Am I good enough?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I did my first audition in October and nailed it...I was accepted early into my dream school (a well-regarded program on this forum). So excited. I went ahead and finished my four other auditions not only to give myself "options" (closer to home, not as expensive...) but also as validation that I am good enough to make it in this career. My thinking was that some kids on this forum seem to get multiple acceptances (like six!), so I figured the really good kids would get into several programs, and that's how I would know I was one of them.</p>

<p>But now I have been rejected by two big schools (not even deferred, just flat-out "no") and am waiting to hear about two more regional schools. So how do I know if I am good enough to continue into this field? My confidence is pretty shaken...</p>

<p>Note: I only applied to BFA programs that were non-conservatory (UMich, Penn State, etc) because I wanted a BA-like experience with general ed courses not geared to theatre...so that cut down on my options for auditions and I only did 5, not 15) But still...not even a deferral??</p>

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<p>nick,
First congrats on getting accepted at your dream school! It doesn’t get much better than that. </p>

<p>I understand disappointing rejections but honestly, in this highly competitive process with very low admit rate BFA programs, one should EXPECT more rejections than acceptances. This is how one should enter this process. And it doesn’t matter how many acceptances you get. You can only attend one school. Having options is always nice of course, But with only 5 schools, the likelihood of options even goes down a bit (and it is not as if you have even heard from two of them yet!). You really don’t need options in your case as you got into your first choice. I have had many students who got into ONE BFA program. It’s common. It is what I would predict as very realistic. Your results so far (and I don’t know you personally) are statistically what is normal in this process. Extremely talented people get some rejections because of the low odds. Even outside of MT, you get kids who get into Harvard but not Dartmouth or Brown, etc. </p>

<p>Right now, you are in the midst of this process and so each admissions decision seems “big” but I can tell you that none of this is gonna matter when you are in your BFA program next year. The fact that you are admitted to a good program should be validation enough. </p>

<p>Honestly, when you hit the real world of professional auditions, and even if you are a talented contender, you might get 50 rejections for each one time you are cast. You can’t take EACH result personally and must look at the big picture. In your case, you are going to a BFA program. You have “advanced” toward your goal. If you get cast professionally after college, after 50 “no’s” at other auditions, you will have reached your goal to be a professional actor. Rejections are PART of this territory. Come to expect them. If you get a “yes” here and there, you are quite successful. Bravo!</p>

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<p>p.s. I am NOT looking for a pep-talk, but some honest feedback about whether I should be spending four years and big money to pursue a crazy major like this…does one acceptance from a great school cancel out the rest? </p>

<p>My mom says we are all CRAZY to choose a life of constant rejection anyway!! :-)</p>

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<p>Thank you Soozie…apparently I was posting at the same time as you, so my P.S. was not directed toward you. It is just easy to hear moms on this forum say…“DD got into several programs, and ended up choosing ____”. I feel confident I will have at least one more offer, but those flat-out “no’s” shook me up. You can always find a reason later (people will tell you that UMich for instance only takes strong dancers, and I don’t have alot of formal training) and that helps you feel a little better, but didn’t they want to at least THINK about me a little?</p>

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<p>Nick, they could have thought about you a LOT. Look at the acceptance rates. If a school accepts 5%…please realize that MORE than 5% have the requisite talent to be admitted. It is not as if only 5% are qualified. Not everyone who auditions is qualified but surely there are more who are than can be accepted. If you are a contender, you’ll get into a school. You did. You’ve gotten into one out of three. You are the envy of many. You only applied to five. You don’t have the results from two. Did you expect to get into all of them? That would be a rarity. I know kids who got into UMich who got rejected at Syracuse or Penn State. I know kids who got into CCM and were rejected at Tisch. I know kids accepted at Tisch but rejected at UArts. This is the NORM. These are some kids who have been extremely successful once they got out of their BFA programs as well. You really can’t take single outcomes as a commentary on your talent. You must look at the big picture. If you get into one out of three in this biz, that’s truly fantastic. The odds are even gonna be worse after you graduate. You’ll be doing well if you are cast one out of 50 auditions. Truly, you should EXPECT “no’s”. To expect more acceptances than denials in the BFA process is NOT realistic. It happens to some, sure. But they are in the minority. Keep your eye on the big picture and not individual results when it comes to highly competitive processes such as this one.</p>

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<p>Sometimes selections are based on who was chosen in the last three classes. For instance, not enough sopranos or too many short, white actors. Maybe the school is reaching for greater geographic diversity or needs to up its sat ranking in USNews and World Report. Perhaps the head of the dance department is crying for someone with a tap background. You just never know what their looking for besides talent to get the mix they want.</p>

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<p>You were accepted into an AMAZING program. We were just there for the audition and I could feel the energy, excitement and enthusiasm of the faculty and students. Don’t doubt yourself!! They see something in you or you wouldn’t have that acceptance. And you can only attend one school so how exciting that you get your dream school as an option to be that one. Many others don’t get that.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

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<p>thanks…I don’t mean to downplay the AMAZING program that i was accepted to…again, it was a dream school for me, and i can’t wait.</p>

<p>and i do understand they may be looking for a certain type based on the kids they already have…that makes a lot of sense. </p>

<p>it’s funny, the two schools where i was rejected are the ones i probably would have crossed off my list first if i had been accepted to all 5…</p>

<p>what a roller coaster…bring on May 1st!!!</p>

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<p>Nick, in addition to soozie’s good advice, here are some additional thoughts. Three years ago, my daughter, who is now a junior, was in a very similar position as you. Applied to only 5 BFA programs (and 1 non-audition BA program). She, as with you, was accepted at the first school where she auditioned and received her acceptance early in the process (December). She proceeded with her other 4 auditions and received 2 rejections in fairly quick succession in March before hearing from the other schools. She, like you, felt shaken a bit by the rejections and wondered what it really all meant about her future. Not withstanding her first acceptance, she was on pins and needles about the others. She ultimately ended up going to the school that accepted her first, concluding, like you, that it was her dream school.</p>

<p>She and I spoke about this at the time and today frequently speak about her experiences over the last few years. If you were to talk to her today, she would tell you that her misgivings were misplaced and that yours are too. That all that matters at this point in your life is that you got into the school of your dreams. What counts now is what you will do in the years to come while in college, not what your score card was on acceptances. You have 4 years of training and experience ahead of you and the performer you are now is not the performer you will be in 4 years or even a year. Along the way, you will have many more opportunities to feel your way along in figuring out how you fit into the world of performing and those opportunities will be much more important than whether some other school accepts you now. She would tell you that the rejections she received became irrelevant trivialities as she threw herself into her studies and took advantage of every opportunity that came her way. Notwithstanding those “rejections”, she has managed to carve out some very nice successes for herself. What counts is not how many schools accepted her but that at least 1 did that was a great fit for her and that she has invested herself fully in all the resources the school has to offer. </p>

<p>There are no guarantees in this process and anyone who tells you that pursuing a career in performing is not a risk is nuts. But it is a process, one that unfolds over years, not simply the few short months of college auditions. The rejections you received lay no foundation for you to conclude anything about your future. They are just a small snapshot in time and nothing more.</p>

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<p>Wow…thank you! That sounds like me exactly… And, as usual, MichaelnKat, your advice is so valuable, along with everyone else here…it’s how I’ve gotten this far. I don’t want to sound like a spoiled baby who WAAAA! got into his dream school and now needs constant petting…that’s not it at all. I guess I am trying to help other kids like me get some feedback we’re not getting from schools…</p>

<p>SOOO Here’s my final thought on all of this, that maybe explains my frustration better:</p>

<p>No, I did not expect to get accepted to all…I did sooo much research and I understand the odds very well. And i do understand there are all kinds of factors you can’t control, like they need a certain type or whatever. BUT…</p>

<p>And when you audition for a show, that is reality…you already know they are looking for a certain type, and no matter how well you do, you may not fit the bill…acceptable; understandable. But for the purposes of making it into a training program, it would be nice to have a little more feedback than “NO”…does “no” mean I was one of those kids who they thought was dreadfully unprepared and they see no potential in training so is not deserving of consideration…or does “no” mean they already have three other tall blondes? Does “no” mean i can’t dance and i am only average at singing and acting so i should give it up, or does “no” mean this year they are becoming more diverse ethnic-wise?</p>

<p>I guess that’s what a deferral would have meant to me…some kind of feedback. Not just “no” and leave you guessing and asking people if you should give it up! It would be so helpful if there was way for schools to say…“yes, you were under serious consideration, but at this time, we as a school are looking for something else…keep up the good work!”</p>

<p>If I hadn’t gotten into the first school because they “needed something else” I would be freaking out right now…how would I know if the problem was on my end or not? Maybe that’s why some kids audition for so many… But I wish that there was a way to know more about why you were rejected…</p>

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<p>I know it is hard for you to imagine, but next year at this time, when you are fully immersed in your great BFA program, NONE of the other school rejections are gonna matter one bit. </p>

<p>Remember, too, at this point, you don’t even have all your results in hand. If my D judged her results by the first two schools, the picture that would have been painted would be entirely different. It turned out great after that. She also landed at her dream school and loved all four years there. Be happy…things are working out well for you so far.</p>

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<p>I cross posted with you. </p>

<p>Please get used to never being told why you were not accepted (or cast). My D auditions professionally now. She is not told ever why she wasn’t cast. She goes into auditions as if they are a job (auditioning is a job) and doesn’t expect much to result each time, given the odds. But she believes in herself and knows she has talent and just keeps on keeping on. Each rejection is not a blow. </p>

<p>As far as BFA admissions, she applied to 8. She started with one deferral and one rejection and it was all positive after that. If she had let herself feel she wasn’t good enough based on the first two results, she would have been mistaken. </p>

<p>You don’t need several acceptances. You just need one where you like the school. You’ve got that so far. You only have two rejections. You are batting really well in this game so far, in my view. </p>

<p>You are not gonna be told “why”…from now until the rest of your life as an actor. This is the life you will lead. Many rejections. Don’t take each personally. Know the odds. Believe in yourself. If you get into a BFA program or you get cast professionally, you are a contender. But you won’t get a “yes” every time. Far from it.</p>

<p>My D doesn’t take “no” as a commentary on her actual talent. She may not have fit that program’s needs or that show, and the odds are long. Each outcome is not indicative as to whether she has “it” or not. She got to to go a BFA. She has been cast professionally. She still is not gonna get everything she tries for. No way, no how.</p>

<p>I just want to say to please get used to this in this field. It is an adjustment as this is not high school any longer. Yes, my kid was always cast well in school, summer programs, our region, etc. and won many significant awards along the way prior to college. So, she was used to it always going in her favor. But that life is over past high school in this field. She KNOWS it isn’t like that and doesn’t expect positive results every time she auditions in the real world as a young adult.</p>

<p>Just wait…when you attend your BFA program, you may not be cast in a show or be a significant part even if you were a standout in your home region. Then, when you graduate college, join the hundreds that show up at some auditions in New York, or even thousands. This is where you are heading next in your journey.</p>

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<p>I hope your future is bright. Please be happy with your acceptances and learn to have a short memory for all your rejections. It will be that way the rest of your life - with the rejections outweighing the acceptances. There are no absolutes here. No director, audition panel, producer or agent should inform you of your basic worth, value, or talent…these things need to be and come from inside you. The very best baseball players do not hit a home run every time they go to bat - in fact, more often then not, they do not hit the home run - yet they are very valued and valuable players for their teams.</p>

<p>I know many students who have been accepted in a U Michigan or CCM and then been rejected from some schools that are not nearly so highly regarded. Yes, talent and “nailing it” have something to do with it at any audition - but there is a myriad of other factors that may play into any audition anywhere, anytime. Good fortune to you.</p>

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<p>Remember, too, that in an audition, there are elements beyond your control. You could be extremely talented but the school has certain needs to fill. Let’s say you are a belter and they want more legit sopranos. Let’s say you are a short guy and they have enough short guys. Let’s say you are a character actor and they only have one slot for that in the class. Let’s say the program wants very strong dancers and you are not their best fit. </p>

<p>In casting in the pro world, it is not simply a talent contest either. You could have an awesome audition and be very talented but have the wrong hair color or your height doesn’t mesh with who else they cast in a role opposite you. </p>

<p>You can’t take every audition to be a commentary as to your talent or worth. You have to look at the entire picture. If you get into no schools and never get cast ever, then you may have to readjust somehow. But if you have even a little success in a very competitive long shot odds process, you’re doin’ well. Please keep that in mind.</p>

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<p>I know you all have helped a lot of kids today, not just me…a very big “thank you” to everyone. </p>

<p>It is a good point that you will never know “why”…and honestly maybe knowing wouldn’t make it any easier. It’s not that I can’t handle rejection…it’s just college is such a big step, and honestly, we all know people who love theatre who may not make it at a college level…i was just trying to take an honest look to see if I might be one of them. Thank you for the positive reinforecement…I will now take a deep breath…</p>

<p>You know, when you are in the middle of this process, it’s hard to remember what you told yourself at the beginning when you were calm and collected. For me it was “I am only going to apply at the few schools where I see a good fit…and let God decide.” Why am I second-guessing myself?</p>

<p>I really have enjoyed the process…everyone is so supportive of each other, I’ve seen five great programs and have a better idea of which ones “fit” for me and why, and I’m so excited to get started.Good luck to everyone!</p>

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<p>Nick, last month I saw a quote in Guideposts magazine that I cut out and taped to my S’s college folder as he waits for decisions. “Rejection is God’s protection.” Sometimes rejection is just God’s way of telling you it is not the direction he’d like you to go in. Congratulations on your acceptance and good luck! :)</p>

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<p>Nick, if you want an honest opinion–here it is. You are 1. a lucky devil and 2. a whiner. </p>

<p>You were accepted into your “dream program” and then continued to audition—why? You made the pool bigger for those people who didn’t have a school to go to… and I for one am GLAD you were not accepted into those programs because it would have meant that someone else—who had no place to go—was NOT accepted.</p>

<p>I am speaking from the perspective of someone who has worked hard all her life for this and has, to date, been rejected by THREE programs—two of which would have been “dreams” to attend. So pardon me if I think all your emoting about this is very, as my mum would say, ill advised and puts you in the worst possible light.</p>

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<p>If you re-read my posts, you’ll see I am NOT whining, but honestly asking how you know you should be in this field. Simply wanting it is not good enough…and when you see posts like some others here where kids made it into 6 of their 7 schools, you start to question…</p>

<p>I can’t believe there aren’t other kids out there thinking the same thing, and needing the same encouragement. We’ve all worked hard…we’ve all had lots of successes locally…we can’t all make it. Since when is honesty whining?</p>

<p>Millie, good luck!</p>

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<p>But nick, you DID make it into the next step of your journey. You got accepted to a BFA in MT program (in fact, your dream one) and only have two rejections so far. You don’t need umpteen BFA acceptances to indicate whether you’re gonna make it. You applied to five. You may get into one, two or three now. If you get into three instead one, it isn’t gonna be any more indicative that you are gonna “make it” in this field. You made it into the next step. </p>

<p>Even getting into a BFA is no indicator that you are gonna make it in this field. It remains to be seen. </p>

<p>When you get out of college, you may get an agent, you may not. You may become Equity, you may not. You may be cast or you may not. </p>

<p>One thing that is for certain, however, for all those who “make it”, they met many rejections along the way.</p>

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<p>By the way, my daughter has many friends who got into her BFA program through Early Decision (she applied Regular Decision, however). Those kids don’t have other acceptances in hand to “prove” anything. Many are now successful post BFA graduation.</p>