@7Heartsong3 great story , great outcome, CONGRATS!! there are many great programs out there but somehow with your " very little knowledge" your kid landed at a tippy top program. & yet your story shows future parents that NO ONE bats 1000.
WOW @7Heartsong3 @RVCVRN1 …it really is amazing what families go through on this journey. Congrats to your stars!
Congratulation @7Heartsong3 ! Great story! Best of luck to your son!
@7Heartsong3 and @RVCVRN1 - Congratulations to both of your kids!!! Two very different journeys, but wonderful outcomes!! You have both had your set of challenges and now, they have a great path to follow!!
Oh @7Heartsong3 what a wonderful story, had me tearing up at parts. Can relate so much! I agree regarding the exceptionally stressed and kind parents! So happy your S found a wonderful program and adding the multi-continent component is quite impressive!
Wow @7Heartsong! I can’t imagine coordinating all of the prescreen/audition craziness with a six-hour time difference. So happy for you and son that it had such a happy ending!
Congrats @7Heartsong3 ! I had no idea your S was contending with back-and-forth travel from overseas for auditions! What a great outcome. So happy he’s found his home!
What @tsamuique said – I had no idea about the extra logistical components! Huge congrats to you and your S, @7Heartsong3…I love the story. 
@7Heartsong3 Congratulations to you and your S! I can’t imagine trying to work on the audition process from 2 different continents- I thought it was hard enough on one continent! So glad it turned out so well, and he found his perfect place!
Such a wonderful post @7Heartsong3 - I really loved reading how your S “found his people” at Unifieds and I am sure that experience cemented everyone’s understanding that he was pursuing the right path for him. He’ll have the time of his life at CCM - congratulations to you all!
Congratulations @7Heartsong3 !
Congratulations @7Heartsong3! Awesome story =)
@RVCVRN1 right back at you! Your S has a lot going for him. The maturity to make that decision and the dedication to improving and getting right back in there a second time are great traits to have. BTW, we have a great friend of the family who is a rising junior in the BFA acting program at Syracuse. From all accounts, she loves it!
Programs Applied to: Texas State, Texas Tech, TCU, OU, Florida State, UCF, Indiana, Ball State, Muhlenberg, Rider, Temple, Elon, UW Stevens Point
Academically Accepted: All–honors program at Texas State, Ball State, UWSP
Prescreens: All except Muhlenberg (none required)
Passed: All, except OU
Auditions: Chicago Unifieds–Temple, UWSP, TCU, FSU, Ball State, Rider No walk-ins. On Campus–Texas State, Texas Tech, UCF, Elon, Indiana
Accepted to: Temple, Rider, Muhlenberg (BA)
Withdrew: Florida State–too far and difficult to travel to
Rejected from: Texas State, TCU, UCF, Elon
Wait-listed at: Rider, Ball State, Indiana, Texas Tech, UWSP
Coach: 3-4 different voice teachers since 8th grade, 4 different dance studios since age 4, and 2 acting coaches
Summer Programs: Nexus (Texas State)
Background:
We are from Colorado and D has been dancing competitively in a company since 3-4 years old at 4 different studios. Dance has been her passion. You know the girl that constantly dances around the house randomly? Yes, that’s her. However, she’s become more passionate about MT. That started to develop in middle school. From middle school forward, she said her goal was to be on Broadway.
D has always been self-driven. We don’t to tell her to do her school work or get to practice. She self taught herself on the piano and ukulele. She is an A student. Stays up late doing school work and singing in her closet. Where she got all this from, I have no idea, but it’s impressive to witness. The work ethic might come from my wife and I, but the talent and drive to be better comes from God. Well, I guess everything comes from God. 
Her first musical was in the community theater around Freshman year. She was cast in Bye, Bye Birdie as Ursula. Next, she did High School Musical in community theater and she was cast as Sharpay. Next, she was cast as Velma in Chicago in community theater. Then it was an ensemble part in A Chorus Line. Again community theater, but she got paid! She was actually in the same show as her high school advisor and the person who choreographs all the high school musicals. That was fun! This all happened by the end of Sophomore year going in to Junior year.
That is when we got more serious about the voice and acting. We upgraded the voice teacher and got her first acting coach. We also started to scale back dance because something had to give. She was already an B/B+ dancer, but needed a lot of help on the voice and acting.
Something to note, some teachers/coaches are only capable of getting you to a certain level. After, you need to move on and find someone else to get to the next level. That is why we have had several companies and voice coaches. My daughter is not a natural at anything, like her dad, but when she works hard at something, magical things happen.
Junior year, she tried out for the high school musical Mama Mia. She was in the ensemble and dance captain. Her high school is a public school, but they have an excellent arts department supported by the principal who went to Roosevelt. They won best musical in Colorado last year at the Jimmy awards.
Last year around this time she was accepted to the OCU summer program and then shortly thereafter in to the Texas State summer program. The year before, she was rejected by OCU summer program. My guess is that her voice was not strong enough because…well, it wasn’t strong. She preferred Texas State, so we backed out of OCU and lost a deposit. She loved Texas State in the summer. Learned a lot. Loved the faculty and campus–honestly they are great people. After, she decided she wanted a big college in a warm climate.
She was cast in her high school musical Chicago as Velma (again). That prohibited us from doing any early auditions, like Moonifieds, because it didn’t end until just before Thanksgiving. We did some coaching with Mary Anna Denard and valued her coaching a lot. Chicago was a phenomenal musical. The entire cast, set, lighting, and music was even better than Mama Mia the year before. It definitely would have won some awards this year, but then COVID stole that away.
All applications and prescreens for college were submitted by late September or early October. There were some later ones–mainly because we had to chase down teachers for their recommendations. That was really frustrating. Prescreen results starting coming in early October. First, and only rejection was OU in November/December.
She attended Thescon in Denver, but didn’t audition anywhere. That, IMO, was a big mistake. She should have done that to get some practice and, hopefully, early yeses from smaller schools/programs. But, she didn’t do it. I think it would have helped build confidence.
The audition season started for us at her #1 school, Texas State, on campus at the end of January. Followed by Chicago Unifieds and on campus at Indiana, Texas Tech, UCF, and finally Elon. She preferred a bigger school that was in a warm climate.
She didn’t come out of any audition feeling particularly great or bad. Although, she was discouraged a bit at two schools who prided themselves on “getting to know you,” because they didn’t ask her any questions during the audition.
We got our first rejection from Texas State right before the Elon audition in early March. Sounded like she made it down to some final people. That hurt…a lot because it was her #1. She proposed marriage, but they said no. 
Then, we were notified that she was accepted to Ball State. Wait…hang on. The email was addressed to Shelly? That’s not my daughter’s name. Could they have made a mistake? Frantic phone calls to the department helped us figure out, it was a mistake. She was not accepted; but was on the waitlist. Ugh. That hurt.
The rejections and waitlists continued until the first acceptance showed up from Temple around March 20. This came out of nowhere. Not really on our radar, but she was super excited. It is a big school close to NYC, but not too warm. Sort of fit her profile of where she wanted to go. Learned a lot about Temple over the coming weeks. Spectacular program and faculty. The campus, by video at least, looks great!
Then, last Monday, she was accepted to Rider. Small school, small town, great program. But, she was already engaged to Temple. Rider was just an interloper at that point. Furthermore, all the other WL schools weren’t interesting from a location perspective, but had great programs. Temple offered urban environment compared to all the other WL schools which felt more like just another suburban or small, not culturally diverse environment like Colorado.
She has now committed to Temple University BFA MT.
We entered this process with the understanding that applying to 10-15 programs would yield 1-2 BFA acceptances. That’s exactly what we got–may have had more if we waited for some of the WL schools.
Here is one big takeaway. Probably the number 1 thing I learned on CC about this process, besides patience, is that your D/S will connect with a school during the process and it might not be the one you/they think. She connected with Temple and really liked them during the audition. Obviously, they connected with her too. And so, it came to be that she got an offer…she got engaged…and she will be married this fall in Philadelphia. Congratulations and best wishes! Thank you to everyone for your love and support! May all your dreams (the ones you have and don’t know you’ll have) come true!
Great story! Congratulations!!! So excited for you and your D!
CONGRATS @csuram1994 , as you know we have a friend at Temple who is incredibly happy - he was a Freshman this year
@csuram1994 - great story and I am so happy for her (and you) that the decision is made! As you know, we loved Temple when we visited - loved the overall vibe and I am sure she will be very happy there - Yay!!!
Congratulations @csuram1994 ! Great story! I am sure she is going to love it!
@csuram1994 That is awesome!!! I am so thrilled for your daughter! I love everything about that program. One of my students really wanted it…but couldn’t make the $ work. He also “connected” with Steven and Peter in the audition room!
Congrats, @csuram1994 !!! So happy she’s found her home!