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KatsMom
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| Joined: | Wed Dec 13th, 2006 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 9th, 2007 09:11 pm |
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It's not only interesting to see the mix of schools, but I know seniors that have applied to a mix of schools with a mix of majors. For instance, one senior has applied to
Carnegie Mellon for drama/theater, Columbia for a foreign language, Hartt/BU for instrumental music performance major and NYU Stern School of Education. Woah! It boggles the mind how multi-talented kids are these days!
KatsMom
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CarolynLawrence
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 9th, 2007 10:37 pm |
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HiMom,
I'm hoping my son's list gets a little more eclectic. Right now, he's focusing on schools like Reed, Bard, Sarah Lawrence and Hampshire. I'd like to see some other, more ... um...traditional....schools in the mix, and perhaps, once we start visits, he'll agree.
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HImom
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Posted: Wed Jan 10th, 2007 04:56 am |
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It is interesting to see how lists turn out. My son's list was HUGE--the college counselor gave him about 40 schools to consider at the end of junior year & the list just kept growing. We toured some schools in SF, LA, Rochester & Colorado. He hardly applied to any of the schools we toured, but did apply to a rather intersting assortment. I forced him to narrow his list about midway thru fall of his senior year so I could have his test scores sent & not have to pay rush fees.
Somehow, it eventually works out. He was NOT interested in any LACs & mostly not interested in purely tech schools, but did want schools that had good engineering departments.
I'm sure your son will find his way, Carolyn. Kids are pretty amazing, tho they do confuse us.
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WestrnMom
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Fri May 26th, 2006 |
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Posted: Thu Jan 11th, 2007 06:25 pm |
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It's fun to be able to offer advice now, when I've been asking for it since I joined. Like HImom's son, mine had an enormous list. We were able to help him whittle it down by visiting a lot of schools--we've been to over a dozen, in our area, and throughout the west. He ended up cutting out some by geographic area, and others that were too small, and still others for lack of programs. When he finally settled on a group to apply to, they were very diverse in terms of size, programs, etc, but each one has something unique that would have made it a good choice. He applied to a mix of smaller private schools and large universities. Technically none of the private schools are LACs because they are all "universities" but they have the LAC qualities.
S was unable to picture himself at a school he hadn't seen, so when the list got smaller, we started visiting. A few dropped off immediately because he didn't like the campuses for a variety of reasons. It's interesting how quickly they can tell if they feel at home on a particular campus or not.
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Alumother
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Posted: Thu Jan 11th, 2007 11:15 pm |
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Yay!. S got grades back for this semester. Just a little notch better than we thought, 3A-s and 4 As! Way to go my darling slacker boy....
And I figured out the trip schedule.  . Fly to Boston, drive to Providence, drive to Philadephia (he wants to see Penn) with a stop on the way in Princeton for dinner with sister, fly to Raleigh, fly to Miami, fly back to SF. Phew. All Sunday to Friday so he can be back for the ACT on Saturday....eeek.
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Fri Jan 12th, 2007 07:08 pm |
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Alummother, Sounds like a fun trip.
We are trying to figure out the logistics for our college visits with son. He has a 4 day weekend in February, another 4 day weekend in March (not ideal for a trip due to some EC commitments), and 10 days off for Spring break in April. We're going back and forth about how to divvy up the time between the wide-spread colleges on his list. We're thinking one 4 day trip to the PNW, one 4 day trip to Chicago/Wisconsin schools, and splitting the long break between a few Ohio schools and the northeast. If we don't cut it right, he'll probably end up having to miss a few days of school to allow for flying time. And, I'd really like to squeeze in a visit to Beloit somewhere along the way, both to see my daughter and to let son sit in on some classes.
Of course, he is not much help. He just says, "just so long as I get to see Reed, that's all that matters to me." I guess we probably should get Reed out of the way first then, but I am worried that if he likes Reed as much as he thinks he will, all other schools may pale by comparison.
I have to keep reminding myself that my daughter got really tired of college visits, and that it may not be as necessary to drag my son to so many schools. He really only needs 6-8 on his final list.
Carolyn
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-allmusic-
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 8th, 2007 |
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 02:09 am |
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Hello, parents of '08ers! I have a son who is a junior, interested in music performance and only music performance, although he is very strong in math, and will have completed AP BC Calc by the end of this year. Alas...does not want to study math in college.
He is a good strong A- student (our HS doesn't weight grades), in all AP and honors classes, a list of ECs two miles long (he is never, ever, ever home), including every known music activity in school (band, orchestra, jazz band, pit band, pep band, accompanying gigs, etcetcetc) as well as completing a certificate program at a conservatory, NHS,...and he missed the NMF cut=off in MA by one silly point, so he'll be commended.
But his solid record means diddly squat in the world of college music schools or conservatories, and admission is all based on the audition, which is a really nerve wracking process. I secretly wish the only stress we'd have is sending in a bunch of Common Apps and waiting. We have a year to go, and I am already feeling the pressure (and I scoffed at musican friends of DS's mothers, who had been through this already, since I thought they were being silly and overinvolved....what did I know?)
Looking forward to getting to know you all better, and having company on this journey....hope it isn't too bumpy a ride!
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Lynda
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 03:14 am |
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Dear allmusic,
My best wishes and sympathy. Son is a junior now-music performance. He had lots of performance and audition experience. But we all thought the auditions for schools were different. After the first audition I said I would rather lay down in the hallway of UCSB and give birth than have son to go through another "first" audition.
All ends well, keep reminding yourself.
guess what-son had snow today-in Redlands
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KatsMom
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 04:12 pm |
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Allmusic -
The music portion of admissions adds a whole new element to the process, that's for sure.  The pressure and stress of music and/or drama auditions for college can be incredible and adds a significant amount of additional work and pressure to an already extremely competitive process. It's like having to be admitted to college twice instead of once. At some schools, you have to meet both the academic and musical/dramatic requirements and that is very tough on the student (and the parents, too.  ). I do believe, however, that the more auditions and competitions that one has had to "endure," the better off one will be in the long run when it comes to those all-important college auditions. It's like "practicing" for the SAT's. The more familiar and comfortable you are with a given situation, the easier that situation becomes.
I also think that your son will have more doors open to him due to his academic strengths than would be otherwise. At least I hope that is the case with my D, too.
KatsMom
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 06:32 pm |
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Lynda wrote: After the first audition I said I would rather lay down in the hallway of UCSB and give birth than have son to go through another "first" audition.
Lynda, I spit out my coffee when I read that line because I was laughing so hard! 
By the way, we had snow this morning as well, 30 minutes from downtown San Diego. My daughter, who returns to Wisconsin tommorrow, says it is God's way of preparing her.
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-allmusic-
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 8th, 2007 |
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 06:56 pm |
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Ah, Lynda,
I am having those "pre-birth" pains! How I howled at your description!!
But I suppose, like birthing itself, one gets through it for the end result! And like being pregnant, when we are this far along in the process, we can't really back out now (well, perhaps *I* could...but son won't!)!!
Thanks for the chuckle, and congrats on having survived!
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WestrnMom
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| Joined: | Fri May 26th, 2006 |
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 07:02 pm |
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Mine finds auditioning to be much less stressful than performances. Allmusic, does your son do any type of evaluation process? I've noticed students who participate in regular evaluations, workshops, master classes, etc. are much more relaxed when it comes to auditions. The more they do, the easier they become. If he can look at auditions not as being judged but as whether or not the school has a need for his particular talent, it may become less stressful. They should be fun. It's a chance to meet people in the music department he may eventually study with. Also, some schools allow students to take a lesson with the teacher of that instrument (or a voice lesson), so students can decide if that is someone they want to study with. It tends to change the audition process.
There are other mental preparations you can do to make auditioning less stressful, most of which involve understanding what it really is. They aren't trying to weed people out so much as find the candidates who fill needs in their bands, orchestras, or choirs. They really want to like you because it solves a problem for them.
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-allmusic-
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 07:07 pm |
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Oh, my son feels absolutely not an iota of stress; it is only his mother. He has done tons of performances, and I am the one sweating, not he. He is cool as a cucumber about the whole audition process, has a very finite list of schools, since he is sure it will all "work out".
This is definitely MY issue, not his!
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Chedva
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 08:11 pm |
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By the way, we had snow this morning as well, 30 minutes from downtown San Diego. My daughter, who returns to Wisconsin tommorrow, says it is God's way of preparing her.
Or maybe it's Her way of welcoming the New England Patriots!
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Lynda
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 08:34 pm |
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Son's first audition was at UCSB, the professor gave son some valuable hints that helped later on. Son had lots of prior audition (not college) experience but he felt that the college auditions would "define his life, decide his fate". The second audition was at UCLA. If you saw him at home that morning, you would have thought son was going to a funeral. I am an USC grad, I had heart palpitations when we drove onto the UCLA campus. I will forever be grateful to UCLA for "giving me back my son". UCLA has a special place in my heart now. The audition was good, they gave son great feedback, hearing he was good from "famous" musicians was just what we needed.
Carolyn, I will be thinking good thoughts for Ama's trip back.
My NJ husband is outside doing yard work and complaining about the cold.
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WestrnMom
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Posted: Sat Jan 13th, 2007 10:14 pm |
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Allmusic, I like his attitude. Mine is like that, too. Very relaxed. Although some performers like the stress because it adds an edge to their performances.
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Alumother
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Posted: Sun Jan 14th, 2007 07:49 pm |
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| Allmusic - Welcome!
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-allmusic-
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Posted: Sun Jan 14th, 2007 09:12 pm |
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Thank you!!!
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Astrid (Moominmama)
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Posted: Fri Feb 2nd, 2007 10:51 pm |
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The season of letters of interest from colleges all over the country has officially begun in our household. Yesterday's letter from our flagship state U doesn't count. But today yielded the University of Oregon, and the University of Evansville (IN). My daughter's reactions? To the first, "Their mascot is a duck?", and to the second, "I'll be impressed when someplace I've heard of is interested in me." Telling her that Evansville can't be too far from GAry Indiana, Gary INdiana (as in The Music Man) didn't impress her.
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Lynda
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Posted: Sat Feb 3rd, 2007 02:40 am |
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| The son thought the duck was neat. I think he is fashioned after Donald. The band called him several times during the summer to get him to join the band. I felt sorry for the student leaving the messages. I called to say that son wasn't going to the school, hadn't applied. The reply was that's ok. Told them the drive would be too great.
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