That is spot on. I am in Cal and would not have wasted my time or money on the application. Also, when my daughter was ending the U of M audition she was stopped and was told by one of the MY faculty “I want you to know that you are very well prepared”. We talked about why she said that and our thoughts were that the tone of her voice was very apologetic. Maybe that is what they say to everyone but it felt strange.
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Well said @Mtdad2025. I agree with you. There are a ton of inequities in the MT audition process and it’s a very interesting conversation. Let’s start with summer programs. My daughter participated in one with strong industry connections from an early age. Did it help her. I think the training definitely did. She worked with famous broadway alumni and did the school’s call them? (Much like checking references) – we found out that yes, many did. We were lucky in that we found out about this program and she had parents who were willing to send her. We also qualified for financial aid which made it possible. She attended a university MT summer program after junior year and once again we qualified for aid. These summer programs however, are massive money makers for the schools and feed on parents and kids desperate hope that it will give them a leg up for entrance. I can tell you that Michigan MT has some kids who attended MPulse and some kids who didn’t get accepted to MPulse but then got into the program. And of course, there are a ton of MPulse kids who do not gain admittance at all. It’s a double edged sword. A summer program (much like a coaching masterclass) can get you access to faculty but sometimes they see what they don’t want. My daughter actually did a summer program at a different school and while she loved it, she realized that it wasn’t a top choice. But once again, the differences in programs and cost and available financial aid (or if they even offer financial aid) make for an uneven playing field.
However, I’ve got a kid looking at the move to NYC now and preparing for showcase, and headshots and everything else and let me tell you, the money doesn’t end and the inequity doesn’t end. So think about if you want to be in this for the long haul.
I’ve already commented on how I feel about the issue of coaching. I think it must be very similar to sports, although I know nothing about them. We didn’t even know that Michigan was known for football when I sent my daughter off to Ann Arbor. LOL! I think some coaching companies do have a social conscience and are trying hard to provide opportunities to level the playing field. As far as faculty teaching master classes with coaching companies, I guess it is a money maker for them. The university must be on board with it. Mark Madama teaches master classes with all the coaching companies, from Boston to California. Maybe it’s a way for (paying) kids to learn a little bit about how to present themselves and what a school is looking for, and maybe it is a little bit like scouting in sports. I don’t know (in our case, my daughter never did one). I know a lot of people would like to believe that something underhanded is going on, and hey, maybe you are right. But maybe that is also a way of making yourself feel better.
The way I see it is this. I’m going to use a dance analogy because that’s my wheelhouse. What if a teacher trained with Balanchine and then she opened a school. She would train people in Balanchine’s technique. If her student’s then went to audition for Balanchine, he might pick them for his company because they would dance in the style that he prefers. I know if my daughter eventually coaches on the side (because let’s face it, it’s a major side hustle) she will be teaching based on how she is trained and by whom she has been trained. Just something to think about.
We can all read into it what we want. But one thing I do know is that college in the USA needs to be re-evaluated (and what we pay for it.)
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I heard that this year was only 18 total due to deferrals? Could be wrong just what i heard. Making the 3 out 18 even wilder statistically.
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This is a conversation I had with my wife when my son was going through the process. Specifically after his Elon audition. It was like old home week for kids who had spent summers together at various programs but off in the corners were the kids who didn’t know anyone. I could tell they were nervous and curious about all the kids with these big groups of friends. I spoke to my son about this and asked him to branch out and engage some of the kids without groups. There were many kids who had no idea about the summer programs, there were kids that just couldn’t afford them. By the time we left he and his friends were sharing their books with those kids and giving tips and info on the program directors they knew. It was great to see!
My kid had a coach who also held auditions with schools who came just to audition his students. Many offers were received for a lot of these kids before the audition season was fully under way.
It also became apparent the privilege required just for this process. Just the college touring, audition fees, application fees, hotels, meals, rental cars etc just for the audition season the cost was in excess of 20,000. Add to that the coaching fees, vocal, dance and acting lessons, summer programs, sometimes 2 per summer and it adds up. Fortunately he had great choices and landed in a great program. Was it totally talent or was some of it exposure, coaching, summer program resume etc.
I do think that there needs to be a leveling of the playing field. I had hoped that “Covid” times would force that to happen. So much talent is missed when kids can’t afford to travel to audition. I thought this year would be the equalizer and then we read about what happened in Michigan and I wonder how many other programs did exactly the same thing.
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@MTDad2025 I would be the first to agree that there are inequities in child rearing, educational opportunities, and so forth. It’s an ongoing issue in our country.
I don’t feel that is the primary point so much in the discussion of the audition coaching group, or some have discussed whereby faculty meet with certain coaches’ students, or in one or more coach’s cases, hold private auditions with the coach’s students, and basically the idea of faculty having direct contact with private coaches.
However, you wrote: [quote]the deck is stacked for families with resources - is completely on point. Resouces available for upper/upper middle class families, including summer intensives (which IIRC @soozievt 's daughter attended for several years), private lessons, etc. are also beyond the average family’s reach, let alone the truly economically disadvantaged[/quote]
Again, I agree with the point of resources and inequities. But I wish you had left my daughter out of it. For one thing, I am not as well off as you implied. In fact, my children qualified for need based aid for college, as well as I took out many loans to pay for their higher education that has taken years to pay back. Culturally, education is highly valued in my family background, not to mention I am an educator myself. My kids were expected to fully support themselves after their final graduation day and have done so and have received no financial support from me.
My daughter went to summer camp for theater for many years. My other daughter went away every summer for many years too, four of which were to a theater camp (she is not in the theater field). I went away to summer camp growing up too. My MT D chose (yes, we let our kids choose) her summer theater camp at age 9. It had NOTHING to do with preparing for college. College was never on our minds. She loved the camp and returned every summer. Had she never gone to college, she still would have gone to this camp. Also, the camp did not do audition prep. College reps never visited the camp. She had never had contact with faculty prior to her formal college auditions. Her camp certainly fueled her passion for musical theater . She grew up in a town of 1700 people. At camp, she got exposed to other kids who were passionate about theater (many who are still her closest friends today). Our high school and greater community had no drama/acting classes. My daughter was able to take voice lessons in our state (not that close to home, and the lessons were only private during her final year of high school) starting at age 12, and travel to a dance studio (my other daughter also danced at the studio, but again, did not go into this field). Yes, my kids were fortunate that we paid for activities outside of school, and not all kids can afford to do activities that cost money. My kids went to public school. Paying for activities and camp were their enrichment that we paid for. None of their activities were chosen with college in mind, but out of sheer enjoyment. I am positive they would have done the same activities whether or not they were college bound. I know not all can afford summer camp or after school activities! Just like I could never afford private or boarding schools, for instance.
The fact that my D went to a summer camp for theater never felt like a leg up. It was enrichment and enjoyment for the summer, beyond what was available in our rural community. Did she learn things at camp? I am sure she did and she gained experience. But it was never with college in mind. She never attended a pre-college program but I support those who do! My daughter went to college at age 16, and actually had less time to prepare.
My point earlier is that kids, such as mine, who did not work with national coaches or meet with college faculty for mock or real auditions (outside of campus auditions or Unifieds) also get admitted to BFA in MT programs. Yes, it takes talent. But like any field of this type, lessons help. If a student is pursuing violin performance, it typically takes years of violin lessons, on top of natural talent. For those pursuing BFA in MT programs, I always suggest doing what you can to take voice lessons, dance classes, acting lessons/classes, and to take part in theater productions. Financial ability to do those things differs, unfortunately. Some may be free such as school productions or if a school has drama or dance classes on site in the curriculum, and good music programs.
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Yes, yes, and yes. Especially to @rickle1 for the college sports comparison. We tend to think that sports and MT are worlds apart, but the process left me astonished at how similar they are at the college level. It’s part of why what I thought there could be a silver lining for 2025 being virtual. The resources no longer required for travel were eliminated and allowed some kids access to auditions they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I touched upon this several times in the 2024 vent thread during our year. D didn’t do her first show until she was in high school and didn’t decide this was her path until the beginning of her Junior year. The speed and intensity with which my eyes were opened is still with me. Like any parent I delved in fast and hard. The knowledge and support found here on CC was an absolute Godsend. D did her best to catch up and I still get emotional when I think about her Brave. Particularly at Unifieds and All Day Campus auditions it was apparent there were families who where in the know far sooner than we were. PA High Schools and Coaches traveling with their kids in groups. Unbelievably talented and incredible kids who had spent years preparing for their 15 minutes in front of Michigan. Not just the song and monologue, but the interview. The jewel toned dresses, the hair, the way they were aware that they were constantly being evaluated even out of the audition room. But there was always a few kids that showed up alone, without a parent who took a bus or drove through the night to sing what a coach would have thought was the “wrong song”. D made friends with a couple those kids and I was happy to adopt them for the day, let them borrow our portable speaker so the sound wasn’t just coming out of their phone, etc. Did those kids also land in fantastic programs? Yes!! I don’t begrudge anyone who uses a coach. Just like a job interview, your network and the prep you do to convince the company you are the right person for the job is only going to increase chances of success. Now if there is an exchange of money between coaches and schools with the understanding that a school will admit the coaches students that’s completely different.
We are a year later with D in a perfect program for her. I can now more clearly see that the End Goal isn’t to get in to Michigan or CMU. It’s to have a career in this field, which isn’t guaranteed by any coach or college. And for my money, any kid who’s been in school and also working to pay for Greyhound bus tickets to 4 hour campus auditions is a solid bet for having what it takes to make it in this industry.
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Wow that was exactly the same feedback my D got at UMich audition. You are very well prepared is code for you don’t work with coaches we know.
Love that you and your D supported those kids who arrived alone at the auditions! Just lovely 
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Ah ,my time for College Confidential really is done. I’ve stayed because it has been helpful to some families for feedback on certain schools. I will say one last time. There are many many UMIch MT’s both present and past that do not work with any coach. If it makes you sleep better at night to think that coaching is why your child was not accepted - so be it.
But don’t spread your gossip online when you have nothing but idle speculation.
Good luck with the rest of your audition season.
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Well, whether or not a child gets in due to their coach’s relationship or not doesn’t negate the fact that those relationships exist. I personally know of 19 schools with close relationships with my sons coach. I know other schools who receive many workshops from other coaches. You could name a school and I could probably name a coach who has direct access to special auditions or one of these “quasi” selective unifieds that colleges attend to ONLY audition students of those particular coaches. I don’t think that is gossip. It’s fact. How that plays out in the selection process there is no way of knowing although the California kids might give us a window into that process.
I am also just going to point out that relegating this to “gossip” just further buries the inequities. These are things we need to talk about, recognize and understand if there is ever going to be a change.
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@singoutlouise , in rereading my comment I now realize it was not the best judgement for me to use Michigan as my example as they are specifically being called to task by the referenced article. I should clarify that I meant any Top Tier Dream School that a student has had the years and resources to prepare what will make them stand out to the facility. I’m sure these schools are also taking un-coached students in their cohorts. The point that I was trying to communicate (and perhaps didn’t succeed) was that there coaching and Top Tier training are not guarantees to a career in MT. Any “leg up” to a Top Tier program, whether valid or perceived, does not automatically shut someone out of a career in theater.
My take is that I am all for working with a coach, teacher, or director on audition prep.
I don’t think college faculty should be having direct contact with private coaches and most of all I am not into holding private type auditions for clients of an audition coach. It doesn’t look so kosher to me.
However, I want to point out AGAIN, that many, many, many students get admitted to well regarded BFA in MT programs who did not have any direct contact with faculty at these colleges prior to their campus or Unifieds or virtual auditions, and didn’t attend private coach auditions.
But as a student and parent, I would not concern myself with what others are doing. If a student has the drive and talent, they can be a success. It so happens that our hometown paper where my kids grew up, a very tiny rural town, just did an article on my MT D. In it, she emphasized to the interviewer/journalist that kids from a small town like ours can dream big and go after their dreams. She did that and encourages others to go for it. I will admit she is very driven and that is a factor in getting to where she is today.
If it helps, it’s normal for things to run hot during the month of March here in this forum. There’s some big controversy every year - always different. I can promise, for those that hang around, that things calm way down after April 1. Everyone has a perspective on their own student’s journey whether it’s an exciting acceptance, a tough gap year decision, or more waitlist waiting. 11 more days…here for support.
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I think it’s unfortunate that you take this so defensively. I felt like you were attacking me because I commented, and all I was saying was that per that article, it is statistically very unlikely there was not some sort of “advantage.” U Mich is a fabulous program, but several programs are having to revamp areas right now. It doesn’t take away from the program. Of course there are kids from all walks of life that make it in these programs. I’m sure USC isn’t filled with kids of parents that paid hundreds of thousands and faked SAT scores and Crew Team recruits. That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. And it doesn’t mean USC is a bad school. I do take offense that just because someone mentions something about it that you think we are “trying to make ourselves feel or sleep better.” My daughter and I are sleeping fine with the options that she has and have no sour grapes that she didn’t get into school that we knew was a long shot long before she auditioned.
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Sour grapes. That’s the first thing that came to mind when I found this ANONYMOUS blog post. Anonymous, can you believe that? Whoever wrote it did not even bother to take credit for slandering U of M and the “Trifecta” group. It seems to me that reputations are being attacked with a lack of any proof.
If I were from U of M in Admissions and MT department I’d be incensed about the suggestion that they would play favorites. Accusing a school and their program of having a lack of integrity and diversity is something I’m sure they take very seriously. I’m surprised that so many of the people in this group are just taking this unsubstantiated gossip as if it were true.
As a dad wanting my son to get into the best schools and have the career of his choosing. We as a family are dedicated to his achievement. That requires hard work, training, coaching, time and yes sometimes money. I would be interested in finding out more the Trifecta training program to learn firsthand about the success that is being vilified here. I’m curious about their relationships with other schools, how many students they coach, and if their success here is replicated with other MT programs.
I think it would be great if @collegemomlife would actually verify these accusations and get back to us all with who posted it and what proof there is that it’s based on facts, not fiction. Or if it’s merely slander take it down. As for me, I’m going to look into the incoming U of M 2025 class and also find this Trifecta group so I can talk with them to better understand what happened. Then decide for myself if they are credible or not.
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I had not heard of the Trifecta coaching group until it was mentioned in this thread. I have looked them up and see no issue with them whatsoever. They appear similar to other high quality audition coaching groups.
I believe their students who got into UMichigan did so on their own merits and to question that seems sad. I don’t think a program of the caliber of UM would accept students due to any sort of “connection” when they have their pick of the crop. What I can see is that these students, like clients of any of these types of coaches, had a bit more exposure to faculty from the college programs who came to visit with the clients and do workshops, etc. That’s nice for them. They still had to have what it takes to be admitted though.
Generally, I am not into faculty having relationships with private coaches and their clients directly, but Trifecta is no different than many other college audition coaches in this regard.
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Most of the coaching programs mentioned here offer scholarships for those with financial need. They are actually quite generous and understand there’s a huge socioeconomic and racial divide in the college audition process.
In most cases you just have to ask to get assistance.
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At the end of the day, more than anything required to be successful in the performing arts is talent. At real auditions, where it matters most, no one is going to care where or if you went to school. They’ll care if you’re right for the part and if you’ve got the goods. And once you have some working experience under your belt, they’ll care if you are good to work with (it’s a small world). That’s about it. I’m pretty convinced these kids could cobble together the training they need outside of a formal program and accomplish the same artistic growth. Think about it. For the money we’re all paying, that would buy a lot of professional dance, voice and acting lessons. The programs (all of them) are a great structured way to get training. Not sure it matters if it’s from UM or CMU vs any of the other good programs.
I’ll equate it back to sports. At the college level, you already have a lot of talent. About 1%-3% of all high school athletes play in college. More than where you go to play your sport, what matters is that the program maximizes your growth for the next level. You see a lot of football players drafted from name schools, but you see a lot who come from no name schools. Just great athletes who got better at the no name school. Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, etc.
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Also, I want to mention that Ellen Lettrich, who was the founder of MTCA, a very reputable college auditioning coaching group, has gone on to become the founder of The Fund for College Auditions which offers college audition coaching to those with limited resources, as well as those who are from underrepresented groups. Please take note if you or anyone has such a need.
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