<p>I agree with several of the above posters. If at all possible, considering time and money constraints, try to visit all of your possible audition schools ahead of time, in years before senior year. If possible on these trips, take both a general campus tour and a performing arts / MT department tour. Try to meet with MT faculty. Visit classes. Try to see a show at the school. (On audition weekends, the faculty, especially dept. heads, will not have time to meet with you individually).</p>
<p>In 9th grade my son decided he wanted to find the best college possible, so we started planning visits that summer. From summer after 9th grade through winter of 11th grade, we visited 24 schools. Many of these were done on combined trips (seeing several schools on one trip). Those visits became our vacation time for awhile. We enjoyed many productions (which takes careful planning) and met with dept. heads and faculty wherever we could. From those visits, he got the idea if he really liked the program or really couldn’t see himself in a program. This greatly helped him narrow down his audition list. During senior year, we went back to some schools for auditions and did unified auditions for others. After his acceptance to several great programs, we visited Elon 2 additional times, for academic scholarship interview and for another show (4 visits in total), before he committed to going there.</p>
<p>The better one can get a feel for the faculty and students at the school, the classes and the productions, the more informed decision one can make if fortunate enough to be accepted from an audition.</p>
<p>By the time my son got to Elon, it felt like home! Funny, but on the very first visit (the 20th college we had visited), I felt in my heart that I could see him going there more than any other place we had been so far. Hard to believe he’s now a senior.</p>
<p>Again, realizing that this may not be an option for everyone, but my D visited a bunch of schools she had on her “planning to apply here” list when she had the opportunity, and actually eliminated some that she had originally considered “top choices” based on her research, simply because she did not feel she “clicked” with the school. It is a real personal thing. </p>
<p>During her audition year, she opted to audition on site, and took full advantage of visiting each campus, and getting “a full vibe” of the school. It was an interesting process, and I learned a lot about the differences between my D and I :D.</p>
<p>It simply turns out that one school works for some, but just not for others.</p>
<p>MichaelNKat…I hope you know you are a great source of information throughout this process…I started with following your timeline last winter and it was soooo helpful. This website has been invaluable…I am amazed at how intense all of this is! Thanks for taking time to help us out.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the great advice. In the end, I have decided to do a combination of all of these ideas! </p>
<p>I had already done a couple of visits this summer…one at a school I LOVE everything about and is my first choice, and another at a prestigious school in a fun city that I ended up taking off my list altogether. You’re right…I would have spent alot of useless energy on that one that I will now channel other places.</p>
<p>I am going to have to do Unifieds anyway in order to fit in an audition for one of my top choices, so I have decided to do my other “long distance” choice there also, and then visit both of those only after I am (hopefully) accepted. </p>
<p>Two more that are in neighboring states I will go to a little early and have the full tour the day before. Only a couple of days missed this semester and a couple the next. Perfect.</p>
<p>Thanks again for this advice, and all that I have found on this site…!</p>
<p>Good luck, Nick! I hope you end up with many options from which to choose!!</p>
<p>Just got back from a 30th wedding anniversary trip to Italy so I’m just starting to catch up. Best of luck Nick!</p>
<p>Happy Anniversary Michael to you and your wife. Happy for you that you got to celebrate in Italy!</p>