<p>lastrose - For some reason, I read that as you having brought along a piano tuner and was thinking “wow, that’s preparation!”</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the Juilliard hotel recommendations! I’ll be checking each of them out tonight to make reservations, so I appreciate all the posts. We’ve been to NY many times and so are pretty familiar with the subways, so no worries there. But, we haven’t actually stayed in hotels in the city very often. And we have not been inside Juilliard; it was under construction last time we stopped by. So, it will be exciting just to see it.</p>
<p>S auditioned at Oberlin this weekend, so perhaps we saw some of you. He really liked the campus and the atmosphere, and so it is right up there on his list now, especially since he knows several people there. Of course, I think every place he’s auditioned at has been somewhere he could see himself being–and he still has 2 auditions to go. And, then we wait!! Shall be interesting to see how this all ends up!</p>
<p>Auditioned today at Purchase. You know, I was reading a lot of reviews about how that place was snobbish and not very welcoming, but that is complete nonsense! EVERYONE helping was super nice! The dean or president talked to everyone about how they recieved over 200 prescreenings, and only asked about 80 to audition, so we should all be extremely proud of ourselves just by getting to this round. The audition was in a large room downstairs with four people at the table. They were very nice too, had me sing all 3 songs.</p>
<p>Unforunately, this was my worst audition so far. My voice just felt a little off, I stuttered over one of my entrances, and I completely made-up the sightsinging. I dont know what happened. I got flustered and panicked. It was not good.</p>
<p>But… there were some graduate students outside the room helping people around and they were really nice afterwards. One of the judges in the room even came out and told me that I did a good job and not to worry about the sightsinging, and then just went back in.</p>
<p>Practice rooms were kind of shabby, the piano was not good… But was a good and organized audition experience overall.</p>
<p>Stradmom- that’s so funny! I’m not that prepared ;)</p>
<p>I did Peabody auditions yesterday. Yes, it was a little chaotic (they also could not find my check-in package and we had to traipse down to the admissions office), but somehow I still came off liking the place. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and the general atmosphere was good, the grad student conducting the eartraining test did her best to put everyone at ease. =) The hunt for a warm-up room was a little stressful since I think not everyone sticks to their warm-up times, but I’m not sure what they could have done to improve matters either, unless they locked all the rooms and issued keys…? So, ok, I’m glad that’s done but it was relatively pleasant.</p>
<p>I even got a call from Purchase today telling me they loved my audition and were seriously considering admitting me to the program! I think that was very VERY nice, whther or not I get accepted. Purchase seems like a really personal school. I feel like everyone there really cared about me.</p>
<p>That’s terrific, Sopranorose!</p>
<p>I am curious to know why exactly they called to tell me that… Also, they still have several more audition days for Voice/Opera, so they could easily find more people they are willing to accept in the next few days.</p>
<p>How good of a sign is it if you get an e-mail from a professor? Like is that pretty much in or is that only like 80%?</p>
<p>No one can attach a chance of admission percentage to getting an email from a prof. The significance will vary from school to school, prof to prof, year to year, and day to day. Many profs never email any student prior to acceptance and a few routinely email everyone that auditions. </p>
<p>What did the email say? You are in with $100 000 per year and here is the admissions dean’s signature to back it up, or you absolutely stink and should never touch an instrument again in your life? If something like the former, then your chances are quite good. If something like the latter, then your chances are not that good. </p>
<p>Generally getting an email is a positive sign (I haven’t heard of many emails where the prof disparages the recipient student), but getting an email is definitely not definitive as to admission. </p>
<p>Often the emailing profs are people who understand that part of their mandate or vocation is to encourage young musicians whether or not the musicians make it into their school. As well, some profs recognize that some individual encouragement will leave auditioners with a more positive feel for the school and thus make them more likely to talk positively about the school: good marketing for the school and the prof. </p>
<p>Be sure to enjoy any encouragement that the email contained. Just don’t make any rash decisions until you have an official acceptance.</p>
<p>Thanks violindad. It wasn’t a loaded question at all or anything so thank you for giving me a realistic view of how to interpret it.</p>
<p>I think that some profs do contact only those that they would like to admit, so if the prof is one of those, then your chances are good (but I have heard of cases in which the prof wanted a student and communicated that strongly to the student, but other factors resulted in the student’s rejection from the school: e.g. concerns about the student’s academic abilities, finances at non-need-blind schools, or just a shrinkage in the number of spots open at a school). </p>
<p>You could try contacting students that are in the professor’s studio at the school you applied to (and those rejected), to find out what sort of contact if any they had. Even this won’t give a dependable answer: some profs will go out of their way to communicate after the audition with students with whom they have had no prior contact but will do little to communicate with students that they already have a relationship with (through a summer program or trial lessons etc.).</p>
<p>I think that almost everyone (including members of my household) desperately tries to interpret the signals we pick up during and after the audition. It would be very nice to just get an official yes or no about five minutes after the audition!</p>
<p>…Anyone have any thoughts about the Purchase comment? They still have several more days to go, so how could they have told me I was in the top 3 of consideration?</p>
<p>Well they could have meant that you were in the top three so far, which is nice to know (assuming they have heard more than a few auditions) but tells you nothing at all really.</p>
<p>During the period between the auditions and the acceptance/rejection letters or emails, time runs really slowly. You can try to read the tea leaves all you like, but the only way you can be certain is to wait for the official notification. Hang in there.</p>
<p>At almost every audition, my daughter has been asked about what other schools she has applied to. She has also been asked what her first choice is. This seems inappropriate…I can make several guesses about why they do this, but does anyone know?</p>
<p>I have two other college-age students and neither of them was asked this at “regular college” interviews.</p>
<p>My son was asked this today, and it threw it him. He says he politely evaded the question by saying how he chose the schools he applied to, and what he liked about this particular school. I don’t really see the point of it either - I’m sure most kids just say the school that’s asking is their first choice, but my son is too honest.</p>
<p>And when he finished with “I want to see what my choices are before I decide…” the interviewer countered with “but what if you got accepted everywhere?”!!!</p>
<p>About that pesky question concerning other schools: I have heard this is a problem at Colburn, where students are asked outright what their first choice is. A friend of my daughter, who is now a freshman there, handled it very diplomatically, saying that of course s/he was interested to see what the results of all of his auditions were, but that this was clearly such a beautiful and first-rate school, and that s/he was highly interested. Another student (this is hearsay but from a reliable source) stated bluntly that her first choice was a different school. She was not admitted, but is now a freshman at said school. So I suppose it worked out well for both of them.</p>
<p>Peabody audition:</p>
<p>We had some problems with the Peabody Inn- I would not recommend it. It would have been better for us to drive in (110 miles) during the day or to stay in a higher-priced hotel. The signage or lack thereof around the conservatory added some stress-- finding one’s way around was difficult.</p>
<p>Warm-up rooms were in short supply and finding them was a blood sport; however, a valiant Peabody student/monitor helped my daughter locate one and she had about 20 minutes of bona fide practice time that day. </p>
<p>As for the audition itself, my daughter thought that the faculty was friendly and warm. The audition was a bit shorter than her auditions at IU and CIM, about 10 minutes. It seems to be a trend now: they heard a good bit of her concerto and two Bach movements, but did not ask for Paganini.</p>
<p>Yes, jazz/shreddermom, my D had a similar encounter. She tried to answer by naming several schools and the interviewer replied, “And where else?”</p>
<p>I was an alumni interviewer for my alma mater and we were told specifically NOT to ask where else the student had applied.</p>
<p>Perhaps our kids should reply, “And am I YOUR first choice?” or “Do YOU have a first choice?”</p>
<p>Re: What other schools? my S named all of his - only four, and all similar. My D only named a couple that were similar to the school that was asking. </p>
<p>Concerning favorites, my D answered by saying, “I only applied to schools I am interested in. My final decision will be made after I see what packages I have to choose from.” </p>
<p>I remember that after telling the Furman teacher that she had also applied to Denison, it turned out that he had taught the Denison teacher, and began telling D why she should choose Furman over Denison. We took that as a good sign. </p>
<p>I think the asker is wanting certain info: Are we the outlier in some way? The only state school? The only conservatory? Are we the reach? Are we the safety? How competitive is this student (espeically if you are auditioning at places where there was a prescreen)? Therefore, I don’t think it’s a great idea to reveal your reach and safeties.</p>