<p>I just need some words of wisdom or something, anything! I'm feeling so overwhelmed right now.</p>
<p>I have four acceptances to MT programs, and I'm waiting to hear back on three other programs - one of which is my top top top choice. I'm just feeling like if I don't get into that program, I'm done for! (wrong attitude, I know) But today I just had this freak-out moment of wanting/needed to audition for more schools which is not really realistic because most schools' audition dates have passed. Ugh! Any advice for a student feeling like her choices are not as good as she had hoped for? What should I do if I just keep thinking I need to audition for more schools, and being unhappy with my options now (unless I get accepted to my top)? It's almost like an addiction ha. Not good!</p>
<p>If you feel that you were not as prepared for your auditions as you wish you had been, I know that there have been people who, unhappy with their first go at auditions, took a gap year, received professional coaching, and then went through auditions with much better results.</p>
<p>If you really don’t feel like you can see yourself at any of the schools you have been accepted to once you’ve heard from every program, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. No school will (or at least, should) frown upon your taking a year to ground yourself and really figure out what you want for yourself.</p>
<p>If you think a program isn’t for you, you’re probably right. Don’t feel obligated to go because you were accepted.</p>
<p>From my D’s experience as well as many others I’ve heard from or read about I would tell you that you should consider yourself very fortunate to have been accepted by 4 programs, wait to hear about the others, and then go to the school where you believe you’ll get the best education. I see no rationale for going on more auditions.</p>
<p>Well, most people don’t get into their top top program, so you’re just gonna have to get over that. Some people only get into one and have no choices. I know people with no acceptances at all, yet. Four is good. Now, if you don’t like the schools or they were at the bottom of your list or safety choices that you hoped you wouldn’t need then that’s different. Is there a late audition school you would want to attend?</p>
<p>Looking over it again my reply seems a bit harsh. I would say if you’ve been accepted at 4 places you must be pretty talented. I suspect one of these schools (or one you’ve yet to hear from) will be perfect for you.</p>
<p>At this point, I wouldn’t consider trying to scramble and complete a last minute audition. Most are done with their audition days and those that aren’t - well, I feel you would just stress yourself out more.</p>
<p>Four acceptances, like jeffandann said, really is nothing to sneeze at. Be extremely proud of the fact that FOUR programs believe you have the talent and ability to succeed in this field. </p>
<p>That being said, I agree with BRC that you should trust your instincts. I’ve seen your other posts and I feel like you’ve been wrapping your head around this process for a while and have been encouraging to others on their journeys, making you thus entirely capable reaching a rational decision for yourself based on what you feel is best. Do some searching: of the four schools you have acceptances from, what drew you to audition for them in the first place?; how did you work with the faculty during your audition?; if you visited the school, could you see yourself there?; what about these programs make you feel you could do better? Maybe you’re just anxious about the unknown, and one of those programs could be perfect for you. But if at the end of the day, none of those four schools feel right, you have absolutely every right to take a gap year and do it again. No shame, only benefit to you from a year’s worth of growth and experience (and coaching!). </p>
<p>In any event, you’ve still got your top, top, top choice to hear from, so hopefully you’ll get some fabulous news here in the coming weeks. And if not, just roll with it. No need to be overwhelmed, just take it one day at a time and know that if you trust your instincts, you will follow the path you’re meant to.</p>
<p>Since you have four acceptances already, you have no evidence that the others won’t come through as well. I know the waiting is very hard. My D has not heard from any of her audition schools at all! It is unlikely that you would be able to add any auditions at this point, so keep yourself as busy as you can and think positive thoughts!</p>
<p>You are just days off of the audition trail and emotions of what that all means are especially raw for you. Everyone gets a little desperate when they reach the end. </p>
<p>I’d suggest occupying yourself while you wait by putting your nervous energy into finding a way to “love the one your with” and if you get news in the coming days that something you love even more comes along, so much the better. I don’t have direct knowledge of the schools that you’ve been accepted at so far but one of them I do know some incredibly talented kids that are in the MT program as freshman and sophomores right now and loving it. I’m sure others in CC could say the same about the rest.</p>
<p>The reality is that the overwhelming majority of students love the school that they end up at no matter where it was on their list.</p>
<p>I can sympathize with your situation. I was fortunate enough to get accepted to 7 musical theater programs. (Roosevelt, Point Park, TCU, Oklahoma City, Miami, Ohio Northern, UW-Stevens Point)
I was on priority hold for Texas State and call back for OU. These were my two big fish. Although I only got rejected from 3 programs in the end (Texas State, OU, Webster, and waitlisted at Indiana).
I didn’t feel I had found the correct program. These are all great programs I got into, and most people would feel great, but I felt lost.
So I took a gap year. So far I have gotten into Northern Colorado and Rider, rejected from CCM, OU (second year, guess I am not the right type).
Waiting to hear from Syracuse, BOCO, CMU, Ithaca, and Pace.
I do feel as though the two acceptances I have so far, are better fits for me. So anything more is a bonus.</p>
<p>Wow I would be happy with just one acceptance, if any should be freaking out it’s me! But as said before if you don’t feel it’s right for you, don’t go through with it but also realize that you have been given an opportunity that others don’t get.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone so much for your responses. I just want to first say that I did not mean to brag or celebrate the fact that I have four acceptances, so I’m really sorry if that came off as arrogant. Honestly, those acceptances are incredibly great but honestly at this moment I’m worried that I can’t picture myself at any of these places and that’s the problem.</p>
<p>For me, taking a gap year is not possible; my parents want me to go to college right away no matter what. I’ve definitely heard that that helps people a lot to gain good training and reaudition but that’s just not in the plan for me. You all are right; I need to wait and see about the three schools that I haven’t heard from, and then just look at each school as carefully as I can to make the best decision.</p>
<p>I also think that a big problem in my head is that if a school isn’t “popular” or reputable, with a big network of working alumni and extremely reputable faculty members, then I automatically think the program isn’t as good and I shouldn’t go there. Which isn’t always the case, so I need to get out of the mindset and just look at what school I like the most, where I get the most financial aid, and what program I feel most comfortable in.</p>
<p>Anyways, sorry this is just me getting all my thoughts out. halflokum, you are right; we all are so close to the end of the journey that we all might be going a little bit crazy, kids and parents alike thanks again everybody for replying, and best of luck to you all! It might be funny to look back at these “panic posts” in a few months after we have chosen schools and realize that everything was going to be perfectly fine all along.</p>
<p>I don’t think that you came off as arrogant at all! No worries! I think many kids would be elated to have four acceptances, but no one walks in your shoes except you. </p>
<p>As for the rest of it, I’m going to send over a PM…</p>
<p>If you take a gap year you can always go to your local community college. Very inexpensive and would probably satisfy your parents as well as some gen ed requirements.</p>
<p>My S had the same freak out this weekend after he saw acceptances rolling in for other peers working with his coaching team. He too has great options in hand but he is second guessing himself. I think wrestling with doubt and insecurity are an inherent part of most actors. This decision about where to invest your time, energy, talent and finances may well be the biggest decision you’ve made up to this point in your life. Grappling with that is so normal and probably true of many who are attempting to wade through all the information out there. My mom advice to my son…unplug from all social media, go do something completely unrelated to all of this and allow your mind to settle down. No final decision (in most cases) had to be made until May 1. You have time and answers yet to come. Take a deep breathe, trust yourself and know the story is ever unfolding - live in today’s moment without fearing what tomorrow may or may not bring.</p>
<p>In response to the suggestion about community college; although a very worthwhile way to get credits for most kids, I know that I have read lots on this forum about not being able to audition as a freshman into an MT program if you have ANY college credits under your belt. And, if you have to audtiion as a transfer, the spots are extremely limited. Perhaps someone who remembers the details or locations of posts about this can chime in.</p>
<p>^Christie, I’m not sure about theater/MT, but I have always understood that if you have any college credits (post-high-school graduation) you must apply as a transfer student to any college. It would be crucial to look into this before taking courses.</p>
<p>If I’ve learned anything about this whole MT thing through this audition stuff it’s how completely subjective this process is. So let’s say you don’t take the spot offered this year in hopes of getting what is perceived to be a better spot next year. What if you have a bad audition day for your favorite, or are sick, or they have two others that look like you and they don’t need a third even though you audition well? Then you potentially have no spot. The old adage of a bird in the hand worth more than two in the bush seems applicable.</p>
<p>Times3, thanks for bringing up the issue of Community College and whether that constitutes going in as a freshman or a transfer. Does anyone know more about this that they can share? Here are the different scenarios:
Situation A. Take one or two CC courses and reapply next year as a freshman, assuming CC is respectable , all is in order and the new college does usually accept courses from that CC for ordinary gen eds, can you go in as a freshman with a few college credits? Situation B. Full time CC student, full course load, all successfully completed. I assume you go in as a sophomore to the 4yr college? if accepted in to a BFA program. or can you just say you want to go in as a freshman but you’d like certain gen eds to be accepted?
Sorry for sounding naive here but I don’t know where to start with this and who to talk to, its been so hard to get any admissions officers to get to a phone for ordinary admissions questions, you usually get the work study students and although some are very knowledgeable you don’t always trust the info.</p>
<p>Another thing you can do since I know you won’t unplug or stop obsessing is to REEALLY research the schools you’re in. You might be pleasantly surprised! Look up the faculty, where they’re from, what they’ve done. Talk to people in those programs. I have a friend who is a working actress, has been in 2 Broadway musicals. She went to college with me, a school that had no MT major! She said that when you are trying to do that one-page resume, where you went to school soon becomes unimportant and it is what you bring to the table. Of course networking and connections certainly don’t hurt, and some schools have huge networks, but everyone knows that not every super-talented person can go to BOCO, CMU, or NYU, just examples of really expensive schools that don’t hand out a lot of money. You may get in there, but can’t put THAT on your resume if you don’t go. There are so many factors that go into who the schools accept, and THEN which one you pick based on circumstance and finances, so when you go for that audition in 4 years, will where you went to school be the be-all and end-all? No. How well you audition, yes. Sorry if I sound preachy but my D still has quite a few schools to hear from and it’s either say all this over and over or get valium :/</p>
thanks again everybody for replying, and best of luck to you all! It might be funny to look back at these “panic posts” in a few months after we have chosen schools and realize that everything was going to be perfectly fine all along.</p>
is to REEALLY research the schools you’re in. You might be pleasantly surprised! Look up the faculty, where they’re from, what they’ve done. Talk to people in those programs. I have a friend who is a working actress, has been in 2 Broadway musicals. She went to college with me, a school that had no MT major! She said that when you are trying to do that one-page resume, where you went to school soon becomes unimportant and it is what you bring to the table. Of course networking and connections certainly don’t hurt, and some schools have huge networks, but everyone knows that not every super-talented person can go to BOCO, CMU, or NYU, just examples of really expensive schools that don’t hand out a lot of money. You may get in there, but can’t put THAT on your resume if you don’t go. There are so many factors that go into who the schools accept, and THEN which one you pick based on circumstance and finances, so when you go for that audition in 4 years, will where you went to school be the be-all and end-all? No. How well you audition, yes. Sorry if I sound preachy but my D still has quite a few schools to hear from and it’s either say all this over and over or get valium :/</p>