On a personal note, my own kid had experience in theater and also trained in voice and dance, but we did not have acting where we lived and so that was an area she did not have training in, though had acted in plenty of shows. When she got the Priority Waitlist from CMU for ACTING (she was a MT applicant), I considered it some affirmation of some ability with acting, even though not trained with acting. I do think even for successful applicants, there is an “it” factor or natural ability as part of the puzzle.
@artskids Glad you brought up the “it” factor. I don’t think one can coach someone to have the “it” factor (like you said, if they could, they’d be rich). I think having vocal, dance, and acting chops matter, but there is a fourth piece, the “it” factor. You can’t coach that. It is something that just seems to be a natural thing for some. If you watch a high school production, you often can pinpoint who has the “it” factor, even if they are in the ensemble.
@CTDramaMom. To be clear, I never said they might push one student over another…that’s not what I meant by “advocating”. But there are coaches who are in touch with schools prior to auditions and that’s the point I’m trying to make - i do believe there can be some level of support/advocacy that some coaches can provide directly with the school. Anytime they are in direct contact with a school, that’s where it kinda rubs some folks the wrong way. Otherwise, I do agree if they are hands-off with the schools then they are no different than an SAT prep tutor, college coach, etc. I’m not against college coaches…but I agree it will be interesting to see how the college coaching industry progresses in light of recent events.
In any event, I think this debate has strayed way off from the original poster’s concern… :))
Just a question - how many people would still use Moo if she did not do Moonifieds? That cost savings from traveling to other auditions seems to be a big driver for folks. Just kind of curious.
What an interesting discussion.
In terms of the “it” factor, it has been very interesting to watch this with my kid’s peer group. One person can think somebody has “it” and another person can not be inspired by that talent at all in the very same person. I guess that’s where the subjective part comes in 
One final thought. I am hoping that in the future, there will be more access to people who want to pursue the arts with more limited means. Using the SAT analogy, there are a lot of free or low cost resources that are effective (e.g., the Khan Academy advertises it raises SAT by 160 points) and I am hopeful that with time, there is an easier way for people to have access to resources so they can perform their best. It seems like a shared vision, so excited to see where that may go in the future.
Again, I have no problem with coaching. I looked at the Moonifieds website for the coaching service that runs it. It certainly promises premier access to the schools and programs. What I was surprised to see, and have an even bigger problem with, is having faculty or program directors of some of the top MT programs pictured and giving glowing testimonials about the service. That seems to me a clear ethical conflict, whether or not there is actually bias in their decision making. Also, I would be interested in how schools are reimbursed to attend Moonifieds or similar; if they are paid by the coaching service to attend, even if just covering expenses, then again I have an ethical issue with that.
None of this is relevant for my kid, who has no access to any of that and we wouldn’t have used those services for cost reasons, but it does make you say “hmmmm”…
My daughter is now a college sophomore in a BFA MT program at a small private university so I don’t have a dog in this fight. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed stopping back by here and finding this thread. How interesting the different opinions are and how wonderful that we can all discuss them with so much respect for others opinions. We didn’t even know about college coaches when we started our journey. Everyone has their own path in this complicated MT/Theatre audition world and it doesn’t stop after the kids are admitted. It’s not an easy road for students and sometimes not nearly as fun as they thought it would be. Resiliency goes a LONG way and if you can teach your kid that, they will definitely fare better once they get to their college program. And, for the record, I agree with the statement above that preparation is key, whether it’s in the form of a college MT coach or in the form of researching and working it all out on their own. Like the saying goes: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
@soozievt Agree you can’t coach “it”. I was being a little tongue and cheek but I think the message is the same. Some programs are terrific at spotting and training raw talent. I still attend quite a few HS performances as my 4th is still a high schooler and I agree raw talent is easy to spot!
@MTTwinsinCA2 No - I am sorry to see you go. I have really enjoyed your insight!
@artskids Agree with you (post 68).
Agree @CanaDad . Its kind of the definition of conflict of interest. Like others have said, I dont have a problem with coaching as a means to prepare kids to compete, but in case of some coaches, that does not appear to be all you. You get special access to some schools. If private schools want to do that, ok,I guess they are businesses. But if they are public universities, particulalrly ones my state taxes help fund, or receive any federal funding, which most do, they have an obligation to provide a fair an open admissions process.And to various analogies to sport coaching, the scandal of the day does in fact nvolve coaches behaving unethically. I am not saying there is that kind of activity going on in the MT land. But the risk is no less real.
The college theatre audition process is not standardized in any way:
- Some performing arts high schools hold private college auditions for their students, such as Booker T. Washington in Dallas (a public high school).
- Some colleges also visit performing arts high schools and hold master classes, sometimes including individual auditions and interviews (note: these are done at the request of the college, not the high school - my d's high school had more of these requests than they could accommodate).
- Some programs also occasionally honor requests for individual auditions from teachers and coaches that they know well (I think this is rare but I know students who have done this and I know at least one coach who claims to be able to arrange this - this coach is not in the group of coaches typically mentioned on this site, by the way).
@soozievt @artskids @afterp89 - I can add something from our personal experience last year, regarding polish vs. raw. My son did not find theater until high school, and had very little formal training. By graduation, he’d been in 4 school musicals and a few plays. Realizing his passion, he transferred schools and spent junior and senoir year at a school with show choir, which allowed him some exposure to dance and movement (his weakness). He applied to two “top 5” programs, several more that are commonly found on “best” lists, and a few that are less competitive but still require auditions. He got into both of the tippy top programs, and a total of 8 out of 13 schools he auditioned for. The remaining ones were either no, waitlist or redirect.
The “top” schools - Baldwin Wallace and Carnegie Mellon - did NOT care that his resume was a few lines long and that he had very little training. On the other hand, one of his rejections was from a strong “mid-tier” program, and they did remark that his "lack of expereince " made them uneasy. 2 programs noted his lack of dance, but more his lack of natural dance intuition, not necessarily lack of skill/polish. (Spending freshman year in collegiate ballet classes has already done wonders for him.)
Point being: a few schools will look for polish, but more seemed interested in talent, personality, and the ever elusive “it” factor.
I’m piggybacking on @beachymom because i want families to know that you can do this. In so many different ways. I often see people talking about the performing arts high schools their children attend and the number of leads they have had. Or people worried that they don’t have enough leads on their resume. Performing arts schools are wonderful and leads provide opportunities for growth which can definitely contribute to making a strong candidate. But schools look beyond that. Two girls in my daughter’s class (and I am stressing girls here because yes, beachymom has a boy) had never been in a musical prior to coming to Michigan. Are they talented? yes!!! Her entire class is insanely talented. That’s the unifying factor. But they come from different places, coached and uncoached, rural and big city backgrounds, dancers and singers and blondes (plenty of them…so don’t think the cards are stacked against your blonde soprano) and students of color. get out there and audition and don’t worry about what you have or don’t have. You know what they say - you can’t move forward if you are always looking to the side!
YES @singoutlouise! All of the things your child can do and/or have: private lessons, training, PA schools, roles and show experience, coaching, summer programs, mock auditions, masterclasses, professional opportunities, geograpical advantages (living in an arts-centric area with exposure and ease of travel), etc… those are all awesome, and definitely take advantage!
But what it really comes down to is talent and mutual fit. Most (if not all) schools are not going to turn down a remarkably talented and marketable kid who “fits” their program’s design, even if they have 3 African American boys or 2 tenor doppleganagers or 4 Disney princess-types. They will create diversity, yes. But they won’t turn away a “fit” kid who they believe is coachable and will book.
I think the advice of “stay in your lane” is wise. Don’t get distracted by what your child did not do, or what other kids are doing. I also think parents need to remember that college is for education and training, and that’s a main reason why you’ll see working actors hailing from a myriad of programs. Even if your kid does not get into a “top 5” (most won’t, lottery odds) or even a “top 20”, don’t despair. Talent and dedication rise to the top, and that 4 year investment will hone the skills to match the talent.
@soozievt mentioned an assessment (or certain hallmarks that indicate talent level) prior to embarking on this audition journey. This is also very sound advice. When I used the word investment above - I was serious. The auditions alone are costly in both time and money. And 4 years of tuition payments plus your student’s blood, sweat and tears is also a investment. That assessment can help you plan your course. So invest wisely.
@Divamamacita - Interesting question about Moo’s clientele and Moonifieds.
There are several coaches to choose from, including but not limitied to: Moo/College Audition Coach, MTCA, MCA, and Dave Clemmons/CAP. Tim Evanicki/The College Audition is a newer entitiy, and seems to have good things planned for his students. Certain theater programs and studios also offer coaching, such as Paper Mill Playhouse, NYC Vocal Studio, and many others.
One of the main things that sets Moo (and 1-2 others) apart is their larger-scale fall auditions .For some families, these events are the decision-maker (for example - they live nearby, many of their schools are on the roster, they have extenuating circumstances that prohibit travel to Unifieds, or they have a tight budget and the early audition event works best for them financially) and that is the reason they chose a coach who organizes these audtitions.
If the early audition piece was a non-issue (or not available), people would likely just pick the best "fit’, much like schools. And they’d factor in things such as cost, personality, services needed, logisitics.
Moo would probably still have a sizable contingency, simply because she’s well-established, successful, proven and constantly referred.
You all are so knowledgeable! I had never heard of Mariana, MTCA, or anyone else, but we were referred to Dave and CAP auditions by a broadway casting director we’ve worked with often. I have to say that CAP in Atlanta was a dream come true for us. There is ONE and only one dance call each morning and you audition for every school there. My D not only had a handful of offers by Christmas (best presents ever), but two of her top schools were ones she would not have considered if she had been “signing up” for auditions. I’ve just seen so much on here about the other auditions and coaches- maybe they are a best kept secret? Hope this helps someone!
A great discussion happening here. I will add my brief two cents here to say that my S, now a BFA MT sophomore, would not be where he is today if not for his coach. That has nothing to do with the audition coaching or access but the fact that she suggested schools that he had not even considered, including the University of Miami. He likely would have landed somewhere, but it would not have been Miami, a program and school he fell in love with right away.
So there is more to the coaching/counseling angle than the nuts and bolts of audition prep. The coaches are often valuable resources in knowing which programs might be the best fit for a student, including schools that were never on that student’s radar.
College coaching and preparing … yes. Private auditions and live prescreens… no.
That’s where I draw the line for fairness. I think colleges like it because they see which parents are willing to pay the hefty price tags to get their kid into those schools. Also the Kids that attend the Jimmy Awards did not pay to go there they won their spots. If anything kids were encouraged not to go to college and go straight into the industry… our experience.
I have a legit question about the private audition events. Such as Moonifieds ( that name tho…)
So A ) if anyone can attend and sign up to go, what is the cost to JUST go to the private auditions ? And yes if you can’t say the exact amount then ballpark it B) Do you have to already be a client? C) where are they held? D) how many scholarships are given to those students who can’t afford to attend them? One? Several?
I agree that it’s squirrelly as i said before. Not so much for the coach but the school maybe? It seems to be walking the line of separation and ethics in admission. I mean they hold them early in the season and they know the kids who attend had to pay to be there…
I just feel like if it’s for college admission then everyone should have to apply and audition in the same manner as to what’s available at that school, so if they don’t attend Unifieds then you need to go to their campus. IF they go to Unifieds then that’s a “free “ event you just have to get yourself there and pay for the transportation expenses etc. and hotel. Yes a lot of kids can’t go for that reason but at least the event doesn’t cost anything and is open to all mid way during the season. And there are several locations for that . Again nothing private or whatever. I feel like the mt college admissions process needs to align with regular admissions to college in as much ways as possible. The audition indeed makes it unique and different but it should still be treated as a part of the process . I know of no other college admissions where you have any private group interviewing with schools for admission?
My questions are truly me wanting to know, as we didn’t know they existed my daughters year , well until later after her season was done.
Some coaches have a critical mass of applicants that make holding auditions attractive to certain schools. Just like each of us, the schools have budgets and this (like Unifieds) is a way efficiently look at a relatively large group of applicants. In the end, these large coaching orgs are facilitators with their auditions, providing value to both school and applicant.
Unsolicited cheerleading for specific candidate(s) would be shortsighted on these coaches’ part given their business model. Word would certainly get out about this practice and I would be at a minimum hesitant to use them if that were the case.
As others have said, this is a question of resource allocation. About $500 gets you in the door, plus paying for the audition itself. And note that $500 gets you something (online resource, direct coaching time) in return. That’s 5 voice lessons for my daughter, or less than 2 RT airline tickets to one stand-alone audition.
It’s not like the entry fee is $15K.