Sure. Once she was accepted, they kept calling and asking for us to visit. I said we wouldn’t visit unless we could afford it. They asked me to send a video of her, or I decided that was a good idea, can’t remember the details, and they liked it and they gave us more money and paid for our airfare, hotel and food! I decided this was a small acquisition cost to them in the end, as they sold us when we got there. The audition group is called Performance Ensemble and comes with a tidy scholarship. You can audition freshman year for it.
My daughter was accepted for the coming year and when we went for a SCAD day, the admissions counselor we talked with said the most scholarship $ was around $12,000 (I guess before the audition) and there was no mention about the Performance Ensemble. We pretty much decided that the tuition would be out of our reach and didn’t pursue it any further. They did email and call us but we decided to go a different route. Savannah is gorgeous though, we had a great visit there.
We had no dea there was any sort of thing until my daughter was already there, and no clue there was money involved until we saw it deducted from our bill! They have two types of scholarships, an academic one and a talent/ merit type and you can receive both.
For other future students who may find this thread, I was a senior in high school last year and went into this college audition process not really realizing what I was heading into. I had one school that I thought was a safety (ended up being waitlisted and ultimately rejected academically), and auditioned at 3 programs. One rejection academically, one rejection artistically (from a school that I didn’t even really like anyways), and one BFA rejection that was a redirect into their BA Theatre Studies program. I initially decided to do the BA route with hopes of reauditioning and getting into the BFA my sophomore year. Put a deposit down and everything. By mid-summer (haha Shakespeare) though, I was realizing it was the wrong choice for me. The BA in Theatre Studies at that school just didn’t seem to offer the same opportunities as the BFA, and there was no guarantee I’d make it in my sophomore year anyway. Some schools have WONDERFUL BA programs in addition to their BFAs that offer great opportunities and exposure, but I didn’t feel this would be one of them. And also while I liked the school, I just plain wasn’t excited about going. At all. So after a LOT of thinking and crying and all that, I decided to make the unconventional choice of taking a gap year. And I do not regret it one bit. Probably the best choice I ever made actually. With taking a year off, you really get to think about what you really want in a program and in a school. Not just applying everywhere and to all the top programs because that’s what you feel like you need to do. Take time to think about what you REALLY want from your experience. I went into the college audition process this year with MUCH more preparation and auditioned for manyy more schools (17 to be exact, and all of which I genuinely like), and here I am with 4 acceptances to BFAs and BAs. Only one I’d really consider a reach, but that’s fine and expected (I also didn’t apply to any of the tippy-top programs, probably making my odds of getting more acceptances better honestly). Not quite sure where I’ll pick yet, even though I’m pretty sure, I still have many to hear back from, but now I know this year I’ll end up where I’m supposed to be, in a program I love, not one that I feel thrown/obligated to go into and unsatisfied with. Maybe an alternate BA program or the safety school route is the best choice for some, but definitely don’t rule out the gap year. I think it’s a great thing to have in regards to things other than your theatre major as well. Who knows why there’s such a stigma around it. This ended up being longer than I thought, but hopefully this can help someone out! Feel free to ask or PM me any questions you have if you’re considering a gap year!
I am strongly considering a gap year right now, but my parents seem very repelled by the idea… @lalalovesmusic3 how did your parents feel about you taking a gap year?
@jessieburnett just to give an opinion of a parent about parents being not on board with a gap year…
We discussed this at our house at the beginning of this process as an option if we got no desirable MT offers. My D isn’t really interested in doing that and has never really been.
Having said that parents are usually against this because we have seen SO many cases of the kids doing what I call “drifting” . Like the year has no plan and the kid ends up getting a job ( well hopefully!) & has no plan as to what they are going to do…like pretty much every parent wants their kid to get some form of education or training
beyond high school. These days you have to have something…it doesn’t have to be a four yr degree but something. We fear you won’t get that. You will get sucked into working retail ( I say this not to disparage retail as my hubby has ran a dept store for 25 plus years so don’t go all crazy over that comment. Trust me you don’t want the hours…) and not get the additional education/training.
So… in my opinion if you want a gap year you MUST have a PLAN. You must present your parents a focused plan with goals and dates and concrete goals that show you have thought it through and responsibly want it. Not just " I want to take a gap"
Then they might take it into consideration.
Or they may not…
@jessieburnett , I know you didn’t ask for other opinions, but speaking from a parents perspective, I will give you a couple of thoughts. Every student and person is different so take it with a grain of salt. There are many people who take a gap year and work extremely hard to prepare for the auditions the next year and then you have people who have a hard time getting motivated to prepare until the last minute. Our Daughter considered a gap year for a hot minute before deciding that she could no longer stand to be in the town we live in and deal with the community theatre “cliqueiness” that has spoiled many a good theaters in the area. If a gap year was going to happen with our daughter, she would have had to get a full time job and also take whatever measures needed to prepare for the coming year auditions (vocal, dance, acting classes). I say she would have to get a full time job because otherwise, I feel she would get a little lazy and want to sleep and eat a lot, haha. If you are a VERY motivated individual like it sounds like @lalalovesmusic3 is, then the decision for a gap year will probably work for you, but if your parents are not backing you up, it will probably be a rough year. Good luck with your decision! I hope you find exactly what you are looking for!
@theaterwork Thank you for a parent’s perspective! I completely get that too. I really do want to go to college in the fall, but the thing that scares me is that I might not be excited about going to a school. If I do decide I want to leave, it’s much harder for transfers, from what I’ve heard! I just really want to be excited about college, and not feel like it’s something that I’ve been forced into doing because of pressure. That’s the biggest reason I’m considering a gap year… but it probably won’t happen!
We parents do appreciate a good plan.
@jessieburnett The concept of getting into a program as a transfer freaked me out too! It did seem like it would be a harder process. My parents were very supportive. I think they could tell how upset I was about going to a school I didn’t really want to go to, and honestly I don’t think I was ready to go to college just in general. It was a hard decision to make (I literally was bawling on my bed the day I officially decided) partially because going to college right after high school is just “what you do” and what I always thought I would do, so the unfamiliarity was scary. But actually I was surprised with the amount of adults I know, like my friends parents and stuff, who were really supportive and thought it was a smart thing to do. You definitely have to be motivated like the others are saying, but overall I think it is easier to go about the process in a gap year because you don’t have the distraction of school! Despite taking a gap year, I did end up getting a later start with some things in regard to my audition prep, later than I would have liked for sure, but even then I still had plenty of time to feel good and prepared for my auditions. I did end up getting a job which was nice to have some money, and I’m still able to do shows at my local theatre. Your parents may bring up you taking some gen ed courses at a community college, and I guess that’s up to you. I didn’t do that however since I wasn’t sure what kind of a program I was going to end up in, so I wouldn’t really know what classes I would need in the first place, so that’s also something to consider.
I’m very interested in every word here as a S18’s Dear Friend is in this very situation at this point.
She has an audition BA offer in hand. She is thinking of going to a school where she did not get the BFA offer and try out again next year. She may take a gap year.
I don’t know which to root for
@jessieburnett - I can see from the acceptances threads, you have a couple of choices. Definitely research them more, talk to current students if you can, etc… and see if you can envision yourself at one of them. They may end up being a great fit for you. Do the old T-chart method and list pros in one column, cons in another. Then see what you think.
If you really don’t see yourself at any of your accepted schools, and you feel a gap year is what you want, I agree with @theaterwork that presenting your parents with a concrete plan for what you plan to do during your gap year and how you plan to audition for college next year is hugely important. Also, be very mindful, if given the privilege of taking a gap year - you need to follow through on whatever plan you and your parents agree to. In this plan I would definitely include:
- What are you going to do with your time - I recommend you get a job to earn some money in addition to finding training in voice, acting and dance. Be specific. Where will you work and how much will you make? What will you do to prepare for auditions this year? When will you audition and where?
- Create a budget - how much will it cost you to apply to and audition for schools. Don’t forget travel costs, hotels, getting transcripts and test scores sent, application fees, costs to create pre-screen videos, etc… Can your job pay for these things or are your parents willing to foot the bill?
- Have an agreement about your college plans at the end of your gap year no matter the outcome of a second round of auditions (i.e. if you still don’t get in your dream school, you will go to college and where - have a concrete safety plan that you all can agree to)
There is a cost associated with doing a gap year so make sure you contribute as much as you can to whatever expenses you incur. Acknowledge that you are aware there will be expenses. But, when presenting your case for a gap year to your parents, you can compare those expenses to the cost of going to college this year only to decide you are at the wrong school and deciding you wish to transfer. Neither is an inexpensive proposition.
You can research here on CC and elsewhere to find stories of others who have successfully completed gap years. Find out what they did and how they improved their choices the 2nd time around. Present these cases to your parents so they can see it can be done successfully.
Also, for your own decision making, see if there are reports of people who took a gap year, re-auditioned and did not improve their choices. This is important to know if this happens and how often as it could weigh in your decision as to whether or not to take a gap year.
By doing all of this research and planning, you can show your parents how very serious you are about taking a gap year and that you won’t just be “wasting” a year doing nothing. (And again - If they allow you to take a gap year, get up early every morning, help around the house whenever possible and do whatever you can to contribute to your household. The last thing they want is someone laying around the house all day like they are on a year long vacation!)
Having said all that: if you pursue a gap year and if there is $ to do so, I would highly recommend working with a reputable professional in the college audition field to help you develop a list of schools, pick audition material and help develop your presentation skills so that you are at your very best at audition time. They can perhaps help you evaluate why you did not get the results you had hoped for this year and perhaps help you create a better plan for attacking auditions a second time.
As far as where your parents are coming from, know that as parents we want our children to be happy. And we have felt every emotion you have felt as you have gone through this process. We rejoiced in your acceptances and grieved at the rejections. We lost sleep. We stressed. We prayed. It has been a hard process for everyone! We want what is best for you and want you to be happy. I assume you and your parents already spent considerable time and money on this year’s auditions. You need to understand from their viewpoint that they have probably already invested a lot in this process and perhaps, if you choose not to go to school this year, feel like that was not money or time well spent. And because audition outcomes are so uncertain, they may also be unsure if doing this again next year will yield different results. Not because they don’t believe in you, but because this process is so crazy. So their concern about taking a gap year I’m sure is coming from a place of love. They really want what is best for you, your future and your happiness.
There is no easy answer as to whether you should take a gap year or not. Before taking that route, really evaluate all the choices you have in hand and be honest with yourself about whether you can be happy with the program and the school. I think if you read @bisouu daughter’s journey, she is a wonderful example of “blooming where she is planted”. And finding her dream school in unexpected places. Just be completely honest with yourself and your parents and I am sure you will figure out the best path to take.
Best wishes to you in your decision making. We are all rooting for you whatever you decide!
Thank you @vvnstar for the great post. With no acceptances in hand for my devastated D (waiting to hear from 4 and 5 wait-lists), I think we will have to do thinking, talking and planning - which may include a gap year. My question for those more knowledgeable than me - are there any schools that don’t do 2nd auditions and would not be an option? I thought I saw that in my research in the fall, but did not think we would be needing it now! Does anyone know of a list like that?
@momadrama, Wright State only allows people to audition once for their programs.
@myloves- but do they accept transfers if you haven’t auditioned for them before?
Hang in there. At this time last year, my D had 5 waitlists. She came off 2 of them at the end of April. I know that’s still a month more of stress, but it could happen ! Hoping for a good outcome !
I think one factor in deciding to take a gap year having a sense of what you could improve. For instance, if you realized that you were weak in dance. Or struggled with illness or nerves during the audition season. Maybe you needed a more realistic or broader school search. But it’s hard when you did all this, got rejections, and literally have no idea what you could have done different.
Yes, @toowonderful, Wright takes transfers if the transfer had never auditioned there before (and, obviously, if they then get accepted). At an accepted day 2 years ago, a guy and a girl were transferring to Wright for MT, but they had never auditioned there prior to that year.
I understood momadrama’s question, “…are there any schools that don’t do 2nd auditions and would not be an option?” to ask if any schools are one and done audition schools.
I had no idea that any schools were a one and done type, either if auditioning again and trying to enter as a Freshman as a transfer. I wonder what the point of that policy is? Anyone know?
I have never heard of that before either. Seems odd to me.