Hi everyone. My high school senior son is a jazz drummer and we are waiting to have all school decisions in hand. I am new to all this. I began listening to jazz when my son started playing it. When I took marimba lessons in college, my teacher told me I had no inner rhythm after a month of lessons so I turned in my mallets. All that to say that I don’t know much about the world of music, music schools, the process of admissions, etc. prior to our embarking on this endeavor.
He’s been accepted to MSM, Oberlin, NEC, and UNT. We are waiting on Frost and the New School as well as on scholarship info from UNT. MSM is where he wants to go but they offered no money. I could borrow to make MSM happen but I am of the mind that the quarter of a million price tag and the fact that I have another child who will go to college in three years makes that idea seem financially unwise.
My main reason for posting is to ask if this is normal - to not hear by April 1st from Frost and the New School? I can tell from MezzoMama’s acceptance thread (god bless her for doing that thread) that Frost and the New School have sent out decisions in other departments - could it be that drummers just haven’t heard yet? I have the same question about UNT and scholarships - that seems like it would all go out the same day for instruments. So much guess work here!
Thanks to any who have thoughts. I feel like I am struggling with many issues about this. My son is much calmer. And he seems ok with just being happy with the validation from MSM - though he would love to study with the teacher there and be in NYC.
My best to all of you and good luck with the process.
Hi DrumsMama,
For New School, have you checked your admissions hub? In the top center column there was a link to the admission decision for S. I seem to remember last year someone hadn’t received an email, but their link was there on the hub when they went to look for it.
Congratulations on your S’s acceptances! He must be a monster player! 
Thanks indeestudios. Upon reading your message I had my S check but no messages. So there’s that. Just keep waiting - nothing else to be done. Much of this is a lesson in patience.
Congrats to your bass playing S as well - looks like he has many good choices. To quote Wordsworth, “the weight of too much liberty” =D>
I would suggest your son calls the schools on Monday.
So it does seem odd to you, glassharmonica?
Yes, but it happened to two of my daughters and there was a reason (auditioned programs, waiting for specific input from teachers and taking longer to decide.) It’s better to know why you are in limbo. There is also a chance that you missed a notification due to a computer or mail glitch and they will be able to answer you immediately. In any case, your student paid a fee and submitted an application so he deserves a response.
Thanks, glassharmonica. I wasn’t sure if April 1st was a real deadline or if it was a deadline that is the expected norm but that it might be later. Given that two of the schools didn’t give responses and one was supposed to let him know about scholarship and hadn’t, I went with the April 1st is the hoped for deadline but not real deadline. I looked at the websites and could not find the decision date listed. Appreciate your sharing your experience.
When my S was applying for undergrad we had not heard from UM (Michigan) by April 1. I called on April 4 to see when decisions would be coming and they ended up telling me over the phone that he was accepted. He received his official letter on April 6. So, sometimes they are behind but I agree that I would have your son contact them on Monday. Good luck!
Yes please call them. My d she did not receive a notification before April first from two programs. She called and called and was finally given verbal confirmation over the phone and received the acceptance packages about a week later. She is now attending one of those schools.
we are calling tomorrow. Will update when I find out what is going on. Thanks so much for steering me to the right course of action.