<p>That's so exciting.
Otterbein is definately at the top of my list after my visit there in October! Good Luck to your daughter!!!!!</p>
<p>So I got in academically w/ scholarships about a month ago, but it would be somewhat a miracle if I got in to their program, considering they only accept 4 or 5 guys. Has anyone from here heard back yet form the MT program?</p>
<p>broadwaycorey,
Don't be surprised if NOONE from CC gets into the MT program at Otterbein. From the big list we have many accepted accademically, however going back to last year's list, not one of our kids were accepted. I am looking forward to the day that someone from this board does get in...Hopefully it will happen in 2006! (And if you think your odds are bad, consider the odds for the girls to get in!) Good luck, anyway!</p>
<p>broadwaycorey,</p>
<p>Melsmom is right; those are tough numbers when you look at Otterbein. However, as I believe Doctor John has mentioned here before, if a student auditioning shows an even greater strength towards acting, etc., it is possible they could be offered the BFA along those lines. We believe the curriculum is so intertwined and relatively balanced that you can receive excellent training from that faculty in the right capacity. We've also seen their MT and Acting majors in action side by side. So, in that sense, the odds could be a little better. Just wanted to shed a little light on what is otherwise a rather dreary January day here. If you care to share when you're auditioning, we're headed out there in two weeks. Break a Leg!</p>
<p>THanks.</p>
<p>I'll be there March 4.</p>
<p>Just thought I would chime in on this thread to say: I will be auditioning for Otterbein on Feb. 4th. Also, "ditto" to what many have already expressed about Otterbein's MT program: It has been at the top of my list ever since I visited there last May. I actually recommended it to a lot of my M.T. friends over the summer, as it is such a wonderful program. I was told this wasn't the most tactful thing to do since I'm only creating more competition for myself. But, I think, whoever is meant to be accepted there will be accepted there.</p>
<p>Best of luck to everyone auditioning these next few months. I am very excited!! </p>
<p>~K.</p>
<p>keg, will you be auditioning on campus or at the ny unifieds?</p>
<p>I'll be auditioning on-campus. :-)</p>
<p>My daughter had her vocal music audition at Otterbein yesterday. We hadn't visited Otterbein in over a year, and I was a bit apprehensive because a lot can change in a year...including my daughter! I was so pleased to discover the Otterbein magic is still there; I can't imagine an audition process more designed to bring out the best in the students. </p>
<p>On a more pragmatic note, I was delighted to see the new dorm being built. Somehow I missed that announcement, so that was a very pleasant surprise.</p>
<p>Break a leg to all the Otterbein MT auditioners!</p>
<p>I'm auditioning for MT Feb 25 and was wondering about the college. Never have visited. Only am auditiong on OC rep that I have heard of. If anyone has visited like mezzomom or others..let me know what you thought and the kind of vibe they gave off when you were there. THANKS..break a leg to those who are auditioning on the 4th.</p>
<p>TheatreJock, be prepared to meet just about the nicest group of people you've ever run across. My daughter and I both are convinced that there's something in the water in Westerville... I can't speak for MT auditions specifically, but I very much doubt the care and consideration that's given to MT students is any less than that shown by the music department. My daughter and I had the privilege of meeting Dr. John last year, and I can assure you he's been drinking the "magic Westerville water" by the gallon!</p>
<p>When my daughter arrived on campus, she was greeted by students and staff and directed to a room for vocal warm-ups. There was a complete itinerary of her day printed up for her, and an itinerary of activities for the parents (I opted out of these and returned to my car to sleep...I'd gotten 0 hours of sleep before making the drive and knew we'd never make it home if I didn't have a nap.) Throughout the course of the morning, my daughter had her audition, a piano test, as well as test on theory, music history, and a quick ear training evaluation. Obviously, MT students are going to have a different schedule, but my daughter found the stress she was feeling when she arrived actually diminished greatly as the day progressed. She told me that it's hard to stay knotted up when everyone you meet has a kind word and a great sense of humor. </p>
<p>After auditions were complete, all of us were invited to lunch on campus. Interestingly, they continued to separate the parents and students, and it was a move that worked out better than I could have anticipated. The kids had a chance to decompress without parents continually asking, "How'd it go? Did you do OK? Did you feel you did well?"; the parents went with music department faculty. I sat with a strings instructor and a percussion instructor who have a career in stand-up comedy if they ever decide to abandon academia, but when our table wasn't laughing, we did have the chance to ask those "parent" questions which generally cause our kids to roll their eyes.</p>
<p>I don't know where you're from, so I have no idea how you'll react to the campus and Westerville. My daughter likes both a great deal, despite the fact they're in Ohio (spoken in teenage whine dialect); if she could move Otterbein out of the midwest, she'd declare it absolutely perfect (as opposed to "pretty darn close.") The campus is very compact, not sprawling like some we've visited, yet it still retains enough green space as to avoid any feelings of claustrophobia. Westerville is really two towns, IMO; there's the "old" part within easy walking distance of campus with a charming shopping district (and an excellent little diner with terrific breakfasts), and as you drive out of town in either direction, you get into areas that look and feel more like typical suburbia.</p>
<p>I did a lengthy "review" of Otterbein after our visit in the summer of 2004. It's quite long, so I'll post it below.</p>
<p>July 2004 Otterbein overview (cut for length)</p>
<p>The campus itself is small, but charming nonetheless. The grounds are clearly well-maintained although not manicured. Lots of mature trees and tasteful seasonal plantings...enough to indicate a pride in appearance but not draining the budget for showy gardens. All facilities are within easy walking distance of each other and within very easy (2-3 blocks) walking distance of the historic downtown district. As you go out of town in either direction, there is a full complement of fast food and find-em-anywhere-in-the-country kind of stores which are accessible by car or even by bike (2-3 miles?). </p>
<p>The hub of the campus appeared to be the Campus Center which houses the dining hall, the bookstore, and The Roost, a fast food type of place on campus. There is another food place on campus which offers less traditional, healthier food alternatives (salads, hummus, etc), and according to our guide, there is going to be a third eating place soon. Freshman are required to live on campus and use the meal plan, but for students wanting to move off campus after freshman year, it appeared that housing opportunities might be fairly plentiful. The school is nestled in a residential setting of older homes, and given the number of "For Rent" signs I saw, I think a fair number of the homes are probably rented to students. And I have to say, it's one of the few areas I've seen in the midwest which still has (some) cobblestone streets. Overall the effect is comfortable, charming, and quaint without being self-consciously cute. The closest eastern city that I could compare the effect to is parts of Newport, RI...not the mansions, of course, but some of the late 1800, working class areas of Newport. In addition, Westerville is very close to Columbus (and The Ohio State University), so if the small-town feel got too cloying, there are the advantages of a major metropolitan area within reasonable driving distance. </p>
<p>Some of the buildings/facilities that we saw did seem a bit worn about the edges, but it is also very clear that there are many renovations either recently completed or ongoing. While we were there, we poked our heads in the Battelle Fine Arts Center; the main theatre there is being refurbished (new seats, etc), although our guide said the stage itself won't be changed. There's also construction going on at the library, and I did read on the website that the football stadium is also going to be renovated (with private funding). </p>
<p>Speaking of the Battelle Fine Arts Center...the audition room for BFA students (and Bm/BA music students?...not sure on that one) is a place we stopped in. Once you get past the shock of all the orange in the room, the most noticeable characteristic is the very live acoustics. We didn't go so far as to check for dead spots, but it did seem like a room that would be kind to performers. </p>
<p>Some of the questions we asked our guide: My daughter asked him, "What DON'T you like about Otterbein?" He actually was struggling to come up with an answer (although about 40 minutes later, he did blurt out, "The food is pretty awful!"), so I rephrased the question to, "Were you told anything during the admissions process which you later found to be untrue?" He replied that he had known about the Senior Showcase but didn't find out until later that Senior Showcase at Otterbein is by audition. He said this bothered him at first, but he is now totally over it, particularly since the classes after his are being clearly told that Senior Showcase is by audition. </p>
<p>He also told us that the internships with the casting agents are very big with the BFA students. He said most students come back from their internship and describe it as "life-changing." Students are expected to find their own apartments and pay their expenses while on internship; this is viewed, at least by our guide, as a good intro to "the real world." </p>
<p>He mentioned that he enjoys the relationship between the school and the town. Many town residents recognize the student actors and respond warmly to them. Some residents are not as comfortable with some of the pithier, cutting edge works done by the theatre department, but the school still does the shows. He described the summer theatre program as "one musical for the masses, one farce for the masses, and one show that is for the actors." Also worthy of note...students in the summer theatre program are paid, although I didn't feel like prying to find out how much. </p>
<p>I find it easy to believe that a student would feel comfortable and welcomed by the community. Westerville is one of the friendliest communities I have ever experienced in the United States. There was genuine warmth and friendliness from the people we met. I went into a Speedway to purchase a map of Ohio, and the clerk asked me if I needed help finding someplace. I went into a bookstore to purchase a book about the history of Westerville and spent 30 minutes in conversation with the clerk there...about being from Michigan, visiting Otterbein, the effect of OSU on the nightly news broadcasts (OSU had just hired a new basketball coach, and it was the lead story on all the stations), and just general chit-chat. And when we went to see "Forever Plaid" on campus, an older woman came in using a walker. It was painfully clear that negotiating the steps to her seat was going to be a bit of a challenge, and no less than three gentlemen offered to give up their front row seats. I don't know that these anecdotes really capture the genuine niceness of ALL the people we met, but it left a very deep impression on myself and my daughter. Again, I tried to think of someplace where I may have experienced something like this, and the closest I could come up with was the small Scottish village of 100 people/3000 sheep where I lived 20+ years ago. </p>
<p>And oh yes, "Forever Plaid"...I don't routinely write play reviews, so I hope my "WOW!!!" does the performance some justice. The four actors were two current students (including the young man who was our guide), a just-graduated student, and a former Otterbein student from (I think) the early '90s who also directed the show. The show is one highly-choreographed, harmonized song after another, and the performance was seamless, natural, and spell-binding. My daughter and I generally go to see three or more national tour shows a year, either in Detroit or Toronto, as well as a few operas, so despite living in Smallville USA, we're not arts-ignorant. I would easily place this show above some of the national-tour shows we have seen. No wrong notes (and my daughter would have noticed them, even if I didn't) and amazing high-energy performances from every actor. I had no trouble suspending disbelief and laughed myself into tears, along with many others in the audience. It was a genuine treat, and if this is the typical caliber of show presented at Otterbein, they are clearly doing something very, very right with their students. </p>
<p>Now for some "Quirky Things I Found Interesting" (although I am more than willing to concede that ONLY I will find them interesting!): There are three, count 'em, three United Methodist churches within about a 2 mile radius of each other. Typically, when one finds two United Methodist churches in close proximity to one another, it's because one was a United Brethren church before the merger in 1968. And that is the case here; the United Methodist church that is right on campus is a former United Brethren church (for that matter, Otterbein is a former United Brethren college...now United Methodist). The presence of a third UMC, however, has me baffled...but my daughter probably would have disowned me if I had started investigating further than I actually did. To make this more meaningful in terms of "college search and selection", I did ask our guide if the United Methodist connection was overwhelming or highly-apparent to the students. He felt it was not, which is the answer I expected. Generally, most United Methodist colleges have a minimal tie to the church...the church rarely contributes very much money to college budgets anymore. In many cases, the church will assign a chaplain to a college (I don't know if this is the case at Otterbein), and if United Methodist ministers are working as professors, they are allowed to maintain their connection and qualify for pensions through the church. BUT, if you are a member in good standing of the United Methodist church, and attend a United Methodist college, there are scholarships that one can apply for. (For the sake of belated full disclosure, I attended a small United Methodist college and 2/3 of my college education was paid by the church because at the time, I was a pre-seminary student.) Anway, the strong United Methodist presence of the past leads to: </p>
<p>"Second Quirky Thing I Found Interesting" - Westerville was once known as the "Dry Capitol of the World" and is still mostly, if not all, dry. In the early 1900s, the Anti-Saloon League set up shop in Westerville and was active there for a number of years. We asked our guide if he thought Westerville would ever go wet, and he said, "Maybe when satan starts wearing a winter coat and mittens"!! A dry community is a non-issue for my daughter, at least for now. She has had opportunities to drink and chooses not to and doesn't think that will change in a big hurry. I see a dry community as a double-edged sword for college students, because I do have to wonder if those students who choose to drink have to drive, drink, and drive back to campus. However, the information about the Anti-Saloon League did lead to an interesting observation from my daughter...she is wondering if their is still archival material stored in Westerville, because she thought it would be fascinating to research the historical use of "propaganda" in the furtherance of a social issue.</p>
<p>We, too, were at Otterbein on Tuesday. Didn't know you'd be there mezzomom! My d is interested in the BA track with dance and arts admin minors, so the process is different than the audition for the BFA. She started the day by taking the advanced ballet class - for 2 hours. With the dance minor (or concentration, if you're in the BFA) you dance every day. They level you in each discipline at the beginning of each quarter and there were freshmen as well as upperclassmen in this class. That day's class was taught by a former Ballet Met Columbus dancer. I was sitting outside the room, but could see the mirror. My d found the class challenging, especially the very interesting and complex center work. Only one girl was wearing pointe shoes. When we asked later, we found that there is no pointe class, but if you are proficient, you may use them in class - barre, center or both. After class, the head of the dance department had my d show some modern/tap/jazz movements (if you audition in the jazz class, you will be asked for ballet/tap/modern). Then she had an interview with the head of the dance department. She had observed most of the class and was very personable and open about the program.</p>
<p>We were then turned over to the only senior in the program that is on campus, since this is the quarter nearly all of them intern. She had arranged an internship with a small company in the West End of London as an assistant stage manager. She was a wealth of information about the program and the professor/student interaction. She took us to lunch in the Campus Center and we met many of the BFA MT students as they came up to talk to our guide. They were very genuine and kind!</p>
<p>We then went back to the theater and she had her interview with the now famous DoctorJohn. We were early, so he invited me in as well. I hadn't intended to "out" myself as being on college confidential, but when he said, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions about Otterbein," and because of this forum - I don't - I decided to "come clean" rather than look uninterested or crazy. She had her interview with him and another member of the department and she felt that it went really well. Otterbein, though I hesitate to say this, is her first choice and she really loved it. She has about two months to wait for the letter - so I'm glad that she's busy in production at school!</p>
<p>Just as a little followup to mezzomom's old info on Westerville, my sister mentioned to me recently that Westerville is no longer dry. Here is a link: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/13/beer.ban.ap/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/13/beer.ban.ap/</a>
I think most mt students are too busy to get involved in drinking. And if they want to, living in a dry town won't stop them.</p>
<p>Illinisue, sorry we missed each other; I never thought to post here in advance of our visit because my daughter was doing a vocal, rather than MT, audition. </p>
<p>Anothermom, thanks for the link. I guess satan is in full winter gear now!</p>
<p>One other note (like my two wordy posts above weren't enough ;) )...since Tuesday, my daughter has received two handwritten postcards. One was from Debbie Byrne and one was from the Director of Choral Activities. Both were personalized and encouraging...Debbie Byrne even wished her good luck on her auditions at other schools. Otterbein just has it so together, and they're a class act all the way.</p>
<p>wow, mezzomom THANK YOU! that was more then enough...you are awesome..how many MT auditionees get in per year?</p>
<p>TheatreJock, I seem to recall they want a class of 8, but your best bet would be to look back over this thread or even send an e-mail to Doctor John (see post #176 above, click on his name, and you'll get a link to his e-mail address).</p>
<p>ok..thanks for the help</p>
<p>Dear Mezzomom and illinisue and anothermomwithquestions:</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the kind words. We do try. And thanks, amwqs, for the link about the end of prohibition in Westerville. I've been grateful for the lack of bars on the edge of campus; it's made this a safer campus. But I don't regret the change. It's historically significant, but will have little real effect. Two restaurants near campus were given permission to serve beer and wine with meals. It's not as if College Avenue had just been turned into High Street. I don't forsee voters approving anything like that.</p>
<p>Theatrejock, the answer is that we're aiming for 4 men and 4 women MT majors, and 4 men and 4 women Acting majors. Men have a much better chance of receiving an offer than do women, because there are fewer auditioning. My records show that we've made first round offers to about 14% of our male applicants and around 3% of our female applicants. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>That was a great help, thank you. See you Feb 25th</p>