@adoptdontshop - You are 100% correct. I’m so glad I found this site because my eyes have been opened on a number of issues and I’m learning so much about the “unpredictability” of this whole process, especially in the area of music. We also know first hand to take nothing for granted. A good friend applied to only the top musical theatre colleges which seemed like a no-brainer since he had top scores on the SAT, was top of his class, and is extremely talented and already doing paid professional theatre. He was wait listed on all but one, which was not his preferred school. They regret not applying to some safety schools but who knew someone like that would have difficulty getting into good theatre schools?
I agree with @compmom that it would be best for your daughter to stick it out at Hartt if at all possible. Berklee only alllowing the transfer of 1 class would be painful! But you are handling it very well and it sounds like even your daughter is taking a realistic look at the difficulty of such a move.
Wow-they have some cool classes at Hartt! Opera stagecraft? My daughter would be all over that. And how wonderful she has an upcoming solo to be spotlighted (probably unusual for a freshman which speaks to her talent and the appreciation the school has for it!) Just keep supporting and encouraging her while at the same time validating her concerns. Sounds like she is steering herself to the place you feel is best for her anyway.
@adoptdontshop I forgot to mention how crazy it was that your home state college had the nerve to say she didn’t have the experience to study VP. It’s like they mixed up her file with someone else! So crazy. But I always believe when one (or more!) door closes, another opens and there is a reason for even those head-scratching or heartbreaking moments. In your daughter’s case, she was accepted into a very reputable music school. My daughter is applying to Miami Frost but she is worried because it’s one of the toughest on her list to get in academically. She has a 3.7 GPA but her ACT/SAT is below their average. I’ve heard the audition is much more important for Frost (and most music colleges) but if it doesn’t work out, it was a marriage that was never meant to be. It’s hard for young people to get past the rejection part of the equation, but hopefully they can learn it’s not personal and could be a very random reason they were not chosen.
It’s good to know you can use one scholarship to battle for more money at another school. But I’ve also heard Berklee won’t budge on offers. Helpful to know so we are fully aware of the bottom line. She might try for the Berklee singer/songwriter scholarship, which is a full scholarship, I believe, but she knows it’s a long shot. She completed her first original CD this summer so she feels inspired to try.
@AmyIzzy I hear that happens a lot with MT auditions. Your friend sounds like he should get into anywhere! I don’t know why they get these rejections or waitlists! I really wish that when it comes to these music/theatre/art schools, they would just give a little feedback with their decisions. Like sorry, but we are looking for more female performers this year, or your vocals are great, however, we only have 5 open slots this year and 100+ auditions. Just to give people an idea of how to proceed from there. Or just to answer a little bit of the “why???”
Her State college was her “fall back” “safety” school. It was the only college she audtioned for in our home state. We figured if she decided she didn’t want to live out of state, she can always go there. And they were A LOT cheaper than any of the other schools she applied to. Sure, she still could have gone there and majored in music. But she would have had to reaudition for vocals the following year. Plus it would have set her back a little with classes. If she ended up there she could have done that. But she sure would have also been reauditioning at Berklee too in that instance. We talked about just taking some liberal arts at our community college and just trying Berklee again the following year. But all her friends were going away to college so she just didn’t want to do that. Plus, what if she doesn’t get in again?
But once the Hartt acceptance came in, she was super excited and I think it also gave her a much needed confidence boost. It pretty much was a no brainer from there. Yes the Opera Stagecraft is a cool class. It’s a freshman class where they learn all the backstage stuff for the Hartt’s opera performances. They actually have to go back like 2 weeks early from Christmas break because they are going to actually be back stage hands for Hartt’s upcoming Opera. At first I was all bummed out about having to send her back early. But once the holidays are over and she catches up with her hometown friends, she’ll probably get bored lol.
And yes they do get a lot of performance time. The class she is doing a solo in is called Freshman Vocal Seminar. All the students get a piece to work on with their vocal coaches and perform at the end of the semester. It’s actually their final exam grade lol. The song she is singing is one that she has to transpose to another key. It’s so cool that she gets to sing a solo. Especially, like you said, so early in college life. Usually those go to the upper classmen. In High School she would have to audition for a solo verse or two in her choir. She would get one here and there, but was usually picked over by a more projected voice ?. Annnnnnd, one of those projected voices audtioned at Hartt and got rejected. Just another one of those “you never know” instances. She is also in the Women’s choir which they all audition and get placed in one of about 4 choirs they have. They have 2 performances scheduled right now before Christmas.
It’s really a great program. They get a lot of one on one attention and a lot of perfoming time. I know you said your daughter doesn’t want to go to Hartt because they are mostly classical. But they also do Jazz vocals as well. And their Music Theatre program is great. They do more contemporary stuff. Last year they did 9 to 5. During orientation, they did a scene from the play and they were all amazing!!! Lots of talent out there ?
This is an old thread but it’s still worth my time to answer the question regarding feedback. Based on extensive experience w/admissions, providing feedback opens up a can of worms (including enhanced liability issues) while not offering much up in terms of value to the applicant or the school-something as true for music as for applicants to any other college experience-perhaps more so.
The most compelling reason not to offer feedback is that the reason for the rejection is usually not one variable. It is usually a combination of variables which when combined lead to a rejection. yes it may be that they they didn’t need another violinist. But had Itzhak Perlman auditioned they’d have made a way to say “accept”. They’d find another chair or knock someone out of the one he/she was sitting in. But perhaps one adjudicator didn’t think the applicant walked on water but the 2nd one did-until another candidate came along. What type of feedback would be given? Perhaps Adjudicator A love you and adjudicator B didn’t think you were very good. But then Applicant C came along and Adjudicator A’s love dwindled? Or perhaps the applicant would have been accepted if not for what was perceived as a temperament issue? etc.
Then there is the liability issue. Had an applicant learned he/she was rejected because they didn’t feel a need to add yet another violinist, it would be fair for the applicant to complain that they’d spent $X to fly out to audition. If you knew you didn’t need another violinist, why’d you have us come out? Answer: they were hoping you were Itzhak Perlman. It’s just too messy and unclear to give feedback in the same way it is for academic admissions in general.