@Divamamacita you were my very first CC friend and I can’t imagine going through this without you! It has been priceless to share all of the trials, tribulations and triumphs with you and your D…as well as a few yummy meals! I’m excited to see what the future holds for our girls!
There’s been a lot going on this year- but divamamacita represents the best of the cc community. I bet her Apple didn’t fall far from the tree. And I predict great things for her kid, because in the end- character is the most important quality in any profession
Aww. Thanks everyone. I couldn’t have done this without all of you. @MTRaleighmom, I am sure we and our girls will be friends for a very long time to come!
Diva: Fantastic news! Another Cardinal parent -chirp, chirp! Let me know if there is anything I can help with as ou prepare for the journey to BSU.
Love your story @Divamamacita! Honored to have met you and your talented D along the way!! I think it’s wonderful you and D shared so much.
So overjoyed to write this, returned from visiting her new school just last night!
Applied: CMU, CCM, FSU, Montclair State, Millikin, Ball State, Penn State, LIU Post, Belmont, Chapman, Pepperdine, TCU, University of Alabama
Prescreens: there were several, can’t remember which ones, but passed all
Accepted: LIU Post, Pepperdine for Spring 16 (wait listed for fall) University of Alabama
Rejected: everything accept above (lots of redirects (BA and VP) with money because great test scores. (As soon as LIU Post came in she knew, and kept saying "mom, you know I can only go to one, right? So rejections were certainly a good experience for her, not that heart wrenching. They bothered me more)
Final Decision: LIU Post!
We were very happy to have a BFA acceptance, two high ranking auditioned BA programs. One East Coast, West Coast, and Regional, near home, choice.
I think those that have seen D perform would be surprised that she didn’t have more acceptances. We were not because we heard that a non minority, leading lady type needs 15 schools to get one offer. BELIEVE THIS!
Coach: none. I guess maybe a mistake not to have an audition coach pull it all together, but it worked out so perfectly…so I dunno…
Ingenue, Legit Soprano with a strong belt. Vocal range F3-D6 (I think, not a vocalist, I have heard this means over 3 octaves) Sings professionally and has won many awards.
Performing since age 4 at our local youth theater. We think 58 shows, but always confused when we try to count. Our director taught at NYU. Came home almost 30 years ago to take care of aging parents and never left (also teaches at our local BFA program)
Many leading roles. Barbara, CMU, told her that her performance resume was the best she had seen all day (worked with her for a long time). But you know how complementary that bunch is…
Dance since age 3. Does it all except tap. Dances en pointe.
About 7 years of private vocal study.
5’10" ( over 6 foot in character shoes). Willowy blond and slender. And I’m just gonna say it in hopes of helping next year’s class with the full picture: a head turning beauty. I think about all of the envious looks she got at auditions and wish I could find those girls to say “she got rejected and you didn’t!”
She loved Chicago Unifieds and made so many friends. After her LIU Post audition, she said “that’s it”. Totally connected with the auditors. Can’t wait to be the CC MT “LIU Post” parent and help more talent enroll in this beautiful school!
Even though we live on the gulf coast, my husband is from Queens, so we have tons of family nearby. And my mother-in-law went there! Almost poetic.
Break a Leg Class of 2020!
Awesome @winnieroot! Another beautiful, talented, smart, well-trained “leading” lady who ended up in a great place, but learned that nothing is a “sure bet”. She, like many others, is already taking the first step to surviving in this business. Congrats.
Congratulations to all! Our story is a common tale. We came into this thinking we had done our research and were prepared, and boy, were we naive!
We live in a rural community in Indiana with few performance opportunities. D has been in dance since age 3, voice since age 13 with a graduate of OCU BM, has been to various acting camps, Interlochen Arts Academy last summer and show choir. She has known since 9th grade that all she wanted to do was perform.
Her resume is very slim compared to most. She’s been in a handful of community theater productions, but really has little experience compared to most here, I would imagine. She’s a 5’1 soprano. We prepared for auditions with a local monologue coach, her voice teacher, and her ballet instructor helped her with her prescreens for IU and Otterbein, both passed.
Auditioned at: Northern Kentucky University, Indiana University and Wright State on campus. Auditioned for CCM, Ball State, Otterbein, Point Park, and Roosevelt at Unifieds in Chicago.
Rejections from Wright State, Otterbein, Roosevelt, CCM, redirections to BA from IU, BSU, and Point Park, though Point Park’s offer also included a generous academic and artistic scholarship which confused us…
Accepted for BFA MT at Northern Kentucky and given generous scholarship.
Final decision: NKU
Go Norse!
What we did right: read CC although not early enough or thoroughly enough. Also, D worked hard to keep her grades up and did well on SAT/ACT.
What we would do differently: applied for more programs, and hired a coach perhaps too. We thought 8 sounded like plenty. We have since learned that 15-20 would have been more like it. D wanted to stay closer to home and so she did not draw the circle very wide of programs she was willing to go to. Given that fact and her relative inexperience, we were happy with our results.
She is very excited to go to NKU in the fall.
Thanks to all of you for support and encouragement along the way.
Congrats @winnieroot and @mamaoffive! Great choices for your girls! Nice to have the decision made.
Thank you @Divamamacita! I am so happy for you! I know things worked out exactly as you hoped they would. Worth all the waiting!
The saga for my S:
Applied to: Baldwin Wallace, Carnegie Mellon, Elon, Florida State, Ithaca, Michigan, Oklahoma City University (OCU), Oklahoma (OU), Otterbein, Pace, Penn State, Point Park, Rider, TCU, Texas State. (15 schools)
Prescreens: Passed all prescreens.
Accepted to BFA MT: Baldwin Wallace (BM), Carnegie Mellon, Elon, Florida State, Oklahoma City University (BM), Oklahoma, Otterbein, Penn State, Point Park, Rider, TCU, Texas State
Accepted into Acting: Ithaca
Wait-listed at: Michigan
Rejected from: Pace
Final Decision: Texas State University, BFA in Musical Theatre
Coach: Mary Anna Dennard (College Audition Coach)
Summer Program: Oklahoma City University Musical Theatre Intensive (3 weeks)
Final Auditions: On Campus - Elon, Florida State, OCU, OU, Texas State. Chicago Unifieds - Carnegie Mellon, Ithaca, Michigan, Otterbein, Penn State
Background: S has been a performer since he could walk. Started in local children’s theatre at age 5. Continued with local children’s and youth theatre through age 17. Began performing in school plays and musicals in 8th grade. Very late to the party: did not start voice lessons until summer before junior year (so only a year and a half to date). Sporadically taken various dance lessons also beginning before junior year (has always been a good mover). Began thinking about pursuing a musical theatre career in 8th-9th grade and told me he was committed to that course end of 10th grade.
Learnings for those that come after:
- Get an audition coach if you can afford it. Mary Anna Dennard and her materials were invaluable to us in understanding the process and knowing what to expect. For example, I would have had no idea what a prescreen was or how to make it. It really helped at Unifieds to have a guiding hand of what to expect.
- Take ballet! From what my S told me ballet was pretty much the foundation of everything. From that base you can go just about anywhere.
- Start early! We did not really start on this process until last May. I would suggest starting research sophomore year and start preparing for the audition process in January of junior year. There is so much to do! Also, start college application as soon as you can (Aug. 1). S was overwhelmed at times with completing applications, essays, prescreen material, school, school plays and football (yes, he played football).
- Audition season is rough, waiting for decisions is rougher, and making a decision is the roughest. In truth I am very glad his mother and I got to go through this with him (the road trips especially - time together was something you don't usually get with 18 year old boys) but it is very taxing on parents and child. This last week trying to make a final decision among many excellent programs was tough but I am so glad we are done!
- It is really hard to tell programs that have accepted your child the they are going someplace else. You work so hard trying to get these schools to like your child and want them in their program that when they finally say "Yes! We love you and want you!" it is so hard to tell them no. It was very hard for my S to let go of his final schools. They were all excellent and I'm sure would have provided an excellent education.
- Let your child work through the process and make their decision. My S finally went with his heart. Obviously we had many excellent choices that not everyone is fortunate enough to have. It was really hard for S to let go of some of the more established top tier programs; ones that he immensely respected. But in the end, he went with what felt like home.
Finally: I had no clue when this first started for us about 14 months ago. It has all been a revelation. I wish I would have found CC before so that I could have known what I was getting into and what to do.
Best of luck to all. Break a leg!
Congrats to everyone making their final decisions today! I’m still in limbo and admittedly a little envious of those of you who are done.
This just goes to show that there is no rhyme or reason to these programs and their acceptances…a kid gets into CMU but not Pace…never makes any sense to me…
The only thing I thought is Pace has a fairly intense dance call (but so do others on his list). The process is a mystery!
It’s a lottery, plain and simple. Any of these kids would do well at any of the programs, if talent and drive were the only criteria for admission.
Congrats to your son, @MTDadandProud! The TX State class is shaping up to be an amazing one. I am excited for the times ahead!
Woo-hoo, @mamaoffive! I loved reading this post! Celebration dance here… Your D is in a great program! 
I absolutely love reading everyone else’s final decision posts, too! It’s wonderful to share in this journey with all of you.
@MTDadandProud , looks like you made all the right choices to me! Good advice for other families. Wow, what a wonderful recap. Congratulations to you and your S for all your hard work. It really paid off. You must be proud.
@MTDadandProud Congratulations!!! Was your son Rev. Shaw in Footloose at the OCU Summer program?
@Jewel15 Yes ma’am.