Rejections: Class of 2007

<p>Please don't feel like a fool. No one should ever feel that way when you are helping your child follow their dream. We have seen so many talented people face disappointment. Something good will happen for her. I know it is hard to believe right now but please feel brave, not foolish. These auditions do not necessarily validate talent. She had talent when she walked in the door of each audition and she has talent as she walks out. Someone will see that eventually.</p>

<p>Aww Sarahsmom , sorry about Elon! Everyone has one school they are secretly pushing a bit above the rest and it is so unfortunate when the school does nto come through, but I am sure your D. will get happy news in the coming months. I also applied to Elon, albiet academically, but I have heard this year is their most competitive ever all across the board as people have "discovered" it.</p>

<p>Oh Bruce Wayne, I totally understand your frustration. Have you guys been on any of these auditions at top schools where there is no dance audition and no pianist, and you have one person in the room to judge you who sits there dead pan when you do your monologues? Why is it that the so called "saftey schools" spent so much time with my d and really tried to get to know her? Is there so much competition among the "well known" schools that some of these "top" schools don't even really feel a need to get to know you? In which case how many schools do you have to apply to to improve your chances when the average school will take about 10 girls? So Bruce Wayne enjoy your school show you deserve it, you love theater as we all do and so many of us are now getting ready for our last school musical, my d is and with all this stress I am determined to enjoy every minute of her play with family and friends!</p>

<p>I didn't get a call from Elon today either, how disappointing. Oh well looks like I'll be going to AMDA</p>

<p>BroadwyBelle, Hang in there! AMDA would sound reallly good right now! Look at their background. My D did not apply and willl probably in the future. Look at this as an opportunity. Many famous people have come out of AMDA. Bes t of luck to you!! You must be very talented.</p>

<p>OK, here's a classic one for ya! I just got off the phone w/my sister. I told her how sad I was for D and she said; "Well, I never thought this theatre thing was a very good idea to start with. Maybe this is the God's way of protecting her. There a lot of people on the fringe in theatre. Maybe now she'll just get a normal degree & meet a nice boy."
All I could say was "maybe so." She's sleeping up at the hospital with our dad tonight and it was not the time to start trying to explain.
BruceWayne, knock um' out at your show! Enjoy every moment of this last performance of HS. My D is rehearsing for Miss Saigon & I keep telling her to enjoy every second of it. She's been so busy and so focused on her auditions that she's lost touch with some of her friends and missed out on a lot of fun, but now she's hoping to live every last day of HS to the fullest. Break a leg!</p>

<p>I still haven't heard from any of the other schools I auditioned at yet, and I still have two more to go. Anyways my one actor friend has been really interested in my process and the fact that I want to perform for a living. She's French and is a big star over in Austria and Germany, she's been in Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Grease and a bunch of other shows. She came over here with her husband, an American actor, who is currently in Les Miserables. She's been in an Off-Broadway show and (hopefully) will be on Broadway soon as well, she should find out this week. </p>

<p>Anyway she sent me an email after I told her my long story of how my recent Boston Conservatory audition went and this is part of what she said. I thought I'd share since I think it provides real words of wisdom for everyone that is feeling down on themselves with rejections.</p>

<p>"I love you for your audition stories, because I felt so much like you, when I had to go through this!!! I swear to you…if you want to do this, it is never a question of any school or conservatory…NOBODY IS GONNA ASK YOU WHERE YOU TOOK CLASSES WHEN YOU AUDITION!!!"</p>

<p>So there yah go, spoken from someone actually living and working in the field!</p>

<p>Break Into Song!</p>

<p>Great words from your friend. That is the truth. I am so sorry for everyone's disappointments. A few months ago when my daughter applied early decision to the school she has wanted to go to for years and got a rejection letter from them..... we thought the roof had just caved in. But, after getting through that which was pretty depressing for my daughter and the rest of the family.... she said, I'm going to keep going and keep trying. Well, the next rejection came, and the next rejection and we thought.... oh my goodness, will she even go to school? Which, she had been accepted to one of them academically but... still....not what she wanted. Then finally... we got a YES! Well, you would have thought that we hit the grand lottery and wouldn't have to worry about anything for the rest of our lives. But, the reality is, this is just the beginning of a long list of rejections and heartaches. It is very scarey.... all of it.... But, I still say, you get a college education no matter what the final major is, you give the MT world a shot because you are all so passionate about it, and see where life takes you. Our kids are young. This is the time to try things and if they don't work out quite the way we planned, there is nothing wrong with that. Most people change their minds many times before they find where they really fit in life. Truly.</p>

<p>Don't ever let anyone "rain on your parade" Sarahsmom42! Not anyone! People are so quick to give advice and a lot of time, it's negative. Don't listen. Until someone walks in your shoes, or your daughter's shoes... they do not know! </p>

<p>As for Bruce Wayne, just think how many people would love to be in your shoes right now. I am sure there are people that would love to be in that show that you are doing and they didn't get the opportunity. So, be so very thankful for everything you achieve in life and just enjoy. You are more fortunate then you think.</p>

<p>Stay positive! And, remember.... good things come to good people! Just keep plugging away and your day will come! Something good will happen!</p>

<p>As tough as it is, hang in there all. SarahsMom, I'm sorry that you are having to go through the added stress with your parents, at this already stressful time. It sounds like you have a bright, talented daughter and I'm sure she'll have some choices to make in the end. I don't think that a parent of a kid that doesn't have the passion for theatre can relate very well to what our kids (and ourselves) are going through. I'm sure your sister thought she was being helpful having you look at the "bright side" from her perspective. BroadwayBelle, who knows, you may be seeing my daughter at AMDA next year, as she is totally undecided at this point as to what her plans are.</p>

<p>I just wanted to apologize. I didn't read about your father. Gosh I am so very sorry. I wrote that whole paragraph and then read some other threads and saw about your dad. Geeezzzz you and your daughter have just got to get a break here soon. My prayers are with the two of you. We're all REALLY rooting for you.</p>

<p>Marianne406, I love your reply. In the midst of such intense stress, I understand that what you said may seem like platitudes to some people, but your words are wise and true. We were there with my D two years ago, so I know whereof I speak!</p>

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<pre><code>Things are looking brighter. My Dad's perked up a bit and is breathing more easily. He'll probably be home in the next day or two. I'm so lucky to have siblings who live in the same town as he does. I do feel guilty though that they have to do all the work.

No letters today, but it's better than rejections. D knows that people received calls from Elon and is still holding out hope. I can't blame her. . She's been accepted academically to several schools and will have options if she doesn't get into MT, but my H says that if she doesn't get in this time, we won't be doing this again next year. It's been really expensive and he feels like our lives have been taken over by this process. I can't say I blame him. If she doesn't get into MT, she'll go to a school that allows open auditions for their plays and she'll try to get into that schools MT program again next year. We'll see, there are still a few schools left..
</code></pre>

<p>Sarahsmom, it's so good to hear that your dad is doing better and that you and your D are keeping the faith. Remember Yogi Berra's great (and oft repeated) saying: "It ain't over til it's over." That's the truth. Please know that we are rooting for her and for all the kids out there who are waiting to hear.</p>

<p>I hope H has only said that to you and not to D. This period is stressful enough without indulging in early "what-if"s. Glad your Dad is better. With everything you've had going on I'm sure you are all running on fumes right now.</p>

<p>The biggest thing is to recognize that while decisions open and close doors, the only decision that becomes definitive is the one to give up. Keep options open and hope alive and don't give up. One thing I've seen over and over in the short time I've been around this board is that there are an infinite number of ways to approach this business. Another is that it's a business where rejection is an integral and recurring part of it; some may encoutner it early than others but sooner or later everybody does. The trick is to make sure that the rejection doesn't shut you down, it just sends you down an alternate path.</p>

<p>Good luck, fingers crossed...you still have lots on your D's list</p>

<p>Thanks so much everyone. D is upstairs singing her songs for Miss Saigon. I'll miss hearing her next year. Even though she didn't get an official letter yet, I think she's moving on and is "absorbed in the now." It's amazing how resilient these kids are!
H has kept his views to himself or shared them with me. He knows how much D wants MT and has been pretty patiently paying the bills. It's tough for someone like him to understand all of this. He's an engineer & is very practical. He would never want to take the kinds of risks involved in MT.
We'll see, there are more schools to hear from and our luck may change.</p>

<p>sarahsmom,i can so mirror everything that you have posted ,D did not get a call for Elon but I am not letting her know other people have,maybe a letter will come soon...i am so thankful for this website because others simply do not understand this process we are all going through...we are also awaiting news from several schools...i don't know,after seeing each acceptance posted it seems her dream is floating further away...depressing....anyway,maybe we can celebrate some good news soon....also,i am so glad to hear that your father is doing a little better</p>

<p>Hello everyone!
I have been reading this thread and want to say hang in there. Things do work out in the end...and yes, I know you are all SO TIRED OF HEARING THAT! I remember how relieved we were when d recieved her acceptance to one of her top picks. What I did not realize then, all of these rejections that she got only made her stronger. D has had some wonderful experiences this year, but has had to plow through many rejections and hard times. It was an eye opener for all of us when she did not get a callback for the fall musical!! That has NEVER happened before, but this is a whole different playing field. She knows this is the life she is going to lead...and she still loves it. One of our favorite lines from a song is:<br>
"And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window"
I think these kids will all find their window.......it is out there.</p>

<p>My daughter actually wrote one of her college essays on "The blessings of a closed door." She did not get accepted to a very competitive summer theatre program last summer that she REALLY wanted to go to. She was depressed for about 24 hours, then decided it was time to move on, and wound up at another, less competitive but equally wonderful program that opened some incredible new doors for her - ones that she never would have seen had she not been rejected from that first program. She wound up transferring in her senior year to a performing arts high school that she was exposed to over the summer, and from there ended up applying to six BFA acting programs at schools that were never even on her radar screen before (as well as the six other B.A. programs she had originally been considering). So far, one rejection letter from Guthrie (she scrawled in big letter across it "I'm gonna be famous one day, suckers!" and hung it on her bulletin board!), one acceptance (Cal State Fullerton) and still waiting to hear from the other 10 (U Mich is her first choice). I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and "when one door closes another opens." So hang in there everybody, all our wonderful, creative, talented kids WILL wind up at the schools and programs where they are meant to be! Even if it takes "20-20" hindsight to see the big picture. (But my oh my, this waiting game sure is nervewracking - as a fellow "theatre mom" I feel your pain!)</p>

<p>Hi, hoping this rejectee's creativity will help get ya through...
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (YOUTUBE.COM)</p>

<p>Sarahsmom42
I know that your "d" is going to land where she needs to be...they all are. This is one chapter of their lives.
This has been an expensive process, I kept track of my spending and I wish I would have kept myself in the dark!
My d is busy with her spring musical as well and I have been involved behind the scenes, but the wait this a hard one.</p>