I was following the previous thread for dance auditions and decisions due 2018/2019, and thought I’d try setting one up for 2019/2020 so we can share experiences and commiserate with each other during this crazy time ?
Where has your DD or DS auditioned and how is it going? Thoughts about particular auditions or programs? Any decisions yet?
Here’s our story: DD has had a rough audition season? Started with coming down with mono in October, then a foot injury a few weeks ago. With that being said, she went to Dancewave and did audition despite the mono. She received acceptances to several programs, including Point Park which is her leading choice at this moment, Towson, Wayne State, UW Madison, Adelphi, and Hofstra. She did not make the solo cut at NYU (which was OK considering we couldn’t afford it) and Marymount (which hurt a little because she really liked the program. She tried her best but her foot injury really impacted this audition).
She also went to an event similar to Dancewave in Chicago and received acceptances to several Midwest schools but her heart is on the east coast.
She had auditions coming up for Montclair, Purchase, and Rutgers. Hoping for some healing for her foot by then!
Looking forward to hearing about your journeys!
Well I can’t figure out how to edit the title of this, but it should be Dance Auditions and Decisions for Fall 2019
@moml98 when is your D’s next audition? I hope her foot is doing much better.
Thank you @Undercovermom1 !
She got approval from the podiatrist to come out of the boot last week, and then auditioned Tuesday at Montclair and loved it. She has Purchase and Rutgers in a few weeks and then she’s done - and then the decision making begins?
Is anyone attending the USF dance audition in february? My bff is auditioning then and has already been accepted to USF-just wondering how they handle auditions for a student that has already been accepted? Is it for placement only? Just curious as I auditioned before I got my acceptance to USF so I didn’t know whether I was accepted or not to both the school and the dance program until after my audtition.
No experience with USF specifically, but I will say for most colleges/universities it is possible to be accepted academically and then denied to the dance major. So, if she doesn’t get admitted to the dance major, she can still attend but major in something else.
Thank you!
My daughter has been accepted to Towson, Point Park, Utah, and waiting on Fordham. First love is ballet but enjoys other genres as well. Fordham is first choice although financially don’t know if it is a viable option if she gets in. (Loved audition and felt it went well). She wants to double major and academics also important and loves the feel of a large campus; therefore Utah seems to be winning at the moment. Biggest drawback is that she wanted to stay on east coast (from Maryland) but loves what she has heard of program. Getting in state tuition sounds great but having to stay in the state all but 29 days the first year is scary for my homebody. Point park has a completely different feel but there are things she likes about it as well. Uncertain if the ballet is as strong and prestigious as Utah. We have been scouring the posts. Anyone with advice or insight would be much appreciated!
@Beanieluv congrats to your daughter on her acceptances thus far. My daughter is a ballet BFA major at Utah. Double majoring is not necessarily easy to do there. Is your daughter coming in with a fair number of credits already? What would her other major potentially be? My D is currently trying to figure how to do the BFA while possibly adding the teaching emphasis and a minor, all in four years (including summers as needed). If she weren’t performing and adding all of the rehearsal hours it would be different. This year she will have done three productions and that has added up to many rehearsal hours, later nights, etc. Otherwise, she’d be done by 3pm each day and would have a lot more time on her hands to add in another course each semester. She doesn’t want to skip performing to fit in everything else, but she may have to do that here and there going forward. Yet, dance is her first love, so we’ll see.
As for residency we are gritting our teeth through this first year but it will be well worth it.
@mom2adancer Did you start the 12 month period with the summer intensive or start in fall? Is your daughter able to stay on campus the entire first year while getting residency or will you look off campus this summer.? My daughter will come into college with 38 college credits as she dual enrolled at our community college. She wants to also major in English/creative writing and is willing to take summer classes to do so. Also, any recommendations for dorms?
She started residency in August, at the start of the semester. We briefly considered starting in June but I just couldn’t do it, and neither could she. I’m glad we didn’t. She will be moving off campus in May with plans to take two summer session classes (one on campus and one online) and the morning classes of the summer intensive. I don’t know how living on campus over the summer works though I think it’s an option.
Your daughter sounds like she’s well positioned with those extra credits coming in! Is she in the honors program? That dorm is quite nice and my daughter has several friends living there. She’s in sage point and it’s fine. It’s a dorm. 
She can see snowy mountains and pretty sunrises out her window at least. It’s a bit of a trek walking to meals but she’s managed it. She does have her own room which she really appreciates.
@mom2adancer my daughter would prefer to start working on residency in August as well. Neither of us is ready! We are hoping for honors but applied right before the deadline as we didn’t think Utah was really a option so we are waiting to hear. My daughter would love honors or a single. This was all easier when we just thought she would go to Towson, hate to think of her so far away but the program looks like a good fit. We haven’t even visited yet!
@Beanieluv My D18 is a Utah ballet major too and loves it there (she chose it over Fordham/Ailey, because she wasn’t keen on NY and wanted a place with sports, school spirit, etc., and it is much cheaper). English is a good double major to choose, it only requires 12 courses/36 units (see https://catalog.utah.edu/#/programs/41Eh-aVAb?bc=true&bcCurrent=English&bcItemType=programs) whereas many other majors are 50+ units (which is hard to fit in on top of the 82 units of ballet). The main challenge is fitting in the classes themselves, since there are often timing conflicts with the required ballet classes, rather than the level of work (because there’s not much homework for ballet, its mostly rehearsals for performances that would eat into your evenings, if you get cast, and that isn’t always the case, at least in the first year). So for example this semester she is taking 19 credits, but two of the courses are online, which avoids the conflicts. You just need to plan carefully and look at what is offered in the summer, which is a more limited selection of courses (so don’t do those ones in the fall or spring).
My D is not getting residency, due to her scholarship, but will stay most of this coming summer, to do the ballet intensive and take some summer classes (you pay in-state tuition rates in the summer, even if you are non-resident). Most ballet majors are OOS, so most of them will be staying the summer after freshman year. You can get accommodation fairly easily, but have to decide whether to live on campus, or off campus which costs less (something like $1800 vs $2800 for the room I believe). The light rail is free for getting around, but many people have cars (it helps with skiing too!). Sorority housing is another option if you decide to do that. I think most people start the clock when classes commence, since it probably would be awkward to spend an extra 4 weeks after the intensive there without knowing anyone, unless you decide to have a family holiday in Utah for 2-3 of those weeks, and that could be a good way to split the year over two summers. You probably need to allow 2 weeks to be out of state at Christmas, since most dorms (except the Honors dorms) are closed for much of the vacation period. So that only leaves about 2 more weeks for the summer, assuming you stay in-state at fall and spring break.
In terms of accommodation, my D is in the Honors college, so is in the MHC like most first years honors students. Not sure about which of the non-Honors dorms are best, but everyone should be able to get a place for the freshman year if you apply by the deadline. Note that this date is in late March, don’t miss it as accommodation will be very tight this coming year until they finish the new dorm. You have to pay $125 to register for housing but don’t have to actually pay the deposit and commit to the U beforehand.
Thank you so much @Twoin18 (ps I have 2 in 19). We thought the same thing, that it would be more comfortable staying the summer after her first year. Do you feel they frown down upon you not doing the summer intensive the summer before they start? We have some options closer to home that she is also considering. Thanks for the double majoring advice. At least there are no labs etc to deal with. If it is too difficult she might drop back to a minor but really wants to try it. I can’t imagine Fordham giving us enough money to make it work and my daughter also wants the big school setting. Do like the prestige of Alvin Ailey and is much closer to home but I think it is a long shot. (And my girl is a country girl )
I don’t think they care if you don’t do the summer intensive prior to freshman year. That said, my daughter was really glad she did it, as she made friends and got to know professors and the campus. She used 2 days OOS at Thanksgiving and I think about 13 at Christmas. We took a family trip back to Utah after Christmas so she got back in state but we still had time together. It worked out. She may come home for a few days for spring break depending on if there are rehearsals (hoping there aren’t!). And then it’s a long stretch of April, May, June, July before she gets home again, most likely. Next year will be better!
Like Twoin18 mentioned, my D is also taking an online class this semester (and did last semester too). The ballet schedule doesn’t leave tons of time for scheduling in other classes, though it is possible. She’s done on campus classes both semesters too, to work on gen ed requirements.
I feel for you in terms of the geography of it all. We are from CA so Utah is pretty easy for us to get to quickly, but D had been looking at Towson and Goucher at one point! For ballet though Utah was far and away the best choice for her.
@mom2adancer yes Towson is 90 minutes away and her twin sister is going there ? thanks for all the advice. I think it is her top choice unless something changes!
My daughter is 17 and a junior we are just starting the process… so it was nice to find this site and see what others have done. Her top schools she is looking at right now: UofA, FSU, ELON, TCU, USC (south carolina). We attended University of Arizona Jazz in Az this last fall and I can honestly say it moved to the top of her list
Any advice as we begin this process?! So grateful to find this thread!
My advice would be to start doing research now on requirements for the various schools. See which ones require prescreening videos and what needs to be in them. Research deadlines. Try to get a feel for when the schools hold auditions and start tentatively calendaring items, knowing dates can change. Your D should work on college essays, etc. over the summer and not wait until fall. Go deep into each school’s website to see what classes students take, how often, performance opportunities, help available to seniors when looking for jobs, and so on.
Good luck!
Thank you for the great advice! That is exactly where we are right now- researching and outlining the calendar! The prescreen videos are also smart… thanks again!
Also think seriously about which intensive to attend this summer. Try to find a college-based one at a college that’s on your list. Some allow you to bypass prescreening which is a useful benefit at some of the most competitive programs.