<p>jeffandann…good for your D! She’s right on track in the process and here you go! My D applied to 8 colleges/programs too.</p>
<p>I am just impressed with the way my daughter is approaching things. She feels she wants a program that has good dance to prepare for what she wants to do, so she has carefully looked at programs to be sure she’ll get that.</p>
<p>Here is the list my daughter has decided on for applications:</p>
<p>Baldwin-Wallace
Otterbein
Elon
Ball State
Wright State
Florida State
Illinois Wesleyan
U of Oklahoma</p>
<p>I know many here talk of applying to a dozen schools or more, but my D has carefully looked at these and other schools and decided each offers the balance of music, acting, and dance (especially dance as she sees that as what she needs to improve the most). Plus the audition season comes right up against her show choir competition season and, since she is the President this year, she can’t really spend all winter going back and forth acroos the country trying to audition all over. I think there are a couple reaches, a couple that she should be very competitive for, and a few in betweeen, and one of these is a state school for her that she can use as her fallback position and go in as a general theater major and try to audition into MT her freshman year if necessary. Now onto all this application stuff!</p>
<p>Though I can’t say I’ve got my US schools list finalized, I’d say I’m pretty close to being sure of where I’m going to apply here in Canada.</p>
<p>Dalhousie
Sheridan (MT)
Sheridan-University of Toronto Mississauga (Acting)
Ryerson
Windsor
Acadia
Concordia
and I’m still going back and forth on University of Toronto (St. George) and York.</p>
<p>Jeffandann, I think it’s a nicely balanced list. Yes, everyone says girls need more but it sounds like she has really done her homework and is comfortable with all her choices. She has the mandatory back-up so it looks great! Good Luck!</p>
<p>After poking around here for a couple of years, I guess it’s time to really dive into it. I’ll be a senior this fall and just got back from a family drive cross-country, so now my research will begin in earnest. I’m in a similar position with steamedartichoke and VeraKay in that my parents are generally supportive but I’ll be doing all the research on my own. My dad thinks that 6 schools should be enough, so I’ll end up having to pay for the rest on my own. Lucky for me I guess, I do have a vocal coach and will be taking basic ballet classes this month (dance is definitely my weakest point).</p>
<p>I’m planning on applying to around 10-12 schools right now. The thing is, I’m having a really difficult time telling whether or not I am artistically competitive material for all of these amazing schools. I don’t know a single person who has auditioned for musical theatre programs, and it sounds like I’ll be the only one at my school to be going through the process. I’ve been successful in my local auditions, but that doesn’t mean I will be when faced against brilliant girls all across the nation. It’s too late for me to do a summer program, so I can’t scope out where I fit from that. And honestly, while theatre is what I want to do with my life, I’m scared that I just won’t get accepted to any of my schools.</p>
<p>But anyways, I’m really looking forward to this whole process, and hope to enjoy it the whole way through! Only happens once, and all that.</p>
<p>Captain Boe, remember one thing. While you want to get a MT degree, and presumably make a career of theater, there are many ways to get there. Many here will tell you to look at having a “safe school” or two that would offer a theater BA, and where you would not have to audition to get a spot. Then you can work from there, take voice/dance classes, etc. So make sure you have that kind of backup plan.</p>
<p>Hello everyone!
I am a complete ‘newbie’ to this process. As the mom of a daughter who is absolutely passionate about MT I’ve struggled with allowing her to follow her passion instead of trying to ‘gently push’ her into a more stable choice of a major.</p>
<p>I know that in the end she will be alright–she is an intelligent, bright, beautiful, and talented young lady. She is carrying a 4.0 GPA with a strong college-prep foundation and this upcoming year is taking a number of AP classes.</p>
<p>It’s just REALLY scary for me to ‘allow’ her to follow her heart into MT. We are from a small town in WI and right now I’m not really sure she understands just how tough the world of theater can be.</p>
<p>Given that–I have a wise relative who has done this best to let me know that since she is " intelligent, bright, beautiful, and talented" she will be alright and that this is her road to choose and it is my job to offer support and assistance.</p>
<p>So…here I am…just reading these threads is making my anxiety rise and feel as though I am a little behind the eight-ball in making sure we hit the ground running.</p>
<p>I have a few questions:
–What has been the experience of other parents working with MTCA? Any idea how much they charge for their services?
–For auditions, I have heard that there are certain musicals that are ‘taboo’–are there others that seem to be favorites for getting accepted?
–How do you work to make up that list of schools–how do you know which school is a fallback and which one is a stretch?
–What are the auditions that I have seen referenced that are ‘combined’?</p>
<p>Thanks for letting me get started–I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you! I think this next year is going to fly by way too fast!</p>
<p>@BDWITheatreMom:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Here are a couple of the most popular threads regarding audition material. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/80600-audition-songs-monologues.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/80600-audition-songs-monologues.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/90869-do-not-use-list-auditions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/90869-do-not-use-list-auditions.html</a></p>
<p>One thing everyone will agree on is to research the audition requirements carefully for each school that you plan to audition for and follow any and all directions carefully. CCM has one of the more rigorous requirements lists and I think it serves as a good general guide. Each year you will some lively debate about choosing audition material on this forum.</p>
<p>
A few general words - with all the competition these days, count on any audition-based program being a likely stretch (its a subjective process and even the top kids in the country get rejections). Most, if not all, of the programs listed at the top of this forum would be among the more-to-most-difficult schools to get into. Post #2 of the “Big List” thread marks the most competitive schools, although it is a little out of date, for instance, Texas State is very competitive for entry and it was not marked the last time Post #2 was updated. The top programs in the country are incredibly hard to get into.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/801037-big-list-mt-colleges.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/801037-big-list-mt-colleges.html</a></p>
<p>A “safety” school in the MT world is a non-audition program.
</p>
<p>There are several combined auditions, the most signficant are “Unifieds” held each year in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and LA. You can search CC for “Unifieds” and find lots of info. There are other combined auditions around the country including the International Thespian Convention (held each year in June at U Nebraska), and various regional auditions held by the Thespians and other groups.</p>
<p>Here are a couple threads for those starting out:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/477658-preparing-apply-information-h-s-juniors-seniors.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/477658-preparing-apply-information-h-s-juniors-seniors.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1153973-hello-new-cafe.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1153973-hello-new-cafe.html</a></p>
<p>Here are some examples of past threads that contain lots of information (there many more):</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/59074-reflection-i-wish-i-would-have-known-when-i-started-process.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/59074-reflection-i-wish-i-would-have-known-when-i-started-process.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/312831-looking-back-audition-season-celebrations-mistakes-20-20-hindsight.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/312831-looking-back-audition-season-celebrations-mistakes-20-20-hindsight.html</a></p>
<p>I always recommend that people just staring the process ready Mary Anna Dennard’s book, “I Got In.” Its a good overall summary of the process.</p>
<p>When I started out, I sat down one rainy Saturday and just started reading back through the threads (that was 255 posts ago…).</p>
<p>BDWITheaterMom - Welcome!! You will find so much great information here, along with lots and lots of very supportive people. Looks like EmsDad already gave you some great suggestions. I’ll try and get you started with “unifieds.” There is a group of schools that hold Unified auditions each year. Here is the link to that website:
[National</a> Unified Auditions](<a href=“http://www.unifiedauditions.com/]National”>http://www.unifiedauditions.com/)</p>
<p>There are other schools that are not a part of the official Unifieds, but who will hold auditions along side those schools. Not all of those schools hold auditions at every Unifieds location, so you have to do your research to figure that out. But here are a few posts that will help you get started:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1151950-unified-auditions-2012-a.html?highlight=unified+auditions[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1151950-unified-auditions-2012-a.html?highlight=unified+auditions</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1192117-unifieds-question.html?highlight=unified+auditions[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1192117-unifieds-question.html?highlight=unified+auditions</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1176657-unified-auditions.html?highlight=unified+auditions[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1176657-unified-auditions.html?highlight=unified+auditions</a></p>
<p>Other schools hold various regional auditions. For example, my D auditioned for NYU at a regional audition in Austin. Which schools offer these and when/where they are will vary from year to year. And as the number of schools that require prescreen videos increases, you may see changes to that. So here’s some information on the prescreen requirements:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1335290-schools-require-pre-screening-dvds.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1335290-schools-require-pre-screening-dvds.html</a></p>
<p>Best of luck! It was a real roller coaster ride for my D (and me!) but so worth it all in the end.</p>
<p>Hello BDWITheatreMom.</p>
<p>My soon to be 16 year old daughter got bit last year, and we are just starting on the same journey as you. Luckily, she’s just entering grade 10, and may take a gap year, so we do have time on our side.
This community is extremely helpful and supportive. Enjoy your stay and dig in.
I got my BFA in 1992, at my first choice of schools- what I now know is a safety. Back then, I had no idea. Got a degree, then did nothing directly with it until last year my daughter asked me to audition for Sound of Music with her at our community theatre. I got cast as Herr Zeller, she didn’t get Lisl. 14 going on 15 wasn’t going to cut it in an adult production. So she asked to be an ASM instead, and her school gave her Grade 11 credit for Stagecraft.
We face real challenge being West Coast and Canadian. But we’re going to try and see.<br>
I do not want to do what my mom did to me. As a 16 year old, I wanted to be an astronomer, but my mom convinced me that I would have to wait until some old guy died before I got my chance. So I left it behind and always regretted it. The only regret of my life. Carl Sagan died just shortly before I finished my degree.
There are a huge list of skills your student will gain for this journey. As hard as it is, we need to support and assist, even provide guidance, but the path is theirs alone to take.</p>
<p>It has already begun here with my S. His junior year is over and has just returned from the International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska. It was a very productive trip, he recieved 27 callbacks for interviews with various university representatives. He sat down with 15 of them for an actual interview. </p>
<p>Since his return he recieved several phone calls and emails. Some have been to let him know that he has been outright accepted, and others have been to set up visits to their school, and others have been real offers and guidence as to how to complete the process. This has been somewhat of a relief, since more than a few of the schools where on his list. There are still other auditions coming up in November, some pre-screen submissions, and Unifieds in Chicago, but it is nice knowing that he already has acceptances before he goes into his senior year.</p>
<p>His grades are horrible, the SATS where ok, and the ACTS weren’t bad. Hopefully with some concentration early this year he can pull the GPA up, and then retake the tests. His year is always so loaded with performances and this year looks to be even busier.</p>
<p>“There really is a fit for every student”</p>
<p>While I am happy for you and your son, I guess your post leaves me confused. When you say your son has been accepted based on interviews at the International Thespian Festival, does this mean he was accepted into the university, or does that mean he’s been accepted into the actual MT program at these schools? If the latter, I find that troubling. It would imply that schools are giving away slots before actual auditions are scheduled for later in the year, and thus the number of places advertised by schools is not really accurate.</p>
<p>I know there are program directors that are on the site. Can you tell us if this is in fact the case?</p>
<p>I think I jsut answered my own question. From looking at websites I found out that auditions are not just at Unifieds or at the campus but also at the festivals mentioned above. Another thing learned about the process!</p>
<p>jeffandann, this is another reason I’d advise your child to audition as early as possible. It is perfectly true that most colleges accept students quite early, from now on - not just in the formal 'ED" process- so if you wait until, say, February, you are lowering your chances. It’s not obvious because the colleges don’t say it outright, but yes, they are being dishonest when they state that there are ‘20 slots’ available, say, and it’s February. There aren’t 20 slots anymore. Some have been filled. And if they’ve already filled their two blond ingenues, or their heavyset gal who can dance, or their very tall willowy gal with strong features, and your child is one of those types, then she is done. OK, I’m sure there are exceptions - and some programs care more about type than others - but you are definitely lowering your chances considerably by waiting.</p>
<p>One thing I would definitely have changed for us was auditioning as EARLY as possible. My D and I wondered how it could be that some colleges had a single person as an auditor determining whether you’re a fit for a program for FOUR years. Even in a show that lasts for a few months, there is almost never a single person screening you, and there is also a far higher callback rate. We came to the conclusion that the single auditor was screening not just loosely for talent (possible/not possible) but also for type–that at least at this late stage, they were looking to fill certain slots based on type. In one audition that we went to on campus, very late - in February - of over 100 auditioners, only four girls (no boys) were called back, and ALL FOUR were a single type, slightly chubby, plain, brown haired, about 5’4" (yet the auditioners were of all types and races). I don’t believe that can be chance. </p>
<p>I’d strongly urge you to schedule your auditions so that they are as early as possible as time and money permits.</p>
<p>I’m also curious about the post and experience of Big Shoes. Being from VT, I had never heard of that event and nobody from here attends it. I have never known anyone accepted to MT programs prior to senior year. I am curious as to which colleges do this. Maybe you could mention a few that gave out acceptance offers either to your child or someone else you know who attended?</p>
<p>Connections:
I don’t completely agree with your post about needing to audition at the earliest dates. I think it is good to get an audition or two done before the holidays for the experience and possibly offers (only for those schools that have EA or rolling admissions…many don’t). But just to share my own kid’s experience, she auditioned for 8 BFA in MT programs. She did all her auditions on campus. Using the DATES of the auditions as the focal point, here are the results:</p>
<p>December audition: Accepted Early Action academically, deferred for the MT program, rejected to MT program in April. </p>
<p>Mid January audition: Rejected to the BFA program. </p>
<p>Late January audition: Accepted to BFA program. </p>
<p>Late January audition: Accepted to BFA program. </p>
<p>Mid February audition: Accepted to BFA program. </p>
<p>Late February audition: Accepted to BFA program. </p>
<p>Late February audition: Priority Wait listed to BFA program. </p>
<p>Early March audition: Accepted to BFA program. </p>
<p>Further, I will add that in some of these cases, she auditioned on the LAST possible audition date. Also, most of these programs are the most selective ones or near to it. </p>
<p>I have advised many BFA applicants and they have been accepted by auditioning throughout the winter season and at both campus and Unified auditions. I do not believe that the odds go down at later audition dates, particularly at schools that make their offers after seeing all candidates.</p>
<p>@JeffandAnna- All the kids where pre-srcreened to make sure they qualified by their grade point average. Also their SAT and ACT scores where made available along with other transcript info for the schools to look at. During the callback/interview process, the kids also gave their resume, headshot, and displayed portfolios upon request. Since it was the Theatre departments in attendence looking for talent, I would say that he was accepted in to the programs. Based on the screening and MT acceptence, I would say that the schools feel there must be no problems for him getting in or they wouldn’t have made and offer.</p>
<p>I would also add that nothing was given to my S, he earned it, just like everyone else will. </p>
<p>@Connections- Some of my S auditions won’t be until late in the process. Several factors play into this, like wanting to get his grades up before we apply to a school that may screen harder on academic placement and testing. There are reasons like local and other things as well. If they have filled all of his type, then it wasn’t the fit he needed anyway based on the time and grades we are working with. It will all fall into place the way its going to fall into place, there is a fit for every kid.</p>
<p>@soozievt- Much respect to you, thanks for all the input you’ve put in that i’ve read from afar for quite a while now.</p>
<p>Here is the link to the Thespian Festival list of colleges in attendence: [Colleges</a> and scholarships | Educational Theatre Association](<a href=“http://schooltheatre.org/events/festival/colleges-and-scholarships]Colleges”>http://schooltheatre.org/events/festival/colleges-and-scholarships)</p>
<p>You can look at some of the schools on the list and see on their individual websites that they are attending the festival to audition for admission into the program. Unifieds and other opportunities are the same way, some get accepted on the spot, and some are invited to the college for further auditions.</p>
<p>I would love to list some of the schools he was called back to, but seeing that he was the only boy called back for some of the schools I’d rather not. I’m not sure how the schools would feel about that. Let me look through the list of schools again and I will post a few of the schools that I know one of the other kids got offers to.</p>
<p>@soozievt - I can echo the experience related by Big Shoes. The rising Seniors in my d’s high school attend the International Thespian Convention every year at U Nebraska and they always come back with acceptances. The list of schools is posted on the website. I have heard more than one story of some of the highly talented kids being followed down a hallway by a college rep asking, “what will it take to get you to come to our U?” (these are typically the ones who end up being Young Arts finalists). Not every school gives out acceptances there, but I have heard most of them mentioned over the past couple of years as handing out offers to our kids either at or shortly after the convention. Some of the schools are quite aggressive following the convention with phone calls and emails.</p>
<p>soozie - My D had the same experience when she attended SETC her junior year. She did receive offers of admission, to MT and Acting programs, that summer. In some cases they were non audition programs that offered her performance scholarships. In her case, most of these were not schools that get any real discussion here - Barry University in Florida (BM MT), Bradley University in Illinois (BA/BS Performance) - but I do believe she was accepted to Illinois Wesleyan through her SETC audition as well. Not sure about that one because IWU might have been at the Texas Thespians auditions that year as well.</p>
<p>Soozievt, My D was also accepted at a BFA program she auditioned for in March. I’m NOT saying it’s impossible to get accepted. Of course it’s not. I’m saying that your CHANCES of getting accepted, statistically, are lower if you audition late. This is simple fact–all programs I know of admit students as the season goes on, often as early as now, rather than waiting until the final Feb/March auditions, and then choosing their students then. Therefore, your chances of getting accepted are higher the earlier you audition. </p>
<p>If you can’t audition until late, then you can’t. That’s just how it is, and that’s fine. I am only giving people the heads up in case they have a choice, so they are aware. It wasn’t something we considered when we auditioned; I honestly was under the impression that except for EDs, colleges didn’t fill their slots until the last audition. This isn’t true. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
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