@akapiratequeen - I wish I could tell you exactly when we’ll be at NYU . . . we still don’t have official word on the exact date, apparently because they delayed all of their jazz auditions by one week or more.
@WestOfPCH Sorry to hear this! Keep me posted!
I think if you DO have a top choice, it’s best to express that. Repeatedly. Music teachers are just as interested in Yield as the university admissions department. No one wants to accept the three best players that day, only to find out they are all going elsewhere. A bird in the hand is worth 20 undecided applicants.
My D also auditioned for one acting program and a handful of MT programs. It’s common to hire a “coach” in those areas. My D met with a Juillard trained actor for monologue choices and some practice the summer prior. She sat on a variety of audition panels over the years. Her main message to my D about any questions was to be absolutely honest. She said that panels have heard it all…and prefer honest, straight-forward answers. If you give vague, strained or canned answers, she said that the panel will probably see it for what it is…less than honest. She never told my D how to answer the questions. She only told her to “reflect” on questions like “what are you looking for in program” or “why our school” or “what’s your number one school”. If she didn’t have a good answer that lined up with the school, she shouldn’t audition there. For number 1 school, my D didn’t have one. I don’t know if she was ever asked that for UG. For grad school, she was honest in that all schools were in consideration…and money would be a determining factor. One safety school did seem to try to probe the issue…and she was forthright that she was interested for a variety of reasons and thought it could be a good financial fit. She got a very good offer as they had a heads up on the money issue. Being honest and thoughtful is better than vague.
@WestOfPCH Did you get NYU Jazz response? That particular group within Steinhardt seem very disorganized. Son keeps getting emails to send in feedback on the admission process, instead of any actual information from the process! I have half a mind to just respond to the feedback request saying ‘you suck’, but I don’t think my son will appreciate that.
@dsinha, I’m with you on NYU. That is the only prescreening result that has not come in yet for my son. It’s not a good look for them.
@dsinha and @lkbux64 – Nope, nothing official from NYU Jazz yet. (Ugh)
I reached out last week and got unofficial word that the auditions are being moved back one week to the first full week of March; at the time, the website (https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/jazz/undergraduate/audition) still said that auditions would be held Feb 25-28. As of 2 minutes ago, it looks like the revised dates are now official with the website saying they will be held Mar 4-7.
My son is also getting the emails requesting feedback on the admission process . . .
@WestOfPCH thanjs for the update on the NYU auditions!
@WestOfPCH @lkbux64 It’s crazy. Most schools are reporting final decisions from mid-March. They’re really cutting it fine.
What should happen after the audition? Should there be a follow up email? A hand written thank you? I think there was a 4 person panel and S could figure out at least 2 of the names. One of the panel members asked S to do a Skype lesson with him and gave him his name/number. When should my S contact him? How long is too long to not contact him? Its a busy week and we are leaving for out of state on Thursday…can it wait until we are back? Or should he contact him tomorrow, even if only to set something up after February 1st when things calm down a bit? Any insight will help. This is our first rodeo!
If it’s any consolation, my son just got his audition time for SDSU today. Hope you guys hear from NYU soon.
Great question, @Propinquity4444. I’m curious, as well.
@Propinquity4444 - I’m super curious, too. One of the professors at Temple gave S his card, so I’m thinking a follow-up email is probably in order - especially as they gave S some advice about getting a lesson from our symphony’s lead percussionist. But, maybe others have different advice?
About NYU…Very frustrating…Maybe, NYU admission office is reviewing all other materials first (academic, EC, recommendation letters, essays) to make accept / reject decisions, then making final decisions by auditions on 3/4-3/7. All NYC schools’ auditions (Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard and The New School) are in the week of early March this year. And all of these schools will notify by April 1st.
My S does thank you emails where there is a personal connection/conversation — an interviewer who provides a card or someone he’s emailed with and is meeting for the first time. He hasn’t been sending them to panels.
@JeJeJe my son is auditioning at NYU for Music Ed and the audition is 2/9. There’s no introduction, meeting, or schedule — you show up for your audition time (ready to play as they don’t guarantee practice rooms), play for 10 minutes and you are done. Will report back after we go!
@sbjdorlo what is your S auditioning for? the horn coach there is my D’s regular teacher. State is a great school. Many in our family have gone there. If you have any questions… feel free to PM me
@mperrine, my son is a cellist and we know the cello professor is top notch (principal cellist of the symphony). It would be the cheapest option for my son if he can get in. I’m not worried about his cello playing; mostly concerned about the academics because he’s a transfer student and is just on the cusp of not having enough of the right kind of units to transfer in. It’s my alma mater, too.
Who’s the horn coach now?
@Propinquity4444 On the thank you note question, I agree with @akapiratequeen. I don’t think there is a wrong answer, and doing nothing is probably the most common thing. I talked my D into sending a thank you note to a whole audition panel after one of her early auditions, but she said it felt forced. She now only sends a note to any voice teacher that made time for a lesson or let her sit in on another students lesson, and maybe if an interview seemed to be a particular connection.
@Propinquity4444 Just to add that he almost always gets a personal response. So he has definitely found it to be worthwhile.
@propinquity4444 - I agree with @akapiratequeen
Panels - It is not necessary to “dig up” the names of the teachers on the panel and send a “thank you” card. This is more common in the MT world, I think. But we never did it.
Personal attn from a teacher - if you have a lesson or get any type of contact from a teacher then yes it would be appropriate to do a short follow-up. I think a short thank-you email is fine. My D has done email and cards…as the mood moves her. I have trusted her opinion on if the contact warranted a follow-up.
So if a teacher took the time to hand you a card…why not? Just a quick “thank you, I’m excited about your school” email would be fine. As for the lesson…my gut instinct would be NOT to wait on a response. If it was last weekend, I would make sure my kid got a quick follow-up to the teacher by the end of the week. He could indicate that he is traveling for more auditions and ask if a particular week (once he is back) would be good for a sample lesson. He could also indicate in that email times that he available. Obviously he is in school…so he could ask about a week, maybe a Tues or Wed after 4:00. I would keep the conversation moving forward. Again this is my OPINION … so others may vary.
Edit @Lendlees - the card comment was for you.