I'm curious how other students begin to make a list of schools and programs when they live quite a distance from them. I keep reading that having previous connections with the program/professors/instructors is a boon for admissions purposes. DD is making lists and scouring websites... but many/most of the programs don't have many videos or things for her to connect to (What style/level/quality music are the students playing? What support are they given for their performances? Other such intangible via website types of queries?)
She has a #1. It's local. She knows the program well and spends many hours each week involved in some way with the program. She loves the program. However, she absolutely cannot afford the program without serious scholarship dollars. Which may come. Or they may not. We have no idea what will happen. I do, however, feel that her chances will be improved if she is seriously considering other schools alongside #1. I think it's vital she explore other options and have a #2, #3 that she would REALLY be happy attending - just in case #1s funding doesn't line up where we can make it work)
But - we live a long way from pretty much anywhere that has a program of the type she's looking for. A long way as in 16+ hour drives in any direction.
She is attending two summer programs. One is local at the #1 university. The other is about 16 hours away where she will work with some of the directors of a couple other programs in that neck of the world. Hopefully, she will feel a connection with at least one of those professors and can at least have a #2 school she definitely wants to visit and we can go from there...
In this situation (she will be a junior this coming year) do you/would you:
1) Use the websites to gather as much intel as possible and choose 2-3 schools to visit THIS fall/winter? Do you email the directors of the program and ask about setting up an in-person meeting *and* lesson or is that in bad taste? I'm unsure. Her instructor isn't a lot of help in this particular arena because he is with #1 university and he didn't go through this type of auditioning process when he started.
2) Use the websites to gather information. Visit the school where she is for the summer program & any other possibly nearby universities. Next fall, apply and wait and see which schools invite her to the next tier of auditions. THEN make plans to visit during the auditions and narrow it down from there?
#2 could potentially cost a fortune & could be a logistical nightmare. Plus, I imagine that visiting perhaps several schools DURING senior-year audition-season-stress could be a nightmare and less useful for dd? I'd prefer to use junior year for traveling... but she will HAVE to travel senior year for the auditions, so maybe that would kill two birds with one stone? Of course, not visiting beforehand will not give her the benefit of 'beforehand" association with anyone...
ARGH! It's so convoluted and complicated in these beginning stages! Oye!
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