@MTDadandProud YAAAYYY!!! Tell him congrats from Lulu Warnicker 
@MTDadandProud. I am happy for you and know that is a great program, but selfishly wanted him at FSU. My husband and I met there, still live close, and go to all of the shows. Sigh. Guess Iâll just have to wait to see him on BroadwayâŠ
Congrats @mamaoffive - welcome to the Ohio River Valley! Your D will be in fine hands. @MTDadandProud - I donât envy your Sâs final decision making, but sounds like heâll be in a great place.
Wow⊠D has officially made her FINAL DECISION!
Applied to: Elon, IU, Texas State, Otterbein, Ohio Northern, Cap21, Pace, Rider, Webster, Ithaca, Evansville, Hartt, Ball State, Wright State, Baldwin Wallace, Baylor, Shenandoah, Millikin, Point Park, Uarts, and Emerson
Pre-Screens: Passed IU, TSU, Otterbein, Pace, Ithaca, BW, and Shenandoah. D did not pass Elon(1st rejection very early on)
Accepted to BFA MT: Ohio Northern, Cap21/Malloy, Millikin, The Hartt School, Baylor(performance with MT Emphasis), U of Evansville(Acting), Ball State University.
Waitlist: Ball State(Admitted 4/13), Wright State
Redirected to BA: IU
Rejected: Everywhere else
Final Decision: DRUM ROLL PLEASE!
Ball State BFA MT Class of 2019!!!
Coach: Mary Anna Dennard
Summer Program: TX Musical Theatre Workshop
Background: D has been singing and Acting since she could talk and walk! She has always had a passion and drive for performing. My husband and I are both in the entertainment industry, so I always tell people its in her blood! D decided she wanted to major in MT her freshman year, and ever since has been very focused on her craft. D began dance in 8th grade, so although it is not her strongest of the disciplines, she can definitely hold her own. She has a performance resume a mile long, with the grades to match. I am a little proud of her if you couldnât tell(:
I have been a lurker for quite some time, but I really felt it was important to share my Dâs Story. She has remained so positive throughout this entire journey, and it has been so incredible to watch her grow as a person and artist this year. CC has guided me so much, so I thought it was the least I could do to give back.
Things we did well:
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Got a coach ASAP. Moo was an absolute lifesaver for my D. She guided her in choosing her schools, material, and gave her an incredible support base of people going on the exact same journey. Donât think that you cannot afford a coach either- many students were accepted to moo crew on scholarship this year. Moonifieds saved so much time and money, and got us some early results that effected our list of schools!
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Apply as early as possible- Early rejection/ acceptances really helped D in forming her schedule for the rest of the year, and left her able to focus on selecting the best material/ her last ever school musical.
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We were social! D has always been Ms. Congeniality- so the awkward audition vibes never got to her. She had so many friends around that the petty people(and they do exist on this circuit), never bothered her. We never once arrived at an audition without D recognizing some friend she knew from somewhere! Also, being social with other parents made for a much less stressful time waiting for D to finish auditions.
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We were realistic. D is a 5â6â petite blonde- we knew her type was everywhere. We cast a VERY wide net-21 schools- applying to all different types of programs- in the end, D wanted a small program housed in a large university. Ball State will give her that.
When D got the call today there were many tears shed in the house. Happy, blissful, and relieved tears. What they say really is true- THEY END UP WHERE THEY BELONG. I am so grateful to CC moms and dads alike that kept me entertained with their stories. I hope that Dâs story will help some dazed and confused parent -just like I was 12 months ago.
So- Hears to 4 years as a Ball State Cardinal !! Chirp Chirp(:
Well done! Congratulations!!!
Love all these happy endings! (they are also beginnings!)
<:-P
Congrats on all the final decisions today! WooHoo! Cheers!
@dramamamma123 If you are who I think you areâŠmy D and I are very happy for you and your D. Although, my D was hoping to be rooming with your D at Wright State. She just told me over dinner that your D got the call and is so very happy for her. Earlier I spoke about meeting great people along the wayâŠyour D is one of those people. She is such a sweet young lady. Went out of her way several times to say hello to me. She and my D have really connected. And they wonât be too far from each other, so I think theyâll see more of each of other down the road. Congrats.
@dramamamma123 â isnât that the best phone call ever! I think your D and my D met along the way at Unifieds and Shenandoah! Chirp chirp!
I have not been much of a regular on here but I have lurked for at least two years. My Sâs story is sort of a redirection, so I wanted to share it in case it helps someone else in the future. If you donât think it belongs here because of his final decision, we can have it removed. I havenât posted much along the way because I donât think I can master this bracket and red highlight stuff. But here is the Background/ Final Decision info.
Applied to: Elon, Texas State, Otterbein, Ohio Northern, Pace, Rider, Webster, Ithaca, Ball State, Wright State, Point Park, University of Michigan, NYU-Tisch, TCU, University of Oklahoma, Coastal Carolina, Webster, and Sam Houston State (SHSU). I THINK that was all. We cast a wide net.
Video Pre-Screens: Elon MT (did not pass), Texas State Acting and MT (passed Acting), Pace Acting and MT (passed Acting), and Michigan MT (did not pass), Ithaca (did not pass).
Live Pre-screens: Otterbein, University of Oklahoma (OU), Coastal Carolina (did not pass any of these).
Walk-In at Moonifieds: Cap21/Molloy
Moonifieds auditions: Otterbein (prescreen), Ohio Northern, Wright State, Point Park, TCU, OU (prescreen), Coastal Carolina, and Texas State (live prescreen).
Safeties: Texas State BFA Performance and Production, TCU BA Theatre, SHSU BFA Acting (All of these are non audition programs, but I think that the SHSU program may be changing to an audition program soon. S was academically accepted to all three programs, so we were able to breathe a bit knowing the safeties were in place.
Accepted to BFA Acting: TCU in December (a nice early Christmas present)
Accepted to BFA MT: Cap21/Molloy in January
Redirected to BA: Ohio Northern
In January, we were a bit panicked that S should have been applying to more Acting and less MT programs since he seemed to be having better luck with the Acting. He added DePaul Acting and OU Acting to his list and we were in the process of adding Roosevelt CCPA BFA Acting when S began thinking in January that he really wanted a traditional Southern College experience. He decided that he had one offer of that type close to home and the MT offer with training in NYC and that he would not choose any of the other schools over one of these, except maybe Pace. He decided that it probably wasnât worth the expense to go ahead and go to Unifieds mainly for the Pace audition. S cancelled his Unifieds and Chicago auditions, as well as the Texas State on campus for Acting and SHSU on campus for MT. He took a part in the school musical (he had been focusing on training only) and never looked back. We started focusing on trying to figure out the financials for the two offers that he had in his pocket and weighing the options.
Final Decision: TCU BFA Acting
Coach: Dave Clemmons and Mary Anna Dennard
Summer Program: Texas Musical Theatre Workshop
Background: We spent my Sâs youth trying to find his niche. He asked for a bass guitar for his 13th birthday and started lessons, at which point we thought we had finally found his âthingâ! He spent middle school wanting to be a rock star. He took lessons for about 3 years until he became too busy and the lessons were hard to fit in. In high school, S was earning the rank of Eagle Scout while getting up every morning to be on the diving board at 6am as a member of the dive team. This kid gets so committed to what he is doing. He continued to get up and be on the diving board at 6 am every day for a year without even being able to compete because the school already had 4 divers ahead of him. When he was cast in the school musical in the Spring of 10th grade, he quickly realized that he could not continue to get up at 5:30am, go to school all day, practice at the theatre from the time school was out until 9pm or later and still have time to sleep and do homework. Even though he was getting to dive competitively at this point, he chose theatre. At the time, he was specifically mostly interested in MT. He was late to the game and we started some voice lessons at the end of 10th grade. He continued to be cast in local community theatre musicals, as well as high school plays and musicals in 10th and 11th grades. We finally started a little dance training in the summer between Junior and Senior year and we made the decision to just train and not audition for any productions during the fall semester of Senior year.
What we learned that may not have been mentioned by others:
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Audition early, apply early, visit schools as early as possible! (OKâthis might have been said already.
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The early rejections from prescreens can hurt the worst. The more hoops you have to jump through (U Mich) to apply and get the prescreen done, the harder the rejection hurts.
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S had decided NOT to apply to Ithaca, but someone from Ithaca contacted him on getacceptd and encouraged him to apply, so he did. His prescreens did not exactly meet their criteria in some way. One video might have been a few seconds too long. I canât remember the exact issue, but we did not tape them at home and did not have the means to redo them. In hindsight, he probably should not have applied or should have redone the prescreen to meet their criteria exactly. It may not have mattered, but ???
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If you donât have a lot of training in voice, dance, and acting, you might consider applying for more Acting programs. S probably should have applied for Acting at Elon and U Mich, since those are separate.
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As soon as your child decides they want to pursue Acting or MT, donât delay! Go ahead and get dance lessons, voice lessons, and acting lessons. If I were doing it over again, I would get a coach during Junior year and have a coach for both Junior and Senior years.
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If you are not offered an academic scholarship at a school that you are really interested in, call the school and talk to them. S had many wonderful academic scholarships to schools that he ended up not auditioning for. (Those were very hard to give up, by the way.) Yet, he did not have an academic scholarship for TCU. I called and his admissions counselor said that he had not been tagged to go to the scholarship committee. He reviewed his application, retagged it for the scholarship committee, and within a week S had an academic scholarship offer.
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We had opted to split the auditions between Moonifieds and Unifieds. However, I do wish S had gone ahead and done the Pace audition at Moonifieds. We were kicking ourselves at Moonifieds for not having signed up for Pace.
S and I both had a gut feeling about TCU. It was a school that we talked about when he was younger because he loves purple. We did visit the school as a family during his Junior year and saw their musical. My husband was hoping for the business school (and probably still is). This school would have been at or near the top of Sâs list no matter what he would be studying. S loves the campus, the location, and the program. Weâthe parentsâdo, too. S can still take voice and dance most or all semesters. There is not much on CC recently about TCU MT or Acting and that has me a little bit worried, but I do feel like S is going to be very happy there and that the TCU BFA Acting is a good fit for him and our family.
@sloopysnoop - my D has a Very talented friend at TCU and she is deliriously happy! Harry is a sweetheart. My D had a terrible time turning TCU down as a result! âŠand they have a Great football team!
Applied to: U of MN/Guthrie, SUNY Purchase, Pace MT, CMU, Hartt, LIPA, U Arts MT, New School, CAP 21/Molloy, UNCSA, Marymount Manhattan
Pre-Screens: Pace (passed)
Accepted: LIPA (on spot), U Arts, New School, CAP21/Molloy, Pace, Marymount Manhattan
Callback: U of MN/Guthrie (attended), taped at Unifieds for SUNY Purchase (their equivalent of a call back for off campus auditions)
Waitlist: U of MN/Guthrie, SUNY Purchase
Rejected: CMU, Hartt, UNCSA
Final Decision: Pace MT
Coach: MTCA
Training: Voice (3 years); youth theater from grade 1 to high school; middle school and high school plays; no dance
Summer Program: Interlochen (1 year); Idyllwild (1 year)
Background: D is youngest of four. Her oldest sister did the BFA process four years ago (will graduate from Tisch this spring) and her next sister left college after a semester to act professionally. So she and I were pretty familiar with the process, the industry and how competitive this all is. (Thankfully, the third D is pre-med!)
Adding to the adventure, late this past summer for a variety of reasons, D decided to graduate from high school a year early, so we were thrown into the process early and rapidly. D was not sure that she was even going to go for a BFA program because as a âbutchâ lesbian, she was not certain that programs would get her, want her or know what to do with her. Adding to this that she was just 16 and was piling on the classes to finish high school early (high school sucks for most everyone but especially for kids who are differentâŠ), it was one wild ride.
D considers herself an actor who sings and does not dance. So her list reflects a balance of Acting and MT schools and avoided schools with dance calls (with the exception of Pace).
All of her auditors, with the exception of one school, were incredibly warm, welcoming and kind to her. Restoring my faith in humanity and reminding me why I love the theater community so much, D had an absolutely wonderful audition process and felt very blessed by her results. So if there are any gender queer kids out there or kids who donât easily fit into a traditional âtypeâ for whatever reason, donât give up on your dreams!
From the very beginning, Pace was her top choice. As a family, weâve spent lots of time in NYC and her sisters all live there. Additionally, D had the opportunity to do a master class with Amy Rogers and was encouraged by and impressed with Amy as a person. When she read more on what Pace has going on as a program (doing new musicals, allowing the kids to audition, having a strong dance program as it is an area that she needs to develop), Pace seemed like the ideal place.
Just having returned from accepted studentsâ weekend, it is everything she wants and more! The kids are terrific, and she felt immediately at home. The new performing arts building is beautiful and the program in general has a lot of new and exciting things happening, including partnership with Cirque. The administrators were warm and approachable. The overall vibe of the school is one of great energy and innovation. And, after having the opportunity to meet Amy, I feel very fortunate that my D will have this woman as her mentor for the next 4 years. Finally, the money gods lined up in our favor because while D received scholarships from all the schools to which she was admitted, Paceâs was the largest!
Things we did well/went well:
- MTCAâcannot say enough good things about these folks. The coaches had D prepared and confident. They were there for her every step of the way (including her vocal tech coach who got up at the crack of dawn multiple times to Skype in and warm D up for auditions!). They helped her craft a list of schools that would be a great fit for D (and it was a great list as evidenced by her results). They were her teachers, mentors, cheerleaders and sounding boards, but most importantly her constant source of support.
- The MTCA kidsâthis group of kids was exceptional in how they bonded, supported and cheered for each other. Having friends to hang with at auditions, snapping a couple selfies and sharing war stories was a plus for my D.
- Let D be exactly who she isâD did not try to hide or down play who she is. Her material very much reflected who she is and the kind of artist she wants to be. She did not try to sell herself but instead went in with the attitude of âthis is who I am, this is what I have to offer and I am trying to see where I can best grow as an artist and contribute to the community.â Either the school would get her or they wouldnât.
- Let D control the pace (no pun intended!) of her auditions at Unifieds. I encouraged her to try a few walk-ins, and she did but she got to stop as soon as she was tired and withdrew from a couple scheduled auditions when she realized the programs were not going to be good fits. While I wanted her to get as many irons in the fire as possible given how competitive the process is, she resisted so I went against my instinct and let her lead this dance. I am glad I did.
Other random advice:
- Try not to read too much into what the auditors say or do. Dâs strongest audition (in her opinion) was at CMU and she received a lot of attention and affirmative feedback. They were terrific, kind and extremely laudatory of her voice, acting and ability to take direction. They told her she was talented and that they loved her. She was not admitted. Her next best audition (in her opinion) was UNCSA where they asked her specific questions that indicated that they had read all of her essays and referred to things that were in her recommendations as well. They spent a lot of time talking to her. Again, she was not admitted. This is not to say a single bad thing about either of these schoolsâquite the opposite, they were wonderful to her and took time to get to know her. I donât think that they were leading her on or blowing smoke at her. They just didnât think she was right for them and thatâs ok. So, while you will over-analyze (you have to do something in between waiting for the letter carrier, obsessively checking your portal and reading CC), just know that you really wonât know.
- Get sleep. Itâs the best way to protect your health.
- Travel with a humidifier (or pick one up for $30 when you get to your city). Hotel rooms are dry and gross.
- Remember: you can only attend one school. So while it is flattering to have many acceptances, donât get caught up in the game of collecting admissions like they are trading cards.
Parents: if you are a stress eater (like me!) be prepared with lots of stretchy yoga pants and know that come April you will lose your appetite once you are presented with the problem of how to pay for this all so the weight will come right off! ;) - Make a tribe. Both MTCA and CC are wonderful sources of support and I met people who will be life-long friends because of the crazy journey we are all on with our kids. Donât let competition get in your way of giving and receiving help. Assume good faith in all those you meet.
- Keep perspective. The privilege of seeing your child grow up and attend college is not one that every parent has. Be grateful that you have a kid who has a passion and be proud that you are there supporting your child. Itâs a wild and stressful ride but I promise you will remember some of these moments as great ones.
Iâll check in on CC to pay forward the wonderful support Iâve received and look forward to watching the next class of kids take center stage! And thank you all for your advice, perspective and encouragement!
Congratulations 4thtime - such a great story! Pace is a really cool school (it broke my heart when my son chose another school over Pace last year. That one still hurts.) I wish her tons of success a happiness as she moves on to the next phase!
@4thTime, your story was so valuable to me! My D (a high school freshman) is also an âactor who singsâ, with only sporadic dance training. We live in New York and D is focused on NY-area schools (with the exception of CMU, because, you know, CMU). So our list is very similar to yours. It is VERY encouraging to me that even with little dance training, your D got into Pace, Marymount Manhattan, and CAP21/Molloy - those are high on our list. Obviously there are no guarantees, but itâs just comforting to hear that even without a lot of dance training, itâs POSSIBLE to get into these schools.
I also LOVE that your D was true to herself and presented herself exactly as she is, instead of trying to become something else and second-guessing âwhat theyâre looking forâ. I seem to remember reading on the Pace site that their philosophy is that casting is moving away from defined little âboxesâ (ingenue, sidekick, etc.) and instead looking for performers who bring their own unique, authentic selves to the table. So it sounds like a really perfect fit!
@Divamamacita, I love your story and I agree that your D will go far! Both you and she show great character. I applaud your generosity in sharing all the ups and downs, good and bad - that is SO helpful to everyone following after! Reading CC has really opened my eyes to how competitive this is and that getting few or even NO acceptances is a real possibility, which is scary! But at the same time, CC has given me hope that it will all work out, and that as is often said, you only need ONE. Your story is inspiring because at first, your D got a lot of rejections, but in the end, she got three great acceptances. Congratulations!
@4thtime, we hope you know how loved your D is in the MTCA groupâŠher posts are SO funny and I am so excited for her to shine at Pace!!! Think we met at San Diego mocks-- sending best wishes to you on this new chapter.
@addicted2MT Yes. We really like Harry Parker. I see your daughter chose OU! I think she will be very happy there. She was fortunate to have such great options and a tough choice to make. The OU campus is gorgeous. I love the really old part of the library there. I wish your D much happiness and success! Congrats!
This has always been, and will always be my favorite CC Thread through the years. I just want to send out hearty congratulations to all who have reached the end (or rather, really, the beginning) of the journey⊠and send peace and love to those still weighing the decision. My D didnât commit until 4/28 last year - and I remember how grueling the month of April was here in our house. <3
Yaasssss @4thtime. Pace will be a great place for your D to be exactly who she is. My S is very happy there.
My congrats to all who have survived the journey! I well remember the anxious days waiting for acceptances, trying to decide which program, etc.
And now youâll move to phase 2. Dropping the child off at college and drying the tears, having your child forget that you exist - wondering why they donât call you or text you as often as youâd like, when they are auditiong for roles and sweating out call backs, looking forward to having them home for the summer only to find out they have taken summer stock jobs in a far away place, trying to figure out how your child exists on 5 hours sleep a night. You have so much to look forward to!
And divamamacita and dramamama, welcome to the Ball State family. Anything I can offer to make things easie let me know - Chirp, Chirp!
@MTDadandProud Thank you so much for this post! Congratulations to your S and whole family. My S is a middle school MTer and we appreciate your words of wisdom! We live near TSU and hope to see your S perform in the near future!