<p>Theatermom, I am glad you posted a review of your trip and of Chorus Line at UM. My daughter has asked if I could print it out for her to read and I will. My D's best friend just got invited to audition as her application was in before Sept. 15. I hope my D is as lucky. </p>
<p>Kiri, anything your daughter shares about Cap21 (college, not summer) program is most appreciated as well, considering it is also one of my D's top choices. While she has many friends in the program with whom she has spoken (diff. years), it is always great to get more perspectives, plus some from people you do not know otherwise. </p>
<p>Fosselover, </p>
<p>I can appreciate what you are saying. But I also think you may not realize that a majority of kids accepted to such selective intensive MT programs have also had a background similar to your D. For instance, you mention dance since age five, same here, plus same among several of her friends who are also applying or who currently attend. Studying piano since age seven intensively, as well as plays guitar, check. Numerous theatrical productions (my daughter, for instance, has done over 40), check. I do not say this to talk about my own child but to point out that my daughter is NOT unusual in this regard among her theater friends who are applying and who have been immersed in this field their whole lives, not just at school, and who have deep seated passions to live and breathe musical theater. My D is not normally happy not being in a show. She is ALWAYS working on a show. I can tell you that that is also true of her peers who are applicants to these programs. While there very well will be applicants who have not had your D's background, there still will be many who have and who want the level of challenge and the opportunities to perform in college. In fact, if admitted, they will be among a group of peers where they may not stand out ,where each kid has been leads many times over, and so on and so forth. If your child has ever attended a summer intensive for instance, the level of talent rises beyond what you see in your own local area, where it is easier to stand out. </p>
<p>Yes, it would be hard to not get into a big show the first semester of freshman year such as the policy at UM but it is just one semester and they are still immersed in theater. I imagine after that, if not in a mainstage show, there are many other productions going on that they can be a part of. There are also student run musicals. </p>
<p>Yes, naturally you want to find the best FIT for your child and this or some other program may not be the one for her. I applaud you for trying to find the ones that appeal the most to her. But if you do knock out programs where you feel that they do not perform the very first semester, you may be knocking out some of the most regarded programs out there. Since your daughter sounds very experienced and very talented, she may WANT to be in a program where the level of talent of her fellow peers, as well as their passion for the field, is very high like hers is. So, I might not overlook that factor for a girl like her. Her background sounds well suited to a very selective program where there indeed WILL be kids just like her with a similar amount of training. </p>
<p>I know that the experiential background that you mention your D has, stands out in your local area, as I could say of my own kid who everyone local knows due to her background as well. But if you take all the kids who are standouts in their local communities and put them in one place, what you get is a class such as the ones in these selective MT BFA programs. There ARE kids like them in the country, just not all in one place in high school or community. I have seen this first hand in my D's summer program the past seven years. And actually, the most talented kids from that program have all gone on to the top MT BFA college programs now, and so I have seen such a grouping of kids but just not in my local community. Just sharing my perspective through my own experiences. </p>
<p>Which programs thus far appeal to your daughter? I would love to learn more as she is obviously a very talented young lady and it is interesting to learn what programs have the sort of elements that someone like her wants, as we, too, are constantly trying to learn more about each college's program from those in the know. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>PS, I forgot to add that when my D met with an admissions person in the school at UM, she was told that someone with her piano background would likely place out of the basic piano requirements but could choose to study privately with someone in the dept. on piano (and in fact, she has a soph friend there doing that now who had a strong piano background like she does). She actually found this to be very appealing because many programs do not focus at all on music theory or piano and she has studied music her whole life and cares about that a lot. Likewise, the admissions officer told my D that someone with years of dance training would go through placement auditions to get into the right level class, not the same level ballet as kids who have never danced, for example. My D spoke to kids currently in the program and spoke to several who had danced their entire lives who are choosing to take additional dance electives as there is a great dance major program as well at UM. Thought I would share what I found out on that visit, though do not mean to talk your D into it but just to tell ya the facts on those things.</p>
