High School Parents/Students - Class of 2007

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>My D also loaded up early due to heavy show commitments in the spring. I think she messes up the pattern a lot. It really depends on which school is looking for what when you audition.</p>

<p>Ocotber - 1st audition : Denied MT, accepted BA theater
November: 2nd audition: Accepted
3rd audition: Denied (the next day - and she was very tired)
4th audition: Accepted
December: 5th audition: Accepted
January: 6th audition: Denied
7th audition: cancelled
8th audition: denied
9th audition: Accepted</p>

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<p>I love this thread, though my guess is that we won't really see any meaningful patterns by the time people finish posting. A scientist would likely say that there are too many variables here (and a too-small sample!) to make a significant conclusion. Nonetheless, it's interesting reading. Thank you to those who shared.</p>

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<p>My son was accepted to his first 5 auditions and rejected from the last 4, so this is a totally opposite pattern. The ones he auditioned for later were some of the schools that accept the smallest percentage of those auditioning (examples, Juilliard and CMU). He also was accepted before Christmas into several of his top choice schools, so I think he possibly grew tired of auditioning later on and maybe didn't put as much into the auditions.</p>

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<p>Not sure how much this helps, but here is my daughter’s pattern:</p>

<p>First audition: Accepted (Felt she had a pretty good audition, but changed her songs after feedback)
Second audition: Deferred in the fall, then accepted (Elon—Yay!!!!) (Felt she had a good audition, but would have done better if she hadn’t been first to sing and do monologues since she had virtually no time to warm up vocally after finishing the dance audition. We learned from the experience, and she always warmed up vocally before the dance audition started at the rest of her auditions, at least somewhat, so she wouldn’t be freaked out again.)
Third audition: Accepted (scholarship audition only, received scholarship) (Felt it went well, and was given feedback to that effect on the spot.)
Fourth audition: Accepted. Felt it went well but small number of spots made her not sure she would be one of those chosen.
Fifth audition: Denied (not her best audition, very nervous as this was one of her top choices. Experience auditioning didn’t seem to help her nerves for this one.)
Sixth audition: Denied (really didn’t want to attend this school after her audition, but knew the audition went well due to feedback. Percentage accepted VERY small).
Seventh audition: Denied for MT, took self out of consideration for music/ dance. Disliked the audition situation and felt she didn’t do even close to her best.
Eight audition: Accepted (knew it went well due to callback situation)
Ninth audition: Accepted (felt it was one of her worst auditions, so you never know!)
Tenth audition: Denied (didn’t like ANYTHING about this school, and felt it was the BEST of her auditions because she KNEW she would never go there, so there was no pressure, yet she didn’t get in!).
Eleventh audition: Accepted (Felt good about the audition, but didn’t like the fact that only one person watched her.)
Twelfth audition: Denied (Very much enjoyed the experience and felt it went very well. Although she knew it was her last audition, and she had done a lot, she wasn’t tired of them and didn’t feel she lost focus over the audition season.)</p>

<p>As with Kaysmom’s daughter, my daughter wanted to hopefully have an acceptance before Christmas, to take the pressure off. She had two, and a deferral, which helped a lot, except the deferral was to her number one choice. So the wait until March was REALLY long! Other acceptances and denials came along both before and after Christmas. She did also apply to a few other schools, scheduled auditions for February and March, then cancelled them when she already had acceptances she knew she would take over those schools. She also had two non-audition safeties. You can tell we were just a bit nervous about outcomes after reading CC for two years before the audition process started!!! But it all worked out beautifully. Better to be safe than sorry for us----we knew we were probably in overkill mode, but didn’t care. It was reassuring to us that she quickly knew she would have choices.</p>

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<p>nydancemom, your D did 12 auditions and kaysmom, yours did 12. (Yeah, I know: I am telling you what you already know! :)) How did your Ds (with your help, presumably!) arrive at the number of schools to audition for? In retrospect, would each of your kids do the same number as she did, or would she have reduced the number? I ask for an obvious reason: my D's "list" of schools is still too long, and she is going to have to cut it. But it's difficult to ascertain (about six months in advance of the beginning of the process) how far to cut it. Is 10 to 12 a good number? (Let me say going in that I know that there is no "perfect" number, and this is a very individual thing. But I would still love to hear your opinions on that.) Thanks in advance for any response you can give, and also for the help that all of you who have been through the process are giving those of us who find the process on the horizon. (Help!!! :))</p>

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<p>Hi NMR- although not mentioned by name, I'll give you my 2 cents worth! :)</p>

<p>Our chosen limit was 10. We applied to 9 and agreed that #10 - which was a a nonaudtion BA program- would be applied to IF none of the early auditions panned out(and we knew that most of the early auditions were rolling admissions). </p>

<p>As I am sure all would tell you it is the MIX that is critical to helping determine the number. Our mix was a combination of BFA and BM (all in MT). School size varied as did program size but all were places where D felt she could be happy. We had only visited 3 of the schools in advance of the audition but through CC and websites, all seemed to be good programs and faculty. D is pretty adaptable so location was not critical to her but it could be. Academically, there were no issues at any school. Financial aid was also considered at all schools. </p>

<p>Overall, for girls(where the odds are stacked against them in many cases) I think that 8-10 is a good number. It is pricey as I am sure you know and that is a whole lot of essay writing and recommendation getting work (both things we really cant do as parents). I would BE SURE your student knows how much work is involved in that number of applications and make the number choice together!</p>

<p>Long message when I wasnt asked, huh? :))</p>

<p>MikksMom</p>

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<p>Mikksmom, I <em>completely</em> and <em>totally</em> appreciate hearing from you! Thank you so much. What you say makes sense. Like yours, my D feels she is adaptable as to location (for instance, she has no particular feeling about going to school where the weather is cold, or hot, or in an urban or rural or suburban area: she only cares that the program is a good one), so we cannot reduce #s that way. Thanks again.</p>

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<p>You didn't ask me either but I'll chime in....</p>

<p>What is most important is to have the APPROPRIATE list that should yield some acceptances. The list should be well balanced in terms of odds of admission artistically and academically. How many are on the list really depends on a candidate's situation. Usually, the total number should fall between 8-12 schools in my opinion. For someone ONLY seeking a BFA, who has a very good academic record as well, and is competitive artistically, a total of 8 BFA programs should be OK and then maybe a back up BA non audition school (or two) and a backup BA in MT audition school, but it depends a lot on the candidate and the actual schools that are on the list (how balanced and appropriate that list is). I have some students who are competitive academically and artistically who have applied to 9-11 BFA programs and then two BA back ups, but that was the max. </p>

<p>I also have some students who are interested in both BFA and BA programs and so when such a situation arises, the list may be longer than 8 schools because there is a handful of BFA options and a balance within that group and a handful of BA options and a balance within that group and so some of those type of students apply to 10-12 schools because of the variety of types of programs. I can't imagine hardly any students needing more than 12 schools and I feel that doing any more applications would dilute the efforts per application. </p>

<p>Sometimes, I have a student who has a very low academic profile and so finding the right list is crucial and then sometimes more options are needed...11 or 12 (not ALL BFAs). </p>

<p>So, it is hard to say how many schools you need without seeing WHICH schools are on the list in terms of balance to yield success and your D's artistic profile and academic profile. A student who has an excellent academic profile has already hedged the bets and that will not hold the candidate back at any of these BFA schools. The list is going to be DIFFERENT for that candidate than another candidate and possibly shorter as well. </p>

<p>Without knowing the details of your D, my guess is that she likely would be fine with 8 BFA schools (well balanced in terms of odds/selectivity) and two BA back ups (perhaps one being audition based). But I'd have to see the list and her profile to really say. </p>

<p>My D only wanted a BFA and she applied to a total of 8. She didn't have BA backups and I know that is very chancy and I always make sure clients have a BA backup (or two) that is appropriate for them. I felt given my D's profile that her 8 BFA schools should have yielded at least one acceptance but I think it is likely wiser to have a BA back up as a sure bet as her BFA schools were hardly sure bets. She was competitive academically and artistically and knowing that, she built an appropriate list of 8 schools. This worked well for her. </p>

<p>But it is SOOOOOOO important that the student have the right list for him/herself. I see far too many people building inappropriate lists that are either unrealistic, unbalanced, and/or unresearched....where they just pick schools they have heard of and/or offer MT without thorough research of the schools in terms of fit with their college criteria/preferences, without any realistic assessment of their academic chances at schools where they likely could not be admitted, and without a good understanding of their artistic competitiveness, as well as without balancing the more known BFAs with some that are a bit less artistically competitive (in terms of the applicant pool, not the BFA admit rate). </p>

<p>So, the right list for each student is crucial. The total number of schools is dependent on many factors for that student and the schools that make the final list, which needs to be balanced in terms of academic and artistic odds. Again, my gut feeling for your D, NMR, is that 8 or 9 BFAs should do it and then a BA or two for back up.</p>

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<p>Wow, Susan, thanks so much. I appreciate your taking so much time (as always) to give me the benefit of both your own D's experience and your experience as someone who counsels BFA/BA MT candidates. This helps a lot. :)</p>

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<p>Hi NMR,
Well, I do agree with you that each kid is an individual, so lists will vary, and the number of schools applied to will vary. For my peace of mind, we had our daughter apply to MANY schools for several reasons. First, as you know, she is Asian and she is very tiny. We were not sure how that would affect her audition outcomes. Her dance teacher here was less than enthusiastic about her auditioning for MT and tried to dissuade us. She felt that she should audition as a dance major, and that MT programs might not look at her as easily because of her ethnicity and her size. We just didn’t want to take chances, but she wanted MT as her major. Also, we had financial issues to worry about. We fall into the “middle class who won’t qualify for much aid, but has no money since we have five kids” situation. So we were not sure our daughter would be able to attend a school like NYU or UM (out of state) even if she got in. So we used the strategy Susan is talking about, but to a MAJOR extent. We wanted to make sure our daughter had choices, even if they were not her TOP choices. I do think Susan’s strategy suggestions are great. I do think, however, that it is very difficult to determine which programs actually ARE targets schools and which are really reaches. The safeties were pretty easy. Our daughter went with two non-audition BA programs: Indiana—where she did not try for the new BFA and Muhlenberg—which she auditioned for scholarships only. She is a good student with decent test scores, so we were fairly confident she would be admitted academically to the schools on her list—and she was. She was admitted to both with scholarships and since Indiana is rolling admission she knew in September that she had a place to go! Then she did several BFA programs which we tried to tailor to her specific wants and needs. But then she also threw in a couple, more for reputation than anything else, and realized after auditioning that she really wouldn’t have wanted to attend them. So those were the ones which were really a waste of time and money. But they were good audition experience if nothing else. I think the hard part is knowing how competitive your child is in the big “pool” of applicants and knowing what the “artistic competitiveness” is at each. Our daughter is a dancer first, which is nice, but NOT what the MT programs care about most. We were confident she would hold her own in a dance audition, but we were not sure how she stacked up compared to other kids in the singing and acting. And on any given day, you just don’t know what a program will be looking for, or what “type” they may need or not even look at. And tiny, Asian was not necessarily going to be a “type” they would need at a given time.
So to answer your question about narrowing the list, I think you have to do what feels comfortable to you and your daughter. Do I think we applied to too many? In retrospect, yes. She had many wonderful acceptances and for that we are very grateful. Would she have had those if she had applied to fewer schools? Probably. Could we have eliminated a few? Most definitely. I would certainly eliminate the schools which we knew she really didn’t think she would like as much as her favorites. In her case those were some of the schools most coveted by others: CMU, NYU, Ithaca. They were not a good fit for my daughter, although they are terrific for others.
Also, I have to disagree with Susan that applying to many schools will necessarily dilute the effectiveness of the applications. Our daughter put effort into each application. She did all paper applications unless online was reqired. She did each individual school’s application unless they required the common app. She wrote all the essays and answered all the short answer questions with great thought and care. She was admitted (or passed the academic review) at every school she applied to, even the ones she never ended up auditioning for. It was an incredible amount of work, however, and consumed MANY hours during the month of August to accomplish it.
I'm looking forward to hearing all about your daughter's journey. It is a stressful, yet very bonding time for you both. At least it was for us. We're wishing you, and all the other rising seniors, only good things! PM or email me if you need anything!</p>

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<p>NYDanceMom, </p>

<p>Your post is terrific and also shows the individual circumstances with regard to creating a list. If I understand you correctly, your D applied to 10 BFAs and then the BA non audition Indiana and the BA optional audition (for scholarships) at Muhlenberg, yes? That is very similar to what some candidates I have worked with are doing. And indeed, a motivated student can put in the energy to do 12 apps very well (my clients have done paper apps as you have). I think much more than 12 is just too many not so much because of the effort to each application but because I don't think it is necesssary to yield a positive outcome if one has the right list. It is hard to visit that many schools and if one is blessed with 10 acceptances, for example, in April and hasn't visited, it is harder to narrow them down by then. But it all depends on the kid. I had one girl apply to 13 schools last year, and 11 were BFA if I recall. She put LOTS of energy into all 13 apps. In December, she had gotten in ED to Tisch and that was that. Many kids who only want a BFA can make do with 8-10 BFAs plus two BAs. But things vary per student and also their qualifications and WHICH schools they put on the list in terms of balance. </p>

<p>I also agree that it is very difficult to asceratain one's chances artistically at a school because with very low acceptance rates, even the MOST talented kids will get denied at some schools. Also, a student can't do anything about their type and where they might fit into the make up of the class. But someone who is competitive artistically, enough to be accepted to a BFA in general, should yield at least one acceptance with a balanced list of BFA schools. Assessing one's artistic competitiveness is not easily defined, but one can do self assessments in comparison to others they know who have been accepted, look at how they fare in casting in their own region or at outside summer programs, etc., ask voice/acting/dance teachers who are familiar with students who have gone onto BFA programs how they compare in terms of their skill sets, etc. If a student has received regional, state, or national recognition (though this is NOT required to get into a BFA), it is another inkling that the student may be able to compete in the BFA applicant pool. </p>

<p>Yes, it is hard to tell which BFA programs are harder to get into than others because unlike regular college admissions, ALL these schools have very low admit rates, often in the single digits. BUT some BFA programs do not draw from the same applicant pools as others, and/or are not always chosen by applicants who get admitted but are also admitted to a more competitive or well known program, thus opening up slots to others at the schools where they were also accepted. I'm afraid to give examples for fear of offending anyone, but I'll give ONE.....for example, I think the artistic selectivity and the applicant pool and difficulty of being admitted talent wise is different at CCM/CMU than at Milliken or Pace. For some kids, they would have a better chance at Pace/Milliken than CCM/CMU due to their skill sets, even if all of these schools have low BFA admit rates. While there is some overlap of their applicant pools, many who I know who applied to CCM/CMU, did not apply to schools like Pace/Milliken or if they did, and were accepted to CCM/CMU and Pace/Milliken, did not choose Pace or Milliken over CCM or CMU. Now, Pace or Millken are great options and I have recommended one or the other to many BFA candidates and so don't get me wrong. I am giving an example of the artistic selectivity aspect only. </p>

<p>Also, your D appears to have the academic qualifications to get into many of these schools, but I have worked with many clients who do not have academic stats in the ballpark for SOME of the BFA schools and so creating the right list for them is crucial in order to yield results. They have all gotten admitted to some schools, but had they gone with their original list they presented to me when we connected, their results would not have been the same. </p>

<p>The quantity of schools does matter and more schools can hedge one's bets as you say, particularly when the BFA schools are unpredictable with such low admit rates! But the RIGHT list is also very important in order to yield results. Those who apply with a hodge podge of schools they have heard a lot about or they simply know offer MT without regard to fit and without regard to their ability, will likely not achieve as many acceptances to those with an appropriate and well thought out list, no matter the length. </p>

<p>I also agree that if one is looking for a good financial aid package, either need based or merit based, it helps to look widely. </p>

<p>Also, some are limitted to how many auditions they can possibly attend, even with the Unifieds factored in. I think much more than 10 auditions would start to feel a little crazy in terms of time but also costs a lot. Still, people have to do what works for them. Generally, 8-12 schools (BFA and BA inc.) works for most applicants.</p>

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<p>Actually, my daughter applied to more schools than 12. She also had several BFA or BM programs which she applied to, then cancelled auditions after her B-W and Point Park acceptances in the fall. She knew she wouldn't take any of the others over B-W or Point Park, and she received very favorable financial packages from both of those schools, so we knew she had two options she could actually choose from. Plus Indiana (BA) and Niagara which is a non-audition BFA in theatre performance which also gave her great academic money and she knew about in September. That was definitely one advantage to having all her applications completed and in to the guidance office on the first day of school in September. She had two acceptances before the month was even over: Indiana and Niagara. I don't want to say how many schools she applied to because it is laughable in retrospect. Suffice it to say that it was overkill!</p>

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<p>NYDanceMom, no obligation to even tell us the number. I had it wrong about the number as I was going by the number of her audition schools you posted about plus Indiana and Muhlenberg and was thinking that 10 BFAs plus 2 BAs was not that unusual. But I guess there were more than 12 schools. But you know, every situation is different which is why I don't think generalizing "how many schools should I apply to" really works because it is about the right list for each student. My answer for each student is VERY different. My students' lists are very different in terms of the schools on the list and in terms of the length of the list. A message board can be helpful but is NOT specific to an individual student's situation, which takes personal guidance. </p>

<p>Your D was very successful and her approach yielded positive results. That doesn't mean all students will need more than 12 schools but simply that your D's list worked for her. That is what is key. My D's list of 8 worked for her too but that likely isn't the right number of schools for many other kids and in fact, isn't the number that any of my current clients have for this coming year and I help create those lists. It just is quite individualized depending on many factors.</p>

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<p>Susan,
I agree! Each situation certainly is unique...just like our kids! I'm glad this year is over, yet I already miss it in some ways. Can't imagine what it will be like when D goes off to Elon in late August. But the good thing (?) is that our youngest will be a senior this year and wants to double major in dance and Asian studies. So I already have my work cut out for me finding appropriate schools for her to apply to and audition at!
Thanks for all your help on this forum over the last couple of years BTW. It has REALLY been appreciated here!
NYDancemom</p>

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<p>NYDanceMom...yes it is hard to let go....first that the admissions process is over, but bigger than that, is that the child you have nurtured for 18 years is leaving home and moving onto the next stage of life and it is going to be different than when she lived at home. Each stage with children is neat for different reasons. But you certainly are entering a new phase. As a parent of two in college, and also an empty-nester, I can say that while it was sad and hard to get used to having the kids live away from home, it also has been very thrilling because they are both doing exciting things that they love and are having the BEST time and love where they are at for college and nothing could make my husband or I happier. Each call they make home is full of telling us what a great time they are having and I think there is not more a parent can wish for. I never cared which college my kids chose but am grateful that they are now attending schools that they not only wanted to attend, but love now that they are there. That really is the goal for anyone. </p>

<p>Like you, I had two children's college processes back to back and was working with one on her college list and visits before the other one had her decisions in hand. It was rather crazy. My kids are two years apart but the second one wanted to graduate early and that came up when the older one had finished her applications, so we were kinda doing two kids at once for a little bit. </p>

<p>I'm glad the forum has been a helpful resource and place to share. I hope you will continue to join in as not only are you going through the process again, but you can share as a parent of a current BFA student (!!) with others who will come next. I learned a lot from those who did this before we did it and so I like to help others who come next. There is a great group of parents, students, coaches, and college reps who contribute here and there really aren't too many places where there are a lot of MT people to connect with. Locally, that isn't the case for most of us. </p>

<p>I can't wait to hear about your D's adventures at Elon next year. Elon seems like a great program and I keep recommending it to certain kids. If anyone I know goes to audition/visit, I know a lot of your kids will welcome them! The MT world isn't all that big :D. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>NYDancemom - I know it is far but look at UCSB, amazing dance dept. and Asian studies-</p>

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<p>NMR - My daughter applied to 10 not 12 schools and that was the limit we gave her. She could audition for less if she wanted but not more. We felt that financially we could afford these applications/visits and that is so important in all of this. My goodness don't go into hock to audition at more places than you can afford! Don't feel compelled to visit every school if you can only afford a trip to the unifieds....it's ok. </p>

<p>My d requested information from about 15 schools and cut her list based on ones we visited and that she researched online. She was not interested in a BA program and did not apply to one. The schools she applied to were ones she thought she could be happy at. Although some were not her top choice, if she only got into one school she thought that she would have been fine at any one of those. She didn't really have a safety which I wanted her to have, but she didn't find anything she was thrilled about (FOR HER) and she knew the odds of rolling the dice and was willing to live with it. She could not see herself auditioning somewhere she didn't want to be just to go somewhere. She would rather not go anywhere if that were the case (thank God it's not!...whew!) So keep that in mind. If you are looking for lots of safety options to be safe and your d doesn't want to go there...what's the point? </p>

<p>There are so many good programs out there. My daughter became friends with a big group of girls from CMU pre-college who all auditioned this year. Not one of them will be going to the same program yet they are all going to wonderful programs! There are so many options. Just take a look at everything and start narrowing based on what appeals to your d. </p>

<p>Do I think she should have applied to less? Yes. If she were going to go through this process again, there are two schools on her list she would not reaudition at. But the rest of the schools would stay the same. </p>

<p>The applications did require so much work. My daughter also put her heart and soul into each essay but she gladly did them all online which definitely saved time. I really don't think it matters as she ended up doing just fine so why not make it easier? </p>

<p>These decisions are so personal. NYdancemom's d and my d got in many of the same schools yet both our d's have different visions for their college experience. One isn't right or wrong...it's what's right for them. And next year at this time....your d will have picked a school that will be just right for her! Can't wait to read about her journey along the way!</p>

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<p>Everyone approaches it differently and their situations are different. My D's process was most similar to Kaysmom's D, except mine only applied to 8, not 10. Like her, she had no BAs. That is not right for everyone but I felt her list was right for her. It appears that was the case for Kaysmom's D too. Every theater friend of my D's in her year also got into BFA programs....some got into more than others or different ones than others but were applying to many of the same ones. Some applied to fewer than her and some to more but many had about the same number as she did. Knowing those particular theater friends, I felt all were likely to land somewhere and that is indeed what happened. Some may not have gotten into their first choice, but the key is to explore and like many schools, even if favorites are naturally going to occur. But there were schools my D would not consider applying to, so she didn't just create a list of schools that offer MT and apply to any old place that might take her but truly explored which schools interested her and fit what she wanted, along with qualifications, and even ruled out a name school because it just wasn't what she wanted. Fit is important, while still being open to many options that have at least enough of what you want. </p>

<p>Yes, my D's list was chancy because there were no safeties and with normal college admissions, I feel very strongly about having reaches, matches and safeties (which my BA daughter had, though also applied to 8 schools). So, yes, my D's entire list was all BFAs and I think of all BFAs as reaches due to the odds, though some likely were harder than others due to reputation or whatever. But I felt her list was reasonable in that she was in the ballpark f or these schools artistically and academically and had a chance like anyone but the chips would fall in different ways at each school but I felt fairly confident that at least one would come through. It turned out better than that, but I was pretty sure and hopeful that she wasn't going to be entirely shut out.</p>

<p>But I do think for many kids, there are some very good BA in MT options that would provide a fall back (ONLY if they like the school enough to attend) and a little more ease of mind that there is an option that is a sure bet. The kids I work with all have a BA on the list that they would consider. It sure can't hurt, but it should be picked wisely because if the student wouldn't consider it, there is no point. They should like it enough to apply. I had a student who ONLY wanted a BFA and was not into BAs but when she visited Muhlenberg, she really loved it and couldn't believe how much she liked it and wouldn't have said so without the visit. She applied and said she'd be happy to have attended. But she did end up going to a BFA school. Also, some kids haven't researched schools or visited enough to really know. I worked with someone who started out wanting the big brand names but didn't have the qualifications to get into some of them and even wasn't certain on othe BFA aspect. We revised her list to be more realistic. I knew a MT school that really fit what she wanted as well as her qualifications and initially they ruled it out....but at the 11th hour, close to the deadline (real close), they went to visit, fell in love with the school, applied, eventually auditioned, got in, enrolled before even hearing from the rest! </p>

<p>Students need guidance in finding the right schools for them because they start out with what they have heard about and not always the schools that are right for them and they don't realize how much they might like other places until they visit! Try to be open minded before ruling out options. Build a list based on thorough research and matching up with your personal college criteria which may differ from the next person. Most people do not need more than 10 schools. Certain situations such as looking for aid, low qualifications, wanting half BAs and half BFAs, may warrant applying to more than ten schools. But once you get beyond 12, it usually is not necessary and it is very costly to do and may involve putting off until April having to narrow or visit a lot of schools when there is only one month to decide. Try to focus the list but balance it and build it to hopefully yield at least a couple of options in spring.</p>

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<p>Wow- I feel kind of funny as I started this thread about 15 months ago! I posted my ' story' earlier and as I read over the stories I know so well, it seems almost a lifetime ago....</p>

<p>My comment to all - read all you can....there is such a wealth of info here. Everyones journey is so different - yet I read some of these messages and I KNOW these people (albiet not personally but more than I do some of the folks I call my close friends at home) .....and as parents...enjoy the journey. </p>

<p>Guide, assist but DO NOT decide ... life is full of promise for them. Be there and always love! </p>

<p>Peace to all.....
MikksMom</p>

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<p>I'm not sure adding more info that may sound repetitious is all that helpful but I do agree that reading posts over the past three years has been very helpful to me and I certainly want to be helpful to those about to go through their own final year's experience leading to college.</p>

<p>S was encouraged by his performing arts hs counselor to apply to ten schools--that was an informal "maximum" but was also considered a reasonable number if all schools were audition-based because of the small odds of admission in BFA programs. (All students were encouraged to consider BA applications as well but he knew that was not the right kind of college experience for him and we had to agree, despite our personal and professional commitments to liberal arts education!)
Looking back, I think the number was right, but for a mix of reasons.
1. His school frowned on scheduling any auditions prior to mid-January because they were working with the kids on their audition material during fall and wanted a final run-through right after winter break. This meant all auditions needed to occur between January 13 and March 4. Ten auditions in eight weeks was about all that was feasible.
2. Choosing ten schools from within the 20 or so we researched meant choices had to be made during the early fall based on review of materials, websites, CC opinions and visits we'd made. Use of an Excel spreadsheet made this process bearable and relatively easy to move schools up or down in the priority list. Ten schools allowed room for the ones he really cared about, as well as room for schools he became more excited about during the audition process.
3. All apps were done electronically (with printouts of the applications and printouts of the official receipt by the school kept in a folder). This was completed before Thanksgiving and allowed for selection of all audition dates needed to fit the eight week window Jan-March. Travel arrangements were able to be made far enough in advance, too, to be cost effective.
4. Illness under stressful conditions is predictable but hard (!) to schedule...so having the auditions distributed (and not all clustered at Unifieds) was a good decision, in hindsight. He had to drop his application to one school when he was just too sick to audition and was subsequently denied by the other three that he did audition for during the course of that bad cold/flu (and, yes, he'd had a flu shot). Those auditions all occured over two adjacent weekends in mid-February, four of his ten auditions.
5. Of the remaining schools, he was admitted to all but one; best news was that his number one school (CMU) was among the group and the others were strong options, too.
6. Planning in ways to maximize admittedly difficult odds is important. Not becoming overwhelmed during the weeks auditions are occuring is critical, too. Admission news really doesn't come until late March for most of these schools so reading too much into impressions along the way generally doesn't do anything positive...despite how hard it is to refrain from speculating!</p>

<p>Thanks again to all the folks here whose stories and reassurances to one another spill over to the many more of us who mostly "lurk." The positive energy and support is very valuable.</p>