<p>As we are over halfway through my D's audition schedule I just wanted to offer some thoughts about this process to those who are planning for this for next year. This year is such a learning process and I think there are some things that you can do to minimize the stress involved. I'm hoping these tips will be helpful. First of all, I encourage all juniors to visit as many colleges as possible during junior year, especially BA 'safety' audition and non audition schools. This has been said before, but bears repeating. We did quite a bit of visiting schools during junior year, but we visited almost all of the BA schools senior year, after D had applied. Don't assume that just because a BA school has a solid theatre department that this will be a good option for your child. It does absolutely nothing to have a pile of BA safeties on the list, and then have your child not like the program after visiting. I would say seek out solid safety options that your child can see themselves at, well before you start the audition/application process. Second, get your audition schedule set very early in the fall. For some schools, this requires completed applications in order to schedule, so start working on those apps toward the end of summer. For a process that is inherently stressful, it is really comforting to have all of your auditions scheduled early, and not have to worry about being blocked out of preferred locations or dates, which does happen. Also, know your child and be supportive of what they want, and plan accordingly. Some kids love to do 8 walkins in a row at Unifieds. My D completed her scheduled auditions and wanted nothing to do with walkins. Luckily, we had not planned for any walkins, but if we had, that would not have worked well. Finally, remember that this is a very very long process. Congratulate yourself at the milestones along the way but then try to separate and realize that there will be no answers for months and months. Once you submit your 6, 12, 18, applications, you will feel like you want an answer right away, but that will not happen. Once you finish your first audition you will want an immediate answer but that also won't happen. Even if you get an early acceptance (And I do strongly encourage doing early action auditions) you will still need to complete the process if you are not ready to commit, and that will take several months more of auditioning and waiting. And remember that the process in and of itself is really valuable. As we go through this process my D is more and more clear about what she does and does not want in a school, and I'm not sure we had that clarity in the fall. So best wishes, break a leg, and parents, keep breathing!!</p>
<p>Excellent advice, kadieblue! And remember, also, that there is no perfect program. Every program will have its glitches, some that won’t be discovered until the student is well into it. As I keep telling my daughter, and she tells her friends in the sophomore year who are feeling discouraged, a program is what you make of it. When you put a lot in, you will get a lot out, perhaps not what you expected, but something that will increase your knowledge or skills. This generation seems to have more than their share of ‘the grass is always greener’ mentality, despite the great kids and hard workers they are!
So, I would underline starting your visits early; we did spring of sophomore year, and make sure your student likes the campus, in addition to the program. I was quite surprised by some of the campuses I thought were wonderful that my student hated!</p>
<p>I would also strongly advise looking “outside” the box. There are quite a few hidden gems that graduate successful kids but are just not yet known. Keep an open mind, that is so important.</p>
<p>I would say to prepare, prepare, prepare for the auditions, then do as many rolling admission and early action schools in the fall as you can. It has helped our anxiety (and believe me, there is a TON of that!!!) knowing that my daughter is already in somewhere. HOWEVER, the downside of this plan (of course there always has to be a downside) is that if they DON’T get in to any of those schools, it can be a big confidence-sucker, but also (upside) if that happens, it may be early enough to add a few more “safeties.” Another downside: sometimes these schools are pickier with their early auditioners, because they want to leave plenty of room for the fabulousness possibly coming down the pike. Or so I’ve been told. Also it can’t be said enough times, get organized EARLY and schedule those auditions EARLY. This gets harder and harder with more schools using prescreens, so work on those prescreens EARLY!! Key word: EARLY. lol</p>
<p>Another thing to keep reminding your student is that no matter how talented they are --there will probably be more NO’s than YES’S–especially if they are a female. I think most kids know this but when they get the NO’s it is still hard! Make sure your list has a variety of schools BUT all schools that they would be happy going. As everyone has said start early and don’t be afraid to take some schools off or add some as you go. Also if $$$ is a concern make sure you have that talk with your child before. Be prepared —the audition season is long , can be expensive and the waiting for answers is stressful!!</p>
<p>Remember that no auditioned program is a “safety.” Just because a program offers an auditioned BA does not mean it will necessarily be an easier admit than an auditioned BFA.</p>
<p>That is a good point KatMT. What I meant in the original post was the BA programs where auditioning for the program is optional and/or only provides scholarship.</p>
<p>Thx for taking the time to post.</p>
<p>I figured… just wanted to make sure others understood in the future :)</p>
<p>and I venture to throw this in the mix for HS juniors who may be considering NYC Unifieds in 2014… the Superbowl is going to be played at Giants Stadium right across the river in NJ… If Unifieds are the same weekend, that could be a travel nightmare.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the helpful additions. And txtxyeha, you’re welcome!</p>
<p>I sincerely hope, for all your sakes, they do not do Unifieds the same weekend as the superbowl (as it was this year). One of the best surprises was the lack of crowds, made a nervous weekend go smoother with no lines for restaurants, shows, movies, etc…</p>
<p>Let me add this: make sure your son or daughter keeps their grades up and does well on the SAT or ACT. Schools want talented kids, and also smart kids. You want to maximize the merit scholarships you can get as well.</p>
<p>I would suggest having your child evaluated by someone who sees kids nationally or at least regionally to know if your child is competitive and to see what they need to work on before auditions. Even though my D is just a junior, I have read too many stories here about kids going in just not knowing what the competition is like.</p>
<p>I just saw the mention of the 2014 Unifieds being the same weekend of Super Bowl. I cannot think of a more crazy situation. It will be very difficult to get rooms in the city that weekend. So many of the events leading up to the Super Bowl are scheduled to be in NYC. I can imagine that many people will be staying in the city as opposed to in NJ. Plan for a weekend of heavy traffic, high prices and very little choice in where to stay. Next year may be the year that it’s better (and cheaper) to go to the Chicago Unifieds even for those close to NYC! Of course, I couldn’t find the dates for Unifieds for next year. Perhaps, those who schedule them already have their eye on a different weekend due to the Super Bowl?</p>
<p>stagedoor22 ~ that is why I thought I would mention it… I live in NJ and I would go to Chicago if the Super Bowl were the same weekend as NYC Unifieds! </p>
<p>Let’s hope the folks who make those decisions know!</p>
<p>I was under the impression that those dates are the same week every year. Maybe some cc’ers that have been around longer would be more in the know</p>
<p>They are usually the same week every year. That’s the issue. The Super Bowl has usually been played far from NYC so it’s never been an issue. So this will likely make for some very interesting situations - for the program staff attending and for the auditionees. I’m with lojosmo… if my D was auditioning in 2014, I’d have her go to Chicago and we’re only an hour away from the city in NJ. It will be a zoo in the city for Super Bowl Week and for Unifieds weekend.</p>
<p>historically a cc poster doctorjohn (I believe he is at Otterbein) has had the Unified dates scoop early. Perhaps he knows about 2014.</p>
<p>So appreciate this thread on advice for juniors. Our HS junior is working on his resume and I wonder if a couple of details would be good to add such as his vocal range, which is unusually large, and extra good scores for All State Choir. Would this be helpful info for auditoners or too much detail?</p>