<p>I am trying to estimate how much the college audition process might cost. Wondering if anyone who was involved last year would be willing to give some estimate of what they spent. Our plan is to do a mixture of on-campus and unifieds. We probably will not drive anywhere, as we are too far away from most of the schools.</p>
<p>Also.....is there a fee for both applying and auditioning?</p>
<p>thank you!</p>
<p>Your costs for travel, hotel, and food for each school’s audition and Unifieds will need to be considered. In addition, each school is different in charging for application to the school and/or audition fees. You might consider each audition as a weekend trip and the cost will vary based on your flights, hotel rates, how long you are there and how many family members are going along. </p>
<p>You will need to pay close attention to all deadlines and what fees and paperwork has to be completed and paid for prior to the audition. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>My son applied to six acting programs last year. All of the schools had application fees of $50 or so, and as I recall all had audition fees of $30 and up. </p>
<p>You’ll want to check on these things for each school you are considering, but if your daughter applies to 10 programs…as is recommended for MT, especially, because of the extreme selectivity and unpredictability…you could be talking about nearly $1000 in just application and audition fees.</p>
<p>Senior years can be insane, budget-wise, even if you ONLY consider things like senior trip, etc.</p>
<p>One thing you also might want to think about is whether you anticipate costs for special one-on-one coaching to assist your daughter in her choice and preparation of audition songs and monologues.</p>
<p>I estimate that the costs for us were between $7-8K from the spring of my d’s jr. year in h.s. to March of her senior year for school visitations and auditions including travel, food, lodging and application/audition fees and also including dance and voice classes/lessons and monolog coaching. In our case, we initially had 7 schools on our list, took one off after an info visit and tour, and did 2 visits to the remaining 6 (info and tour and then audition). We drove to each school, the longest drive being 6 1/2 hrs. That was back in the spring 2006 to March 2007 so costs may have changed for hotels etc. Also, airfare is, of course, more expensive than driving. It’s an expensive proposition if you are visiting each school and auditioning on campus. Some students and parents cut costs by not visiting a school (other than an audition, if not auditioning at Unifieds) until acceptances come in.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your thoughts/info on costs. </p>
<p>Wow! Its definitely going to be an expensive year…my D is a junior, so we have a little time to think ahead on it all, but not much.</p>
<p>Are audition fees paid at each school at Unifieds or do you pay them ahead of time when you make your appointments? I know you pay regardless, im just thinking ahead…probably too much so!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My D is applying to several MT programs this year. In all cases, the audition fee is paid either at application time or shortly thereafter. Some you pay for on-line and some you send in a check/credit card info. In all cases, the audition appointment is not considered “confirmed” until you pay. This includes Unifieds (unless it’s a drop in audition).</p>
<p>Be sure to bring extra copies of resumes and headshots (and if you really want to be prepared, extra, sealed copies of your high school transcript from the guidance counselor) as well as checks or cash in order to pay for your drop ins.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you have any credit card deals. We went to Emerson for my D to audition Early Action. We were able to stay at a hotel for free using “points.” That saved a lot for us. We had to fly across the country for the Emerson audition, plus food (hotel for two nights was covered by points.) That was over $1000. Then we had the unified trip. First we went to S.F. for two nights, so that was a flight there and two nights of hotel, so meals and transportation. Then we flew from S.F. to LA and stayed in hotel for two more nights in LA. Then we drove from LA to S.D. (No direct plane.) So, altogether I think that part of the trip was $3,000. </p>
<p>Now, once she was accepted, we had to fly to Cincinnati and Boston again. (Don’t forget you may have to go back to check out a school to make sure.) That was more hotel and plane costs. </p>
<p>We were able to drive to UCLA and Cal Arts. </p>
<p>I think I spent around $10,000 in trips both for auditions and then for decisions.</p>
<p>The audition process for my D last year was about $5,000 in total. This is just the college application fees, flights, hotels, and food costs. I’m scared to even think about the additional costs of the dance, acting, and voice lessons, headshots, and such! She went to a performing arts boarding high school, so she flew to many auditions alone and did the Chicago Unifeds with the theatre dept. at her school. I only flew or drove to a few of the auditions with her. She was accepted to many programs and it was just not possible to visit all of them after her acceptances. It’s a crazy, exciting process! Good luck with auditions and choose the school that feels right for you!</p>
<p>Thank you all for your helpful responses!</p>
<p>NMR: The extra transcripts is a great idea!</p>
<p>Chrissyblu: We are west coasters(sounds like you are too)…so your estimates were helpful for us.</p>
<p>Thank you again!</p>