<p>Thank you all so much for posting these recaps. As the Mom of a freshman in high school who has just started lurking here to learn as much as I can to help my D in a few years this is all so educational. I just can’t even tell you how much I’m rooting for all of your kids in this process! I truly appreciate your willingness to share your journey. I promise to do the same in a few years!</p>
<p>LOLOLOLOL @ kategrizz!! “What’s a prescreen?” Wow.</p>
<p>You did exactly what I will do–sit back, observe and listen.</p>
<p>My son auditioned at Coastal Carolina this weekend. I posted about his experience over on the CCU page, under MT schools.</p>
<p>The day began early in the morning with a warm up lead by Baldwin Wallace. Scott Plate arranged the kids by state and name so they would get to know each other.</p>
<p>So the first audition was Univ of the Arts. No show. We found out that the rep was sending a sub. The sub was hospitalized, like emergency room hospitalized and couldn’t get in touch with anyone. It sounded pretty serious. The kids will now send a presceen or, I guess, go in person somewhere.</p>
<p>Next up Otterbein. The Daughter said that Dr. John was really sweetall the kind words about him really are true. She had a short interview then auditioned. He worked on one of her songs with her, not her monologue.</p>
<p>Baldwin Wallace next. Vicky is so beautiful, she said and she texted BW went really well, Vicky is so sweet and Scott remembered my name from warm up this morning." They laughed at her monologue which is a good thing. She sang her songs and they really seemed to like them. There’s more but I forgot. She was telling me this over lunch where I was eating bread… mmmmm bread, I heart bread…where was I? Oh yes, she felt very good about BW.</p>
<p>Pace MT (totes forgot that Pace acting was the first audition today. She said the guy was cool). Amy loved LOVED her dress (typical a-line but with a wide leather trim at the bottom which she wore with combat boots with socks scrunched down around the top of them)! Chatted with her and laughed at her monologue. Had an “okaaaaaay” look (again a good thing) when she sang her uptempo. Amy seemed impressed, happy (?) when she said the song title to her second song (Newsflash-anything from In the Heights may be on the endangered, I mean overdone list next year lots of In The Heights). They worked on her uptempo (which everyone is loving by the way), Amy loved the correction, told her to sing it that way every time and The Daughter now wants Amy to adopt her. Can she please?! Then tuition would be free! WIN WIN!!</p>
<p>We went to lunch, The Daughter had TX State Acting at 2 (meh) and dance call at 7. The kids were taught their combo by the head of Commercial Dance at Pace. They then danced in groups of four determined by their last names while the other kids were in another room practicing. She was in the third flight thanks to our last name and she headed back to the room.</p>
<p>In the meantime, parents are 50 shades of bored and have taken to bonding with each other. No PBBs to be found.</p>
<p>There are only two auditions today. I asked about the audition pace and how she felt about it. She said “it’s like exhilirating but terrifying.” By golly, this kid is ready for Unifieds!</p>
<p>This has been GSOMTMom reporting to you live from the Moonifieds zone. Now back to you.</p>
<p>LOL @ 50 Shades of Bored </p>
<p>Glad it went well!</p>
<p>GSOMTMom- That post was hilarious and informative… thanks! It certainly sounds like all went well.</p>
<p>Great report GSOMTMom! Very funny too. Sounds like your daughter had a grand day!</p>
<p>She’s really enjoying herself and we haven’t argued/fussed more than once (okay, maybe twice). That’s great for us during auditions!</p>
<p>Thanks to all for such great info! Loved the live post from GSOMTMom!</p>
<p>Can you all speak to the timing of auditions… i.e. is it a good idea to set up your ‘best loved schools’ for later in the audition season so as to provide for a warm-up session to help your child get comfortable with the process? Seems like a good idea to us but we have not done any auditions yet. Our HS schedule has not permitted any earlier sessions than the ones coming in late January.</p>
<p>One other question, is it a good idea to audition at the home turf, so to speak, of your top rated schools? For example, if NYU were your top choice should you make the effort to audition in NY or does it matter? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your replies! and we too, promise to pay it forward as we can.</p>
<p>My memories are a few years old but here are my impressions, MosDad - If we were to do it all again, for any school that has rolling admissions, we’d hit our favorites right up front rather than waiting. It seems the more you wait, the less scholarships are available and also if you are a short, blonde soprano, and they are taking only one of those, you want to be heard first! 
If you can work in an audition early in the fall at a school that is not at the top of the list, in order to get the shakes out, then so much better. My daughter did equally well at Unifieds and at campus auditions. The director of UMich seems to really think a campus visit is important at some point (not necessarily the audition) while the NYU audition did little to inform as it wasn’t even on campus and all the students who we’d like to chat with were on winter break. D greatly enjoyed attending many classes at PSU which helped her make her decision. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I’m in agreement with classicalbk based strictly on my son’s experience: his first two on-campus auditions felt best to him and were successful. His very last one, which was close to home and buffered by a 2-week break between auditions, was also fun and successful. The cluster of trips in January & February started to feel like a slog, and he felt less of a spark about his monologues. I’m sure this is different for everyone. And I know there’s widespread disagreement about on-site auditions, visits, etc., but I’ll reiterate that for my kid, these were extremely helpful, even vital, in terms of getting the feel of the program and overall school. Talking to current students at schools was key. But do what’s possible and don’t over-worry about it–it really is all a bit unpredictable!</p>
<p>MosDad, I agree with Times3 and classicalbk. I definitely think it is important to go to the campus for auditions of your top choice schools, if at all possible. I know a lot of people (including department heads) say it doesn’t matter, and it probably doesn’t, generally speaking. But I can’t help but think that if the school is trying to decide between 2 similar typed, similarly talented students for a slot, and one made the effort to go to campus, that one would have the edge. I know for some schools (e.g., Ithaca), they keep track of the kids who visit, even in their junior year. They take the student’s picture and start a file on them. At my D’s Ithaca audition, they even mentioned to her that they noticed she had visited before - twice. Do I think it helped? Absolutely. Ironically, for my D, she got into 5 schools and WLed at 3…and all of her acceptances and WLs were from on-campus auditions. She did not get into any of her Unified schools. I know for others it is exactly the opposite…plenty of kids get in through Unifieds. It is probably just a coincidence. But I’m really glad we did the on-campus auditions when we could.</p>
<p>As for timing of auditions, as long as your child is prepared, then it’s not bad to do top schools early. I think if a school really, really wants someone, they will take them, no matter what the timing of the audition is. 20/20 hindsight, my D should have cancelled all her auditions after 2/5 when she got into Ithaca, b/c it was her top choice. (In fact, she reiterated that to me just yesterday!) So if you have a top choice, and can get it over with in the beginning of the audition season, and it is a school that has rolling admissions, go for it. It may give you peace of mind and save you some money if you can cancel other auditions!</p>
<p>Oooops, correction. One of her acceptances was a video audition! We were scheduled to visit, but cancelled the visit and declined the acceptance. Sorry…I was wrong.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>We were trying to play it smart and do a lot of auditions at schools closer to the middle of the list for warmups but your advice seems to stress doing the top school auditions on campus if possible. That was exactly my position at first but then I began down the line of thinking wee needed a warmup weekend. Besides, our D is applying for 4 different programs at Pace and that means almost two days perhaps just for that school. It takes up most of the Jan 24-26 weekend. So timing is an issue. And our D is a blonde soprano! We hope they still need one!!! LOL</p>
<p>Bumping up for those of “us” auditioning this weekend. If you have time please share you day with us.</p>
<p>Break a leg!!</p>
<p>Let me add that I hope the weather cooperates for those of you that are traveling today and this weekend. Break legs and good thoughts to you all!</p>
<p>Do most audition rooms provide a chair for the auditioner to use if they want?</p>
<p>Thanks frazzled35. Made it from Maine to Hartford. Ready to give a complete report either tomorrow or Sunday!</p>
<p>Thanks MTMajor and frazzled!
Gave in to my D’s request to skip a couple of classes and leave for Ithaca early (lol, I am such a sucker for that kid!). Misty weather but a easy 4 hr. highway drive and checked into our hotel room by 4pm.
Best surprise was the in room jacuzzi, it made us laugh (I thought there was just going to be a jacuzzi in the bathroom tub) D relaxed, drank tea and sent mama out to bring in food for dinner. Then she took an hour soak and reviewed her plays while singing her songs; talk about multitasking!
I’ll let everyone know how tomorrow goes. Already know if should be a short day. They said a Q&A, 30-45 minute group warm-up/improvisation session then monologues/songs and done by 12:30. Don’t know how many auditioners will be at this first session but it’s mainly for kids who applied ED (no EA option for MT at Ithaca) and crazy people like my D who couldn’t wait to get back to Ithaca (she took a summer course there and loved it).
I’ll let you all know how the day goes.</p>
<p>We went to that audition at Ithaca last year, cellomom–I don’t have my notes, but I seem to remember maybe 30 kids total? Everyone said it’s the smallest number of all their on-site auditions. It was wonderful; my son loved the snow flurries falling as we arrived, and the whole atmosphere was supportive and energetic without being overwhelming. Very well run audition that leaves the kids feeling good. Break a leg, and I’ll look forward to hearing your report. </p>
<p>Oh and p.s., even my burly football-playing non-MT kid took advantage of hotel bathtubs on the nights before auditions–not only was it relaxing, it was great for the steam effect! However, I felt like I was hanging out next to the Shamu tank at Seaworld, he splashed around so much. Excellent strategy!</p>