Hugs, @BloomingGirl . We all have those days. She will thrive wherever she lands, but yes, we hear you! <3
I feel for you @BloomingGirl - in some ways WL is harder than a rejection because you have hope but you can’t get excited. Help her (and you) to get psyched about her BA options while keeping that WL door open. This isn’t over with yet. Many hugs to you - it’s been said before but this process is brutal. It’s hard on the kids but it’s even harder on the parents who watch their kids give it their all… and come up empty. I hope she has GOOD BA options now and that GREAT things happen as the WL process moves on.
@BloomingGirl 4 WL here, dont give up hope we have a long way to go- overtime this year, hang in there I have said I think there are several factors for increased WL activity this year just my opinion no knowledge
@BloomingGirl I pray that your D will be the first to come off one of those waitlist! Hang tight!
@BloomingGirl - also sending hugs your way. I watched several kids go through this last year and another friend going through this now. It is heartbreaking and there often seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. It is brutal and no matter how many times you hear it, unless you are walking the road yourself or watching your loved one, you just cannot fathom it. Hang in there ! I will be praying for waitlist movement for your dd!
@CanaDad @soozievt @tsamuique @CaMom13 @DivaStageMom Thanks so much for sharing such incredibly thoughtful insights. It will really help. Knowing what it takes to do so this, I am deeply moved by how much care people show one another in this process. Thanks again.
Sending big hugs and a bottle of wine (or whatever your fav vice is) to you @BloomingGirl. Now that 99% of the decisions are in, waitlists will start moving! Sending good WL movement vibes to you and everyone waiting.
I want to sincerely thank anybody that has helped me out on this form! It was rough day, but an important day to have as a person in the performing arts. Stuff happens. We don’t always win. What matters, however, is that we try to find the positive light in these kinds of situations, no matter how devastating they may seem in the moment. I was rejected from my dream school. What I failed to recognize, since I had been obsessing for DAYS over this decision, is that a program I had been waitlisted for has everything that my “dream” school has, and BETTER. I’m talking better facilities, nicer staff, more professional staff, and even a cheaper cost. Hallelujah!!I am pursuing the waitlist, and though that may end in failure, I always know that a situation is what you make of it. I am going to do the best with what I have. I hope every college audition kid ends up somewhere that is best for THEM. If anyone from future classes is reading this, PLEASE do not fixate on the name of a school. Nobody cares where you went to school, they care about your talent… they care about YOU!! It’s what you do with your time there, to better yourself and grow as a performer.
Good Luck to everyone! <3
@beepbeeplettuce6 Send me a message if you want to know more about Arizona State. My SoCal daughter chose it over a bunch of East Coast schools and it was the best decision she’s made. Lots of opportunities and great things about their program.
I cant seem to message you @MTMommma since I haven’t reached the 15 posts thing. But once I do, I will for sure be asking some questions! Thank you for reaching out 
@beepbeeplettuce6 that must have been some GOOD ice cream! You sound like you will do great wherever you land! Setbacks are so part of this game. This is just practice. Like going to the beach, a wave knocks you down, you get back up! I truly believe there are reasons beyond our immediate understanding for much of this. When I was young I realized that I needed at least 24 hours to process disappointment or something that upset me, so I let myself deal with it and not worry too much (or send emails or letters or upset phone calls if others were involved! Haha). Sounds like you know the same about yourself. That’s a gift that will help you for the rest of your life.
@BloomingGirl @beepbeeplettuce6
This process is truly heartbreaking. I don’t know anyone on this thread who hasn’t felt the pain of rejection. I have lost countless hours of sleep worrying this year. I don’t think anyone outside of our group really understands how emotionally draining this process is. I don’t really have any words other than things do change fast. So hang in there!
At the end of last year, d was rejected from the school she applied ED and to make matters worse - two days later, she lost out on the lead part from her school musical (which she had been promised). Apparently, the teacher in charge thought she would now be too busy with auditions so he gave it to another girl who had been complaining she never got a lead part - this would have been fine if he had warned her - but he let her go right up to the cast list after school and see she didn’t get the lead after they basically worked with her all summer on what show she wanted to do. Needless to say, she was devastated - by rejection from every direction.
But we had no time to sit and cry because she had set up very few auditions and we had to scramble and apply to more schools. I don’t think I slept at all for the last two weeks of December. One of the problems was D was very specific with what she wanted - she insisted on a school with high academics and not “in the middle of nowhere” - which to her described a lot of schools - she basically wrote off the entire state of Ohio - which eliminated a ton of colleges - I actually never realized how many colleges are in Ohio!
Anyway, if you would have told me then that a few months later she would have acceptances from two top schools both academically and artistically that are very well located in and around two big cities I would not have believed you - it’s amazing how this process can turn on a dime! She got everything she wanted x2!
Her good friend got into zero BFA programs last year - he was on the waitlist for Pace waiting for another boy to decline and called every day and was finally told the other boy accepted. He was heartbroken and emotionally spent. He took a gap year and is KILLING it! He just committed to Texas State. He has so many BFA MT acceptances it’s actually crazy…
So hang in there - we have all been there - I think its the ups and downs of the business - if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. @BloomingGirl - you have a nice amount of waitlists - it only takes one… @beepbeeplettuce6 - yes - sometimes the right school picks you - D was also rejected from what she thought was her dream school - but going through the audition process she realized that it wasn’t the right school for her and now is going to a school that’s a better fit. Trust the process.
Oh and a postscript - the musical I was referring to was canceled - so in retrospect, they did us a huge favor not wasting her time and voice - who would have ever thought that would happen?? Although the school’s musical director is still #deadtome
@DivaStageMom It does seem like the musical rejection was a blessing in disguise for sure! My d spread herself very thin with multiple projects during this process and I think that hurt her. But we can’t go back and do things differently (although I really wish we could!) Glad everything worked out perfectly for your d!
@BloomingGirl - hang in there - I think things will work out for you too!
This message is for EVERYONE who is “waiting” - take a deep breath and be prepared for a lot of movement on wait lists. I truly believe (this is a gut feeling but I have also heard from others connected to the schools) that this year that will happen – maybe more than in the past. The addition of the Musical Theatre Common Prescreen made it easier to apply and audition for more schools than in previous years. Many auditioners upped their number of schools and as you can tell from the lists, there are quite a few people holding spots at multiple schools. Some schools don’t have a waitlist. Some make more offers than spots and then expect some to turn it down. But add in the Musical Theatre Common Prescreen and they may not have gotten that “percentage” right for this year. And with acceptance dates “shifting” for some programs, you may see offers and WL movement even into mid-summer.
I also believe (this is a personal feeling - nothing but gut instinct) that the current “shutdown” and global situation will cause some families and students to change their perspective and view. Not only on schools and locations, but also on “what comes next.” Will this be done by August? I really hope so, but not feeling likely at this point.
I have posted this before but if you are WL, please reach out to the school with genuine interest. Find a personal way to connect with the school to start that conversation (not a generic email that has one sentence about your interest). Add specific details and reasons why you feel it is a good fit for you (without just listing your previous accomplishments). Look for an area of training or a faculty member or something in their process that truly interests you and mention that in the email. See if you can participate in the Zoom calls and virtual tours and online classes and everything else they are doing for accepted students. That not only shows your interest, but if you are made an offer, you’re going to have to respond more quickly than others.
I care about all of these kids trying to find their place. I don’t know many of you personally, but my heart breaks when I hear that someone hasn’t found the right spot for them. I believe this process works, but this year, there is going to be an evolution of sorts as schools figure out how to work with their numbers to get the classes they need to start next year. And, don’t be afraid of a gap year. It can serve you well. (Especially with what is going on right now in the world - IMO).
Thanks everyone for all the support. I really do appreciate it!
Does anyone know how merit/financial aid works with waitlists in cases where the academic acceptance isn’t separate? Is all the aid given out with the original offers and then when people get off waitlists they are out of luck? Or is it reapportioned? Should we assume that if she gets off a waitlist she is paying full price or is there hope?
@BloominGirl Unfortunately like so many things in this process it depends on the school and when you come off the waitlist. If you come off the waitlist prior to decision day many schools will still offer you same aid as if you were a initially accepted. Some it will depend on what they have available when you come off the waitlist. But often the kids that are declining may be giving up money as well that they can redistribute. But I have been told some schools won’t offer anything if it is after decision date. So I would look into your waitlist schools specifically and ask if you are unsure. Fingers crossed for lots of waitlist movement!
@BloomingGirl I am not an expert (by any means) in financial aid, but I did contact some schools on behalf of my son (who is a Junior this year) to play out some possible scenarios for him in the future. There are some things he is going through this year that might mean he needs to delay college by a semester or a year. As part of that conversation, a few schools (only one with a known MT program) told me that “if he has the gpa/SAT scores and qualifies, he will automatically get merit.” This is a school with automatic merit – no additional application required. I would think that with other schools that DO require applications, it would be tougher. Not necessarily impossible, because they will have had people turn down spots (and money). Someone I know who has done a lot of college consulting told me (and there is another parent on here that does college consulting…so hopefully they will chime in!) that the negotiation power comes towards the end when they are trying to fill their spots and money is freed up from people who declined their acceptances.
The non-MT kids I know who are graduating this year – none of them applied for 1-2 schools. All of them had 5-10 schools. Which is interesting and seems “more” than in the past. Part of it may be the fact that our high school has almost 7,000 students and it is much harder for our kids to get in to our big state schools – even if they are in the top 25% of the class and have excellent test scores. Which means they will have offers, money, etc. at many schools. Once they decide, that money frees up for someone else.
A couple things small about $–S has been applying for scholarships through scholarship universe portal attached to a couple of his schools–he received academic admit but on w/l for two of these. Not sure if/when he will be informed of being awarded, but it is possible to at least apply for external/internal scholarships this way. Also, at his non audition BA school he was awarded a departmental theater scholarship that was eventually slightly increased–I assume after another admitted theater student said no. At that school at least the money seems to have been reapportioned.
Thanks everyone!