Is anyone still waiting on LAMDA? My son attended the callback audition in NYC on March 17. They said he’d be notified in 2-3 weeks, which timeframe ends on Friday. Does anyone know their method of notification? We were assuming he’d get a phone call, but we really have no basis for thinking that. Anyone?
@rebjam they called accepted kids last year. Emailed others I believe
Thank you!
They called my son for the MA in classical acting in March, though that might very well be on a different track.
My daughter is still waiting on LAMDA too. Three weeks will be tomorrow. The website says that at busy times it can take more than three weeks. D is waiting for an email. I don’t think she realizes they might call.
Hi @kittenbat13 ! I just saw your question. My daughter is a freshman costume designer at Mason Gross. She absolutely loves it. This year they have a new head of costume design, Valerie Ramshur, who is both a powerhouse and a wonderful human being. The professors are indeed very caring and are working in the field. As a freshman, my daughter is getting to assistant design a show, although usually that happens sophomore year. They are constantly busy. She’s made several trips into NY, for assignments or during the design process. I don’t know what percentage of students MGSA places in the business, but I would say connections are abundant. They are all about teaching you to be a working professional at the end of your 3.5 years. My D will be working this summer at a university in IN that has a summer repertory theatre. She’ll be paid hourly and given housing, and despite applying late, she had two other offers to turn down. (Her costume shop manager helped her with her resume, etc.) If you have any specific questions, please feel free to DM ME. Best of luck whichever way she goes!
@redjam and @ThespDad17, LAMDA calls. They called my S early in the morning our time, something like 7 am, if memory serves (I think that was when?).
Just to give you a heads up, it can take more than 3 weeks. They are still in winter term and it does get busy; but spring break is about to begin. Bear in mind the UK schedule is quite different from the American one. Most British kids don’t hear till later.
Good luck! 
I got my Montclair rejection today(another digital audition) and that concludes my waiting. My final decision is between Otterbein (Redirected to BA) and St. Edward’s (BA to BFA). I’ve also considered possibly Pace and Marymount- just so I’d be in New York in case i decided to reaudition the next year (though I can’t imagine doing this again). I visited St Edward’s on Wednesday and really loved it, I was able to meet with the artistic director and he really talked up the program and it sounds pretty great. Otterbein of course has an amazing reputation, though I’m not sure if I want to do a BA. But of course at St. Edward’s this is also a possibility if I don’t get into the BFA (Auditions in March)
Anyway just a small update on where I’m at right now, so ready to be done with this process. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
@CourtneyTheatre I’ve been following your ups and downs and so happy for you that the waiting is over and now you have two options that are both great schools. This is a hard process even when you have help. The fact that you organized it all your self is amazing and you should be very proud of that. Your CC community is proud of you. Please let us know what you decide. We’re all pulling for you!
Needing to vent!
I’m sitting in the lobby of the Courtyard Hotel in beautiful Saratoga Springs after my sweet D had an amazingly positive experience at their accepted students day! I gad arranged for her to mee t with the department director and he was just great. He also arranged for her to shadow a current senior theater major with an acting focus. She enjoyed the advanced playwriting class and also really clicked with several orher theater kids such that she texted me she wanted to attend Skidmore. She was invited to attend a party later tonight, and said she didn’t think she wanted to see Bard tomorrow after all.
I am literally sitting with her in the car, finding a hotel room and cancelling pur stay bear Bard, and she got a call on her cell. It was Marymount Manhattan calling to congratulate her for her acceptance to their program. She clarified wherher they meant the BA or BFA and was assured it was the BFA.
I have to say, the timing was almost unhealthy for her, but suffice it to say, my D has a lot to think about at the moment!
So, she’s up in our room soaking in a tub and I’m reading a novel with a glass of much needed mommy juice.
Rollercoaster much?
Congrats, @LuvsLabs! Saratoga/Skidmore has a very, very special place in my heart. My dad was born and raised there-any 100 year old-plus brickwork that you see: My dad’s 2 great uncles were the bricklayers. But seriously-nice problem to have, am I right?!? Any chance you have time to hop down to NYC?
@LuvsLabs i agree with owenfolks is there a chance she can go to NYC and sit in on a class or two?
@owensfolks - We actually live in NJ very near NYC. A revisit to MMC will be planned asap. Yes, a very good problem to have! (Personally, after today, I wish I went to school at Skidmore!!)
Weekend update from nowheresville, flyover country: S and Dad are putting the finishing touches on S’s prom outfit…yes, it is " Hamilton"-themed.
For those of you parents of amazing kids living in larger, diverse, metropolitan towns, this post is not for you.
This post is for the parents of all of the amazing young quirksters, the nonconforming dazzlers, the dreamers and the very differents such as my beautiful S, who have grown up in the small towns in the midwest, and despite the pressure, did not hide their light, but let it shine.
My S is amazingly different,and he is so ready to be among others of his tribe. Tonight I celebrate his resilience. He endured years of taunts and social ostracism, and has emerged victorious. He is himself, completely. And he is going to rock our small-town prom, you can bet your sweet bippy!
Like my S, you only have a few scant weeks to go before walking across that stage and then a few more weeks or months before leaving said small towns and embarking upon broader vistas…
One of my favorite roles my S had was Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! Lyrics from one of his songs seem very fitting at this juncture:
There’s a world outside of ( insert name of podunk town here)
Way out there beyond this hick town, Barnaby
There’s a slick town, Barnaby
Out there
Full of shine and full of sparkle
Close your eyes and see it glisten, Barnaby
Listen, Barnaby…
Put on your Sunday clothes,
There’s lots of world out there…
Carry on, CC’ers. I just wanted to share a piece of my heart with you all tonight.
@momof3nerdz you have me crying…but there will be none of that right now for me! My niece and flower girl is getting married in 2 hours! Beautiful post
@momof3nerdz That post is so beautiful. Thank you. Lovely boy, lovely Mom. I have no doubt that he’ll bring the light…
wherever life takes him.
@momof3nerdz Best. CC post. Ever!!! I wish that photos could be posted up in here, because I would love to see his prom-awesomeness! My D has her Met Gala themed prom at UNCSA tonight <3 She favors my sister, in brilliance, talent, and look: And my sister worked at The Met (and attended the galas) for many years!
Wow! @momof3nerdz, That is a great story of resilience and strength. We can all relate in so many ways. We should start a new thread. I would love to read the stories of My Amazing Child!
@CourtneyTheatre, I agree with @ThenSheSaidIt: you really ought to be proud that you’ve done this on your own. This isn’t easy! As far as your choice between St. Edwards and Otterbein, let’s hope others, who have some experience at these schools, chime in with advice. I can think of a couple lines of inquiry, though. First, have you looked carefully at the four-year course sequence for each program? It’s been a while since my daughter and I looked at Otterbein’s course catalog, so I don’t remember what the BA sequence looks like. With schools that offer both a BFA and a BA in acting, I know that the BA path can vary significantly as far as the acting sequence. Some of the BA paths allow pretty decent acting training. Others, though, focus on more general theatre education and might be disappointing to a person wanting to study acting. As I said, I don’t remember where the Otterbein BA falls on this spectrum – but a review of the course sequence ought to give you some idea (and I would first focus on this, rather than a general notion of “reputation”). Have you visited Otterbein or talked with anyone from Otterbein? It would be helpful to talk with an Otterbein BA student who is focused on acting. Is the program meeting that person’s needs/expectations?
I’d have similar questions for St. Edwards. Just what does the course sequence look like for the BFA and the BA? Further, did you get a clear understanding for how the first-year auditions work? What do the numbers look like, i.e., how many of the entering BA class gets moved into the BFA program. Here, I think it would be critical to talk with some students. With a little investigation you might be able to get a better sense of whether this option is viable for you.
I know you’re exhausted with and sick of this process (and you’re not alone in having these feelings!), but another option would be to take a gap year. There is a recent thread in the musical theatre major forum discussing this issue, and there’s lots of good advice given. I don’t know if this option is right for you or not. One consistent piece of advice is to not simply reapply and do the same thing over. Instead, use the year to improve/focus your application (this may mean working, studying to improve SAT scores, consulting with an audition coach, etc).
Keep asking questions and keep us updated.
@foulandpestilent Honestly, I was super surprised to see how involved many parents were, especially when I was at Unifieds. Neither of my parents have ever been super involved in any of my activities, but support me in them- so its crazy to see parents who know all about the business.
I know a couple of years ago St. Edwards got a little of buzz on here, because of their partnership with American Equity I believe, but there don’t appear to be any parents of current BA or BFA students on the forum any longer. It’s my understanding from my interview with Otterbein that the BA is primarily for students who want careers in theatre outside of acting, though singing/dance classes are still allowed. In my BFA audition one of the auditors talked about dramaturgy with me and masters degrees, etc. My general impression of the program is that its one to pursue if you’re interested in things such as directing, stage managing, etc. While directing and dramaturgy are mild interests of mine, I can’t imagine not acting in the future- and competing at such a talented school such as Otterbein seems pretty difficult. The BA program does sound like it has a huge advantage in things such as marketing, one of the current students who talked with me during my interview, has received many internships and stage-managed professionally a couple of times. Overall, Otterbein’s BA appears to be for the person with many interests in theatre, especially in the behind the scenes work.
St. Edwards is a little more mysterious, its a tiny school and like-wise a tiny program. I really only talked to the artistic director about the BFA, but my general sense is that when living in Austin even if you’re not primarily receiving acting training, there are ways to supplement it. I can’t remember the numbers exactly but I want to say there are about 40 theatre majors (freshman class), and about half are in the BFA, I believe. I’m not sure how competitive it is to get into that degree (students who don’t audition)- though on paper the odds sound pretty decent.
My main issue with a gap year is that its not really a year, many of my college auditions started in December (w/ options of in November!), so theres not as much time as it seems to train and start over. I also don’t live in an area wear I could readily train or boost my resume in that time, though I know now online coaching exists. Definitely the biggest problem though is cost, I don’t think I could repeat the process again financially. All those school applications, scores sent, hotels booked, and plane tickets really added up- and would be very hard to replicate again.
Thanks for all the support, everyone!