Colleges for Musical Theater - PART 39 !

College Majors Musical Theater Major
601

<p>Following up on thesbo's post.....anyone can offer advice and post and I would welcome all kinds of posters. I also particularly love to see posters from the colleges offering their perspectives here. However, this is the internet and we don't know if people are who they say they are. That does not matter so much with the regular poster who posts because you can choose to take what they write with a grain of salt or over time, decide on the validity of their posts after a lot of posting and judge for yourself. Anyone can given an opinion and it is just that, an opinion. </p>

<p>However, when a poster is claiming to be a representative of a college in some official capacity...an adcom, an administrator, or other personnel, we don't truly know if that person really is or not. The reason this can be a problem is that posters (particularly vulnerable students) will take the posts by an "official" person as "gospel" or as legit. If that person is NOT legit, there is a problem, therefore. I am NOT saying that this poster is not legit, however. She likely is. But we don't know. The poster does not have to disclose publicly which school she is from but should disclose that information to the moderator or forum administrator so that they can verify the legitimacy of that claim so that posters can feel assured that the person is legit. No, that does not have to be done for other posters but other posters are not backing up their advice with "credentials" as to who they are. </p>

<p>In my opinion, a college "official" should choose one of two options in posting....one is to post like the average poster and offer advice and perspective and leave it at that and not bother backing it up with "credentials" and saying they work as the head of a college program or something along those lines. The other option is to choose to back up the posts with credentials but actually say WHAT the credentials are so readers know it is legit....or at the very least give those over to the forum mods so the readers here know that anyone claiming official college status is really what they say they are, even if the name of the school is not revealed. Frankly, I can't see why someone would not want to reveal the name of the school, but that is just me. They do not HAVE to. But if they are gonna claim an official college role, they should be able to verify it so that those vulnerable readers reading that advice, know it is legit. Because most will take that advice very seriously. I am very grateful that posters like DoctorJohn or Elon Secretary have chosen to participate and identify themselves. I am very glad that MusicSchool03 has also joined in but it would help to verify that she is who she says she is, even if the school is not revealed on the forum because it would legitimize the posts and remove any doubt. </p>

<p>I am sorry for guessing the school publicly but it appears that the college rep is defending OCU in the posts preceding her post. So, again, I agree with Thesbo that it is customary and preferable for a college rep type to confirm their claim with CC, even if not disclosing their college publicly so the readers will feel the advice is legitimate. We know anyone can offer opinions and we don't have to verify or legitimize them. But when the claims are made and backed up by a set of college official credentials, people will take those posts in a certain way and so it is best that we know if they are who they say. Otherwise, they should simply offer advice and leave the credential part out if they can't back it up. Lots of us have credentials of some sort but may not choose to share them here and just post as regular people. If I or anyone chose to say I worked at a college, I think it would behoove me to back it up. That's how I see it. </p>

<p>Of course this is the internet and you never know who is who. But this is a college admissions forum and if someone says they are an administrator at a college, it is better to know that is true, in order to remove doubt. For anyone else, you can take or leave what they have to say and judge for yourself. But a college rep's advice is taken in a different way. I am looking out for the students on here so that any official words are truly what they say they are. I also am grateful to posters from the colleges who have opted to share their perspectives here. As long as we know they are who they say, it is a wonderful addition to this forum. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

602

<p>Bravo, Susan!</p>

603

<p>I concur with Susan and thank Thesbo for posting the means for those in an official capacity to verify their positions with our moderator. We all know why honesty is so important here - as it is everywhere!</p>

604

<p>I agree with Susan. Thanks to her for laying it out clearly and for Thesbo for posting the solution.</p>

605

<p>On the subject of credentials, I am really frustrated that one person in particular keeps returning to this forum under different screen names, sometimes claiming to be a parent, sometimes a student. </p>

<p>I won't out you here... You know who you are, and we know too. If you have something valuable to offer this forum, you should not be someone else.</p>

606

<p>"However, this is the internet and we don't know if people are who they say they are"</p>

<p>Thank you for saying that. And, THAT, is the exact reason why I don't want to disclose what school I chose to attend. Like I said on another thread, I have been "trained" in the dangers of the internet. I am quite disturbed that students like myself, who would like information,</p>

<p>are no longer able to get it through these forums without fearing that the information may be false. Any kind of performing arts is a competitive business, and the students I know are pretty vulnerable at this point, especially after just graduating high school and starting a new life. That, in itself, is intimidating, without wondering if the information we're getting is accurate.</p>

<p>I think I speak for several students, most of whom wish to remain anonymous and choose not to post. </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

607

<p>I haven't been posting much lately, and my d will be attending OCU in the MT program next fall, but I am bothered by the fact that students (and maybe others) in several programs are getting defensive about their particular programs. Over the past year I have read a lot, and visited a lot of MT schools, and I have to say that all of the "big names" we read about on here are very fine programs and all have something valuable to offer their students. I believe that students get selected for/choose certain programs because that particular school "fits," and what fits for one might not fit for another. I think that those schools that offer showcases are great in giving their students the opportunity to be seen, but I also think that students from schools without showcases have opportunities as well, and the name of the school and whether they have showcases or not is not going to be the primary predictor of future success. </p>

<p>I agree with several of you who are cautious concerning identities of posters (it is, after all, called College Confidential) and I would recheck any significant info I received here with the school in question before taking it as the gospel. </p>

<p>I think, sometimes that too many posts get taken out of context (or sarcasm is read into them when none is intended)...a problem of internet posting. </p>

<p>I would like to see this forum return to the supportive environment I found a year ago which helped my d and me so much in the MT audition process rather than a forum of competitive comparisons. </p>

<p>Kim
(Lexasmom)</p>

<p>P.S. I don't know about Musicschool03, but I know for a fact that ocuMTinfo is indeed a current student at OCU...my d talked with him on an OCU chat for admitted students and he was very helpful!</p>

608

<p>"I would like to see this forum return to the supportive environment I found a year ago which helped my d and me so much in the MT audition process rather than a forum of competitive comparisons."</p>

<p>I agree wholeheartedly.</p>

609

<p>"I would like to see this forum return to the supportive environment I found a year ago which helped my d and me so much in the MT audition process rather than a forum of competitive comparisons."</p>

<p>Thank you so much for saying that. I was very, very happy with my decision to go BM, instead of BFA, but like I posted on another thread, I auditioned for one school because a friend of mine asked me to go with her. When I was rejected, I felt o.k., because it reallly wasn't what I wanted anyway, but after reading this forum and seeing the fierce competiveness among students and parents, I began to doubt myself, which is, of course, a horrible way to start a new life.</p>

<p>I've read a lot of this forum before I decided to start posting and it seems to me that the competiveness has gone from who got into BFA programs to WHAT SCHOOL they are going to. It's always something. And I wish it would stop so students like me could get what we need. </p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

610

<p>"And I wish it would stop so students like me could get what we need."</p>

<p>"Students like me"? LOL</p>

611

<p>I have reported the above post as offensive. I have posted nothing since I joined this forum to insinuate in any way that I am NOT a student. To think otherwise is making a big mistake and unfair and unjust. With that said, I can't help wondering if nytheatermom is actually a "mom". I can't see any mature mother posting such a thing.</p>

<p>Thank you to those of you who have sent personal e-mails and shared your stories. They are very helpful.</p>

612

<p>"Me think the (midget) lady doth protest too much."</p>

<p>Perhaps meg's mom doesn't realize the moderator can trace internet addresses.</p>

<p>The rest of us are just good detectives who resent someone with multiple identities, which violates the rules and is misleading to all.</p>

<p>So, Gabby, -- give the word to Midgetmom, Megsmom, Starsmom, Friendsofstar and Pookie87, and anyone else you may be:</p>

<p>People would be ok with you being part of this forum if you would be who you are, not mislead every one. All points of view are welcome here, but not people who pretend to be who they are not.</p>

<p>So protest all you want. But if you want to really be part of this forum, you should come clean.</p>

613

<p>"Perhaps meg's mom doesn't realize the moderator can trace internet addresses."</p>

<p>For the record, I am well aware of how the internet works, but I am also aware that people can share computers and, therefore, the internet addresses will all match up. </p>

<p>I happen to share a computer with several people and we all have a lot in common. To insinuate that I am several of these people all wrapped up into one is totally wrong and you are falsely accusing a young person, which I think is deplorable and horrendous. </p>

<p>If you are lucky enough to have a private, personal computer, then you are very lucky. I don't.</p>

614

<p>This is all ridiculous, and I think this bickering needs to stop right now. Didn't you just say you wanted all this arguing to stop?</p>

615

<p>I concur with Lexusmombj as well. It seems that since the CC format change things have really taken a turn for the worse. My fear is that we can not get back to the collegial and supportive environment I first experienced here in early 2004. </p>

<p>I will repeat that this has been an invaluable part of our families college planning for a year and a half now and for those coming behind us it would be a shame to deny them the positive side of CC/ MT Major based on the BS that is going on here now. Perhaps the "Colleges for Musical Theater" thread has run it's course and those of us with a genuine interest and need for this information as well as a reasonable level of tolerance can start another thread and I will be happy to join them in preparation for auditions fall 05, we have a lot to prepare for and no time for games or misguided competitiveness.</p>

<p>Looking forward to working with those of you who agree, for the benefit of everyone.</p>

616

<p>To Alwaysamom:</p>

<p>I've sent you a personal message, but wanted to post publicly that you are harrassing a student!!!! I don't care what your friends think. You are wrong, wrong, and more wrong. To say I'm playing the "woe is me" card is horrible. I was trying to explain that there could be several people using the same computer and that I don't own my own computer. I find very little self-pity in that statement. </p>

<p>Shame on you.</p>

617

<p>musicschool, I'm afraid I've missed it if there's been drama surrounding which school you're affiliated with but I do seem to remember your posting from last year. From what I recall, and I could be mistaken, weren't you a student? I agree with you that everyone who comes to CC seeking information on the correct path for themselves or for their children should most definitely gain as much information as possible here, but then get that information confirmed by the individual schools and their admissions people. Anyway, I suppose you may not even see this reply if you left immediately but just thought I'd respond.</p>

618

<p>Because this matter arose regarding posters who claim an affiliation with a college in an official capacity (ie., admissions officer, school administrator, etc.), I am going to let everyone know CC's policy with regard to this kind of posting. </p>

<p>Here is the policy:</p>

<p>Some of our members are admissions officials, administrators, or faculty at a college or university. Occasionally, a member may falsely claim to hold such a position. To protect our student and parent members, there are two ways that a higher education professional can post.</p>

<p>First, that member can contact the forum administrator and present independently verifiable information as to personal identity and school; that individual can then receive "College Rep" status, which indicates that CC has taken reasonable steps to verify the individual is from the claimed school. The school must be identified publicly, although the individual's personal info will not be disclosed.</p>

<p>Second, if an individual prefers to remain anonymous, he or she will refrain from making claims (even if true) as to current position. E.g., "I'm an admissions officer at a selective liberal arts college" would not be permitted. Such members will still develop a reputation for expertise, of course, if their body of posts demonstrates their knowledge.</p>

<p>CC members are advised NOT to publicly question the credentials of a new member claiming a university affiliation. Rather, they should call the post to the attention of the moderators or the administrator so that CC policy may be explained and any necessary verification take place.</p>

<hr>

<p>Posters such as ones on this forum recently who have made such claims were asked to verify the claims privately with the forum administrator. The poster doesn't want to establish a public college affiliation. This is certainly acceptable. However, such posters must then refrain from making any claims as to their position. The reason we ask this is that readers take the advice given from someone from a college in a certain light. When others post, they don't claim credentials, so posters must judge for themselves the validity of their opinions and ideas. But a college official carries weight in the eyes of students and parents who read the posts. We certainly welcome and value posts by college representatives (as seen with some other c ollege reps on this forum) because they offer valuable information and perspectives. But if we can't verify their claims of college credentials, it then allows anyone to make that claim. What a poster who works at a college COULD opt to do, who does NOT wish to reveal their college affiliation, is to remain totally anonymous and not cite "credentials". Just post like any other poster and people will value the advice for its own worth. There are posters on here, I am certain, who have valuable credentials but do not choose to back up their posts with their credentials and leave the credentials out. But college official credentials must be verified by CC so that we protect the integrity of the forum and we know that vulnerable students are reading and need to know if the advice is coming from a legit college representative if the person says they are one. </p>

<p>MusicSchool, nobody thinks you are UNQUALIFIED. We appreciate your perspective. We just need to know if you really are an administrator or not so that we can assure our readers that we have checked on that as is our policy. It has nothing to do with your views or qualifications but merely our standards. Your point about people trusting other poster's opinions without verification is not the point. You are right that other posters might be completely unknowledgeable about something and their "advice" might be wrong and so forth. BUT readers can choose to take it for what it is worth. They can judge for themselves if they give validity to another poster's views. But it is different when a poster is claiming credentials and affiliation with a college because this is a college admissions forum after all, and posts by those who are posting from an official college perspective need to be verified that they are who they say they are, because those posts are read in a different way by readers. Had you chosen to just post advice and not cited your credentials, then readers could also have learned from your expertise for its own worth and over time, come to trust your opinions by their own choice. Those are the options, either verify college credentials with the forum administrator or post like everyone else anonymously and without claims to an official college capacity. </p>

<p>Regarding the tone of the forum....this is for everyone....
This is a very valued forum for our readers. The board offers a place to share experiences, glean information, get resources, learn from a variety of perspectives, and more. The tone of the forum is usually wonderful, in my opinion. We had a few posters a while back who brought a certain tone to the forum and we gave that matter our serious attention and took care of it. The issue over a poster with multiple identities has been dealt with and I know it has bothered some faithful long time readers. Otherwise, I think things are going pretty well and I think that once in a while when something is not along the lines of what we are used to as a respectful tone, it is brought to our attention and we are on top of it. I think when you look at the bigger picture, the majority of the posts are following the posting rules and things go just fine. Once in a while when they don't, we do take care of it because the integrity of the forum is important to us. We value each and every one of you.....be it moms, dads, students, college representatives, teachers, pets, oops, you get the picture. </p>

<p>CollegeMom</p>

619

<p>"The issue over a poster with multiple identities has been dealt with and I know it has bothered some faithful long time readers. "</p>

<p>And, how exactly has this been taken care of? By publicly humiliating an innocent student on nothing more than an assumption? And then, though eloquent words convincing readers that you are right and I am wrong? You have no idea what you are talking about, other than to say I'm playing a "woe is me" card because I happen to say I can't afford my own computer? And, then come back and say how friendly and inviting this board is to everyone? This is pure hypocrisy.</p>

<p>"Regarding the tone of the forum....this is for everyone...."</p>

<p>For everyone? Surely you jest. I've been reading for two years now and, while sometimes other people's opinions and stories are welcome, it's painfully obvious that this board is controlled by a select few, who love to publicly humiliate those who don't necessarily share their points of view. Case in point.....the argument of late regarding a particular student's affiliation with OCU which led to a poster deciding to leave the board based on comments insinuating she was claiming to be a school official. Yet, some of you find it very easy to go into novels concerning your own children's experiences with different colleges and freely give advice based on that experience (i.e., one mother in particular (I won't stoop so low as to publicly embarrass her) cannot just simply answer a question without going into long descriptions of her daughter's successes. Every time she answers a post she has to tell the SAME story). Music left because she was accused of being somebody she's not. Birdboy was chastised for his opinions regarding OCU. Razorback was humiliated publicly by Soozievt who disclosed that she was also MrsSark. Does she really understand WHY this poster decided to change names? Of course not. None of us do. But, I will say, I've read a lot of MrsSark's posts and found nothing wrong with them. But, several posters turned everything around and it became difficult for her to continue to post under that name. The list goes on and on.</p>

<p>There are a LOT of people lurking (the fact that out of tens of thousands of hits on this forum, this post is only number 619 proves that). Some people take everything people say on these forums as gospel truth. Noccadad just posted that it has been an invaluable tool to his family in their college planning process. Unfortunately, it has also become a breeding ground for misguidance and contempt brought on by people who refuse to accept varying opinions. Several long-time posters are very talented in the art of being condescending to innocent people looking for help. They are accepting as long as the new poster shares their views. The second an opinion is of an opposing view, the forum goes sour, and then the original poster is accused of causing trouble. Since the old people have already established a "relationship" with one another, and new people are very innocent and in need of advice from more seasoned parents, a lot of people begin to doubt the new post and just go with the old. </p>

<p>In closing, I want to post publicly that I've made an important observation while reading these threads. It appears that this forum started out as a caring, sharing environment for those of us pursuing performing arts degrees and their parents. People were able to share their stories, get and give advice, and take comfort in knowing that, in searching for the right answers, other people were asking the same questions. It was a select group of moms and students who really came together. Unfortunately, because this is the internet and a public site and forum, with more and more students interested in the performing arts, the forum grew, and with that came a lot of opinions and advice that was sometimes in direct conflict with previous advice given and taken. That's when the trouble started. The pioneers of this forum suddenly had to share their cozy enviornment with the public. A lot of newcomers started to post, only to be either put down, or not accepted, and then left, leaving the forum intact to those pioneers. People came and went, but the originals remained. These pioneers are very, very good at taking posts that were posted with good intentions and taking phrases out of them, turning them around so the original message was lost, and then debate what a poster said. In many instances, newer posters chose to leave because it just wasn't worth the fight. </p>

<p>I will reiterate......I am a student. I've been accused of being numerous people. No one knows that for sure. It's all just assumptions brought on by people who have had conflict with another poster. It's just plain wrong. And, frankly, I've read everything that other poster wrote and find nothing wrong with it. She's nothing more or less than a mom who was trying to get answers regarding her daughter's rejection for a BFA program, and then when the student was accepted into one after being waitlisted, was accused of telling tall tales. Some of the posters on this forum put this woman into a defensive mode, and when she chose to defend herself, continued to make it difficult for her. </p>

<p>The same story with MrsSark. She was looking for answers. And, speaking of MrsSark, it's so unfair to her that her posts regarding OCU have been taken wrongly. She posted a lot of information based on her interviews and experience with the OCU staff. But, of course, as has been the tone of this forum the last few months, the "regulars" had trouble accepting what she was saying. She made point-blank reference to personal conversations with staff, but her posts were "questioned". </p>

<p>I realize this post will probably be "talked about" behind my back. I'm getting the impression that I am the "talk of the town" (in a very, very negative way), through e-mails and personal messages. But, that's o.k. And, actually, as a student, I'm almost glad of these accusations because it's only made me realize how bitter the world can really be and I'm ready to take it on full force.</p>

620

<p>Its not like me to make comments on a soapbox like this, but I just want to make a brief rambling.</p>

<p>Since arriving at this forum evryone has been so helpful and supportive. The information has been extremely important in helping me to plan and prepare for auditions this fall. For the sake of all of us high school seniors and their families who are preparing for the stressful and vulnerable process this year try to sort things out. It is my personal opinion that school pride is great, but as a prospective student, its nice to have solid information on a BFA program than vague "My school is the best!" or more destructivly "My school is better than this school!" I don't want to overgeneralize as I believe this forum is one of if not the best resources on Musical Theatre BFA programs. Let's just all get back to supporting one another</p>