What to say when asked "So, where else are you auditioning?"

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Last year when my D was going through the college audition process, she found that auditors at a number of schools posed the question: "So, where else are you auditioning?" and "Where do you rank our school in the list of schools at which you are auditioning?"</p>

<p>One school's auditor even said, with a challenging look on her face: "So, would you really come here if you were accepted?" (Several current students of that program were in the room at the time and sort of started giggling uncomfortably.)</p>

<p>Have any of your kids been asked such questions? (I know that (at least last year), Ithaca College asked kids to fill out a form on which they were asked to put down the others schools at which they were auditioning, along with which one was the top choice.) If so, how did the kids handle it?</p>

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<p>Generally I told the schools that I wanted that school as my top choice, but I never felt good doing it. Funny though, there were a few schools that I said they werent my top choice and I got in! You can always say "It's one of your top choices" and honestly if all the schools your auditioning for are top choices, then just say it is your top choice.</p>

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<p>I was always just honest and told them what my top two choices were, but since all the other schools were kind of tied, I always put that school as third.. don't know if that hurt me or not!</p>

4

<p>"Where else are you auditioning" is a very fair, conversational and informational question - and should be answered with the truth about where else you are auditioning. A question like "How do you rank our school compared with other schools is not a fair question - it puts the auditioner under undue pressure...and only deserves an answer a politician would give...."I never thought of it that way"...."my best sense at this time is your school is right up there" or an outright (white) lie. Often auditors are trying to get a sense about whether you would attend if given the chance - that is OK - but not when a student feels like they are being "challenged".</p>

5

<p>My D was only asked about a school's rank at Ithaca. Because she only had one #1 choice and everything else was pretty much tied at #2, she told them that Ithaca was #2 behind Minnesota. The auditioner then made a very weird comment -- something like that she was odd or unusual, but was definitely going to be an actor, and hoped that she got into her top choice. My D said that she didn't know if that was a complement or an insult -- but decided to assume positive intent and take it as a complement. At Minnesota, they didn't ask her to rank, but did ask her why she was auditioning for straight acting when her resume was full of musicals. Even after her answer -- that even though she has been in a lot of musical theatre, that isn't what she wants to do -- they challenged her by going down her list of other schools and asked her whether she was auditioning acting or MT for each of them. I assumed that it was an attempt to determine whether she was truly interested in a straight acting program should they chose to accept her (which they didn't).</p>

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<p>I auditioned at Ithaca this year and the form was the same. We were asked to write down the schools we were applying to and rank them in order of preference.</p>

<p>When I saw that on the form, I battled with myself for a few minutes. I didn't want to lie, but I also didn't want to ruin my chances of being accepted because they would think I didn't really want to go there. Honestly, I ended up writing that Ithaca was my first choice, even though that's not necessarily true. It was a very awkward question. It was the only school that had me do that.</p>

<p>Roosevelt asked me what other schools I was auditioning at in the interview, but they didn't ask me to rank them or anything.</p>

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<p>Ithaca and Syracuse asked where else you applied and we didn't fill it out. I think it's wrong, maybe even illegal - smells of collusion. Don't know if that made a difference or not - she got rejected from Ithaca last week.</p>

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<p>I actually think quite a few schools ask (whether on the application or during the audition) where else you are applying/auditioning and I doubt there is anything illegal about it. You are certainly free not to provide that info. </p>

<p>I started the thread mainly so that upcoming auditioners can be prepared when and if they are asked. It's nice to think about this ahead of time, so you are not caught off guard and feel stressed out about it.</p>

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<p>amtc: your D got a letter from ithaca? for musical theater?</p>

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<p>I agree it's a good idea to have an answer ahead of time. Since my D applied to so many schools she obviously couldn't/shouldn't list them all, so we came up with a list right before each audition of 2 or 3 schools that were very similar to that program and geographic area.</p>

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<p>MamaBear, my D did the exact same thing, and simply filled out or mentioned 2 or 3 schools that were similar. I think they are primarily looking if you are applying to conservatory type programs, or are seeking academics alongside MT training. </p>

<p>I don't really feel it had much bearing on the ultimate decision making process.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
"So, would you really come here if you were accepted?"

[/quote]
</p>

<p>"How persuasive are you?"</p>

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<p>I'm pretty sure it's not illegal on the surface but it gives a perception of collusion which is illegal and has been a problem with certain schools in prior years (Ivy League comes to mind). Anyway, why would they need it? Shouldn't you be accepted/rejected based on your ability not based on what other schools might be competing for you? From a market research point of view the school can just ask after the accept/reject letter is sent. I see no positive reason for the student to be asked this question.</p>

<p>Tinysinger - she got a letter (snail mail) sometime last week. She sort of figured she wouldn't make it there since she was thrown doing her monologue when the stopwatch rumor turned out to be true. One of the auditors was sitting there watching his stopwatch the moment she started. Oh well, no surprise!</p>

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<p>amtc, what do you mean by "collusion?" Do you mean that you think that the faculty at one school will talk to the faculty at another and decide, if both schools want a kid, which will offer an acceptance and which won't? If so, I have to say that I don't believe that for a second. :) I think that schools, including Syracuse and Ithaca, compete for the kids that they perceive are the best and the best fit for their programs.</p>

<p>I think the reason the schools ask this is to try to gauge suss out whether a student they like and think is exceptional is likely to attend if accepted. In other words, if the faculty, at, say (and I am just pulling schools out of the air here) Ithaca, really like a student and think he is wonderful and know he is also auditioning at CMU, the faculty at Ithaca might try to suss out whether the kid will attend Ithaca if accepted, or will go to CMU. If the kid is likely, in their view, to choose CMU, then Ithaca might decide not to "waste" an acceptance on that kid.</p>

<p>I think schools also ask that question to ascertain whether, for instance, a student is mainly applying to BA or BFA programs. </p>

<p>This is nothing but speculation on my part, you understand. :)</p>

<p>PS: I think the stopwatch is just part of what they do at Ithaca. My D auditioned for Lee Byron of Ithaca last year and he had that stopwatch in front of him on the table then, too. She was fortunate enough to be offered admission to Ithaca. So I think he just keeps that on hand in case kids run too far over the given time limit.</p>

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<p>This topic has been discussed on this forum a few times in past years. </p>

<p>I'll give my opinion....</p>

<p>I do not think this is a fair question for colleges to ask a candidate. I do not think it is their business where else the student applied. I think it is fair, however, to gauge interest in the school and to ascertain if the student would consider renrolling if accepted. This should be done both on the application and in the interview/audition. The student should be able to articulate VERY specific reasons why they want to attend THAT particular school or program. It doesn't matter where else they applied. If necessary, they can discuss their choice to pursue a BFA degree as opposed to a BA, as well.</p>

<p>I interview candidates for a selective university as an alum. I am in the middle of writing up all these interviews right now (and should be doing that and not posting here!). Years ago, I used to ask students where else they applied and I discovered once my own kids applied to college, that this question was not fair and I no longer ask it, nor does this university ask me to ask that question. Rather, as I have always done, I ask how they got interested in the school, how much they have explored it and why they wish to attend. I also ask them generally what their college selection criteria is. I can gauge interest and fit through these questions without knowing where else they applied and without making unfair assumptions as to how high this school is on their list. Also, a student is welcome to express if this is their first choice school (a few candidates I interviewed this year did just that). I also gauge their enthusiasm for the school and how well they know it (this really varies per candidate!!). I invite them to ask me questions about the school and I can gauge by their questions how well they have explored the school or not. </p>

<p>I have a daughter who applied to very selective colleges (not for MT) and not a single college ever asked thsi question on an appllication or in an interview. The first time I ran into it was at a few of my BFA daughter's auditions (I recall this at Ithaca and Syracuse, and maybe one or two others, but not all her schools). She filled in the question at the audition by listing SOME of the schools she applied to....not all....but mostly ones that were either similar or on par selectivity-wise with the school she was auditioning for and left off a few that are considered perhaps more "prestigious" so to speak than that school. At Syracuse, in the interview, they actually asked her why she wasn't applying to X well known BFA program, which she had left off the list but was truly applying to. It was a weird situation but she used the opportunity to explain how X wasn't like Syracuse and why she preferred Syracuse. She got into Syracuse, but chose to attend the other school. :D</p>

<p>I think a college could ask students after the intent to enroll date, where else they applied or were accepted, for their own research purposes. My older D who did not go into MT but applied to very selective schools, was asked this on some forms when she turned down offers, etc. </p>

<p>And yes, Ithaca uses a stopwatch for monologues and students should go into the audition cognizant of following the guidelines. My D also was accepted there but stayed within the limits.</p>

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<p>Pick a few colleges ranging from the most prestigious to the less competitive and run the names by them. As for Ithaca, tell them you are still auditioning/ visiting campuses / evaluating programs and haven't ranked them - and you might add your ranking might be determined after you receive financial aid offers from each</p>

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<p>My daughter was thrown by this questions also. It seems like a trick question. She put Ithaca as her No.1 after some thought. We didn't think it really would have any bearing except for the school to see its competition. She received her rejection letter last week.</p>

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<p>It might be interesting to hear from everyone accepted to Ithaca...where did you rank them</p>

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<p>I can't recall where my D ranked Ithaca. I would presume if forced to rank them (which I think is very unfair on the form), she must have put Ithaca first. I don't really remember what she wrote, but I just recall it being on the form. She got accepted a couple weeks after her Jan. audition. It was her first acceptance and so it was nice (she was at another school's audition at the time it arrived). That said, Ithaca was very low on her list after she visited. She did not like the location that much. It is a very good program of course.</p>

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<p>Last year, my D was accepted to Ithaca within a few weeks of her audition off campus (in DC) and she left that section of the paperwork blank. When she was asked verbally at schools how she ranked them, she said that these programs were so competitive and selective that she would be thrilled to be admitted to any of the ones on her list.</p>