So happy for you guys @PelkyAgain!
And congrats to you @MTDadandProud. We love, love, love Kaitlin Hopkins and the whole TSU program.
Welcome to the OCU family @PelkyAgain! So glad to have you! If we can help answer any questions as you get ready to head West, just let us know!
Just wanted to say thanks so much for all the well wishes for my S, and @monkey13 I will definitely be happy to become the voice of Tulane MT on the board once S gets there! And @PelkyAgain, big congratulations on OCU - very exciting!
And the decision is madeâŠ
The Applications:
MT Programs Applied to: Pace, BW, Rider, Coastal Carolina, CCM, Syracuse, Ball State, Penn State, Ithaca, Carnegie Mellon, Point Park, Elon, Shenandoah, Montclair, FSU, Texas State, Marymount Manhattan , Webster, Otterbein and USC School of the Dramatic Arts.
Prescreens: Passed â Shenandoah, Penn State, Pace, BW , Coastal, Elon, FSU, Texas State.
Prescreens: Not PassedâIthaca and Otterbein
Academically accepted to all schools (except those that combine an academic acceptance with an artistic one) Had some fabulous scholarship offers too!
The Coaching:
MTCAâbegan in May of 2014
Summer Programs: Broadway Artists Alliance; Oklahoma City University
The Training:
Local professional theatre: from 10-18 years old
Dance: no formal training until 9th gradeâballet, tap, jazz
Voice: Voice lessons from high school chorus teacher 9-11; Vocal technique thru MTCA 12th grade
The Process:
She was âall inâ for a BFA in MT beginning in 9th grade. She was the most passionate about this of anyone I know. She has an incredible determination, drive and desire. Her work ethic is incredible, and that is what convinced us to support her dream of becoming a âworking actorâ.
We scheduled one on-campus audition in the Fall; 5 at NY Unifieds; 7 at Chicago Unifieds and the rest were on campus on various weekends from Jan-March.
I was a more active CC poster during the fall, but began to pull back as my daughter began to evaluate her path and wrestle with her purpose. She didnât want me to post her private struggleâŠshe needed space to figure this out.
Sometime in January she began to question why she was auditioning at certain schools. She said things like âI know I wonât attend if Iâm acceptedâ. This was not about reputation of the schoolsâmuch more about their location. In February, she was ecstatic to be signed with an agency in Manhattan! She began to narrow her target schools to how close they were to NYC. This was a process of elimination drawn out over several weeks. We were literally on our way to the airport in late February, when she announced she wouldnât be attending Elon if accepted, so we cancelled the audition and saved some money!
CANCELLED Auditions: WEBSTER, FSU, ELON, SYRACUSE, POINT PARK and SHENANDOAH
I could sense a change in her, as she began to question the path of the BFA. Just because most kids follow this trail, didnât mean it was the ONLY way to follow/pursue her dream.
Artistic Acceptances: Ball State, Marymount Manhattan, Liverpool and University of Southern California
Waitlist: Montclair
Final Decision: Declining all offers. She will train professionally in NYC/LA, leaving her flexible to continue auditioning for projects and available for all opportunities that come her way. She will take her gen-ed college classes online. We will reevaluate her decision on an annual basis.
Congrats @MTKellbell! How exciting to be signed with a NY agency as a senior in high school! It sounds as if you have really worked hard and thought through all of the options and picked the one best for your family. Excited for your D and wish you all the best. Canât wait to hear how things go for her. It sounds like she has a bright future ahead.
Here goes:
Applied to: University of the Arts, Shenandoah, Coastal Carolina, Ithaca, Webster, Montclair State, Texas State, CCM, Ball State, Baldwin Wallace, and Rider.
Prescreens submitted: Ithaca, Shenandoah, Coastal Carolina, Baldwin Wallace, Texas State, Webster, University Of the Arts
Passed all prescreens.
On campus auditions/callbacks: U of Arts, Rider, Texas State, Coastal Carolina, Montclair State, and Baldwin Wallace.
NYC Unified auditions: Ithaca, Ball State, CCM, Webster.
Artistic Acceptances: University of the Arts, Rider, Coastal Carolina, Shenandoah, Montclair State, Ball State, Webster University
Redirections: Texas State
Final decision: Montclair State BFA MT
Coaching: noneâŠ.although he did work with Janine Molinari on his dance prescreen and with vocal coaches on song selection and cuts.
Background: His first community theater experience was at age 7, and he started dancing at age 8. He is a strong tap dancer. He has performed in approximately 40 productions including musical theater, drama, opera, and dance. He has done professional theater as well as in youth, community, and regional theater. My son always knew this is what he wanted to do although he does occasionally show interest in the creative side of musical theater as well (casting, directing, etc). He spent much of his youth in NYC for auditions, classes, workshops, and performances since the age of 9. When, at age 15, he saw his older sisterâs beautiful college campus in rural, upstate New York, my son decided that, no matter what, he wanted to go to a rural, or at least, a âscenicâ suburban college too. He wanted to be far away from New York CityâŠknowing that heâll probably be returning to NYC after he graduates. So my son did not apply to any schools in NYCâŠor Boston, or PittsburgâŠeven though everyone kept telling him he should. He did apply to U of Arts because the idea of being surrounded entirely by the arts was intriguing (and also because I liked the school) and he applied to CCM because he felt like he had to apply to at least ONE of the âtop tierâ schoolsâŠ. however my son always maintained that, to him, a strong program that will let him grow as an individual, an artist and a performer as well as the support and camaraderie of fellow students and faculty was more important to him than a âbig name" where the school becomes the focus and not the student. It is debatable (and has been debated)âŠbut thatât how he feels.
Auditions:
His most unusual audition: Ithaca-they had him to re-sing his audition song but they wanted him to sing the entire song flatâŠevery single note flat⊠while at the same time âactingâ as though he was singing beautifully. Then they had him perform it a third time while they directed him with their thumb to sing either flat or sharpâŠ.very odd, and my son found it incredibly difficult but he enjoyed the challenge and banter of the auditors. He ended up spending over 20 minutes in the audition roomâŠand he expected to get an acceptance thereâŠhis portal stayed open till the very end and he did not get the rejection letter until the end of March. It was his one surprise.
From the moment my son walked into the NY unified audition for CCM, even before he slated himself to sing, my son immediately knew without a doubt, that he was NOT what they were looking for. He says that he knewâŠand that they knew. Why and how I have no idea. But evidently he was right. He said everything went wellâŠbut he just just knew. (???) My son has gone on many professional auditions and guess you can just tell, sometimes.
The only auditors that tested his tap dancing skills at all were Webster and Montclair. And at both those auditions my son felt an immediate connection with the auditors. He very much liked both Lara Teeter and Clay James, both of whom tap dance as well. He also liked Robin Lewis at Rider, another dancer. (a pattern?)
In the end my sonâs final choices came down to Webster and Montclair. Webster has a very strong acting program, and the during the first 2 years the MT and Acting students take all the same acting classes together. We went to visit the school in St Louis, and it was beautiful, and the students and faculty were friendlyâŠbut. BUT. Where as my son initially chose not to be in the middle of a big cityâŠNew York suddenly seemed very, very far away. It was a little outside his comfort zoneâŠfor 4 whole years. It suddenly seemed like a very long time to be so far away.
Montclair has a beautiful campus near the beautiful, upscale village of Montclair. The student body is nicely diverse. The Musical Theater program is very strong and NYC is only 20 minutes awayâŠwhich affords the program access to amazing adjunct professors, workshops, networking, and internship opportunities. Clay James is amazing. He has a seriousness about the program, the craft and the profession that my son respects and admires. He found Clay James approachable yet very professional. And the in state tuition that Montclair offers to all its BFA MT students makes it one of the more affordable programs out thereâŠdefinitely a big plus.
Things we learned:
1-Expect the unexpected at auditions and NEVER say no. After he sang at one of his auditions (Texas State) the auditors asked if he knew any Elton John pop songs. He said no. Instead of saying noâŠhe probably should have offered up an alternative ⊠Of Monsters and Men, Neil Young, Billy Joel, QueenâŠsomething, anything. But donât ever just say âno.â (As it turns out he does know a couple of Elton John songsâŠbut he just couldnât think of them at that moment!)
2-Although my son is very happy with his choice he probably should have applied to a couple more top tier programs (in my opinion)⊠he was accepted into 7 of the 11 programs he applied to, without any formal coaching. And seeing how my sonâs taste went fromâŠ.âvery, very, very ruralâ to âjust outside the cityââŠâŠI learned that what he THINKS he wants may differ from what he ACTUALLY wantsâŠwhen the time comes. 
Thanks to everyone on this board whoâve been so helpful during this crazy journey. And good luck to all.
@MTkellbell - you and your daughter are choosing your own path- and I wish her (and you!) all the luck and good fortune in the world. Given that this is âcollegeâ confidential many of us have a degree in mind as a necessary step - but I applaud you for being willing to share the fact that not everyone comes to that decision- and thatâs ok, because itâs YOUR (familyâs) choice. It wouldnât be my choice - but there are many paths to take.
@MTkellbell - wonderful summary. I love hearing how each individual comes to what is right for them. Absolutely nothing else matters in the long run. Awesome!
Congrats @16bars! Sounds like Montclair gives him the best of both worlds. Best wishes to you as he starts this next chapter!
okay - here goes - my Son
Applied to: CCM, CMU, Syracuse, Marymount Manhattan, Muhlenberg, Emerson, Depaul, SUNY Purchase, Rider, Elon, Penn State, Badwin Wallace, Texas State, Rutgers, Hartt, Towson (the new BFA Acting) (he is MT all the way, but figured he should hedge his bets with a few acting programs just in case the schools disagreed with his assessment of the appropriateness of his being a singer/dancer/actor
Accepted Academically: Hartt, Muhlenberg, Marymount Mahattan, Baldwin Wallace, Texas State, Penn State
Prescreens (how kids applying for an artistic degree in a field that is presented live can fairly be judged on video is beyond meâŠ) Elon, Penn State, BW and Texas State
Passed prescreen:Texas State
Redirected to theatre studies - Baldwin Wallace nice shcolarship, aggressive sales pitch for the BA in general theatre), Texas State, Penn State
Accepted artistically: Marymount Manhattan, Muhlenberg
Waitlisted: Purchase
Going to - Marymount Mahattan
Background - saw his first live show at 4, fell in love with theatre. appeared in his first show age 8. active in school and community theatre beginning at age 8, including summer youth training. has a national commercial on his resume as well.
Auditions - Auditioned in november for Marymount and was accepted 2 weeks later - pressure off. Loved MMC - the auditioners were very supportive, they had upperclassmen there to talk to the kids about the school in an informal setting. Best audtioners (other than MMC) - Carnegie - Barbara gave him great feedback about his monologues, along with ego boosting praise, Texas State - Kaitlyn Hopkins was warm and knew every kidâs name as they arrived. the feedback after singing and acting was well thought out and very helpful and Muhlenberg - Charlie Richter is amazing, very approachable, made the kids feel calm about the process (school was a strong contender, just too expensive in the end.) Worst Audition - Syracuse - to be fair, he was in the Sunday afternoon group at NY Unifieds - everyone was tired after 4 days BUTthat really should not have matters since they are supposed to be professionals - they started by telling everyone that they were regarded as one of the best schools in the world, followed by 15 minutes of bragging about Jesse Muhller and Taye Diggs being alumni. The acting auditors were stoic and cold, sat like statues, didnât engage him, ran the kids in and out like an assembly line - never taking more than 1 minute longer than the time it took to present the monologues (i was outside the room - that is where the seating area for parents was, and i timed them when it seemed to be moving too efficiently) dance was done very fast and was complex. It seemed like they were too tired to care about this last group who had paid to be evaluated, and the kids got the message that they didnât ,matter because the school had 100 applicants for each slot so who cares if they miss one after a long weekend (based on the comments we heard on the way out). We had not cleared the elevator when my son told me that "they were the biggest bunch of aâholes and he did not care whether he was accepted, he would rather take a gap year than go there, even if they offered a full scholarship.
What we knew - the big 3 schools get upwards of 1500 aplications each and take 12-14 kids. with half from each gender that meant 6-7 male slotsâŠso the odds of getting in at CCM, Michigan and CMU are not good, even if you are excellent, because there will be at least 3-5 others just like you, or close enough when dance, song and acting comparisons are made. We also knew that you do not need to go to CCM or CMU (or Michigan, where my son did not want to apply) to make it in the business- look at this yearâs Tony nominee list (that being the apex of the industry, look also at the Regional theatre stars and members of the national tours - being an actor who has steady work is the goal) and you will se many schools represented. The test after all of the acceptances are in is do you like the curriculum, professors, people and location, and is the reputation solid (which we measured in consultation with his vocal and acting coaches, not regulars on the college circuit, just his regular coaches, both working professionals, former actors now working in training actors in NY, acting coach works with several Tony winners/nominees). So my son had a ârealisticâ list (how realistic a list with only schools that have a top teir reputation is is debatable, but he believed he would get in at one of his choices) and the obligatory attempt to get into CMU and CCM, to see if he could, with no expectations that he would get in at any particular school. He was content to wait for the decisions, then decide among those schools that wanted him, if any.
What we learned - (1) we didnât realize until after we applied that although some schools do excell in all three areas, even they have a focus. The dance schools were never going to be a real option for my son - he can move (10+ years of shows, 3 years of training) but the kids with a decade of training win (or as a very candid kid from a very major school told us, the guys who can kick themselves in the face have an advantage here, they can be lesser singers and actors - we train leads and chorusboys (which also means being 5â10 or taller)). My son would have eliminated them and saved us an overnight trip had they been upfront about their expectations, and added a few more actors who sing programs, in their place. (2) you can drive yourself nuts reading articles in which the writer lists the âbestâ schools - tha tis so subjective, and they do not all list a basis for their opinions, and reading this forum - once people started listing the schools where their kids got in, good schools that we did not consider (due to location, cost of attendance and the fact that we spent so much on the oneâs he applied to) we began to wonder if he should have auditioned at more schools. (3) Go to Accepted Students Day if you can - my son loved MMC from day 1, but after he spent a day with the other accepted kids he was certain that it was the place for him. and, bonus, he found some guys to list as roommates.
Thank you all for your comments as you went through the process. It was a great help knowing we were not the only âoddballsâ sending applications to more than a dozen places. My friends with business majors and engineers, each of whom applied to 2 safe, 2 likely and 2 reach schools (or less) at $50 per cannot understand this process at all.
Thanks to all of you with your kind well wishes. Congrats to all of you on a bright future ahead!
@16bars - congratulations on Montclair! Wonderful choice! It was one of my Dâs final 2 (she took herself off the NYU waiting list when she got the Montclair acceptance) and the choice was hard. We visited the campus twice! (IoI think I was secretly rooting for Montclair because I love the little village/town! LOL). But in the end, it again came down to what felt right for my D. And the in-state tuition for BFAs this year is outstanding! I wish they had done that last year. I went round and round with Montclair FA to see if they could do something to no avail. Best of luck!
Itâs May 1st, people! For the majority, this process with all of its ups and downs and twists and turns and laughter and tears is over. You made it through, your child made it through, we made it through together. I wouldnât have believed it in the dark days of February and March â but, my kid has ended up in a place that is perfect for her and with another CC kid as a roommate, to boot!
Iâm so happy for you @Divamamacita ! You are right, we all made it in one way or another! WE need a CC Theater family cruise now!
OOOO a cruise!!! Sign me up!!
@Thespiandad in regards to your statement: "Prescreens (how kids applying for an artistic degree in a field that is presented live can fairly be judged on video is beyond meâŠ).
We agree. All of us. But there are simple realities. I tell the story of the two young women who flew from California to audition for our program in the southeast. Each had one parent in tow. Cost for each of those families was tremendous. Had we had a half day cut, both would have been cut. Thatâs when we decided on a prescreen. It isnât ideal. But it does help both the school (fewer on campus, more time per student) and the family (no flight from CA to the east coast, etc.). I wish there was a better way. Particularly now that we are starting to see very produced video.
(SorryâŠI know this has nothing to do with this thread, but I felt compelled to say something.)
I want to add that more and more auditions are by video also. Really it can be a good thing, especially for those of us who live away from the bigger metro areas. We have to embrace it and help our kids be able to show âtheir essenceâ on camera even if they are doing it for a theater role.
^ I feared the prescreen, but for those of us who must travel far it was potentially a great money saver, not to mention validation that we werenât chasing rainbows and unicorns
Iâm with all of you on this one re: the time and money saved by prescreensâŠbut Iâm dismayed (but not surprised) to hear that theyâre becoming âvery produced.â My D did hers herself in her bedroom. It never occurred to us to hire a professional videographer and make an extravaganza out of it. Guess what, she passed.