Backstage with Tracee
Hello Muse friends! This week I want to share a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes in admissions, and hot tips for how and why you should engage during your performing arts admissions process. As someone who has worked as an admissions counselor, director of admissions, and an assistant dean of enrollment and marketing, I have a few myths to dispel and ideas on how to make this chapter of life a little less stressful and hopefully a lot more fun.
First, let’s do a little imagination exercise. You submitted your college applications, finished your audition or interview, and now you are refreshing your email waiting for your admissions decisions to start rolling in. You have so many thoughts swirling in your mind, one which very likely includes picturing the people who ultimately make the admissions decision. In your stressed-out imagination, you might be picturing an evil villain character laughing maniacally as they decide to deny you and crush your dreams. Ok, pause and shake yourself awake from this nightmare.
Friends, I am here to tell you two things—1. As a person who made 1000s of admissions decisions in my career, I am not a scary, mean villain (check out my testimonials for proof), and 2. I truly hated denying students. In fact, every time I had to do it, it made me sweaty, stressed and sad knowing I was going to deliver disappointing news to people who worked hard in this process. I want to dispel the myth that admissions people enjoy denying people AND, spoiler alert, they are looking for all the reasons to admit you, not the other way around.
It's helpful to know that admissions professionals choose this career path because they are excited about the opportunity to promote the amazing institution they work for and really enjoy meeting you during this super exciting chapter in your life. Their job is to recruit students, promote the institution, read applications/make decisions, run special events, and make sure you feel supported. It is literally their job to help you determine if their institution might be a great fit. Moment of truth: admissions professionals get excited when you are excited and truly want to support you on this journey.
So why is this important? Admissions professionals can make your experience a lot of fun and reduce stress if you engage with them during your application process. There are many ways to make this happen, including:
• Attend a virtual or in-person information session
• Send questions via email
• Schedule a 1:1 appointment
• Attend a college fair and meet them at their booth
• Engage via a virtual chat
• Talk to them during the audition/interview process
• Attend an open house or preview day
When you get the opportunity, ask any and all questions—none of them are silly, and remember they are the experts.
I also want to let you in on a little secret—engaging in the above-mentioned opportunities is something we call ‘demonstrated interest.’ Admissions teams track your interactions and utilize it as a datapoint during the application review process.
This is a moment where I am going to give you a very important tip. Yes, you should demonstrate genuine interest as you navigate this process. No, you should not come up with some sort of scheme and constantly reach out without purpose, it will be obvious. You do not want to be remembered for being annoying. This is also a beautiful moment for your parents/supporters to be there for you on sidelines, rooting you on. That does not mean they can’t ask questions along the way, but it’s meaningful when you are taking the lead.
The biggest takeaway I can give you is that admissions professionals are heroes, not villains so lean on them in your time of need. Don’t be afraid to join the fandom, just stay cool—you’ve got this!
Curious to learn more about what goes on backstage in the performing arts admission process? I am excited to share more stories, tips and best practices. Reach out to me any time if you want to learn more about the work we can do together and stay tuned for more backstage tips. Remember to be bold, brave and confident!