Grad School Auditions: Update #2

Hello my lovelies!

This morning at 11:39am, after some of the usual coughing and dancing, I performed my monologues to the grad schools. There were fewer grad schools in attendance than there were the last time I was here (it fluctuates a great deal, as many schools don't take students every year, but rather every two years or every three years). I don't think I quite "nailed" the pieces, as I had in the screening round, but I was happy with the performance.

After waiting for several agonizing hours, I got to go wait in a room and get handed a sheet of paper that would reveal whether any schools wanted to have a follow-up interview/callback/information session with me.

Last time I was here, I received five interviews. A little voice in my head was worried about not getting any... About regressing...

But guess what...

I GOT FIVE INTERVIEWS!

I know you're as excited as I am.

I went to all five interviews today. I won't post the schools (just in case they try to search for my blog, as I may have mentioned that I have one in an interview... whoops). But I'll tell you the states where they're located...

- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Missouri

So aside from the East Coast, America loves me. Or at least the grad schools do.

I felt good about the interviews. One school had me do both pieces again. One school videotaped one of my pieces to show to the other professors. One school wanted to see an additional piece. One school asked me an insane amount of questions about myself. And the last school just told me about themselves the whole time. Five very different callbacks.

I'm very excited about a few of the schools, and I definitely plan to follow up. And I could tell that a couple of them seemed to love me.

But don't get too excited. Mustn't count chickens yet. After all, remember what happened last time...

I was being heavily courted by two schools. Both asked me to come visit. One of them was having their students call me to try to persuade me it would be good for me. The other asked me to send in an application with three recommendation letters, as they "can't make an offer without an application in." And then what happened? Neither school made me an offer. I ended up on their wait lists.

But everything happens for a reason.

There was a reason I didn't get into grad school two years ago. And I think that reason is because I was meant to go to grad school now.

Two of the schools I was called back by today had also called me back the last time. And one of those schools flipped a 180 in my head today. I guess two years really has changed me (actually, it changed the program a bit as well).

Four of the five schools made specific reference to the fact that I wasn't coming directly from undergrad, and that was a plus for them. So I guess my college advisor was right: I did turn myself into a minority.

You know, I got the same number of interviews as last time, but since there were far fewer programs represented here this time, I'd say I did better. Ratio-wise, at least. I'm ecstatic.

None of the schools are allowed to make any offers for a couple of weeks (really lame rule that they put into place). If I get any offers, you know I'll mention them. In the meanwhile, I wait with bated breath (and baited hook).

With any luck, I'll be in grad school in the fall.

:-)


May opportunities come knocking at your door.

~A~


P.S. The Julliard thing didn't pan out. I was just too late in applying. Oh well. Everything happens for a reason. ;)