@SpotConlon - wow. Thanks for sharing this. Very powerful.
@SpotConlon Thank you for sharing. I saw every post and video. I applaud each and everyone of them for being so brave and sharing their experience…yes, very powerful!
The testimony from those Pace students and alums is powerful. However, Pace is far from the only school with deep seated issues of racism, transphobia, and ableism (among others) from within the program. I wish there were a better way for prospective students to know what they are getting themselves into when they commit to a program–so much of how programs are marketed to prospective students hides the reality of what it’s like to spend 4 years in that environment.
@SpotConlon WOW !!! Just WOW. That was indeed some riveting and powerful information. Will definitely share with MT students in my circle so they can go in with eyes wide open. Thanks indeed for sharing. Seriously, WOW. I binge watched all those videos.
Thanks for watching all! I think it is so important. I, myself, did not even go there, but as @CanadianMTgirl said- these are issues that run rampant at most programs. Some of the exact words quoted in the video were used by professors at my own institution.
I think with social media being so prevalent, it should become a common practice for prospective students to reach out to current and alum of programs and be equipped with the right questions to ask. I would think most alum and current students would absolutely answer the right questions honestly, and of course it will depend on who you ask. It may not be a bad idea to find someone “who looks like you,” (maybe not physically, but someone who is your ((outdated phrase)) ‘perceived type’ to see how they faired at the program. A BIPOC male, for instance, will have much different answers than a Caucasian female.
The Pace kids and all other schools alums and students who are speaking up are brave, and I think the change for the better at programs is to come. The schools have to be held accountable.
Looks like someone is on their way out at Pace, or there’s going to be substantial restructuring from within—this job was posted today for a new head of the BFA MT program: http://education.jobtkr.com/company/job/ny/ny-newyorkcitydowntown/44293811?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
Pace announced their intention to do this a few weeks ago in a press release. Ms. Rogers is still listed as faculty. I assume she has tenure.
Its very surprising because I thought Amy Rogers was very progressive in her casting- look at their production of Les Miz for instance. I watched all the protest videos and the zoom call so I now understand there were issues-just from the outside looking in it seemed like they were way more diverse than a lot of other schools and programs. When you say she has tenure does that mean she still gets paid if she’s removed from her position still?
@dramamama2424 I am not sure if you have seen all of the student and past-student testimonials, but two Sunday mornings ago, when I sat and watched all of those on the Instagram account listed…and heard the recordings, I wept. I have always recommended that school to anyone who wants a diverse, socially-conscious program. And I feel like I misled students and parents. That being said, the job posting is certainly a good omen that they are specifically not just looking for a replacement for Amy, but for someone who can restore what their mission has always been.
for any of you 2024 peeps still checking in, I have to say when I see my headline in post #382 " welcome 2020" I want to vomit LOL…ok off to bed my yankees are out of the playoffs no reason to watch baseball this late 
hope everyone is doing great in these tough tough time, my D is LOVING BW…its not what we had hoped w masks and no live performance this semester, but shes working her a$$ off and could not be more thrilled w her decision.
so you’re saying there’s a chance…haha
@NYYFanNowMTdad LOL certainly not the year I think any of us anticipated. I am glad to hear you D is loving BW. Mine is very happy at Temple. Last weekend we got to see her perform in a virtual show which was great. She misses being on stage but is making the best of the online situation. Hopefully in 2021 they will all be back on stage. Fingers crossed!!
“so you’re saying there’s a chance…” Forever and always the quote that I will associate with the process.
Thrilled to hear that your kids are thriving at BW and Temple. I’m happy to report that D is also flourishing. No performances but loving her classes which are following a hybrid model that allows for in person instruction.
I’ll also allow you all to laugh a little at my expense as I’m heading out to pick up Little D from a rehearsal for an upcoming outdoor performance. Despite my fatigue and attempts to steer her toward other interests, she has decided performing is also “her thing”.
…whoops wrong thread!
So nice to see some familiar names from the class of 2024. I’m glad to hear things are going well even during the pandemic. My daughter is also loving her training at Syracuse .
Hi. New here and feeling a little homeless. I hope it’s okay to nudge my way into your group. My daughter is currently applying to BW for Musical Theatre Direction, so she’s a pianist with a classical background. The few schools that have this major only take 2 students a year, so I feel more at home with the MT crowd in terms of the intense selectivity. She loves conducting and accompanying all of your dancing songbirds on the stage! She feels her best training will come from a school with a top MT program as well as classical piano training. She is applying to BW, Shenandoah, Penn Sate, and Catholic at the moment. Fortunately, we were able to visit all four of these schools in Jan-February, 2020. We are looking forward to watching BW’s online performance of Spring Awaking to see what they come up with! I miss live broadway and musical theatre so much!
welcome @Tinman21 , you are welcome to join, but might I suggest your fellow class of '25 people…we had a few great theater tech people join our MT group last year. …the MT folks are generally pretty welcoming, but this thread has slowed down dramatically , these MT threads of “discussing venting, etc…”… are available from each past year, but your fellow auditioners/ applicants for class of 25 will likely be active daily where as this one gets minimal activity now that our kids are off to school…the final decision threads are very insightful too. good luck this year!! I can tell you for BW specifically my D is very happy with the MT program, but I’m not sure how much she interacts with the " direction students" since the performance opportunities this year have been somewhat limited.
Just reminiscing and realizing that this time last year I was checking this page daily for tips and updates regarding pre-screens and remembered that I never submitted my child’s final decision. I know this information is helpful for parents going through the process now so in that spirit I am updating now.
Programs Applied to:
University of Arizona
Ball State
Coastal Carolina
CCM
East Carolina
Elon
FSU
Indiana
JMU
Michigan
Millikan
Montclair
Penn State
Texas State
Rider
Roosevelt CCPA
Pace
Point Park
Webster
West Virginia
Prescreens:
Most of the above. Passed all of them
Accepted to:
University of Arizona
Ball State
East Carolina
FSU
JMU
Texas State
Rider
Roosevelt CCPA
Point Park
West Virginia
Withdrew:
Indiana
Millikan
Webster
Coastal Carolina
Rejected from:
CCM
Elon
Michigan
Penn State (This rejection hurt the most…she really thought the audition went great.)
Pace
Wait-listed at:
Montclair
Coach: None
Summer Programs:
The Theatre Lab (Washington DC) Musical Theatre Institute for Teens
Walnut Hill School for the Arts Summer Theatre (5-week residential)
Florida State MTI (3 week residential)
Broadway Artists Alliance (Multiple intensives since the age of 10)
Joffrey Summer Dance Intensive
Background:
Competition dancer and classically trained in ballet. Due to her dance schedule musicals were only something my daughter was able to do in the summers. Weekly voice lessons beginning in 8th grade, acting classes at The Theatre Lab in Washington DC plus MANY summer and winter intensives as well as a few master classes at the Broadway Artists Alliance in NYC which proved to be an INCREDIBLE training ground for sailing through the college auditions! Thanks to BAA by the time my daughter hit the college audition tour she had already gained so much audition experience that her head shot, resume, audition outfits, songs, and monologues were ready to go with little stress. Can not say enough positive things about the preparation that BAA provided!
Journey:
My daughter started with a list of about 35 schools, including reach, fit, and “safety” schools (as if there even is such a thing in MT). She picked her final 20 to apply to and kept the others on a back-up list for possible walk-in auditions.
She did the pre-screen express at Broadway Artists Alliance and as a result had all of her pre-screen videos in the can and ready to go by September 15th. The essay writing was the most stressful part because they seem to never end.
She was excited to pass all of her pre-screens! (being a dancer helped a lot we think)
She scheduled as many auditions as possible at unifieds in both NY and Chicago. She LOVED unifieds! The energy is amazing. Running into old friends is a great distraction from the nerves. They’re just so busy running from audition to audition that there just isn’t time to get stressed out. She went on-campus where she had to- JMU, FSU, Elon, Roosevelt, and had on-campus auditions scheduled at WVU, Millikin, Indiana, and East Carolina which she later cancelled (she was later accepted to WVU and East Carolina anyway based on her pre-screen- totally unexpected!!)
The acceptance phone calls started coming in just before COVID-19 began shutting things down. By April it became clear that accepted student visits weren’t going to be possible. After all of that work, that was a massive disappointment. My daughter had taken the summer program at FSU and going into auditions it was her #1 choice, but once accepted she was excited to visit Ball State, Point Park, Arizona, and Texas State. April was BRUTAL. Trying to make this decision but not be able to see the campuses, sit in on classes, and really imagine herself in these places was just so hard. All of the schools were generous with their resources and offered virtual tours, zoom calls, and students to connect with, but it’s just not the same. One by one she contacted the heads of programs to decline, until it came down to 2 schools… Texas State and FSU. She did not want to say no to either of them. She loved the summer program at FSU but Texas State’s reputation in the industry is fire and she immediately clicked with all of the staff at her audition- the voice teacher, dance teacher, and of course the incredible Kaitlin Hopkins. Sadly, for the class of 2020 they’ll never know if their journey might have gone a different direction had they been able to visit the schools that accepted them, but my daughter was fortunate that one of her choices was the school that had her heart from the start.
Final Decision:
Florida State University MT BFA!! 
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Congratulations, @SingerDancerMom ! What a fantastic outcome! That not being able to visit thing was an obstacle for sure and definitely gave some programs an edge for us…it was a whole lot easier for my D to picture herself at the schools we had seen than at the fantastic choices we hadn’t. I hope your D is killing it so far at FSU! 
@SingerDancerMom glad you posted, even at this late date, will certainly help future auditioners…like we all said each class has its challenges…visiting schools in the spring for all us 2024 peeps, but this year their all virtual auditions- WOW!? nothing more to say.
Great outcome at FSU.!
Hope all of your kids are home safe and healthy for the best holiday of the year!!
the news of a vaccine reminds me of our favorite video " so your saying theres a chance" that the world will go back to normal 
HERE IT IS FOR OLD TIMES SAKE LOL
OMG… I can’t begin to tell you how much this story hits home for me and my DD. Thank you so much for sharing and I hope she is having an AMAZING time at school!
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