>My D ended up having to write at least 9 essays but was able to use two of them on several different apps because there was a choice and her essays fit perfectly. Also, some of the short answer questions can take a lot of your time (I'm remembering how much time my D spent answering three short answers for NYU/Tisch...which paid off because she was accepted). </p>
<p>Once you start traveling for visits and auditions you'll have less time to spend on the applications, and that can hurt you...or you'll spend your entire Thanksgiving and Xmas vacations at the computer!</p>
<p>Also, spend time on one essay and then hand it in to your English/Lit teacher. My D did that only for her first essay to see if her writing was clear, concise and interesting. Be thinking of poignant moments in your past. </p>
<p>OBSERVING vs OPEN HOUSE
Also, my D and I only visited one BFA MT program during her Junior Year. We visited 4 other schools that had good music and dance departments so we weren't just sitting around. When fall of her senior year rolled around, I had a little panic attack. We attended one Saturday OPEN HOUSE (Emerson), one SHADOW DAY (Shenandoah) but then visited most of the other schools before or after auditions and just sat in on classes.</p>
<p>If we got a chance to do this all over again, we'd spend our time visiting these schools on our own, not on their "show the new kids" day. We sat through too many meetings with them explaining the difference between a BA and BFA, talking about Fin. Aid, etc. We were past that. Check your own school's calendar (on line) and the college's calendar (also online...you don't want to visit when they're on break or when the acting MT kids are gone for auditions...check at the MT office for SETC, ETc dates)<br>
WHAT TO LOOK FOR?
We needed to see a VOICE TEACHER in action in a lesson (asking for too much vibrato? , pushing a singer too early? good/bad repertoire? attitude about MT singing?) </p>
<p>We needed to visit or have my D participate in a DANC CLASS. (what's the level & physical shape of the students already there? interesting combinations from dance teacher? attitude of kids in the class? do they listen to the teacher? how many sitting out? nice studio? so MT students take class with other dancers or only MT majors...a big question!?)</p>
<p>We needed to visit an ACTING CLASS...most schools will let you in. (relationship with the prof.? professionalism of the students? literature they're working on? level of acting ability of the current students? room used? technique taught?)</p>
<p>We needed to TALK to some of the current MT kids, see a performace or MT Revue rehearsal (these are great indicators) , hear the college choir in rehearsal or performance.</p>
<p>Where are their ALUMS, what are the current students doing next SUMMER? </p>
<p>You just don't get all this info and answers to questions at an OPEN HOUSE. </p>
<p>SO, we wouldn't waste our time on open houses anymore. Shenandoah's SHADOW DAY was good, but the student my D got put with had no dance classes that day. MY D is a good dancer and was going to miss out. I hustled over to the Perf. Arts office, asked a secretary to show me the dance classes being given that day, their levels, and then I observed a jazz class and got my D over to a ballet and then modern class before the day was over. It would have been a complete waste of two plane tickets, a rented car, a hotel room and a missed day of school if we hadn't insisted on additional acitivities. Turns out that other parents followed me over to the studios when they learned of the dance schedule.</p>
<p>Pay close attention to the deadlines...make a chart...do as much ahead of time as possible. By the time auditions roll around your energies need to be on that 10 - 20 minutes you're allowed, not on that essay you put off for three months!</p>
<p>And students, thank your parents over and over for the time, energy and money they put into this. I truly admire the kids who get this all done on their own...you are mature and will go far in whatever you decide to pursue in life. I have enjoyed the time my D and I have spent on this audition/touring process, especially since she'll be gone next year, but she has no idea how much thinking and planning it has taken. It was my decision to get so involved, so I'm not complaining, it's just a matter of thinking back...if I'd known how time consuming this MT audition year was going to be, we'd have started earlier! I found this web page only 4 days ago and wish I'd known about it earlier!!!!!</p>
<p>I need to say that my D's school has no drama program; the musicals are done through the chorus teacher and another classroom teacher who has directed the musicals for over 15 years. We knew nothing about the regional gatherings/competitions like SETC until it was too late. We were SO GREEN about this whole process!
Good Luck to everyone...and start reading essay questions today!</p>
<p>These are all great ideas. The other thing that I did early on junior year, which really paid off, was to copy and paste ALL the MT threads into ONE document, which could then be searched for different school names. That was easier when the MT threads were on one page - ie MT part 1, part 2, etc. but I still recommend it. For the old ones.</p>
<p>Juniors should definitely plan to have all drafts at least of their essays done by this September 1. There is simply no time to write all these essays from scratch once the academic year starts. It's hard enough to keep up in your high school classes, while missing school days due to audition trips, keeping the applications straight, continuing to perform as usual during the year, plus dance, voice, acting lessons,etc etc. </p>
<p>The essays are the one thing you can do ahead of time!</p>
<p>thanks Doctor John. I'm happy to say I've already marked my calendar:) and i'm sure many others have as well..</p>
<p>Doctorjohn, Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Juilliard - information for all - I called drama admissions today. They don't have their audition dates yet and probably won't until mid-August, but they are really going to try this year to coordinate the Chicago auditions when all the other colleges are there. They can't promise yet, but they are having conversations about it with other schools. They understand how hard last year was on everyone. Yeah!!!!!</p>