<p>Congrats to your D and you, chrissyblu! I am glad to hear your D's auditions went well (very well, from the sound of it!) and that she survived not being called back at Juilliard. </p>
<p>I am particularly glad to hear she felt good about NYU, but then again, my D is a freshman there and just loves the program. She cannot recommend it highly enough.</p>
<p>Yay for making it through this round chrissyblu! I am very happy to hear that she had a great experience at NYU, and along with NMR :), I will be rooting for your D!</p>
<p>I laughed when I read xoxtinysingerxox's post because that's EXACTLY what I was like last year. This year, applying as a transfer, I headed down to NYC by myself to audition (only) for Marymount Manhattan and let me tell you - it was SO nice. But let it be clear that I have traveled through Manhattan MANY times by myself (I go to Ithaca and I'm from west coast) so that wasn't stressful or scary. Last year I went to Unifieds in LA and my mom of course came with me (THEN I was terrified to travel alone), and that was difficult for me. </p>
<p>Yeah. Parents, all you have to do is say, "good luck!" or "i'm sure you did great" and we might bite your head off. haha. It's a stressful time and we are irritable because of a few things. </p>
<p>This may be kind of harsh, and I could never tell my mom this...but partly why we get so annoyed is because our parents just don't know what it's like (assuming you aren't an actor as well). I don't like it when my mom says things like, "It's just really competitive," or, "I know you're working really hard, but maybe they just..." because she just doesn't know. She isn't an actor, a director, an auditor - she's not in the business. She can say how talented she thinks I am - but that CAN be annoying, because I know her opinion isn't even a factor in the auditor's decision. All she knows are numbers--how many audition, how many accepted. I mean, we know it's competitive...but we wouldn't be here if we didn't think that it was worth it -- even with a rejection. </p>
<p>Sorry, I know that sounds bad - and yes, it's REALLY STUPID, but it's a feeling, it doesn't have to be rational!! We know you're trying to be supportive and I can't imagine what it must feel like on that end, but...that's it. It's irrational. </p>
<p>I remember I was sick last year and my mom went and got me some throat coat and I think I got angry at her because the tea wasn't cooling down and still boiling. After she went all the way to starbucks to get it for me. I got angry at her for talking to other parents and students when I told her I didn't want to talk about it with her myself.</p>
<p>And trust me, we feel guilty about getting angry but please forgive us and know it's the nerves speaking...every parent who is reading this thread and really cares about what to say is AWESOME because many parents don't support their kids' crazy dreams at all.</p>
<p>I think the best bet is to either say nothing or take the anger route...honestly, if I was the parent of myself I don't know what I would do! Probably just drop me off at the audition area, and go "get a cup of coffee" and wait until my daughter self called me! Hahaa, that was probably really confusing...</p>
<p>Granuaile - your post put a smile on my face, and brought back some memories from my D's first audition trip last year to Elon. D had no idea what to expect, and I really didn't either, other than that we were ready with everything we could possibly need (meds, snacks, and of course her audition stuff). </p>
<p>When I pulled up with the car to drop her off at the entrance (it was raining), my D was all skittish and telling me "don't take too long ok, hurry" when I left to go park. After finding a spot, I hurried back into the building, expecting her to be pacing back and forth nervously, only to find her sitting on the floor happily talking to people she knew from past summer programs. She barely even noticed me walking by :). </p>
<p>I know it is different for everyone. I tried to be as much "not there" as I could, although I am quite tall and have big curly hair, so that is not an easy fete :D. We had a wonderful time. A friend last year said "in the end, it will all turn out ok, and if it isn't ok, it just isn't the end yet", and just from seeing where everyone "landed" last year and how things are working out, this is so very true.</p>
<p>Isn't it funny how they don't want us around sometimes but then we're not allowed to be anywhere else?</p>
<p>yes we're the proverbial backup singer, or cheerleader or safety net</p>
<p>or psychotherapist or homicidal maniac, as needed.</p>
<p>And also the person who has to run out, at the last minute, to Duane Reade for Mucinex or more lip gloss or a pair of hose without runs in it.</p>
<p>This thread is so funny to me. My daughter completely ignores me at auditions, but if I want to run to the bathroom, she says, "Where are you going? Hurry back!" She pretends I'm not even there, but needs me by her side every minute. I love every minute of all of this. I, for one, am cherishing every moment of this entire process. In many ways, I just don't want it to end. The acceptances are great, but the thought of her going off to college in less than a year somehow tears a piece of my heart. This really is a very special time for all of us. It is a time to spend with our children and it is something every one of us will remember forever.</p>
<p>Tinamay I wouldn't trade audition season. It was wonderful. And for all the stress and anxiety of waiting for the decisions, I also didn't want it to end. It was a whirlwind those months of auditions, results, prom, graduation and graduation parties. Not long after that was on campus freshman orientation and then it seemed like nothing till the car was packed to the hilt and she was gone. It's a HUGE year in your life with your child. Savor every second.</p>
<p>I will. Thanks for making me cry! :)</p>
<p>It's not just the parents either. After all the striving and working to go to just the right place eventually my DD realized ...WAIT...this place is clear across the country and you won't be there! And neither will all my high school friends. That was an interesting week when that one hit home.</p>
<p>Not to get offtopic, but the distance between home and the school that your child chooses to attend (and which, obviously) chooses her to attend :) is something to consider. During the excitement of auditions and acceptances, many of us forget to consider that distance insofar as it will have an impact on practical matters, such as getting the student back and forth for move-in, move-out and holidays. Which is not to say that a student from, say, California should not go to, say, NYU or Hartt if that is the student's dream school and the parents, especially, understand the costs and practical details involved in getting the student back and forth. I have to say that we never really seriously considered distance when my D was going through this, but boy! am I glad she settled on a school that is only about a three hour (inexpensive!) bus ride (Megabus) away. This whole thing came home to me when we were stuffing a rented minivan full of her possessions last August and heading to New York. :)</p>
<p>That's why we cancelled my daughter's auditions to Carnegie Mellon and Ithaca. She said that she didn't want to go to either school (even if she passed the audition) because they were too far away. I would have loved to see if she would have gotten in to either one, but that would have been unfair to the schools.</p>
<p>In the case of my D who is from CA she is just not interested in any of the programs here in the west. She had some interest in OCU, but as she looked into the program more has decided she does not want to audition for it next year.</p>
<p>All the programs she is interested in are in the east. So we know already if she is accepted into one of them next year that we will be moving her a long way from home!</p>
<p>We live in Los Angeles and my daughter is at Point Park in Pittsburgh. It's hard having her so far away and due to airline flight cut-backs, extra expensive and not direct. She will most likely not come home for spring break which is hard for us but having said that she loves being there and is very self - sufficient. I was accumulating miles for a romantic European getaway... Ha! On the original topic, I did not accompany my daughter to the NY Unifieds last year. She has a high school friend who attends NYU MT and stayed with her. As it turned out a great idea. The roomates were supportive and helpful in ways I could never have been. She called me a lot so I felt a part of it the whole experience. At least my oldest is looking at going to law here here in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Oh... the tea incident! We had just that happen! I got in trouble because it was too hot... too cold....didn't like the flavor. But then she said, over and over again this past weekend, something to the effect of the following "Mom, thank you for being here for me and believing in me." Those little words in the midst of all that were payment enough for a thousand little snaps and rolled eyes. And let's just not talk about her going to the other side of the country, okay? don't want to go there right now..... :(</p>
<p>If you watched American Idol last night, at the very end it showed a couple of the contestants making phone calls and each of the conversations were, "Mom, I made it." I found it heartwarming that their calls were to Mom and not best friends or significant others or even to Dad. Even with all the grief they can give us, especially during stressful audition times, I think they do appreciate Mom and the unconditional support we offer.</p>
<p>Haha I think my mom will always be the first person I call because I know she's the one who wants me to have it almost as much as I want it. The "I'm sorry" or "congratulations" actually means something then. Even if she drives me crazy, I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather share my success with.</p>
<p>If you are lucky enough to be near your child, you might experience what I did... when my D would come home for auditions for summer work, she asked me to join her because we had had such a great time together. Don't get me wrong; she has gone to plenty of auditions without me. But the fact that she wanted my COMPANY made my life! :) Going away to school may add distance, but it also adds maturity and insight!</p>