@Loganator - congratulations to your D and I guess they’re in order for Mason Gross too because they got your STAR lighting kid! Definitely congratulations to you - what a journey it’s been and how wonderful that you supported her through it all. I don’t even know how she managed to make a decision with all of those fabulous programs but I’m sure she chose BEST option and I’m sure she will be very happy!!!
Thank you, @CaMom13! It was very difficult, but I know she made the right choice that will take her anywhere she wants to go. ?
Ok here we go. Son was torn between Acting path and Music path, so applied to schools for both (but not interested in MT - straight acting or jazz singing) and figured he would sort from his best options when results came in.
Programs Applied to:
BFA Acting Juilliard, UNCSA, Carnegie Mellon, Pace (Acting and FTVC), SUNY Purchase, Rutgers, DePaul, Montclair State, Adelphi, LIU Post, LIU Brooklyn
BM/BFA Jazz Vocals / Voice Performance Berklee, Loyola New Orleans, University of North Texas, Temple, SUNY Purchase, The New School, William Paterson, City College of New York (but canceled audition because burnout / had enough options by then)
Prescreens:
Acting Carnegie Mellon (declined), DePaul (declined), Pace Acting and FTVC (passed)
Music All passed: University of North Texas, Temple, SUNY Purchase, The New School
Accepted to:
Acting Pace BFA Acting, SUNY Purchase BFA, Adelphi BFA, LIU Post BFA, LIU Brooklyn BFA
Music Berklee, Loyola New Orleans, University of North Texas, Temple, SUNY Purchase, The New School
Rejected from:
Acting Two from prescreen stage plus: Juilliard, UNCSA, Rutgers
Music William Paterson
Wait-listed at:
Acting Montclair State
Coach:
Never had one before this but found a monologue coach very helpful last fall for helping pick and work on prescreen / audition material. NYC based actor Ryan Kessler provided about six weeks of monologue coaching, coordinated through local theater school (we’re in a suburb of nyc)
Background/Training:
Showed ambition and talent for music and acting from elementary school on. Very comfortable on stage. School shows, local theater school weekend workshop, public high school electives include a performing arts program, swing choir, concert choir.
Performed at Berklee High School Jazz Festival 9th-11th grade with swing choir, winning solo awards there in 10th and 11th. Made all-state for jazz vocal as a senior. Tri-M Music Honors and recital. Some bass and songwriting lessons early on but is self-taught on piano starting in 9th or 10th grade, which he pursued largely to become a better singer. Has been giving beginners piano lessons past few years. Music theory independent study in junior year through local music school.
This past school year, he and younger sister (14) started going on some acting auditions in nyc. no luck yet but nice that he’s been exposed to it.
Summer Programs:
Summer of 2019: NYSSSA New York State Summer School of the Arts for Theatre
Final Decision:
University of North Texas for Jazz Vocals. Took lots of deliberation as we didn’t get to visit before Coronavirus and he was weighing it against NY options - but decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Great music program & great deal offered.
Congratulations, @arkham! I am in north Texas, and the UNT jazz program is legendary!! My husband and son drove up to the campus to hear Dave Brubeck a few years ago - it was one of his last concerts. I believe the One O’Clock Jazz Band (top group) got to jam with Dave (can you imagine? What a once in a lifetime experience for a jazz artist!) – amazing visiting artists come there to work with students.
Denton is about 30-40 minutes north of Dallas, so all of the arts opportunities in the city are within reach as well. It’s a nice college town with UNT and TWU (Texas Womens University) as neighboring institutions. I’m sure he’ll settle in with no problem and love the music immersion!
@Loganator thanks so much! we’re super excited about it too. denton and unt both sound great - hopefully we get there by fall!
What a wild audition season for you and your d. Congrats to her on Mason Gross! And thank you for sharing with us. I agree with @CaMom13 - Mason Gross is very lucky to have your d there!!!
Congratulations to your son on University of North Texas! He had some great choices and it’s great that he found his place.
@Loganator congrats to your child on Mason Gross as well! That’s one of the few schools we were able to do a campus visit for prior to auditioning and it’s clearly a world-class theatre program. Getting to do tech work at the Globe is amazing!
Congratulations to your S @arkham ! I love the Math + Music combination - the two have so much in common and it’s wonderful he ended up with multiple school options that gave him both. Sounds like UNT is a perfect fit.
Congrats on your decision, @arkham - UNT has a fantastic music program. The vocal jazz is well regarded!
Congrats @Loganator !
Congrats! @arkham
Congrats, @arkham ! I know a current student in that UNT program and she has been loving it! And congrats on getting into some pretty rockin’ acting programs, too! Icing on the cake. 
And congrats to @Loganator too - what a fabulous menu of choices to have had to choose from. So happy your D landed where she needs to be. (That Globe year was the main reason my S considered that program - such a great thing!)
Congrats, @Loganator ! My daughter just graduated from MGSA in costume design and it was an amazing 3.5 years. Best of luck to your D!
Thank you, @letterhead! I’m glad to hear your D loved it. ?
Thank you, @tsamuique , @HAHCx4 , @arkham , and @anastasiasmom!
Hi there,
You have all been so helpful throughout this process. Thank you.
I will try to add info about my son’s journey that may be helpful for the next class.
Programs Applied to: Pace, DePaul, Baldwin Wallace, NYU, Chapman, Ball State, Syracuse, Adelphi, U of the Arts, Webster, Marymount Manhattan, Illinois Wesleyan, Otterbein, Missouri State
Prescreens: Illinois Wesleyan, Chapman, Pace, DePaul, Otterbein, Syracuse (passed all)
Accepted to: Baldwin Wallace, Chapman, Ball State, Adelphi, U of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan, Illinois Wesleyan, Missouri State
Rejected from: NYU, Otterbein, Webster
Wait-listed at: DePaul
Pulled application from Syracuse before audition
Coach: My College Audition (amazing)
Background/Training: Tons of school shows, local theater, community theater, improv and stand up classes, etc.
Summer Programs: Just the local community theater programs
A few notes:
Baldwin Wallace is an incredible program and they were so great to DS. I saw a masterclass there during auditions and was blown away by the talent. That was a hard school to turn down. They don’t go to unifieds. If you can get to the campus to audition, do. It’s really a special place.
Ball State was also incredible to him. I love that school. He auditioned at unifieds and we were just about the visit campus when the virus hit and we had to cancel. I think it’s harder to commit to a school you haven’t been to when you’ve been accepted to other schools you did visit and fell in love with.
U of the Arts was an incredibly positive audition experience at unifieds.
Wright State was interesting. Right after the audition, the head of the program emailed my DS to say they were very interested and wanted to know his plans. He answered that he needed to learn more about the school. The thought was we would visit if he was accepted, then he was never accepted. We were surprised by the process. We have since learned that you have to stay on that school and show a lot of interest to close the deal.
Chapman was a school my son fell in love with and he wants to work in LA, so that’s an added bonus. We told him he would need A LOT of financial aid to go there so he set out advocating for himself and they pulled through with a lot of money. Everyone has been wonderful to him - from the financial aid office to the head of the program to current students. He is really excited for the next four years.
Added advice: Try to do some auditions in November and December. It’s great to get some feedback - and even some yeses - to make the rest of the process go smoothly.
Final Decision: Chapman BFA Theatre Performance!
Oh @meohmyoh - what great news! Chapman is a unique place and I am so glad his dream school met your need level. I am sure your son will have a fantastic 4 years there! Congratulations to him (and you)!!!
Congrats @meohmyoh ! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!