<p>Hello-
I am currently a male Junior in high school, and look very much forward to this college applying journey I will embark on over the next year. I visited tisch in February and loved everything about it. The campus, location, atmosphere, people, and the PROGRAM! Knowing that Tisch is one of the best arts schools in the nation, I am wondering what kind of rep. those who were accepted used at their auditions. Not that I would EVER THINK of copying it, I am just interested in the styles and types of work that was displayed at your auditions that earned you a spot in such a phenomenal program. I also am fully aware that so much more goes into the acceptance decisions than the audition, but just out of curiosity… I really would just be so grateful to hear about what you did in your auditions. THANK YOU.</p>
<p>Well, I know that my D has no problem sharing at this point :D, however I don't think that it would benefit anyone per se, as the whole audition process is such a personal journey. </p>
<p>She opted for a dramatic piece from Ring 'Round the Moon, and in fact was directed to this play by someone who used to post on this board :). She had a comedic monologue from Eleemosynary, which is not necessarily a comedic play, but she chose to present a certain monologue as such. Along with those two she had three other ones, but these two were what she presented during her NYU audition. For her songs, again she made sure to come up with a variety of different styles that complimented her strengths, and showed that she knew herself and/or her type. She sang a ballad from Boys From Syracuse that showed her lyric soprano side, and then a uptempo fun song from the Wedding Singer, so she could belt, and have fun. Again, she had something like 5 or 6 different songs, and often times would pick the day of the audition what she was going to present, depending on how she felt.</p>
<p>I think it is important to have material that you can identify with (reads tons of plays, listen to tons of songs, and see what grabs you), and that you know 'inside out'. It has been said a lot on may different threads, be aware of overdone material, songs from shows that are playing currently on Broadway are typically not a good idea, and stay away from signature songs unless you can really hit it out of the park.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I got in for Drama. My monologues were from "Talk Radio" and an obscure play called "Fashion, Power, Guilt." One monologue was a character my age dealing with many of the same issues I deal with. The other ("Talk Radio") was just insane. I think they worked because I felt a connection with each of them, both had depth, and both had comic and dramatic opportunities. When you look for monologues, MTgrlsmom is absolutely right in telling you to look for material you identify with. Also, a friend of mine who teaches acting at CMU advised me to find pieces that really catch my attention and stay with me. Don't freak out too much about getting the monologue/song part perfect, though, because I got the sense that the most important part of my audition was the interview. They didn't ask me or anyone else I know to do anything twice.</p>
<p>At my audition, there were a lot of flashy-looking kids. A lot of girls were dressed way over-the top (i.e. short dresses, GOLD knee-high boots, too much make-up in general), which I found odd. I mean, you want to wear something nice but comfortable, so that getting into character is easy. The general feeling I got from NYU is that they look for talented kids that are very smart and have a lot of intellectual motivation. So, as a tip, look nice, but don't obsess too much over your appearance. They aren't looking for flash. In your interview, they're going to ask you questions like, What do you think you need to work on in terms of this monologue? What books are you reading right now? and What do you like about our program? Your best bet is to come prepared with educated, mature answers. And don't try to be cute. I've seen people do that at other auditions, and it never works. It just shows a lack of maturity. Charm them, but don't act cute. It won't make you stand out, and it will cue them that you're not ready to work in a pre-professional environment. Be yourself, but be the part of you that is most compatable with the school.</p>
<p>Really look over their course catalog and do a lot of research on all of the studios. The more you know about their program, the more you'll impress them because you'll be able to ask them better questions and you'll be more equipped to answer their questions. </p>
<p>I'm sure you'll do well! Feel free to ask me about anything about the whole NYU/Drama admission process or about applying/auditioning to drama schools in general, since I'm finally done with it all!!! Good luck.</p>
<p>Stepping in here to say that there does seem to be a difference in dress code/makeup, etc. between girls auditioning for drama and girls auditioning for musical theater. The musical theater girls, in general, wore dresses (often more girly dresses!), heels and more makeup than did the girls auditioning for straight acting programs, who often wore leggings, funky dresses and jewelry, and even jeans and tee shirts. (We even saw some really messy outfits: ripped leggings, old sweatshirts, messy hair.) Bottom line: the whole vibe seemed to be different between those auditioning for acting and MT programs. That said, my D (who certainly didn't wear gold boots or anything, but did wear a quite feminine dress and heels and makeup, though not an overabundance of it!) got into NYU/Tisch/CAP21 and a number of other programs (both straight acting and MT), so the message here is : BE YOURSELF. Dress the way you feel comfortable and the way you feel best expresses who you are. But in my opinion, you should dress professionally, which means no jeans or tee shirts. Auditions are basically job interviews, and you wouldn't go into an interview for most jobs wearing jeans. Then again, what do I know? ;)</p>
<p>Joining NMR that my D and I too saw a distinct difference between those auditioning for MT vs. those auditioning for straight acting. </p>
<p>"MT boys" would show up in buttoned down shirts, and we saw quite a few straight actor applicants who showed up in jeans/t-shirt guys (we also noticed this at other schools). </p>
<p>I would really recommend wearing a nice casual but buttoned down shirt and a pair of kakis for a guy, unless you have a real compelling reason to show up otherwise. There is definitely 'going overboard' (i.e. no tux necessary), and I am happy to report that my D left her gold go-go booths at home for her NYU audition as well :D. She was accepted into NYU/Tisch/CAP21 and for her audition was nicely groomed, and wore a simple shortish, but not too short (because she needed to kneel in one of her monologues), black/white dress with ballet flats (I think NYU was the one cautioning against heels). In fact, she actually wore boots to and from, but changed into flats while she was waiting. </p>
<p>I agree with anna that it appears that during the interview NYU looks for substance, and may be even something unique, something that an applicant has to offer besides showing a certain amount of talent, so be prepared and know the school's curriculum (applies for all your auditions). Topics during my D's interview involved what her favorite subjects were in school and why; they actually talked to her quite extensively about that, so again, in order to be prepared give those type of questions some thought on beforehand. Of course, you can not possibly anticipate all questions, but I think the most important advice anyone can give you is be yourself, otherwise your conversation may come across as unnatural and strained. For example, don't say you love rocket science, if you actually have no clue what it involves, and chances are you will "get caught' :D.</p>
<p>Thanks to MTgrlsmom, I am correcting myself. My D wore heels for all of her other musical theater auditions except NYU's. I think she actually kicked them off and did that audition barefoot. And yes, the interview was lovely and extensive and the auditor made her feel as if he actually cared to learn more about her. I have to say that I was completely blown away by how friendly and personable and personal the NYU auditors were: I admit I had expected a more impersonal attitude from people from such a large school. Live and learn. Now my D is going there in the fall and can't wait to start.</p>