<p>As if I'm not stressed out enough, I thought I'd make myself even more obsessed by asking if anyone knows of SUCCESS stories for these resilient kids of ours who are receiving a lot of rejections. </p>
<p>Specifically, in the past few years, do any of you know stories of kids getting lots of rejections for BFA MT early on, only to receive a top school acceptance or two in March or April? </p>
<p>We're waiting on decisions from 7 schools, and they all happen to be what some may call 7 of the top 25 MT schools. I'm wondering if I'm out of my mind to think she'd be accepted at a top program when she's already had 4 rejections. I guess I'm asking if hope exists.</p>
<p>I say- yes! It happens all the time, actually. Although it seems like it’s such a long shot, there are stories of students being rejected from 5 smaller known programs and then getting into Carnegie. It really is about fit, and if you and your D love all of the schools left to hear from, then all she needs is that ONE to say yes! Don’t give up hope just yet :)</p>
<p>Yes! Stories like these!! This is what I need to hear right now to keep my head up. Thank you to all of you. About NYU, as I’ve mentioned in other threads, I’m worried (shocker) that my D may have shot herself in the foot there…she said she was only willing to accept MT studio and not acting. I am sure this limits her to a pretty significant degree. I’m typically a very positive person, but this process has brought out the worst in me.</p>
<p>I know I’ve read stories on here – and I recall a wonderful rags to riches Carnegie Mellon story like the one AlexaMT mentioned. After several rejections and no acceptances, Carnegie Mellon called. Anyone remember where that story is?</p>
<p>It really says something for this not being personal (as much as it feels like it is). And I do believe many schools are looking to build a company of sorts, and they need to fill the types that they are missing. I have my fingers crossed for everyone that they will have their “top of the Empire State Building” moment and find the school that needs to find them!</p>
<p>Every person we know who went all the way through auditions and was admitted to top schools was also rejected from schools considered lower in ranking. Since many top schools wait until the last minute to announce decisions, it stands to reason that some holding only rejections get a happy phone call late in the process. It ain’t over 'til it’s over… and even then it’s not really over.</p>
<p>Going through this experience is really a step-by-step process, isn’t it? I feel like since August we’ve always been focused on what’s happening right at that moment. That day. And each day was something different. Applications. Song choices. Pre-screens. Scheduling. Auditions. When we did college visits a year ago, it never occurred to me to wonder when/how the schools notify with acceptances/rejections, and now that’s what today’s focus is. Just like once April is over, there is an entirely foreign (to me) process that I haven’t even begun to think about, but I’ve seen mention of, which is the big waitlist reshuffling process. Just when you think the string of dominoes is done falling, the last one sets off a new string. I marvel at this process. </p>
<p>Okay, these stories of a lot of rejections and then an acceptance are nice. I’ve heard them too. And even though I post here and have been reading these posts for a couple of years, I am hesitant to post personal stuff about my D, like some of you do. I appreciate the fact you guys do, but I just…can’t. That being said, I feel your pain. BUT…dare I go here for a minute? WHAT IF? What if our kids don’t get in anywhere? My D says if she doesn’t get in anywhere, she’s not good enough. And some people say no, no, it’s not a message, plenty of people make it on Broadway after having been rejected from schools and they give examples. But…really??? If your kid is not talented enough, or doesn’t have the right LOOK (yes, I know it’s not PC to say that…but isn’t it true?), isn’t it better to know now? Are these acceptances and rejections a good test? Are we, as parents who love our kids, delusional? Or if our kids only get into one school, and that one school is Eastern Podunk University, does that tell us anything? Should we listen to that? I don’t claim to know the answer to all these questions. But are we doing our kids a disservice by saying go ahead honey even if you don’t get in anywhere I will support you a zillion percent…? I guess the question is, when do you tell your child it’s time to give up? That they may have a passion but passion is not always enough? And yes I know they can have fulfilling lives and do regional theater and community theater and blah blah Broadway isn’t the be all end all, but you all know what I mean. As a career. That they can live on. They can’t all be good enough to “make it.” What am I missing?</p>
<p>@AsstToTheMT – that story is outlined in Mary Anna Dennard’s wonderful and helpful book, “I GOT IN!”: It involves Joe Maddox, who Mary Anna calls the “Comeback Kid.” After a lousy audition season and a string of rejections, he took a gap year, hired her, and got into Carnegie (and NYU, Pace, OU and waitlisted at U Mich). He just graduated last year from CMU and is living in NYC. :)</p>
<p>@VeritasMT, you have a valid point, but I think many of these kids at 17 or 18 are still developing and some who may be accepted in only mid- or lower-tier programs now will learn a lot and may eventually be competitive with the kids who are polished enough to get into CMU or Michigan right off the bat. I do not think that a 5-minute audition at 17 can really measure long-term potential in most kids, whatever the auditors say. I also think that the audition process is a lot like the NCAA tournament: if you ran it twice with the same teams, maybe the ultimate winner would be the same (the kids who get in everywhere), but further down the brackets a lot of things would be different (kids who get into mid-tier programs, kids who are WL’d, etc.) Every kid is different – and every family – but as the mom of a kid now at a non-top ten program who, after six months of training, is getting incredible opportunities for summer internships…I don’t think anyone should give up just because CMU turns them down. </p>
<p>There are lots of options. Say a student applies only to top top audition-only programs and doesn’t get in to any of them. Actually, let’s make them two students because that makes the grammar work out better.</p>
<p>So, they can do a gap year and work and take a few readily-transfererable college classes, maybe do some acting classes and coachings, and re-audition and re-apply. </p>
<p>They can identify a few schools that have very late application deadlines and keep trying. (U.Arts is one of those, and it’s a good program.)</p>
<p>They can decide to apply to any of the two-year certificate programs instead of a four-year college. There are threads about these here on CC.</p>
<p>They can do the “I’m just gonna move to LA and start auditioning” approach (and take classes while working a survival job). This is a time-honored strategy, and sometimes (rarely) works.</p>
<p>Or perhaps the students were sensible and also applied to a “safety” school. They can attend there and audition as a transfer student. </p>
<p>VeritasMT - I understand what you are saying because my daughter might be one of those who only gets into Eastern Podunk University. But that is more because she started getting serious about theatre/MT when she was in high school and she is still developing. She hasn’t been doing it most of her life like a lot of the competition out there. Will she ever get on Broadway - who knows? Could she perform somewhere else - who knows? </p>
<p>But to me that isn’t the point. The point is to get a degree and a good education. For most jobs that require a degree the degree subject doesn’t really matter (short of stuff like engineering, etc.), it is more important that you have any degree. Might as well get it in something you love. For my D that is theatre. Whether she gets a BA, BFA, performs on Broadway or in regional theatre, I’d rather have her doing something that she loves. </p>
<p>Life has enough downers as it is, do something you love and you have a much better chance of enjoying the ride of life.</p>
<p>Thank you VeritasMT, I’ve gone “there” in my mind too, and son still has 8 schools to hear from, has been rejected by two and has been accepted academically and artistically by our in-state. But he is in the frame of mind that the in-state doesn’t “count”, that being accepted there doesn’t measure his talent because it is not on the top 25 list. The reality is, that is the school where he may end up attending. They made it very clear to him after his audition that they thought he was just what they were looking for, blah, blah blah, all the things you want a school to say, but it has seemed to have bounced right off him.
DoReMiMom - I’m looking for the good stories to help get through the anxiety, and negative thoughts.</p>
<p>Okay, three kids from our area just landed cruise ship contracts.</p>
<p>One went to a mid-level BFA program. Another did a little time at a local CC and at about 19 began booking regional theater gigs. And, the third was a drama major at a state school. Personally, I cannot tell the difference but I’m not going to pretend to be an expert of judging talent and training, either.</p>
<p>But, I am convinced that after that initial boost from a connected BFA program which undoubtedly does help get them cast in the well-known regionals it’s not so much about the program or even the talent and training. The most talented people are not always the ones that get cast. It’s much more complicated than that. And, then there’s the whole most talented at what? thing. Some schools clearly love the singers and some are much more focused on acting. Also, I have yet to see a non-dancer magically turn into a dancer at any school. I know people will say it happens. Maybe, it does but, it’s got to be pretty rare. Surviving a dance call is not actually being a dancer anymore than taking music theory will make my kids musicians. It’s useful and I’m glad for anything they learn but they are actors who sing. Some schools want singers. So what? The actors get the Tony’s, not the singers. </p>
<p>raellis123- I was so stuck in my mind, that I needed to go back and really read your reply and it was just what I needed to hear! Great perspective and attitude about this process.</p>
<p>Love raellis123’s response! And remember that even if you do go to school X, Y, Z with this reputation, that doesn’t GUARANTEE you a career. I am about to graduate from a BFA program that I love and think expertly prepared me for the “real world” but life is STILL full of “What If’s?” Yes, of course the school you went to affects your “chances” of industry success in many of ways (the connections you make, the training you receive, the name, etc) but in the end, what ever happens happens and you certainly can’t know the outcome solely based on college audition acceptances.</p>
<p>The comeback kid story of a gap year is a great one. As annoying as the process is, I really think the best option if someone doesn’t get into any auditioned school they would TRULY want to go to- take a year off and train. Take core classes at a community college and get those credits out of the way, and TRAIN. A year of making money and honing your craft can make a world of difference. And, who knows? The girl/boy at X, Y, Z school who looked exactly like you might have just graduated and that shining space is left open for you.</p>
<p>And DoReMiMom, don’t shoot yourself, please, or let your D. I see she is in a BFA MT program. That is where her heart is. My D also said no to anything other than MT at NYU and I’m so glad she did. She would have been unhappy doing anything else, and I would have been unhappy paying the (OMG) cost of NYU for her to not be ecstatically happy. All is good.</p>
<p>Thank you so much @Calliene! That made me feel so much better. Was your daughter accepted at a lot of schools? By chance is she a singer first? My D is a singer, actor, dancer. </p>
Thank you to all of you. About NYU, as I’ve mentioned in other threads, I’m worried (shocker) that my D may have shot herself in the foot there…she said she was only willing to accept MT studio and not acting. I am sure this limits her to a pretty significant degree. I’m typically a very positive person, but this process has brought out the worst in me.</p>