<p>I've been noticing a lot of people talking about the "old threads," "archives," etc. when making recommendations to some of the new posters. To avoid confusion, when the "old timers" mention this, what they mean is the FAQ[/url</a>] located at the top of the page that Shauna put together last summer and has so selflessly kept up-to-date. If you'll click on [url=<a href="http://www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/thread.html%5DThe">www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/thread.html]The</a> Thread link and start on Part</a> 1, you'll find the best book on this process ever written though it might take you a month to read it all. The forum used to be in a different format and changed to the present one at Part 30 last October, but you can still search the old threads for discussions on virtually any MT program, summer program, etc. in the U.S. If you're like me and found your way here first, but are more of the "straight theatre" type, check out Theatre/Drama Colleges thread. Hope this helps. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Thesbo! </p>
<p>Folks can also get to the archives by clicking on the link at the bottom of any CC page (in the gray area at the very bottom). If reading the entire archive is just too overwhelming (it is not organised by threads like the current Musical Theatre board), you can use the fairly sophisticated search engine provided by CC. However, I agree with other posters who have said that although time consuming, there is no better compilation of information about the MT application/audition/admissions process than this site.</p>
<p>I was on the old CC site yesterday (re-reading Shauna's journey which began on Part 1!), which caused me to reflect. This thread just celebrated its third birthday! I found it last year, and made my first post on Part 9. It's incredible that the first two years comprised 11 threads. Over the past 12 months we have gone from Part 11 to Part 39, plus all the ancillary threads. The community certainly has grown, and is reflective of what we are hearing from college administrators about the increased number of students applying/auditioning for MT. I remember coming into my office one Saturday last year and copying all the threads into a Word document, editing them, and printing them off. 200+pages!! It was my MT research bible. Now that the search is over, I want to thank each and every person who has contributed to this site. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of you and your wonderful kids at auditions, and look forward to meeting the other OCU Class of 2009 parents/kids soon.</p>
<p>You know, I used to tell people to grab a cup of coffee and read the old threads. Now you have to tell them to grab a POT of coffee (and take lots of bathroom breaks!) But there is so much wonderful information there.</p>
<p>One of the difference, I think, is we seem to have branched out regarding the colleges that are discussed. At the beginning, most of the colleges seem to be the elite. Now there is a lot more discussion about some of the non-elite places. I think that is very important because, face it, mathematically, they can't all get into elite colleges. There is also some discussion about the fact that, if you don't get into one of the top five, it's not the end of the world. You can still get good training and still have opportunities.</p>
<p>Welcome to the third (?) generation of parents!!</p>
<p>Peg</p>
<p>Those archives are incredibly valuable. I had pasted them all in a Word document as well and I am in the process of editing them for my S's friends who will be going through this next year and the year after. No one in our area had much information at all about the ins and outs of MT and auditioning. One of the moms asked me to hold a "class" next year for all of them on what I learned. You can bet the "textbook" will be the CC "bible." Thanks to all who have contributed over the years - it's an amazing compilation of wisdom.</p>