<p>Perfect.</p>
<p>Yikes @toowonderful ! That’s the kind of stuff I’m worried about. My daughter has actually deactivated her FB account for right now - not that there was anything bad on it, but she didn’t want to take a chance of anything on it being misinterpreted. It’s a fine line…there are some MT moms I am very close with and privately exchange info. I admit, it is nice knowing that people are hearing, etc…to try and figure out if you are still in the running (kind of like after auditions). I don’t want her dealing with that stress…I’m trying to have her do the auditions, and just enjoy her senior year. </p>
<p>There are all of these articles stating only 5% of kids get into MT programs. They have to audition for a large pool of programs - it’s a numbers game. I was talking to faculty at a certain “top” tier university who was basically trying to sell me on why their program was better than others. I finally had to tell them listen, we love your program…but we don’t have the option to come to you and say you are our top choice, take us…you have to look at everyone…and so do we. Hopefully all the pieces come together in the end. </p>
<p>The thing about my daughter’s audition list - she loves every program on the list. That’s why they are on her list. It really will come down to 1. where she is accepted 2. what scholarships she gets/which programs we can afford financially then take a closer look at faculty/location/program specifics to figure out the best final fit. I’m leaning towards a long “this was our process” post at the end of this to share information with future CC people about what we did and how things worked for us. </p>
<p>For some of us new people, the posts like those on the Final Decisions are invaluable. It isn’t just the raw data of numbers and schools. I don’t care what particular school you picked; but I am interested in your reasoning as to why you picked it. And the stories that went with them were sooo powerful. I printed some out for my ‘i’m-the-sh^t’ overconfident S. The girl who applied to 14 schools and got rejected from all of them… she tried to be positive about it but her sadness was palpable. Another girl talked of all her talent and experience that outweighed everyone we know. She applied to 21 schools, had 5, yes count 'em FIVE audition coaches, and got accepted into 3 programs, none being tier 1 schools. And that was a ‘good’ ending. smh… You have no idea how lost, behind the curve, and utterly unprepared some of us feel once we start reading these. You opened our eyes. Of course its your choice whether you share or not. But for those who did… …I honestly can’t thank you enough. </p>
<p>I think the final decisions posts that reflect on the process are great. That is truly giving back. </p>
<p>^that was what I was referring to @halflokum in my post about final decisions background. To me, that insight into the process was the most valuable thing I got from CC… Which is why I posted my D’s story (yes… Take a drink!) when the time came. </p>
<p>@kategrizz, I think I might have posted my daughters (my D, D, D and drinks are on the house!)
as well (or maybe just an update from freshman year) but I’ve blacked it all out and now I just hit 1300 posts so no way will I search for it and I’m fairly sure means I need to get a life. Anyway, I do remember reading that final decisions thread last year and thought it was really helpful to up and comers and written with very generous hearts.</p>
<p>There are so many ups and downs in the process- it is so helpful on the bad days to know everyone else has them too- and so wonderful to share the good days with people who will REALLY appreciate them!!</p>
<p>I’m a big fan of the “Final Decisions Background” threads as well, and agree they are the single best form of paying it forward.</p>
<p>@vvnstar , my “not a necessity” comment meant that it isn’t something you are “required” to do, not that you shouldn’t feel obligated to do. </p>
<p>I was specifically addressing the issue about whether the applicant has to notify the other schools that they aren’t attending. No, it isn’t mandatory but yes, you probably should as a courtesy. </p>
<p>@glee4life- understood! Just want others to know how important it is to others waiting for acceptances or to come off wait lists to have those spots freed up as soon as possible. :)</p>
<p>Another view, here. D and I have decided to be up front on CC and FB about the whole process as we go along. We knew others in her conservatory program over the last couple years who were more closed-lipped and it created a weird vibe and it felt like people were ashamed if they received rejections. Just way too much drama overall. For goodness sake, 99% of the girls auditioning will be rejected at most of these top programs – maybe 96% if it is a larger program. Everyone is in the same boat, or as I told my D when she received her first two rejections “you are in good company.” For us, we decided that not sharing the journey as we went along felt like we were hiding something. Also, we are trying to keep our focus on the fact that she can’t control the competition – she can only be the best she can be and let the other stuff go. The only exception to the rule is we don’t share her material – finding good monologues and songs is a lot of work and we don’t feel the need to share that information. As others have said, everyone has to do what is right for his or her own family through this process and this is where we feel most comfortable. Just wanted to share another view.</p>
<p>@Divamamacita<br>
As my kids would say, “You do you!” (please insert cheerful and encouraging emoticon because if I try to do it I will definitely select the wrong one and piss somebody off).</p>
<p>@vocal1046 back at you! 
</p>
I agree that the final decision posts are the most valuable to the people coming up behind you. Whether or not you post acceptances or mention redirections along the way. It was reading the final decisions page that opened my eyes to the number of schools you apply to and the sometimes obvious randomness of acceptances and rejection. I would ask why this person at these schools get a yes and this person at these also very good schools get no. At first it boggled my mind. My D is a junior and next year I hope that after doing all we can to properly prepare, that knowing there is not a way to see the rhyme or reason to the acceptances and rejections, that it will allow us to take the highs and lows with more composure and know that we aren’t the first ones to ride this crazy roller coaster.
Well said, momma2four. There are so many variables. Take 2 “equally talented” kids, and one could be accepted and one rejected at the same school. To some degree it will depend on the subjective “taste” of the auditor, the needs of a particular program, and the degree to which that particular applicant “nailed it” at that particular audit on that particular day. And then add the unknowns, like this kid might remind them of their beloved granddaughter, or of the bully they once knew… It really did help us to read everything here and realize that no matter how “good” a kid is, there are so many crazy factors that are impossible to control. And I believe it is SO important for us and our kids to remember to be happy for others when the wheel of fortune points in their direction and not in ours, because tomorrow it could be different and we all have to remember that there is a certain randomness to all this.