Commisserate here: Rejections...HS Class of 2008

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Freedom, I feel your pain. I've only gotten into one non-audition school so far (Muhlenberg). I've never even visited it, and I don't really want to go there. Although I still have 4 schools left, I've gotten rejected from 6. I feel like I needed an extra year too. I have two other friends who don't post here, and neither has been accepted anywhere so far. I think the numbers are simply against us!</p>

<p>Btw, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on to how to keep your mind off of college rejections/acceptances. I feel like it's all I can think about, which I guess is normal, but it's starting to depress me.</p>

<p>We all just have to stay positive! It HAS TO work out in the end.</p>

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<p>Kaitrin,</p>

<p>Muhlenberg is a good school and there are several posters here who attendi or whose children attend. They have MANY performance opps and a really well rounded curriculum. I wouldnt dismiss it before seeing it. </p>

<p>Best of luck to all
MikksMom</p>

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<p>Freedom - I have to repeat what I said before - it's their loss that they didn't pick you. You have a great sense of humor and a very sharing spirit. I so enjoyed reading your audition journals and think it was very generous of you to do that - some are very protective of every detail because of how competitive this process is. I'm sure you helped many and you have banked some good karma that will serve you well one day. I spent many years in Williamsburg, getting 3 degrees from William and Mary but I can see where it wouldn't be the best place to get the training that hope for. William and Mary used to have a great theater department - doesn't anyone there do private coaching? Good luck to you - I feel confident you will find a way.</p>

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<p>Kaitrin, I can well understand your disappointment and frustration about the rejections you have received. Don't discount Muhlenberg however. It is a gem of a school with not only very solid academics but also wonderful performing arts programs in theatre, dance and voice. Even though it is a BA program, the facilities and resources Muhlenberg has committed to performing arts are equal to many BFA programs. The theatre program is housed in a new state of the art facility. You can major in acting (although I think they call it theatre performance) and take all the dance and voice classes you like to design your own MT program. Muhlenberg regularly stages both dramas and musical and runs a professional summer stock theatre company for which students are encouraged to audition and which provides opportunities to work with both equity and non-equity professionals. The students at Muhlenberg are warm and welcoming and the school has a culture of acceptance and inclusion. It is located only 1 hour from center city Phila and 1 1/2 hours from NYC so students have loads of opportunities to enjoy the theatre scenes and other attractions of both cities. We visited the school 3 times last year and with each visit became more impressed. While my D ultimately chose not to attend Muhlenberg, it was for reasons which in no way were in denigration of all that the school has to offer. We know students who chose Muhlenberg for theatre and are extremely happy with the performance education they are getting and with the school in general. It is well worth taking a close look at. You may find that visiting the school gives you a different perspective.</p>

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<p>Don't worry, I'm definitely not discounting Muhlenberg. The reason I'm less interested in the program has nothing to do with the program itself and more to do with the fact that 1) I'm a city girl at heart and 2) it's only 20 minutes from my house and I kind of want to go a little further away for college. The program I have no problem with, and it actually looks pretty good. I'm glad other people have thought highly of it!</p>

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<p>Kaitrin, for what it's worth, my D and I attended a performance of a play at Muhlenberg last fall and it was every bit as good, if not better, than plays and musicals we saw at some of the name brand programs. My D, a big Tennessee Williams fan, was blown away by the staging and acting in "Orpheus Descending." It definitely put Muhlenberg on the map for her, and her audition there was the first she did this season. If it's only 20 mins from home, I would definitely recommend you go on over and have a chat with Charles Richter, head of the theater dept. You can get excellent training there and the kids are amazingly nice. Muhlenberg has a culture of niceness, just like Michigan.</p>

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<p>Cartera, it's a small world isn't it?!</p>

<p>W&M still has a pretty decent theater department. Last summer I tried emailing people at W&M as well as CNU to see about getting voice lessons but I never recieved any responses. One of my good friend's father is the head of W&Ms theater department so I might talk to him about whether any of the theater faculty does one-on-one monologue coaching.</p>

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<p>freedom -- You should contact CNU again and check out their theatre program for next year. I'm assuming you are talking about Christopher Newport University. I am beginning to hear very good things about their program. The school is "up and coming" and they are pumping TONS of money into it and it is booming. We know of 2 girls who are in the theatre department and they are loving it and apparently the school is pumping tons into this program and the facilities. They have lots of opportunities there and we hear it is a very nurturing program. Might be worth a second call and even a visit.</p>

<p>I think you are a terrific young man with a great spirit and I know with your drive and passion -- and good head on your shoulders -- all is going to work out for you and you are going to achieve your dream. I really, really wish you the best with Webster but I know that if it does not work out, there are even brighter choices ahead for you. I think all of us here on CC have been touched by you and your generosity of spirit and character.</p>

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<p>No Elon for Liz... :(</p>

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<p>freedom - this will really date me, but I was at W&M when Glenn Close - then Glennie Wade (she was married to the local rock star) - was in the theater department there. Imagine competing against her for the roles. She is an example of coming from a different background than most. She graduated from W&M with a BA in anthropology and drama. She did a lot of musical theater work and straight theater before starting movies.</p>

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<p>Liz - I'm so sorry you didn't get the call you wanted.</p>

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<p>ill survive.
still have ithaca, hartt, viterbo, and the Roosevelt waitlist.</p>

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<p>Robert, I'm so sorry that you haven't received the good news we're all hoping for, for you, yet. Please know that all of us here are rooting very hard for you. You have charmed everyone here at CC with your posts, and we'll be keeping fingers crossed for Webster for you. If that doesn't come to pass, please know that there are numerous resources here to help you with your plan B. </p>

<p>I was looking at the youTube thread tonight and visited your site. I really loved your What You'd Call A Dream. You did a beautiful job of acting that song. I also enjoyed listening to you play Going It Alone. We've known Steve for many years. Have you ever seen The Last Session? It's such a great show, funny and poignant and so much great music. Do you have any of Steve's cds? I'm sure I have duplicates lying around here so if you'd like one, just let me know and I'll see what I can dig up, and send it off to you.</p>

<p>Just an aside, Williamsburg is one of my favorite places on earth. One of my best h/s friends went to William and Mary and I visited her a few times while she was there. My husband and I went there for our honeymoon, and in the intervening years, we have taken many a family vacation there. The last time my H and I were there was last spring when we were staying at The Wmsbg. Inn at the same time as the Queen. :)</p>

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<p>I have been reading this board for about a month now; I have been a member for a bit less. I have found responses by parents and students thoughtful, supportive and helpful, so I am going to put out my question...</p>

<p>It really starts with an explanation... My D came upon her passion very late in her life. She was in shows regularly after 8th grade, but she was busy with other performing arts (instrumental) and didn't do summer acting endeavors. For a while, she explored becoming a musical performer.</p>

<p>In High School, she enjoyment became more intense and took some voice lessons as well as instrumental lessons. The spring of junior year she went through some experiences that made her realize that she wanted to study muscial theatre and she has been pretty determined since then. She has done a few local shows, but she has had NO dance whatsoever. She had a really good voice and was a decent actress. She auditioned at only a few schools (we had NO one advising us; we were so blind) and she entered a BA program at a school that was a bad fit. There were some problems between her and a staff person, and she really needed to leave that program.</p>

<p>This round of auditions, she is a little more seasoned, because the voice teachers she has had were terrific and her voice has grown. A community college staff has helped her acting (she is Jessica in Merchant of Venice this month) but her dancing is still beginner... She is taking a few classes a semester, but she is years behind her peers. All the schools say 'O you don't have to be a dancer...' but she feels differently;that they don't really mean that. The competition is so intense... </p>

<p>She has received 'thank you anyway' notes (rejection sounds so harsh!) from 2 schools, and is now assuming that she will get them from all the schools. I know she should still hope, but the reality is, with all the competition out there, it is tough. She is trying to remain positive and wants to work on some alternate plans. I have read some of your notes to others about what to do, but I am kind of wondering how seriously anyone will really take her without all the training that so many kids already have. Because she didn't take all the classes when she was little, I don't have the knowledge, connections or even people to talk to so as to pick their minds!!! </p>

<p>I guess I am sad and hurting for my girl. When I was her age, I was just thinking I wanted to teach, and it was good timing for me to go out and get the training in my chosen field. She knew even younger than I what she wanted, but is almost too old already to get the training...</p>

<p>Oh dear! Does any of this make sense, and is there a question here somewhere!? </p>

<p>Help!!! </p>

<p>Snoggie (Sorry about any typos!)</p>

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<p>Snoggle,
I think we have to remind ourselves that our children are going to these college programs to be trained in Musical Theater. Most of them are not ready to go to Broadway yet! And many of them aren't able to deliver the performance of a lifetime for a college audition. The most important thing my D has learned from this process is that there are many different ways to work at achieving her dreams. Although we haven't gone this route (yet that is), I think there are some fine smaller, less well known, and non-audition programs from which she would excellent training. I'm learning about some of these schools from CC. I don't think for a minute that your D is too old for training. The smaller programs offer students a much better chance of getting stage time because they are less competitive. I had a friend tell me a while back that her son's small private school's leading lady was graduating this year. I wish we had considered more of this type school along with the ones she auditioned for. </p>

<p>Tell your daughter to hang in there. Lots of us are hoping for many more names up on the acceptance board. I'm with you in the waiting game. My D is still hoping for an MT offer from one of her final 2 schools. Good luck to all of you. It won't be too much longer now.</p>

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<p>Snoggie, another option to consider is to NOT go the musical theatre route at all. Instead...go into an acting program at a school where there is strong intergration between the two programs and everyone gets to audition for the musicals. This would give her a chance to continue with voice, work in acting and take dance along the way too. OR it sounds as though she is quite strong in music...so consider a BM in music again at a school where she can have strong crossing over between the acting, music and musical theatre programs(Otterbein comes to mind, but I know there are others). Again, she can pursue musical theatre without getting a degree in it. I know my son, for instance, is very interested in musical theatre...but he only started singing this year. Turns out he has a great natural voice, but still needs lots of training there...he is pursuing BFA in acting, but at places he can do musicals (which he has found he loves) and can take voice. Good luck...hang in there...it is such a tough process.</p>

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<p>I sent them a letter declining the offer of admission to the school a week ago, but I still got a rejection from Pace's MT department today. On one hand, it doesn't surprise me: that was my first audition and I was so nervous I was shaking and forgot half of my monologue, but on the other hand, I'm wondering if I actually am any good. I didn't get any artistic acceptances (well, the other two schools I didn't hear from were BoCo and NYU- I won't be getting into either, especially the latter since my grades suck a little). People tell me I'm good but I don't know if they're being sincere or humoring me; and if they're being sincere, who are they comparing me to? I wish all the schools gave feedback on auditions because I'm just feeling really insecure right now and I'd like to know if it's because I just haven't had the training or polishing most of the girls have had or if it's because I'm really just not that good.</p>

<p>I mean, I'm going to do theatre in college even if I do suck, and hey, there's always community theatre... I could come home and be a staple of the local community theatre's (usually not that great) productions! ;)</p>

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<p>D justed found out, UCLA is a no thank you. She's taking it well though.</p>

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<p>Also rejected from UCLA! But that was just an ok audition and I didn't really want to go there.</p>

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<p>Oops, too late to edit the spelling error! should be ... just ... not justed! arggh!</p>