What should students write in a thank you note to the person/people conducting the audition? Should it be a hand written note sent by snail mail or an email so it gets there quicker (or both)? TIA!
My kids send emails (mostly). D2 did a number of handwritten notes - especially where she felt the auditors spent more time with her.
You’ll probably get a lot of opinions. It seems like many think that it doesn’t impact your chances, and it might not. That said - We did hand-written notes sent in the mail, and I brought them with us to every audition so my son could write them immediately. He wrote them every night at unifieds and we dropped them in the mail right in Chicago. (There’s a mailbox on the corner between the Palmer and the Majestic Theatre) It only takes a week at most for them to receive them. I used his headshots and created a thank-you note through costco or shutterfly photo (can’t remember which but we use Costco for most photo items).
One story - after acceptances, I emailed the MT auditor to ask about a visit at a particular school. When she wrote back, She told me that she had my son’s TY note on her desk. When her teenage daughter visited her office, she said… “Why do you have that boy’s picture on your desk like he’s family or something”. So…I think it can make an impression. Maybe not at every school, but certainly at some.
Forgot to answer the bit about what to write. Generally speaking, my son basically wrote - thanks for giving me the opportunity to audition for you… very interested in your program especially XYZ… something unique about his audition with them… and thanks again.
After MARCAS, S sent emails to most, if not all schools, that he received callbacks from. I think handwritten notes is a nice touch, however, emails are quicker. In addition, many of the emails had follow up questions, next steps, etc. which required a response, so sending it in snail mail wouldn’t have worked for that purpose. (Unless it’s truly a straight up thank you.)
I believe a handwritten thank you note simply expressing gratitude for the opportunity to meet and audition for the school is very appropriate. Do make sure to include something about your conversation or audition experience that may help them remember you. You want to stand out as much as possible from the hundreds of others they saw. I agree the timing of them is important. Send them as soon as possible. They may have more auditions the weekend after yours. You don’t want to get lost or mixed up in the large pool of applicants. So try to get the note to them prior to their next scheduled auditions. As close to when your audition took place as possible.
Quick tip: If you aren’t sure who is in the audition room, you can always ask the monitors who typically sit outside the audition room to help check students in. Always check and double check names and titles. A simple look at the school’s website may be able to confirm those details.
Do not use this note to ask questions or request any sort of a response. It should simply be a sincere thank you.
If you have questions that require a response, call or email the point person in the department who handles such inquiries. This may or may not be the person for whom you auditioned.
My daughter is on the student MT forum and the common response is “do what you like.” For thank you notes, I think it’s a great chance to express gratitude if your kid is inclined. My daughter does not like her handwriting, so she tends to email and often emails thank you notes as she is very grateful for her audition experiences.
Anyway, do what feels right for you and you will be fine 
My son had handwritten notes all ready to go after his first round of auditions, but decided to send e-mails instead. We loved the idea of handwritten notes, but he was hoping for the back-and-forth exchange that a previous poster mentioned. He felt like he learned about programs and his fit for programs based on the responses he received. In the end, the programs at the top of his list were those where the director engaged in a meaningful exchange with him. It was really helpful to his decision-making process in the end.
My D has sent a couple emails so far - and a couple sent nearly immediate responses. Very encouraging.
I know it’s been posted elsewhere, but what is the Facebook page for the 2023 MT kids?
Thank you everyone. As always, the answers from this community are thorough and helpful!
@afterp89 it was posted earlier on another thread as Courtney’s Break Room on Facebook for the 2023 MT Kids.
@MI3rdClosingAct Thanks!
I appreciate them and it can make a difference. Lets say I am looking at three performers who are all equally talented and I can only take one. If one sent me a thank you email/mail saying they really felt at home at SU, its a dream school, and they want to grow in an environment like ours, that seals the deal. I want students who really want to be here and if have that insight from a note, it makes a difference.
Personally, its fun to see an actual card in my snail mailbox. Just something that doesn’t happen often and some of the cards are really creative.
~VT
I REALLY wanted to order thank you notes that had a small headshot included as well as D’s name. She said “cheesy mom”. I thought it would make a nice touch since the auditors see so many of her type!
@artskids If you keep the design simple, its not cheesy in my opinion. In fact, I think its really helpful. However, I am sure others would have the opposite opinion.
~VT
Its my opinion, but I think you should ALWAYS send a handwritten thank you note. I know for a fact the auditor’s appreciate it; and, as @VoiceTeacher said, it can only help. This is a really small business and you run into people over and over and people who know people. Thoughtful and considerate will take you far!
Thank you letters are just nice manners