So exciting!
@MTmom2017 so great to read your experience at U of Miami. My daughter ended up at another school, but we were definitely throwing up the U for awhile, there! We were very impressed with the program.
Haha @DramaLlama18 - we have almost identical names - you meant @MTMOM17. But we have a friend who just graduated from U of Miami and she loved it!
@artskids and @El-Cee in the thread about college putting mental health programs in place. We were told by our college audition coach last year not to apply to Texas State. Big issues with anorexia was a major reason why mental health programs were put in place. Also we are from Texas and Texas State is not that great of a college if your child is academic. It’s an easy state school to get into too. Y’all from other areas of the country may not know. It’s not one of our top Texas schools. But does have inexpensive tuition. So be careful to research deeper. And Penn State has had lots of issues with their Greek System as have other colleges. So research all areas if something your child is exploring.
Texas State’s MT program has a huge focus on health - both physical and mental - and the program director has made a priority of bringing awareness of the mental health issues of college students to national attention. Kkrazie’s college audition coach’s information may be outdated. I can assure others that the students in this program are very- well supported by their professors and their classmates.
Also, though it may not have as strong an academic reputation as some other schools in Texas, most of the MT students are in the Honors Program. So not only are they in small conservatory style classes for their MT major classes, their academic subjects are taught in small seminar-style honors classes. Thus they have the opportunity to develop both artistically and academically with lots of interaction with classmates and professors.
@Kkrazie My research is as recent as last year. We did look into the Honors Program and Tx State and spent quite a bit of time corresponding with Kaitlyn at the time. At Penn State, it did not seem the MTs we spoke with were involved in Greek life. Agree with @heliobike, your information may be outdated.
@artskids nope my information isn’t outdated. Told this in 2018 during last year’s audition season. But I do applaud MT Heads for inputing mental health programs. It’s a sad reality that weight will always be a factor in performing arts & important it’s being addressed. Saw a wonderful post the other day that schools are more & more looking for all shapes, sizes & stripes. Mental health equally important. Glad it’s being addressed head on.
^^^I certainly hope so. One of the schools at Unifieds had the kids complete the form with their information, then they were to hand the form to the proctor. There was a space at the bottom for auditors to check off “underweight” and “overweight” as choices. Oy.
@El-Cee I’m late to the party, about the question (asking about current freshman being happy with their decisions). I’ve spoken to a few moms that have been brutally honest about how their kids have adjusted to life as a freshman MT major. Just like all other college students, some struggle, and it’s not always exactly what they hoped it would be. But as @CaMom13 said, the majority may fall in love because it happens to be the ‘right fit’ for them. What’s right for my kid may not be right for others.
I’ll add in my answer to your question: my d is at UArts and is very happy there. It’s in a city (we are from a major city, one may say ‘the’ major city for theatre), and she likes the ‘campus’ being the streets of Philly. I feel like for her, it has created more of a sense of independence. The location (distance from home) is perfect (no plane rides, and I can actually see her perform in a day’s trip when the time comes). It’s a very liberal environment, super LGBTQ friendly (both the school and the neighborhood), and while they do accept more students than the elite programs, they are broken up into smaller sections for all of their classes (so they are getting the attention we all want our kids to get). There are a lot of performance opportunities (because they have a directing/playwriting/producing major, there are many student-run productions), and freshmen are eligible to perform. Many of the faculty have affiliations/connections with the local Philly theatre scene. There is an emphasis on all three aspects (‘threats’). I don’t feel a sense of her feeling ‘broken down’ in any way, but she is definitely being challenged in the areas she needs to be.
@DramaQueen219, I am so happy that your D loves UArts! I followed your story last year, with all the anxiety and worry, praying it would turn out okay, and was SO relieved when she got her acceptances. I’m so glad it turned out to be a perfect fit! Happy endings are the best. 
@actorparent1 Thank you so much! I remember you being one of our biggest cheerleaders! It’s just so crazy how things turn out for some of our kids. A year ago, we never imagined all this. She’s close enough to home, in a great area for theatre (and food!!), she has made great friends, has a boyfriend, and will be in a show this spring!
I really enjoyed reading your post. It is my first day logging into CC for my D who is. Junior in HS . I’m currently overwhelmed at the thought of this MT college road ahead, even though my D has always wanted this and has lived MT her whole life .
I thought we had some TIME but it looks like as a HS Junior she’s already BEHIND!
I hope the info and encouragements from this forum helps us in the coming months!
@Dramamomma918 - make sure to check out the Class of 2023 sharing/venting thread, if you haven’t already!
First day on CC and trying to navigate - thank you for your informative post … Unifieds are the summer BEFORE Senior year? (Am I understanding that correctly!?)
Is that when you stayed at Palmer House? (My D is a HS Junior & Im trying to get ORGANIZED!)
@Dramamomma918: Unifieds are auditions your child can attend the winter of their senior year (Jan and Feb in New York, LA, and Chicago). Chicago Unifieds are held at Palmer House Hotel, which yes, you CAN stay at, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
@CaMom13 “arts building with cramped sweaty stairs leading to levels of dance and acting studios . . . “THIS is what I want”!” Ahaahhaha! I relate. Our kids are crazy!
They sure are! Loveably crazy, but crazy.
Does anyone know When the dates for Unifieds come out for NEXT year? (Or is it technically this year!?) ?
D is HS Junior now …
I’m just one day on CC and I’m completely thankful for you all & TERRIFIED! ?
EastchesterMom
I’m looking for the thread you suggested- And cannot seem to locate it
@Dramamomma918
Don’t let it get to you! You have plenty of time. I jumped aboard all the MT threads at this time last year as well when my D was a junior & I could feel my blood pressure go up every time I read a new post. Focus on those posts with a similar timeline as you. You’ll see it’s completely doable. And even fun sometimes.