@toowonderful - you just won the internet. Good summary regarding opinions on the options available to MT/A families. We all want to give our kids every encouragement and support, and when we don’t do “all the things” while other folks “do the things”… It’s just hard. There are certainly no guarantees in this process (or this biz), we all just do the best we can with what we have. BAL to all the kids still waiting on decisions and WL movement!
Just for the record @beachymom and @toowonderful , in case you’re throwing some shade in your comments regarding me having my opinion as to private auditions because we did NOT participate in them and I have sour grapes , I can assure you that is not the case .
I do not regret not putting my kid in private MT auditions and would not partake in them if she were auditioning now.
I did all I had at my disposal when my D was applying to schools for MT & am ok with what we did and didn’t do. So @beachymom I actually did “all the things” that we could do at that time .
Tbh I am SO glad I do not have a horse in this race anymore . I apparently need to leave this forum also as it doesn’t seem to value any opinion that does not coincide with the majority.
So, gang - I think we have all exhausted this topic and I suggest that we all back off. We aren’t going to convince one another of our respective positions and feelings are clearly getting hurt. So, I respectfully suggest that the moderator close this thread. I think that future parents have more than enough information to make their on decisions on this issue and thrashing it out anymore is just counterproductive.
@theaterwork - you completely misunderstand me- I was trying to SUPPORT your viewpoint. Though I remember reading about your journey, I have no memory of what your kid did/didn’t do. What I am saying is that we tend to hope we put our resources in the right places … visiting/not visiting before applying, campus/unifieds, summer program/local shows, coach/no coach, on and on. Every one of us wants the best for our kid, any of us would be horrified if there was a secret system that we had missed. But the best we can do is help our kid choose a path, trust they will work hard, and hope for that little bit of magic “luck” that may make the difference
@theaterwork - I promise you weren’t getting any shade from me. Earlier in this thread, I posted that I always welcome differing opinions and I meant it. I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything, all I really want is for folks to know their options and not feel judged for picking the tools that they choose to takealong on this journey. I’m truly sorry if anything I said made you feel any differently.
Re my comment about doing “all the things”, I was referring to taking advantage of every option/tool that is available - very few people could ever do that, meaning very few could do all options. Most folks don’t have an unlimited budget! (Again, no shade to those that do.) We certainly couldn’t do it all! But just like you, we selected the options that were best for us, allocated our budget accordingly, and went for it! I never said anything to imply that any CC parent didn’t provide all the options they could for their kid.
Hope that makes sense. Again, never meant to hurt your feeling or make you feel unwelcome. 
We used a coach and found it extremely valuable so I do believe in coaching; however, It does make me cringe when I see Moo out to dinner/drinks socially with heads of programs and then see that she gets a significant number of her students in these programs that defy statistics. Especially when most of her marketing centers around their students’ acceptances.
She also brings a ton of business to these same program heads with master classes throughout the year for which I imagine they get paid well on the side and Moo does all the marketing. We have even participated in these ourselves.
Yes, the accepted students were very talented—-but so many others are too. But, we can’t focus on that and I tell my D to just keep being the best version of herself and get back up and go after every audition.
@loribelle Your daughter will already be ahead of the game with the attitude of perseverance that you’ve instilled in her!
Many coaches and college faculty members are mutually engaged in masterclasses, camps, intensives, etc. We did not take part in these options, but I’m certain they are a very valuable tool. I am not privy to any of the details regarding payment for presenters/instructors, as I’m just a parent.
I don’t think anything is wrong with steering clear of people or programs that make you uncomfortable, MT or otherwise. If schools who participate in fee or invite-only events give you pause as to their character or philosophies, that’s an option. And one that you shouldn’t feel judged over.
I also cannot speak as to how programs rank and select kids, but I fully believe that schools are more interested in admitting the highest most marketable talent, who are the best mutual fit for their individual programs. These departments rely on successful alum as their biggest advertisement.
@theaterwork oh not at all! I didn’t feel judged. I just was speaking to the cost and format of CAP. I love your input here!
Comparisons to sports recruiting are very troubling as that is a system rife with corruption (see Rick Pitino). Of course, many millions more dollars there.
@PhilipM Oh, yes. I was just being silly with my commentary about teenage arts recruiting going the way of high school sports recruiting. Although I am positive that performing arts faculty keeps note on any kids of high interest who they engage with.
@PhilipM I don’t think we need to worry until the big studios and Broadway investors start putting money into college theatre programs the way athletic apparel companies put money into basketball and football. I do wish they would invest more, as it is a development program for the talent they seek, but I don’t see it happening.
@after89, you maybe right, but corruption can take a variety of forms. In college sports, at least in the most recent situation, money goes from sponsor to player as directed by the coach because coach wants to win and in one and done era, players have some leverage. I don’t see that dynamic emerging in MT either. But unethical outside coaches/admissions couselors finding ways to pay college admissions folks to rig the system, very much like the recent scandal, certainly seems plausible. If I were running a collge admissions program for a highly competeive program, I certainly would be taking a hard look at my program’s relationships with outside consultants for any whiff of impropriety.
@lovetoact thanks for sharing! Nothing in that article surprises me in the least and I hope that there is further investigation into all college admissions.
@lovetoact Wish I was surprised, but money speaks, always has and likely always will. Maybe these latest developments with the big scandal will help keep colleges on their toes, at least for a while.