@Dramamama2022, I love your story! My favorite thing is your D’s line “Shows need ensembles too!” I just LOVE that “team player” attitude and totally NOT being a diva, but just loving being in a show no matter what part. She sounds wonderful. And then she DID get a lead!
Also so important for future students to see that even someone who won so many acting competitions STILL had a ton of rejections…but then ended up in a fantastic program that’s exactly what she wants. Both sides of the coin, the scary warning at how daunting and competitive this is, but also the reassurance that you CAN find the perfect place if you cast a wide (and well thought out!) net.
Thanks, @actorparent1 The college audition process is definitely a roller coaster ride with lots of tough but important life lessons taught along the way!
Congratulations, @dramamama2022! What a fantastic story. I too had those uneasy parental feelings - like why are we letting her do this? Isn’t it easier to just be an accountant? (she loves math - no slight to the accountants out there) But their passion is undeniable and we are just here for the ride. Your D got into Michigan - outstanding acting school - so I think you made the absolute right call. Great work, mama!
@ginaf1102, thanks! I am so glad I found CC a few years ago. It helps to know we aren’t going through this alone! Congratulations to your D on all of her amazing options!
Yes, shows need ensembles! If my kid gets ensembles all his life I will be a happy momma because that will pay his bills! Being in the ensemble is fantastic!!!
@dramamama2022 "“I thrive in the ensemble” and dreamed of one day accepting a major award and dedicating it to “all of the kids who never made it out of the ensemble in high school”.
My daughter loves ensemble too, as she says she gets her best work done. Our children would get along great!
@dramamama2022 - great story! Is that 20 applications? That alone shows the passion and tenacity needed to succeed in this business! (I LOVED Michigan. S wanted city.) Great school – congrats!
@Atreuh, I think it was 18 applications and 14 prescreens. Some schools allowed one application and one presceen and you just had to say that you wanted to be considered for both programs. It was still a lot, especially when you add in the essays!
So…My s is at PA school with kids who all apply to many of the same programs. He started out believing he was MT bound and that’s where he saw himself.so applied to …
Cmu- MT
Ithaca- MT
U Mich- MT
Baldwin Wallace
Bu
Then some non MT
Uncsa
Rutgers
Juilliard
passed…
presceens for MT:
CMU
Ithaca
First set back was in Dec with not passing UMICh presceen, devastated. Next came the NYC January auditions back to back . First out of the gate was Juilliard, which was a lovely 10 hour day of being the last 4 kids standing - with a same day call back and interview! Gina, our kids were together, bc it was the Annette Benning day(haha). That audition changed everything, suddenly it confirmed for him that he wanted serious drama conservatory,that said, he hadn’t planned that with his applications and prescreens. I tried to talk him into submitting NYU for acting bc they had a Jan 15 deadline but NO! So we now had him riding on CMU ( bc there mt and acting work together), BU, UnCsa and Rutgers.
Bu - he loved audition , worried about only 3 AP and bumpy 9 th grade bc he worked professionally.
CMU- last day of auditions in Pitt, made it to the Barbara room- she asked where else he applied and what call backs he had to any programs . He didn’t know about Rutgers yet and forget to tell about same day Juilliard CB .
Had uncsa and Rutgers in nyc in same day and felt auditions went great! Uncsa did third monologue and sang. Felt they were asking him a lot about working professionally and if he could live in NC being from NYC , he told them he wanted total immersion in the craft and liked that it was a true conservatory. Then he met Barbara and Kevin fromRutgers and it was love!! Everyday he’d say, “when will I hear about the CB weekend?”
Then the Juilliard final CB came out and he wasn’t picked. Deep depression . Very scared and worried that Rutgers CB weekend wouldn’t happen. I just prayed and prayed and worried bc he hadn’t heard from anywhere and it’s the end of February. No acceptances. In February, I made him fly out to Ohio for his Baldwin Wallace MT audition, at this point , (he wasn’t MT or nothing anymore) like was in the Spring, Summer and Fall . I think bc he wasn’t desperately dying for BW - it was an amazing weekend and an incredible school. We saw a master class of the current MT group - wow! I was blown away by the talent and the professional opportunities they have and There production of Hair was as good as the Broadway one in 2009. I now thought, I hope gets in here but it was the last day and they took kids in the first round in the fall- so steep competition.
Monday he’s back a school , we hear the CB weekend notices are coming out for Rutgers. Yes! Got a CB . Phew.
It’s now the night before CB weekend and his girlfriend ( first love) breaks up with him- because she needs to know what being “ alone”is like. Thanks - he is now a hot, hot mess. He looks depressed and closed off. I drop him at New Brunswick and say”honey, put all your feelings into your work and be present , even if you have broken heart - be you and truthful.” He texts me, “ this is intense. People are really good.” Sigh- I’m worried. I don’t hear from him all night and the next day - radio silence. I get a text at 7 am - “ I want to go here.” I’m now doing the math in my head - how many called back will they accept? What’s the yield etc . ? What are his chances?!
We wait…March is the worst! We wait.
Cmu band aid Rips off - it’s no
Ithaca - is no
Uncsa- No
On 3/8 surprise of Baldwin Wallace is a Yes!! ( I’m happy, if he goes here I feel it will work out)
Finally 3/21 we hear from Rutgers YES!!
Then BU is Acting yes but academics no - so it’s NO! but he’s so happy with Rutgers it doesn’t matter.
@dramamama2022 - Thank you for sharing your story! We can all relate to the tough decisions as parents in providing advice and direction, and the crazy ups and downs of this journey. Congratulations on Michigan! Your daughter ended up in a top program that is great academically as well, which sounds like a terrific match. Thank you for sharing such great information all year long!
Wow, @Notmommarose! Talk about a roller coaster! And how awful of his girlfriend to break up with him right before the callback weekend!!! Poor kid. I loved your advice for him to use his emotions in the audition and be truthful and real.
I am SO happy that after all the ups and downs and rejections and worry, he got Rutgers!!! Happy endings are the best! Huge congratulations to him and to you!
@dramamama2022 - I’m chiming in again! It was incredibly helpful and interesting as you shared how and why you composed your list the way you did. This is such a hard thing. No one can understand the reasons that you/we conclude that 16-20 schools can all have a reason on our list. My D’s list was 17 (4 in London) and I remember thinking come on, let’s try to remove 1-2. But sometimes it is through the audition (and especially callback) that you learn what you really want. It’s grueling and expensive to apply to so many schools, but our story is similar in that we got a healthy mix of acceptances and rejections from top schools.
@notmommarose - Another compelling story! And another storyteller in our group. The heartbreak break-up before the highly desired Callback. And still delivered. It sounds like he ended up right where he wanted to be. Again, those few schools that have Callbacks, you can really tell if that is where you belong or not. Congratulations on Rutgers! Wonderful program. Thanks for so much great input and support all year long.
@Notmommarose Amazing. I got an adrenaline rush reading this. What a wonderful program he’ll have at Rutgers. He got so far at Juilliard and BW MT (tops). The not passing some pre-screens makes no sense but we found that it did help to get some perspective early even though it hurt. Big Congratulations!
@Notmommarose congrats to your son! That is a highly coveted acceptance…and if he wants the whole campus experience with football, etc he can get it there too!
@Notmommarose what an amazing roller coaster journey! That was a fun and exciting read and super informative and helpful. Thank you for sharing!
Hoping I can ask one quick question here. Don’t want to start a whole new thread for it, but I can if that’s a better spot for it. Since BU has SAT scores as optional, I assumed that getting academically wasn’t a requirement for BFAs. Apparently I have that totally wrong, because I’ve seen a few times on here now that kids were rejected academically. If SATs are optional, do they just look at GPA then, and if so, what kind of GPA do you need?
I have a question that goes along with @NoMoreDrama. Does BU now tell you academic and artistic acceptance separately? In 2014 it was all or nothing, and if you were not accepted it you didn’t get to know which part had been declined. Just curious about changes
Great work, mama!