<p>MTMajorCook, I’m having a problem keeping it all straight. I am keeping detailed notes for each college on what has been sent, what still needs to be sent, etc. and am still getting confused! It seems as soon as we submit an app, all of a sudden all this other stuff is asked for which we had no idea previously. Especially the hidden essays!</p>
<p>MTMajorCook, it’s Happy Hour somewhere too! Indulge…HEAVILY!! LOL</p>
<p>Laughing hysterically at SU88BFA and those frayed nerves! Sorry to laugh, but I think we can all relate and your pronoun was right “US” “OUR”!! That’s right, for all the work we’re putting in behind the scenes, we can claim it!!!</p>
<p>Every single MT parent goes through this: you just can’t believe, in spite of years of reading CC, how utterly insane the process actually is when you get there. And you wonder why these schools don’t streamline the process somewhat, when in reality it just gets crazier every year. I remember at some point Montclair wanted something - I can’t even remember what because of course I’ve repressed it - and I remember writing to another MT mom, “WHAT? NObody asks for this! Why do they want this?” And a little part of me thought of asking my D if she wanted to ditch Montclair, because the thought of having to figure out ONE MORE THING just about turned me into a raw nerve. But she ended up there, and absolutely loves the program, so I’m glad we didn’t! One thing I noticed is that often the schools and the MT programs have really separate admission processes and people and, even at schools that don’t accept you at all unless they accept you into MT, the 2 separate layers often don’t communicate well with each other or with the families, creating a lot of confusion. Calling the schools would sometimes lead to actual misinformation because you were directed to someone in admissions who acted like they knew what they were talking about but didn’t. The exceptions to that were the conservatory schools, like BoCo and UArts, but in general, it is a WAY more complicated process than it has to be, and when you are going through it you think you should be hired by all these schools to help them streamline the process because every parent of an MT senior KNOWS how it could be done so much better, but then once it’s over and you cross the finish line, you start drinking heavily to celebrate, and proceed to forget how bad it really was. I know, I know, it is wonderful time with your child going to auditions, etc, etc, but that is phase 2. Phase 1 is NOW so I hope you all have good mental health insurance :p.</p>
<p>Well said Calliene. Phase 1 was horrible…still trying to forget about it! Phase 2 is so much better-spending the time with your kid auditioning-lucikily mine thrived on the adrenaline and enjoyed it too. Then phase 3 the waiting…back to horrible…lol and finally Phase 4. Picking that school and getting excited about college which unfortunately happens so late in the year it melts into graduation and all that hoopla. I decided after all this process was over and once my D went off to college I wasn’t committing to anything until at least after Christmas so I could decompress. It is all so time consuming both mentally and physically I don’t know how I did anything else last year but just like when they were just born-it is all worth it.</p>
<p>Ahh, Phase 2… We loved Phase 2, such wonderful one-on-one time with our D, even with the audition pressure, the occasional melt-down and luggage mishap we wouldn’t trade it!</p>
<p>Of course you all have to survive Phase 1 first! Best of luck! ;-)</p>
<p>I’m right there with you all! My son finished the supplemental essays for three schools. One wanted a resume and repertoire also and was uploaded. I took on the uploading chore since he is at school until 6 PM with rehearsals (I really didn’t want him to do the play because of all the work he needed to do for this process, ah well). I thought I had decided to upload one supplement a day. When I uploaded the second school the confirmation page looked very familiar and I realized I may have uploaded the essay already. I had no memory of doing so! Still not sure if I had sent the University a second copy or not. I made a spreadsheet initially, but it was confusing with so much info. Hopefully his two pre-screens will be done in the next week, fingers crossed!</p>
<p>I wish there was a way to politely get across to the recommenders the importance of timely uploading of the LORs…we are continuing to have a problem with this. D is considering cookie baking and other subtle forms of bribery/coercion to move the process along.</p>
<p>That is my rant/vent of the day…sigh</p>
<p>It seems painfully obvious, but in the heat of audition competition be sure to remember that it’s really all about Phase 6 – the post-college make-a-long-and-happy-life part. The reality is that most of our creative kids (even the VERY most talented) will spend their adult lives doing a wide variety of things, so be sure that whichever school they choose for Phase 5 (college) will help them grow into the fullest, most flexible (not just bendy), most dynamic (and least indebted?) person they can become. Try to make choices based on what YOUR child needs to move toward that future, rather than on which schools are currently “hot”. </p>
<p>Such exciting times ahead!!</p>
<p>Thank you Calliene, Broadway95, Austinmt and MomCares for the words of encouragement and for talking all of us stuck in phase 1 off the ledge!
This too shall pass…</p>
<p>More venting…I can’t believe what a workout my credit card is getting! From the pre-screen fees to the app fees to the fees to send scores and transcripts. Just applying is expensive! Then add clothing, shoes etc. Oh and extra privates. It’s adding up.</p>
<p>Son’s first academic acceptance, Coastal Carolina University. So I’m feeling choked up, telling son and husband that it is a new milestone…they are looking at me like, oh boy, there she goes again.</p>
<p>I think this process is wearing on me. There are times that I’m getting teary during commercials.</p>
<p>Ditto entertainersmom </p>
<p>I get choked up when I am pointing out an item to my daughter on a college website that shows how the college would be a perfect pick for her. </p>
<p>Or when she found out that she passed her first college prescreen. </p>
<p>Cue daughter’s eye roll…</p>
<p>LOL I’m getting like that too. S got his schedule for what I’m now referring to as the “Baldwin Wallace Audition Extravaganza” LOL (long day with lots of stuff going on). I got choked up, thinking of Vicky Bussert and how I’m sure she could help change his life for the better. </p>
<p>Heck…another CCer and I were messaging about a few things, she told me her S’s acceptance story and that made me well up!</p>
<p>Here goes my vent for tonight.</p>
<p>Tonight, Went to print D’s ticket for tomorrow’s ACT, ( try no. 2 cause no. 1 did not make her happy - don’t even make me go into why she started taking standardized test in September instead of January like everyone else…) and found out I DIDNT SIGN HER UP FOR THE TEST!!! I think she was waiting to see her September score before signing her up for the October test and forgot to go back to sign her up.</p>
<p>I immediately registered her for the December 14 test but I feel like I am a horrible parent! She only applied EA to one school and her 1st score is in the middle of their range and her grades are well above their range so she should be ok but I feel like a dropped the ball because I have so much going on in my brain organizing everything else, prescreens, recommendations, supplemental essays, applications, voice lessons, acting lessons, dance lessons, etc.
This secretary needs a secretary! On the good side, D can sleep in late tomorrow and won’t have to rush from the ACT to work… HUGE sigh!</p>
<p>Yes cellomom51! Forgetting things and the fear of forgetting things! I’ve found myself telling my son where to find all the school/audition/reservations information followed by “In case something happens to me.”</p>
<p>cellomom - breathe! It happens, we are only human in what seems to be a process for the super human.</p>
<p>entertainersmom - LOL “in case something happens to me”</p>
<p>Huge LOL, entertainersmom!</p>
<p>ROFL My S just told me to change my screen name to TripleThreatMom - I drive, I pay and I support…triple threat LOL</p>
<p>LOL @TripleThreatMom and entertainersmom!</p>
<p>This thread is cracking me up! At least I know I am not alone with my insanity! My friend that went through this last year made an Excel Spread sheet that she passed along to me. I don’t think I could manage without it! Applying to 15 schools. Ugh!</p>