<p>Sorry for all of you that were disappointed. This will be but a blip a few months from now when your sons/daughters (or you yourself) are happy at the school you were meant to be at. </p>
<p>One must remember that even if you enter the admissions process with an advantage: known entity, good feedback, attractive etc. the one thing you have no control over is who else is there with their own advantages. Perhaps a younger sibling of someone in the program, or the granddaughter of the man the library is named after, someone even more attractive AND ethnic, somebody unattractive because they need that to mix things up (as seen by the video :)) or somebody who is just plain deemed to have more talent in that audition slice since that’s all it is. None of what somebody else brings to the table is within our control and when you are talking such a small number of seats, there simply are not enough to go around for everyone advantage or not.</p>
<p>I found it (interesting/shocking/odd) - take your pick - that one audition coach had three of his students called for MT. It’s over on the MT board. An audition coach was not even in our vocabulary when this all started. My son was lucky to have participated in a lot of plays in high school and in the community, as well as one professional show, and he just auditioned (with material that he picked and worked on on his own)and applied to the schools on his list. We never thought there was more to it than that. Certainly not knocking anyone with a coach! I just never knew there were so many ways to get to the same point - an acceptance in a school of your choice. He is blessed, as many are on CC, to have an acceptance in hand and its a school that he really feels is the right one for him - he just wants to hear from the rest to put this thing to bed :).</p>
<p>I couldnt’ agree more halflokum on what you said… you never know who knows who and in this industry that’s exactly how it all works anyway with probably a few exceptions. I think of ALLLL the money these schools make with having these kids not only pay the application fees but then the audition fees and to fill only 12 - 20 seats… well makes me wonder about the whole process. I am a mom with her first child applying for colleges never mind what had to be done preparing for auditions. Boy have a learned A TON! My D is going to be successful no matter where she goes simply because she has a strong determination to be successful. Congratulation to everyone for chasing their dreams !!</p>
<p>My kids only applied to schools and programs that if they were accepted- would gladly have attended. They both went into the auditions with open minds and did their best at every audition. If they got accepted to a BFA program- great- if not- they just moved on! MOVED ON! When my daughter auditioned for Rutgers, her audition was about 5 minutes total time and they said nothing to her when she was done. When she came out of the room, she said- well, I did my best but I guess I’m not what they were looking for. That’s it. She ended up getting into their BA program but she decided to go elsewhere. She didn’t put all her eggs in one basket.</p>
<p>These kids who attend a college summer program are just a small sampling of who actually auditions for their program. Since they are with kids who share the same love of theatre, of course they get attached and also attached at the school. To go to a summer program in hope of gaining an advantage is just crazy- and expensive! Attending for the love of theatre and meeting new friends is something else though.</p>
<p>Both of my kids are attractive but they or I never thought that would gain entrance into a “top tier” program. Their confidence, preparedness, stellar grades, and charisma certainly helped though. I certainly did not post my disappointments (which there were none) on a message board though.</p>
<p>We all know CMU is NOT the only good program out there!</p>
<p>Congratulations Supportive that your S or D has gotten into a theatre program that he or she likes. Some of us have gotten to know one another and have supported one another through the trials and tribulations of this process and posting disappointments has been one mechanism that some posters have been able to help manage the stress in their households throughout this process. Some have posted these publicly and others privately. I am very grateful for the public and private support that my new online friends have offered on this message board as have I for them for disappointments and accomplishments. And I have a feeling some of these folks will become off message board friends as well and together we will help one another through parenting our children through the trials and tribulations of the mystery of the entertainment industry that they have chosen to embark upon.</p>
<p>I totally get that mom2gals. I’m just not a fan of going on and on about someone not getting into a school or one that went to the summer program of that school and not getting in. For the record, my daughter did not like the theatre program she got in to. For a lot of really good reasons, she decided to minor in theatre at her school- which she absolutely loves. I fully support her decision because it had more to do with her and not the program. I, too, have met many great cyber friends on this board so I understand that. :)</p>
<p>Well, supportive, if you didn’t have any disappointments, you couldn’t share them then? My daughter also chose to only audition for schools she would be happy to attend. Even at Unifieds when she was considering walk-ins she spent an evening researching (as best she could) the programs that were there to make sure they had what she was looking for, at least at a glance. She only came up with 3 there that she would attempt a walk-in for, and only managed to get in to audition for 1 of them. (which boosted her total to 10 auditions) I’ve heard of kids on here that did all the walk-ins that they could, just to “pass time” or for “practice”. No way was D going to do that.</p>
<p>Dramamammaof4, I echo your remarks about never having heard of an audition coach before. It was only after starting the audition process and chatting with other parents in the waiting areas that I found out about such things. Like your son, my daughter just found monologues (with the help of friends and teachers from her summer program) and worked on them herself without the input of a professional. She also found her songs, but does have a voice teacher who helped her with those and even recorded accompaniment for her to use. Other than that she was flying by the seat of her pants. It all worked out in the end, but after the first couple auditions when she was entertaining the idea of a gap year, I did email a couple of coaches to get an idea of the cost and how it could be done remotely with some visits. Geography definitely plays a role in the process. What you have available to you in terms of information and resources can really help the process go smoother. Fortunately that is not a path we need to take, but it would have been nice to know. Live an learn.</p>
<p>I was not disappointed with my kids or the colleges. I was a little disappointed in the confusion of Rutgers last year (and I did post that generally) as were many parents but I just moved on. If that was truly the place that was meant to be for my daughter, then it would have happened. My son only auditioned for 2 acting programs. He was also accepted to other schools for film/television and classical guitar. He was all over the place. He got rejected from one school and waitlisted at another but he just shrugged it off. I have always been a firm believer that things happen and work out for a reason. :)</p>
<p>I do have to share that many times, an exit from one place can really the entrance to another. My D was extremely disappointed her senior year when a new high school director didn’t cast her at all in their musical! Then she auditioned for Anne Frank at a semi-professional theatre, and after three callbacks, landed the role, which was a formative experience. The key is to not internalize the rejections, and to keep moving forward. Easier said than done. That’s why I find it so helpful to read these threads and share experiences.</p>
<p>This business is brutal, and the most brutal part, I think, are the rejections. You have to keep moving forward and not dwell on what you can’t change or fix. Once they’re in college, of course, they then face navigating college, landing internships, auditioning for roles. Then they graduate and they have to support themselves and try to find a way to keep going with their art. For all this they need resilience and strength, the ability to pick yourself up after a major disappointment and just keep going. So, to look on the positive side, this experience with CMU (and other schools) is part of the process of becoming an artist. Part of their journey.</p>
<p>Supportive — If you are not “a fan of going on and on about someone not getting into a school or one that went to the summer program of that school and not getting in” perhaps you should refrain in the future from opening threads like “CMU calls” in the future? In addition, threads like “CMU calls” are also frequently where kids and parents express disappointment. So if you’d rather not read about such things, I’d again suggest avoiding such threads.</p>
<p>I’m glad your kids were able to handle rejection and just shrug it off and “move on” without disappointment. My experience with my daughter and other acting kids is that they generally feel things too deeply to do that. Nothing wrong with a little grieving before moving on if that is the way it feels.</p>
<p>I’m also glad to hear your daughter did not “put all her eggs in one basket.” Having applied to 13 schools in addition to CMU, I can safely say my daughter did not “put all her eggs” in the CMU basket.</p>
<p>Thank you as well for your point that going to “a summer program in hope of gaining an advantage is just crazy- and expensive!” I couldn’t agree more. My daughter’s reasons for going included making friends, experience a college away conservatory (she’d done a day one the year before), developing her skills and college prep work on monologues among other reasons. Yes, she had thought CMU was the school she wanted to go to and she did fall in love with it when she was there so she certainly strived to impress the faculty but no more than she did the year before when she went to the Stella Adler Teen conservatory. </p>
<p>I’m also happy to hear that your kids did not think that being attractive was enough to gain an acceptance to a top-tier program. Neither does mine. It was feedback from several non-school sources that led us to believe she had the chance at being accepted to a top-tier program. As for her looks, I think for some top-tier programs like Purchase, her looks actually worked against her as it was not the “edgy, scruffy” look that seemed to be the mold. My point in bringing up her looks is that she looks like a CMU kid and certainly would have blended in well with the kids from the video.</p>
<p>ActingDad, I’m really sorry about CMU for your D. You have been so helpful in our search and provided enormous help in our decision to go ED at CMU. I was so sure she would get in. I wish her the very best at UNCSA.</p>
<p>Rejection is always hard. Even if it’s not from your top choice. Especially with college rejections it comes a few doubts - Why didn’t they take me? Is it because of my grades? My essay? Is it because I swear in my monologue? Is it because I’m ugly? Am I good enough?</p>
<p>Some of these doubts will eventually disappear and others will just be easier to deal with as we get older. It’s not easy to hear a “no, thanks” when you’ve put all your heart into it and dreamt about it and exposed yourself. It’s even worse when we’re talking about a specific role that you know you’re PERFECT for it and has been dreaming about playing that role ever since you read that play in high school.</p>
<p>I admire people who can just shrug it off. I’m not one of those people.</p>
<p>When I didn’t get a callback for Central School (it was my first college audition ever and a top choice along with CalArts), I felt like I wasn’t gonna get into any college and wanted to give up. My mom was in another continent and couldn’t hug me and tell me things were gonna be fine. I also didn’t have time for that, as I had another audition the next day. She basically told me “I’m not gonna feel sorry for you. You still have 2 more to go. It’s gonna be stupid of you to just miss the opportunity to do well in the other two and just be crying about this one.” I never thought I’d hear that from my mom, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.</p>
<p>ActingDad: I met your daughter on facebook and she’s indeed the CMU type and I’m sorry she didn’t get in. Although I’m a firm believer that we all end up where we need to be. Needless to say, UNCSA is great. Everyone is talking about CMU’s showcase video, but no one mentioned UNCSA’s (ok, this is class of 2012, but I think it’s much cooler than CMU’s and it doesn’t have that fake “we’re so happy running around in the snow” thing): [UNCSA</a> School of Drama Showcase 2012 - YouTube](<a href=“UNCSA School of Drama Showcase 2012 - YouTube”>UNCSA School of Drama Showcase 2012 - YouTube)</p>
<p>Ugadog: I also met your daughter on facebook she “found me out”.</p>
<p>ActingDad and others, so sorry for your children’s disappointment. Last year when my D didn’t get into her first choice LAC (not an actor), she was sooooo sad. I validated those feelings and didnt try to talk her out of them. After a couple days I suggested that when she was ready, she ought to look at the website of her second choice school, to which she had been accepted, to remember some of the things she loved about it. She already had. </p>
<p>I believe feelings are valid and OK, and when we allow our children their feelings, they “move on” in a natural and healthy manner. </p>
<p>It sounds like your D will be heading in that same direction, ActingDad. I look forward to hearing about her in the future (as a mom of a S a year behind)</p>
<p>Thank you ugadog and milkshakespeare for the kind words. And thanks to you
mom2gals as well. I look forward to keeping in touch as to how life unfolds.</p>
<p>Milkshakespeare, between you and me, I think my daughter is more a UNCSA kid than a CMU kid. She just needs some more exposure to UNCSA to reach that conclusion.</p>
<p>Not that this is the point of this thread, but I just wanted to add a comment concerning the “look” Purchase is after. I don’t think they are actually against conventionally pretty people.
I know a girl who got in, very pretty… Blond hair, blue eyes and thin. The whole Barbie look.
(She hated it there and left the program )</p>
she “found me out”.</p>