Nexus at Texas State. My friend’s child just got put on Priority Hold and mentioned the offers.
Wait-so Texas State potentially already filled 1/4 of their spots for the Class of '22?! My D isn’t applying/auditioning there-but if she were, we probably wouldn’t make the trip, given that info. GREAT for those kids though-to not have to spend the $$$ and time on applications, travel, etc.
Can you imagine? I would so be handing them a deposit check and calling it a day. My dd isn’t going to apply there anyway but if she were I think we would be doing some reevaluating since they already have commitments. i am secretly hoping that the school my daughter is attending their summer intensive at falls in love with her and gives her some sort of offer. I know they won’t but I can dream…
I don’t think priority hold means they were accepted does it? It’s like a waitlist. I could be wrong.
@bisouu I was thinking the same thing. I remember a couple of kids in the past that were on priority hold with Texas State right up to the bitter end only to not get accepted. It sounds like they are extending early interest, but I would be very surprised if they were actually making firm offers at this point. Regardless, if someone is passionate about auditioning for Texas State I would not let this news be a deterrent.
My kid was at Nexus, this is our understanding…Priority hold means they are in strong consideration for admission. They will still be required to submit additional materials (application essays, recommendation letters, etc), but not go through prescreen and audition process again. Tthey did a video audition for admission to Nexus, and completed a full college audition with dance call during Nexus.
We know of one full admission offer that went out. It went to a male student who by the second class on the first day of Nexus my (not-easily-impressed) kid had singled out as one of the most talented students they’d ever seen…anywhere. If he does not accept the offer this summer and decides to take his chances auditioning for other schools, his offer will convert to a priority hold and his spot will not be guaranteed. As a parent it sounds the dream we probably all have, but it’s also a massively heavy decision for a 17-18yo to pull himself from the audition circuit without seeing what his other options might have been. There’s also the issue of academic acceptance and making a decision before finding out about financial aid, etc… And honestly from what I’ve seen of this student, if my kid was a senior I’d be hoping he accepts the offer and pulls himself out of the audition pool for the rest of the schools. 
We haven’t heard about any other full offers or of anyone already accepting an offer (not that they don’t exist, we just haven’t heard of them). We have heard of multiple priority holds and a few juniors who were selected to skip prescreens during their senior year. I understand why people might be frustrated about spots being gone before they’ve even had the opportunity to try, but I also feel like the possibility of 1-3 spots being taken out of 12-14, when they were already seeing hundreds, doesn’t really change most of the auditioning students chances all that much. Kaitlin is looking for really specific things and if Texas is their fit they’ll get their spot.
Being placed on Priority Hold at Texas State should be considered a great accomplishment! But also be aware that Texas State will put many people on Priority Hold during the audition process
Be aware that Priority Hold is by no means an offer of admission. It is their way of letting you know they feel you have something that interests them. BUT… they need to see the rest of their auditions before they know for sure if they can extend an offer to you.
If things run similarly to previous years, the majority of those on Priority Hold will not end up with a final offer from Texas State. If you read threads about their process, they tend to let go of Priority Holds in stages. And there will be a few that aren’t let go until the very bitter end. The wait can be excruciating if it is your top program. The folks at Texas State will be very honest with you about where you stand in their process, and will even recommend you find another program you will be happy with, in case they are unable to extend an offer to you in the end. They will suggest you take yourself off the Priority Hold list if the wait is too stressful and you need a decision sooner than they are able to give one. I do think they try to be as transparent as possible about where you stand in their process. But their process may not be over until the very last day of extending offers. And you need to be prepared for whatever their decision may be in the end.
So - while a Priority Hold at Texas State is definitely worthy of celebrating, I would send these words of caution to anyone on Priority Hold at Texas State – do not assume you will get an offer because you’ve been put on Priority Hold. Obviously they recognize your talent and see something in you that appeals to them. You should feel really great about that! BUT… keep searching for a school you really love in case Texas State doesn’t come through for you in the end.
p.s. D’s year they extended an offer in the Fall to one really outstanding boy also. And possibly even one girl, as I recall, before Christmas. If they see someone they just can’t live without, or feel has something unique they won’t find in anyone else, they will make early offers. But for everyone else, they use Priority Hold to earmark those they want to consider down the road before deciding on their final offers.
For me it’s similar to passing a prescreen…
Yes, I agree, re what Priority Hold means. What @addicted2MT said is that 3 OFFERS went out, besides one PL. If that’s the case, I personally would not be booking a flight for my kid to audition at Texas State. Two years ago, Elon filled all audition spots (based on prescreen) by a very early date: 11/1 or earlier. We are in state-an hour away-and my D had incredibly talented cohorts (currently studying at Pace, Emerson, NYU) who would have loved to have studied close to home…and missed out. Last year, Elon adjusted their prescreen policy-and they probably had an opportunity to presreen, and audition, many more kids. I do not doubt for a second that Kaitlin/TX State “identified” 3+ super talented kids that are a fit for their program, if the info at hand is correct. And again, good for them (and their parents): I merely and humbly suggest that I personally would not be encouraging my D to pursue one of the remaining spots. Slim odds, minus 25%.
Adds a wrinkle to the summer program game. I have always said that one of the best parts of doing a college program at a top choice school is the opportunity to have the faculty see your work/talent for more than 5 min - having it bring an early offer is a whole other level!
@toowonderful - I agree wholeheartedly! New meaning for summer programs if full offers dangle as a possibility at the end of the camp. And, yes, I warned my friend about tempering expectations as a result of a Priority Hold. Already many kids from the camp ended on PH. They know many others will be in PH from TXST and are taking it in stride. However, 3 children (2 from Florida & 1 from Austin)have already been offered a spot in their MT Class of 2022. From what I understand, for sure one boy and the girl have accepted! Not sure about the 2nd boy.
@owenfolks I can see that. My kid’s been talking to their friends made at Nexus daily and we still haven’t heard of three offers, just the one…which was to a guy with a very particular type, and to our knowledge hasn’t been accepted yet (and is not guaranteed until accepted). Unless my kid was that exact type, I wouldn’t think the guy’s offer hurt my kid’s chances. Like yeah, if 3 petite sopranos got offers and accepted and my kid’s a petite soprano, I’d probably reconsider. But otherwise it seems like the odds are about the same, because they are looking to fill out a group of different types and my petite soprano was never going to get this guys slot. FWIW, my kid isn’t a senior yet. I fully admit that I might feel completely different when it’s our money, time, and energy on the line.
*I just saw @addicted2MT’s post above and she has different info than us, but same point stands
Wow; talk about a nice senior year! We know kids who have been offered (and accepted) spots in the fall but don’t personally know anyone who did it over the summer. Amazing. I guess Texas State knows what they want!
Has anyone here used My College Audition (or have any experience with them)? I am looking into using them in a limited amount for some guidance and coaching and just want to make sure they are worth it. I am about an hour away from Boston where they are based so they seem like the obvious choice for college coaching but would anyone say MTCA or Mary Anna Dennard would be the better options (even if it meant working over skype)? They are all crazy expensive and I saw online that some people felt MTCA was hard to get into contact with. Any advice?
@MThopeful99 - over the past several years there have been many glowing reports on this forum from students/parents who have had success with My College Audition (Chelsa Diehl), as well as many, many positive reports from people who used MTCA and Mary Anna Dennard. I would recommend contacting all three to find the one seems to be the best fit for your student. Ask lots of questions about their approaches: finding monologues and songs, artistic coaching process, assessment of student competitiveness, building a balanced list, mock auditions, private auditions, presence at Unifieds, help managing the process, help in making a final decision, pricing and packages, etc.
@MThopeful99 My son is working with Mary Anna Dennard and I think she’s been invaluable. He has done 4 sessions with her over Skype and will do the last two sessions in-person at her studio in Dallas. I would not characterize her fees as “crazy expensive,” but he’s doing Acting, not MT. I think retaining her has been the best decision we’ve made so far. My son loved working with her over Skype and thinks she’s an amazing acting coach. I’m sure the other coaches are good too though.
The early acceptances/Priority Waitlists also stir up the often asked, “Which is better-coaching, or intensive?” question Bottom line, in my opinion, is that there is no one correct answer: Both can be invaluable.
@MThopeful99 I was the person who said MTCA was hard to get in touch with. That was just in the very beginning…,once we had the consultation and my D was assigned a coach it was all good. I thank God for them! Could not have done it without for sure! I know that @type1mom had a bad experience with one of the three well known coaches…I will not gossip about who it was here but you may want to PM her.
@MThopeful99 Regarding the expense: MCA was very flexible with us on coaching options – D started very late in the season (Thanksgiving!) so ended up crafting a much smaller, prioritized “package” after her initial consult with Chelsea based on what she needed the most. The initial consult was where D performed the audition material she had at the time and talked with Chelsea about what she wanted, and got her input on schools to target. That was the only meeting (all were via skype) where I was present - the rest were up to D. We started small and added more later; D was able to say - let’s add one more of these kinds of sessions, etc. as she took the initial, smaller set, based on how helpful they were to her. There is a “Cadillac” MT package that is pricey but includes a ton of sessions and an in-person workshop in December, I believe. Definitely reach out to Chelsea to talk it through - she is pretty easy to talk to/work with if you tell her what you are looking for and what your limitations may be.
I’m catching up after a while not visiting CC. Lucky person/people getting accepted to TX State - fantastic for them! For others in summer programs who fall in love with a school, PLEASE BE WARY ABOUT GREAT FEEDBACK!!! We have a very good friend (not on CC) who fell madly in love with a program last summer before her senior year. She was one of the “stars” of the showcase; her parents were told how talented their child was and how excited they were that she would be auditioning for them. I tried (gently!) to warn them that they shouldn’t rely on that, but they all thought an acceptance was guaranteed. She auditioned in the fall and was crushed when she was not accepted. Luckily she found out early so she could focus on other schools and was accepted into a program she’s happy with.