Otterbein’s final on campus date is this Saturday 2/21, just an FYI.
D got two more holds…Rider & Otterbein. She is still mesmerised by Dr. Stefano after her Unifieds callback. To think Otterbein wasn’t prominent in her radar until she heard him give a master class in November… However, as they only take two non-dancer MT girls, she is “keeping it real” in her head but enjoying whatever affirmations are sent her way regardless of the eventual outcome. This is my “glass-half-full” child.
@addicted2MT…how did you hear from Rider? At auditions they told us April 1st!!
@shopforpunky - old fashioned way- letter in the mail! (From Rider) & via ACCEPT’D from Otterbein.
Thanks for responding so quickly @addicted2MT…I am still confoundedby this “hold” business. I wish these schools would just say “you’re in, you’re out, or you’re waitlisted”. What the heck is Hold!!!
It just means that they already know who is not a fit and they will choose the final class from the pool of those that they “held”.
So presumably you would get either a Hold or a No letter right now???
@shopforpunky - it’s like getting a callback, or-not being cut…yet…while others were… Take it as an affirmation. A sort of “these people think I am worth being considered further…” Or if you are in a different mood “hey! At least they’re not rolling their eyes at me for picking this major!” Or more likely, “hmmm…looks like this school is still looking for someone of my type.”
What is the point of “hold” if all it means is you are not admitted, you are not rejected, and you are not on a wait list because we don’t have one at present?
The point (seems to be) to raise the level of tension one more notch by creating MT limbo 
I don’t get it either. It’s like there own internal discussion that they should keep internal. Did they hold 1/2 of the applicants? 10%? Who knows… Do they think we’ll feel better if we make the cut/finals/last group, and then get told no at the end? Is it a tactic to delay us from accepting any offers from schools making premature overtures?
Just give it to me straight Doc!
@shopforpunky, HOLD simply means you are still under consideration. It is better than an outright NO. But you still have a ways to go. You can still get a NO. Or you can get an acceptance or wait list. They liked you enough to want to wait to make a decision about you until the rest of their auditions are completed.
We got the hold letter from Rider as well…something along the lines of “based on your academics and audition results, we are still considering your application and will let you know once all auditions are complete”…so basically not a rejection. My guess is that they do it to at least let you know you aren’t in the straight rejection group so you will still be thinking of them as a possibility while you wait for final word. In some ways, I guess it is a bit useless but I also think it shows they are mindful that people are getting rejections and acceptances at other schools, so I think of it more like a status update. Better than a rejection by any measure, so we’ll take it!
Otterbein didn’t send son a hold message last year before he was accepted, but I would have been happy to hear that he was still in the pool after audition. I think it is great they are letting kids know if they are still in the running or if they should move on now, instead of wondering until March.
That would be achieved by sending a simple rejection to any applicant who “should move on now”
Holds or deferrals didn’t happen much last year. I would have MUCH rather S received a “still in consideration” heads up last year from CCM vs the nothing he received for a while. His status didn’t change, no emails (until a waitlist email) he constantly wondered if they had everything they needed, did they forget about him…etc. A hold/deferred would have put all that wondering to rest. But to each his own.
I think it’s very important that schools acknowledge that they have all your materials, whether through a portal checklist or a personalized email.
I agree with @MTMajorCook and @entertainersmom about getting the information!! If you are getting some kind of an answer it is better than nothing. With Otterbein last year, we were just told “as long as you don’t have a no you are still in consideration”… but you had to call to get that answer. From their perspective it is a good idea because it might help with their call volume as the waiting process goes on. I feel for all of you going through it this year, everyday felt like it was dragging on an on… 1 day felt like 3 b-(
A no from Penn State and Ithaca back to back - the two schools I knew for sure I wouldn’t get into after I auditioned. Ithaca was super nice about it - they sent me a personalized email explaining that I indicated in my application that I wanted a “higher education within a performance based program” (true) and that they couldn’t offer me that. Then they said that if I would contribute positively to their school and they would be happy to have me in a different major. Very, very classy. Anyway, the good news is that I’m still in consideration for Otterbein, which is one of my absolute top schools. 
hang in there everyone!
Hang in there. Spring - and a program for YOU - will come.