<p>First, I want to thank Lynn for sharing with our newer members about her D's story. She did start over the second year and was more prepared and more successful and so that can definitely happen if someone keeps working toward the goal. There are few students who are closed out of attending ANY school. It can happen if a list is not realistic. There should be a school or two on a list where a student is very likely to get in. Anyway, there are second chances to train and try again. CMUJohanna's mom shared here in the past how her D wasn't successful the first year and also attended a not very selective program but then tried again the second year (kinda like Lynn's D) and ended up at CMU where she didn't get in the first year. This can happen. For others, they can reassess and perhaps do a BA path. They could train and not attend a college. A BFA is not the only way to pursue MT. This step you are all on is just one step in your kid's journey. Everyone has set backs and regroups in life. This is not an all or nothing situation right now. I predict most kids will get in at least one school if their list was appropriate and they can only attend one school. Where you attend school is not the answer to success. An individual, no matter where they go to school, can be a success. You can attend a top school and never be a success and you can attend an unknown school and become a success. It rests with the individual, not the school. </p>
<p>MakTay....yes, I want to emphasize that people need to have a REALISTIC outlook and come to EXPECT many rejections in BFA admissions because even if you are the most talented kid on the planet, the statistical odds imply that you would be rejected at some schools. The admit rates are so low that schools cannot accept all who are qualified (despite what OCU's letter says). For instance, while this may come across as boasting but that is NOT my intent, when my oldest child applied to the most selective colleges in the country, we KNEW she was very very qualified for these colleges, but at the same time, we knew that realistically, it would be very hard to get in but it wouldn't be because she didn't have what it takes to get in but rather that the very top schools with 10% admit rates cannot accept all who meet their standards. They turn away valedictorians (she was one) and those with perfect SAT scores, for example. My daughter ended up faring very well in her outcome. Out of 8 applications, she was accepted to six, deferred in EA and then denied at one (Yale) and waitlisted at one (Princeton). Was she devastated about Yale? NO! Did she love Yale? Yes. She wasn't devastated because we EXPECTED that a very likely outcome would be rejections given how few they take from a highly competitive number of kids who apply. Schools like this will tell you (unlike OCU's letter) that they could have filled the class a second time and had just as qualified a group. I know kids rejected at Yale who got into Harvard. My own kid got into two Ivy League schools. We don't see her rejection at Yale as "not qualified." We are POSITIVE she was qualified. Her guidance counselor was shocked she didn't get in but we were NOT shocked at all because we KNEW to come to expect some rejections with these very low admit rates. It just is part of it realistically speaking. </p>
<p>When my younger D applied to 8 BFA programs, we felt she was competitive to get into all of them but realistically we were concerned because of the very low admit rates. We felt realistically that at least one would come through. We went by benchmarks to know she was competitive for this process. It turned out that she fared well. She got into five BFAs, deferred then denied at one (but accepted academically), denied at one, and waitlisted at CMU. It turned out even better than I could have ever imagined. When she was denied at two programs, there was not devastation. We knew this was a very very very real possibility. We did not take the rejections as "not good enough." I know I'm her mom but she IS good enough and I think her acceptances bear that out. That is why I would be disturbed to get a letter from a very selective program that gave a denial letter that said the candidate was not good enough. A kid sitting with five BFA acceptances may actually be good enough but there is not room in every program for every "good enough" candidate. That's why we see kids who were admitted to UMichigan and not Penn State, CCM and not Syracuse, NYU/Tisch and not Emerson, CMU and not Otterbein (all real cases). Their rejections go with the territory. Their rejections do not equate with "not good enough." Yes, some who apply to BFA programs do not have the requistie skills. Someone who is denied at ALL schools on their list either did not have an appropriate or balanced list or perhaps was reaching beyond their current skill level. But for those who ARE accepted to at least one program, their rejections do not necessarily spell "not good enough" or should not bring devastation. My own children did not get all worked up over a rejection. They knew, by entering a highly competitive process, that rejections would realistically and inevitably be a part of it and they'd be getting some. Granted they hardly got any rejections and were very lucky but they didn't cry over a rejection. They were not angry. They EXPECTED this to happen. For my MT kid, rejections are part of her life with casting and so forth. If you are gonna get worked up over every rejection, this is not the field to be in. </p>
<p>I now have a child going through a very highly competitive process for Architecture grad school admissions and with the very low admit rates and the fact that the average age for students in some of these programs is 27 and she is currently 21, we know to expect some rejections. We go in with this expectation realistically. For instance, one school accepts 9% and I think only had five students in last year's class straight out of college. My D won't cry if not admitted. We look at the sum total and she can only attend one school. We hope for a choice. In an ideal world, she'd get into one of her favorites. My children were very fortunate to have many choices for undergraduate school and in fact, each was admitted and is attending one of her top choices (and they LOVE their schools). Right now, my D has only heard from one architecture grad school and will hear soon from the others. She is very lucky she started with an acceptance (that is not how it started for my kids for college admissions and for sure, this is nicer) and so no matter what happens now, the edge is off.....the rest is gravy. I hope she gets some options but I am expecting rejections and not because she is not good enough. I know she is good enough. I don't expect any of the denial letters to say she wasn't good enough, but simply they can accept very few (the program she is in at so far, accepts 15%). </p>
<p>BFA in MT admissions, as well as Arch grad school admissions, as well as elite/Ivy school admissions, all processes I have now personally been through, WILL involve SOME rejections even for those who are FULLY qualified. That is why a highly competitive program should not be informing those they cannot accept as "not having what it takes" to get in. Realistically speaking, there are some who will be denied at a school with a single digit admit rate who are good enough to get in. That is just the way it is. Qualified people WILL get rejections in a highly competitive process. Come to expect it and you will not be as devastated. We went into these processes expecting that. It came out better than we could have ever imagined but it was better to not have too high of an expectation and to remain realistic about the odds. That is what I advise for all of you in the big wait (which I am in too right now as a parent, let alone as an advisor to lots of kids waiting to hear). Things DO work out in some fashion. You WILL get through this. Try to keep perspective....this is just one step in your child's journey. There are such awful things in the news at present happening to very promising young adults whose lives have been cut way too short too soon. College admission pales in comparison to what those families are going through. Keep the faith. Be realistic about the odds. Realize you can only attend one school and your child will likely be happy where she lands. Things will be OK. It is hard to live with uncertainty, but there will be resolution soon and you will move on. Best of luck to all.</p>