<p>So the inevitable has come; rejection letters. Good way to crown the Christmas season... But seriously, just post if you feel like getting it off your shoulders.</p>
<p>danimal88 - Baldwin-Wallace</p>
<p>{{Danimal}}</p>
<p>It is hard to receive a denial from a college. Keep in mind that WAY more people get a denial than an acceptance. Know that going into it as it is the much more likely outcome, even though it is still hard to get it. Realistically it is very bound to happen. However, it isn't about the outcome with one school. It isn't about how many acceptances you can receive. You can only attend one school anyway. Hopefully applicants apply to a well balanced list of odds that should yield at least one acceptance. An appropriate list is important. But even the most talented MT kids and the bestest students can and do receive rejection letters. So, one result is not the end all and be all. The bottom line is next April. Hopefully, and usually, most students do end up with a college to go to. And, hopefully and usually, end up at a place where they can thrive and be happy. Right now, in the midst of the process, it is all anxiety producing and overwhelming, but this will all pass and you will be some place next year doing your thing. Hang in there. Almost every student receives some rejections. It goes with the territory. Most students do not have an acceptance this early. My kids found out about most of their schools in late spring. You can't win 'em all but you don't need to. You only need to win one school and likely you will if your list has some balanced odds on it. </p>
<p>So, hang tight. Believe in yourself. You will be in college next year and this angst will be a memory!</p>
<p>danimal88,</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about Baldwin-Wallace! We are all hoping for good news for you in the spring! Keep your chin up and refocus for the auditions you have to come. You can't change that outcome for the auditions you've already done, but you can pick yourself up and recharge your spirit for some great auditions this winter! Break a leg! We are all routing for you!</p>
<p>kaysmom :)</p>
<p>danimal --</p>
<p>It's very brave of you to post rejections. They are a part of this process for virtually everyone, and they are certainly a part of the business for everyone who goes into it. Your courage says a lot about your character, which in the long run is the most important thing. Stay positive, good things will happen!</p>
<p>lol, well i still have 8 out of the 9 auditions to go, so im sure ill be posting many rejections quite soon! lol, not that i doubt myself, just that these colleges are quite fickle in where you get accepted. you never really know what your looking for, and sometimes your waht it is, and soemtimes your what a college of equal or better quality wants, and not that one. who knows! but thanks for posting this thread, ill chime in soon enough. <333</p>
<p>danimal,</p>
<pre><code>I'm so sorry about BW.. Don't let it get you down, though. Everyone will have rejections and deferals. The important thing is to focus on the next audition and to stay positive. Best wishes for a new year!
</code></pre>
<p>hang in there. My son has rejections from Elon, Shenandoah, Penn State and Harte. Penn State and Elon were not surprises, but the other two really hurt. the investment in time and effort is tremendous. We have 7 left but I know we could go 0 for 11. I finally convinced him to apply to Temple for straight theatre no audition. He is very down on himself right now and has lost his confidence.</p>
<p>beriglour, </p>
<pre><code> Please tell your son that all of us will be posting rejections at one point or another. It would be extremely rare to get into all of the schools that you apply to for MT or any other degree for that matter. Never the less, my heart goes out to you and your son. Keep your spirits up if you can. Have you considered using a coach? I know that Coach C on CC does coaching via web cam./skype. You might consider giving her a try. She's amazing!
</code></pre>
<p>^^^ keep it up guys!!! you will find a school that wants you. Some of us may find that school faster than others but nevertheless there is a school out there for everyone! keep it up and don't let rejections get you down.</p>
<p>beriglour - i definitely feel for your son, and I haven't even received any decisions yet! Just the process of audition and being judged so many times on such a personal level is really rough on the self confidence. I know I have been losing faith in myself on and off throughout this whole journey, it is so hard to believe in yourself when the odds are so hugely against you! I'm learning that even if I don't always have the confidence, it is my motivation and my determination that keeps me going. I hope that he is able to keep going and fight for his dream, despite rejections that hurt!</p>
<p>I am reading this amazing book called Letters to a Young Artist by Anna Deavere Smith. She deals with these tough issues like losing self-confidence and rejection and fear. Anyone going into any aspect of the arts, visual and performing, should read this book. It may seem cheesy, but it is really changing my entire view on life in the performing arts, for the better. I really encourage you all to read it, or have your son/daughter read it. It is made up of short letters so it is easy to read little bits here and there, for those whose schedules leave little time for reading :)</p>
<p>I just go that "Letters to a Young Artist" book for Christmas! I agree, it's a great book with a lot of good advice for us younger performing artists. Hang in there, rejections happen to everyone. I had a lot last year too, but everything has worked out great. Just try to remember that everything happens for a reason, and you will find a way to pursue your dreams and be happy even if it's not in a certain BFA program you had in mind. Good luck everyone!:)</p>
<p>Found out today</p>
<p>rejected from Baldwin-Wallace</p>
<p>Oh well, I have 4 more auditions to go, hopefully I get in to at least one.</p>
<p>People have varying opinions on this, and the topic has been discussed before, but I strongly encourage people to find a non-audition safety program in which your student could be happy. If you have the time and can afford it, visit different schools until you find one that fits into this category. Don't pick one that is too hard to get into academically. You can usually judge this from the college statistics. Don't pick one that requires an audition no matter how easy people say it is to get into.</p>
<p>A good place to start is on the "big list" - look for colleges that do not require auditions. Start looking near home, and expand from there. You can also explore theatre, music, or dance majors at a nearby college, even if they do not officially have MT as a major. The main thing, though, is to apply somewhere that your student feels they can be happy, and don't stop looking until you find this place.</p>
<p>My daughter and I have had a number of discussions about the audition process. All of you have placed such incredible demands upon yourselves. The "normal" college application process is stressful enough. You not only must endure that process but also meet the demands of auditions which require exponentially more time and effort than the application process itself. You also embrace taking the extraordinarily difficult risk of having yourself evaluated on a much more personal and subjective level. All of you are to be commended for your dedication, perseverence and plain old guts.</p>
<p>One of the things I've discussed with my daughter is to try not to stress the "end result". I've urged her to look at this process as part of her journey of exploration and self discovery and to enjoy, if not revel in, the process as the creative endeavor that it is. Yeah, I know, it sounds trite and corney (and as someone else said, cheesey). And of course, easy to say but hard to do when you know that others are sitting in judgement of you.</p>
<p>However, each and everyone of you has something very special and unique to bring to this process. And I don't say this as simply some sappy cornball psycho-babble B.S. I spent 5 years as an alumnae interviewer for a very prestegeous private university. I met with dozens of very bright students viewed as the "creme de la creme". I also have had the opportunity to meet and get to know and observe very closely literally dozens of M.T. students as my daughter participated in various summer programs and we hosted students from all over the country at our home. You guys have a passion and commitment that are unparalleled. You have a spark and creative energy that is at your core. You have a way of viewing the world around you, absorbing it and reflecting it back that is so very special. Your creative spark, excitment and passion for what you do make most of the "top shelf" students I interviewed seem like 2 dimensional cut-outs.</p>
<p>So, as I have said to my daughter, don't stress the "end game". Keep focused on the passion, commitment and joy that for you are part of the creative process. View each audition as another opportunity to immerse yourself in your creativity - to stage a performance that is uniquely yours - and take the risk of revealing yourself as you have done in all of your performances over the years. Sure it's scary and sure there are times you will feel down about "rejection". But if you focus on the journey and are true to yourself and honest in your commitment, you will succeed. You will end up at a school and in a program that are right for you. You may not see it right now today, but that's ok. It's the commitment to the journey that counts right now.</p>
<p>Ok, I'm done, enough of my "cheesey" parental soapbox.</p>
<p>Last year the first audition seemed to go so well - but a rejection letter followed this audition fairly quickly. This caused me to question whether my son would have whatever it was the schools were looking for - there were a lot of kids with a lot of experience out there - so I encouraged him to apply to BA nonaudition schools - and he was soon accepted at one with rolling admissions. This was a big confidence boost. Interestingly, both of his on-campus auditions were well-recieved, but he was accepted at neither place...Whereas some hard to read unified auditions yielded offers of admission - so you never do know - don't get discouraged and do get back-up, remembering that there are many roads that lead many wonderful places...</p>
<p>And I posted before reading MichaelNKat's words of wisdom which I heartily second!</p>
<p>MNK - You brought a tear to this Mom's eye - very well put! It is so unfortunate in this business that the "no's' will far exceed the 'yeses' and that each of these gifted kids will have to learn to cope with that. We have discussed so many times that ' it ain't personal, kid!' They just have one too many of you today! </p>
<p>So give your 'em best, let them decide and thank them for the ride!!</p>
<p>Thanks!!
Mikks Mom</p>
<p>I just want to add to everyone's words of encouragement so far:</p>
<p>Last year I auditioned to a lot of schools and I did not get into any of them for musical theater. There is no way, however, that I consider those auditions a waste of my time. I learned and grew so much because of those auditions. What it did for my memory for dance steps was particularly amazing. As another poster on this thread already mentioned, the process is an incredible learning experience. Sure, it hurts to get all those letters, but you give yourself a small mourning period then you throw yourself back into the game. And this year I've worked with many different people and talked to students in the theater department at my college (I'm an english major at Ithaca), and I'm seeing even more how much of the selection process rides on factors outside of talent. I'm also seeing how importaint the choices of material you make are. I have been working with an acting coach and the first thing she said to me when I showed her monolouges I've previously used was "This is no reflection on you talent, but those are terrible choices for you," and all of the sudden I realized yes, these were horrible choices for me and a part of me knew that all along. I'm auditioning for Ithaca again, but I am being very realistic about the odds. I am also auditioning for a music minor and working towards declaring a theater minor, in the event I don't get in again. There's always another way. It might be more expensive or harder to come by, but if this is something you want badly enough you will find a way to make it happen. All you can do is prepare your hardest and do your best. Keep your chins up and lots of luck :)</p>
<p>MNK, your daughter is lucky!</p>
<p>Broadway, I am very proud of you! I am so impressed with your maturity and wisdom.</p>
<p>My heart and thoughts are with all of you during this long and sometimes scary process.</p>
<p>Let's hear it for cheese! </p>
<p>That was beautiful, MichaelnKat.</p>
<p>Happy New Year everyone.</p>