Oh @KaMaMom - I could tell the same story - my D did an event every year where students of her voice teacher were featured right alongside students of another voice teacher - and my heart hurt for this kids who had natural talent - but were clearly not getting the guidance or development that they needed. The kids from my D’s voice teacher always stood out against them. I wondered why those parents didn’t look at our kids, and think “why isn’t my kid getting any better when I watch these kids improve every year?”
Also beware of teachers who hang a “voice teacher” shingle because they can play the piano. I would rather my D take from a teacher who has been trained to teach voice but fudges on the piano, than a strong piano player who thinks there’s no more to voice than making sure the kids hit all the notes and stay on pitch. Also, as this is Musical Theatre, try to find a teacher knowledgeable in classical singing pedagogy as well belting techniques, and the differences between the two. School choir teachers can usually do the former but are not necessarily trained to teach the latter.
YES @addicted2MT !!
D’s first voice teacher was her high school choir director. GREAT pianist - horrible teacher. D sat for every lesson. Was told that to make corrections - but never told how. Told there were things that she’d never be able to sing. Oh, my favorite: was told “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” was appropriate for every audition.
D’s current voice teacher sucks as an accompanist. But I’m not paying for her piano skills! 
TIME! On one hand, it feels like March will never end while we wait for college decisions. On the other hand, the May 1st declaration date is looming. My D has attended summer training programs all over the country, and has lived on several campuses. We have used these opportunities to visit every college with a MT program that is in the vicinity or on the way. Her list has evolved constantly because of these visits. She auditioned on site for as many programs as possible. Yet, there are still schools she auditioned for at Unfieds that she has never visited. I delayed making Spring Break plans this Spring because I assumed that the time would be needed to visit schools, only to find out that either we wouldn’t have a decision yet, or the school was also on break. Not getting a decision until late March or April has left us short on time to make a commitment by May 1st. We are now being invited to special weekends for admitted students that might be crucial in making a right choice, we have the Easter holiday, Prom, and an April show…how are we possibly supposed to be able to get to schools before May 1st to make the best possible decision?
It’s tough, there’s no doubt about it, to try to squeeze in visits in that short window of time prior to May 1. It’s why so many of us here always recommend visiting as many campuses as possible prior to then, either during audition season or before. I know it’s not possible for everyone to do that but whenever I read a post here early on in the process that touts attending Unifieds and that they will ‘visit only those schools where they get an acceptance’, I see the problem that many will have with that plan. It’s also why so many kids choose not to do a spring show in senior year. Tough decisions but ultimately, having the information necessary to make the best decision as to where you spend the next four years (not to mention countless thousands of dollars!), is more important.
Spring show for us was not a choice. D is in a performing arts school, and Spring show is part of her curriculum / grade.
If she is at a PA school they should be familiar with the BFA process. (esp as it differs from “normal” college admissions) have you talked to them about desire to visit campuses?
That’s unfortunate, limbo, that a PA school would require that of seniors. Not all of them do. Actually, this may be the first time I’ve heard of that. As toowonderful says, one would hope that such a school would be aware of the process and plan accordingly. That makes it even tougher on these kids.
@limbo2019 may I ask, to how many MT programs at this point has she been offered a spot? Can you start any visits now to those campuses?
30 or so years ago when I applied to college, I accepted 2 different offers because I couldn’t decide between the 2. Ultimately, we lost the deposit to the school I finally chose not to attend. But my Dad did not want me to make a decision before I was ready. I was very lucky.
Depending on the deposits required, that may be another option for you – accept by May 1st even if you haven’t truly made your final choice. It is similar to what would happen should you accept somewhere and then later be taken off a wait list elsewhere and ultimately decide to go to your wait list school. You lose your deposit to the first school to which you accepted.
Accepting to more than one school would buy you more time to get there and look firsthand. Not ideal obviously, but it is an option. Also, read the acceptance language carefully. Some schools may prohibit this approach.
If I understand this comment correctly, this is what is referred to as “double depositing” and every person related to the college admissions process that I know would say, “don’t do it.” Double depositing is specifically banned by the Common App (to which you are contractually bound by using it), and is regarded as “unethical” by the college admissions community. Some/most colleges reserve the right to rescind offers of admission if they discover a double deposit (perhaps unlikely, but possible - definitely possible if you used the Common App).
Here is what the College Board says about it:
You can, of course, withdraw an acceptance at any time (and possibly lose your deposit) and then make an acceptance deposit at another school.
More info can be found here:
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/ethics
Many schools, especially large public schools, do permit and even encourage housing deposits prior to accepting offers of admission.
Sorry to sound preachy. Perhaps I misunderstood the comment.
echoing EmsDad on this
No I appreciate the information @EmsDad. I would never want to encourage someone to do something that was prohibited. I would not consider it unethical if you were honest about doing so. But since it seems it is prohibited, I would err on the side of only accepting to one.
Limbo, I remember so acutely when we were in that panic (and limbo) last year. We had to leave at 3AM the morning after Easter to drive 7 hours to visit schools. And my s had to back out of his HS (dream role) to visit schools in order to reach a decision by May 1. It was stressful, traumatic, heartbreaking. (There was one DREAM school that took my s off wait list and offered him a spot on a May 2 or 3. But by that point we were too stressed out and spread too thin to make another trip. So we had to decline.) It was all agonizing and my S was near breakdown for a couple weeks. BUT also (in hindsight) it was very good practice for the future juggling and hard decisions these kids will have to make in the course of their lives and esp their chosen careers. It will really all work out.
Our experience was that once all the decisions were in and all the cards were on the table, several options fell off my daughter’s mental radar screen for reasons that only became clear to her once she knew all the possibilities. She narrowed it down to 3 to visit (intensely, including going to lots of classes, watching rehearsals, spending time with current students - inotherwords any and everything they would allow) in April. I maintain that visiting as an accepted student is a whole different experience - from their and your POV - than visiting as an applicant. Whenever possible, do both.
This is another reason that doing a pre-college program can be really valuable. (if it is run by the school itself) We did not feel we needed to go back to NYC, she had spent a month there, she knew the school. If there was one thing I could go back and do differently, I would have had her attend at least one other college summer program, if not try to squeeze two in. Now of course that is a total crapshoot- but she was accepted to summer programs (b/c we applied widely there too) at all three of her BFA acceptances and her top BA (northwestern). She went to the NYU summer program. It was fantastic, she loved it, and she loves NYU. But would things be different if she had done one of the other schools? Who knows. Anyway- it’s a thought. D never did TPAP/Broadway Dreams or Stagedoor/Interlochen/French Woods or Artsbridge etc - so I can’t compare experiences- and I have heard only fabulous things about all of those, not saying a word against them! But if you are looking at college as the next phase, it might seem that $$ spent on those (in the HS years) might be well spent on a variety of college programs IMHO.
Please remember to let your child enjoy their last year of high school - senior show, prom, etc. Yes, college visits are important, but so is having healthy, happy memories of senior year!
You folks are amazing! Thanks for sharing all of this.
I am new here - I came to CC originally to learn more about financial aid strategies and found my way to the MT topics. My S is just 13, but has been doing MT since he was 7. He’s had acting and singing classes and will start dancing this summer. He’s in a pre-professional company (extra-curricular), so for now I guess we are on track to head down this road in 2019-2020. I will reinforce to him how important academics are to his process.
Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I was trying to speak to the topic saying that this journey doesn’t’t end with the final audition, that there are other issues to be aware of in the months following auditions, however, my frustration with our own particular situation clouded the delivery. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have come my D’s way so far, and regardless of time restraints, am hoping for a couple more acceptances.
@limbo2019, I do hope your D gets more acceptances! But don’t worry now about what hasn’t happened yet. It may turn out that you are able to get visits in with no problem. I hope you can schedule some now, so you are not rushing at the last minute. Is that possible? Maybe during Spring Break? The advice we got is to visit all those to which you have been accepted ( assuming there are more to come!)