This is a cautionary tale for all Class of 2022 hopefuls: D and I were as naive as could be back in 2013. No coach, no nuthin; just HS shows in the arsenal. What we did have was plenty of chutzpah- D had the voice of a principal even then. D wanted NYC-based programs; the only exception was UCLA and CMU. Oh boy - do not try this at home! Rejections and redirections aplenty. Many, many tears and dark days. Unlike many on this journey, I didn’t enjoy a minute of it…the anxiety and stress overwhelmed us both. The culmination was an audition at Wagner that was so bad it qualifies as the third worst day of my life, after the death of my parents. Imagine driving home after that nightmare with your child sobbing her eyes out, knowing all was lost and the dream was over. One week later, I heard about a brand new program from a renowned name in MT. D had given up and had to be forced to go to the audition. Well, you know how it ended- D nailed the audition at Molloy/CAP 21 ( I know because I surreptitiously listened outside the door) and never looked back - she got her NYC-based training and so much more at this wonderful and unique program, from which she will proudly graduate in May. But would I willingly do it the same way again? Hell no! Save yourself some gray hair and stomach problems and do NOT follow our example! BAL to one and all!
@EastchesteMom and I had very similar journeys and I agree with everything she said. Mine ended up in a hidden gem and we couldn’t be happier. My D has begun working professionally even before graduation! All paths can lead to your destination.
My S is a freshman at University of Arizona MT program. He is so incredibly happy, and Hank Stratton and Danny Gurwin, the two guys who recently took over the program, are brilliant, dedicated, supportive and talented. Last year’s process was long, tough, exciting and confusing. I had a hard time finding current information on U of A, so I wanted to be sure to post about how happy and impressed I am with the program. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Best to all! I know it is cliche, but it is so true that they end up where they are supposed to be. I have lived it, and truly believe it!
@EastchesterMom Yeah for chutzpah!! I love your post. Great happy ending. What I love most is your realness and candor. IT"S REALLY HARD!
Our house is so full of anxiety it’s palpable. We prepared almost too much for too long I sometimes think. My daughter has three early actions done (she did not feel great about how she did at last one, BW- but loved the program).
We are already exhausted and this is when we are supposed to get geared up. I read so much about the bonding parents and their kids go through. I sure hope we can look back and find those moments. Maybe because I’m the only parent my girl has it’s extra stressful for us. It’s not even half time and I feel wiped out. Hoping for a bit of good news in December but we all know that certainly cannot be counted on. We will learn and grow I guess as the year unfolds but it’s hard.
@laylamom - I hear you, sister! No one understands as we do. A bunch of Class of 2018 moms - the survivors! - bonded and became friends. We meet periodically and see Broadway shows, and have supported each other through the triumphs and troubles of our kids’ college years. I wouldn’t have made it through without these wise and wonderful women… @bisouu is one of them. I highly recommend it for you Class of 2022 survivors!
@laylamom your D’s experience is much the same as my S experience at Point Park. We are also waiting on the decision from BW and it eats away at me on a daily basis.
@laylamom - we were ones for whom all early news was bad news - a rejection from BW in Dec, when 3 local theater friends were accepted, and her voice teacher was on faculty, was the worst, but it was not alone. As we went on, I literally thought I would lose my mind. I did lose one of my closest friends. (Though I gained a new CC family) BUT- I really do look back and treasure the process- it was a huge battle, but D and I fought it together 
It is normal to get stressed about this process. I know I do. As I am sure for others, it comes from love for child. But I would suggest not getting stressed about BW. It is extremely hard to gain an acceptance. I can understand getting stressed if there are a string of rejections from safer schools on the list. But BW is another beast.
My daughter is a 5’7" blonde soprano. The year she auditioned, they were a dime a dozen and all were extremely talented. She got into NYU and PPU. It really is a numbers game. The schools need a little of everything. If everyone looked like my daughter, they could never perform In The Heights, The Color Purple, or Fiddler on the Roof or so many other shows. Just like sports, you need a healthy mix for success. We need to celebrate all of the kids successes. You are just as likely to get in because they need a tenor as you are because they need someone ethnic. Wishing everyone the broken legs and more yeses than they know what to do with!
Truth @4461flmom ! It is hard to explain that your kid could be doing everything right but just not fit the needs of the school/program/show. This process (and the business in general) is not for the faint of heart!
This process is sooooo hard. So stressful. I guess it’s a weed-out in a way - if you can’t take the application process, you’d never be able to handle the industry? I don’t know but it’s brutal. I know my D may not even get any auditions - even with a coach, hundreds of hours of preparation this last year and god knows how many dollars! 
But she’s giving it her best shot and that’s what we emphasize - it’s not a sure thing that you’ll make it in anywhere, it’s not a judgement on you as an entertainer if you don’t, you’ve got talent, training and drive - you’ve given the applications your best shot and the rest is in the hands of the theater gods.
Another obstacle is some schools already know what shows they are planning on doing the next several years and are taking that into consideration when offering spots to kids. Each and every year more and more kids apply and the number of spots stay around the same. Hang in there everyone!
Another obstacle is some schools already know what shows they are planning on doing the next several years and are taking that into consideration when offering spots to kids. Each and every year more and more kids apply and the number of spots stay around the same. Hang in there everyone!
Honestly the hardest part for me besides essays is the wait
And on top of all the essays, prescreens and waiting, D had decided early this school year she would not do her spring musical. It falls right at the end of audition season (she has an audition on the Saturday of show weekend) and right before tech for her PA Shakespeare show (she REALLY wanted a Shakespeare before starting college). Today her HS friends are at auditions. She was on the verge last night of auditioning for “tree 3” just to be part of the show but, after sleeping on it, realized it just won’t work with her audition schedule. Timing is everything. It’s tough for her since she’s participated in some way in all of her HS shows. Sigh.
Yes, the wait. It’s funny. We finally uploaded the last of the pre-screens last night and I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I thought - oh no - we’re in the dead zone. We’ll be waiting for weeks now with no news! Then I realized - wait a minute - there is no dead zone. We have to start thinking about scholarship applications now. And before we know it, February will be here. (Hear the horror music in the background of that statement!) As we finalized requested dates for call-backs, etc. I realized that we have unifieds, followed by a potential call-back the Friday of Unifieds week, followed by two weekends of performances for the spring musical, followed by another potential call-back the next weekend. I have a feeling we will be ready to collapse by March 4th.
@artskids I totally feel for you and your daughter. I completely get how she feels so torn and I am so sorry she won’t get to be in the school’s musical. As I read your post my heart felt that agonizing decision/ reality and I just wanted to give you both a “virtual” hug. No one “GETS THIS” like a fellow MT hopeful gets this. I hope your daughter has an amazing audition season and lots of YES acceptances. This is a tremendously difficult process to go through. My daughter has had to make some similar decisions and I am grateful for the encouragement I feel when I read other posts and am reminded that there are other people who really understand even when sometimes I feel like the people in her life at high school might not. Hang in there!
Life is full of tough calls. in 2014 @artskids’s oldest S and my D were faced with a similar dilemma, and chose to do the shows (they went to HS together). My D actually cut a school, (Rutgers) b/c their callback weekend was the weekend of the show. If I recall correctly - S had his final audition the day before 12 hour Sunday tech. It was brutal. But it was what they picked. My D looked at it as an important right of passage- a farewell to a section of her life - and was willing to make the sacrifices in other areas (aka cutting the one school) in order to make that happen. But it’s a totally individual call. I remember asking her, “what are you going to look back and remember - the auditions, or the show?” For her, the show was the choice - she was (and is) very close to the program director. As with so many other things, do what works for YOU - but I would recommend having the kid think about the bigger picture.
The choice was really made for D when she explained her conflicts to the director yesterday. This time, it just will not work no matter what else she was willing to sacrifice. So be it. She’s good with it - she’ll do some sort of small crew assignment to stay involved with her friends. She knew this was likely to happen last year and treated that one as her last HS musical.
@speezagmom - I can relate. I let D relax and celebrate for a few days. Last night I said, “you know, tomorrow I am going to start asking you about those honors essays.” Death stare back :))
Any kid who is happy with the choice they make is on the right path