<p>Hey all! Ive been browsing the site for a while, but finally decided to get an account. :) I have a few questions. How important is it to audition on-location as opposed to a united audition? Is is advantageous to send in a video audition in place of an in-person? I ask because it will be very difficult for me to get out east for auditions, and was hoping that the united or video auditions would be just as "good". Any thoughts??</p>
<p>Thanks!
-Brian</p>
<p>I would say that there is no advantage to an on-location audition as opposed to the Unifieds, in terms of admission/acceptance. There may be an advantage to seeing the campus, meeting current students, etc., however, that can be accomplished by a campus visit if you are accepted.</p>
<p>Not all schools accept video auditions, but for those that do, in my opinion, it would be a last-resort option. Having the auditors see you in person can leave a much stronger impression, plus give the chance for at least a small discussion, and more time to make a good impression.</p>
<p>I agree with ^^^. My D did all but 1 of her auditions at Unifieds (except for the one school that is local to us) and had very good results. We are on the west coast and could not have gone to the various east coast schools for individual auditions. Once she got her acceptances we then decided which schools to visit. Also would only do video auditions as a last resort. I think it is harder to leave a lasting impression on video and gives auditors no chance to interview you and get a real feel for you. Depending on where you are, there are a huge number of schools represented at the Unifieds, so if there is any way you can get to one of them I would do so.</p>
<p>Agree 100% with the above 2 posters</p>
<p>Agreed as well. But I would also say again that if the ONLY way you can audition for a school is via DVD then send it in! What do you have to lose if that is the ONLY option you have and the school will accept it? That’s how my D got into the school she is attending and I remember at least one other poster in one of the school threads (pretty sure it was Baldwin Wallace) that was accepted via DVD audition.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the replies already!</p>
<p>I am going against the tide here. I am a big fan of the on-sight audition. It is not that I oppose the unified approach, but I think there several advantages to the on-site audition:
<p>unifieds versus on campus.</p>
<p>I would find out if it is the same people that attend and conduct both. Many at unified are the same decision makers.</p>
<p>Having just spent three days at NYC Unifieds and also having traveled to a number of schools for auditions, I think my daughter would agree with me that the campus auditions are somewhat less stressful. The Unifieds are loud and busy and sometimes crowded, where as there is more of a “library” feel to the campus auditions - quiet and controlled amounts of people at any one time. A singer-actor-dancer has to have great focus at the Unifieds to “tune out” the commotion in the hallways and concentrate on the task at hand. It was a little easier to manage that at the schools. It’s also trickier at the Unifieds to keep all the various audition requirements straight. The carpet can be problematic for a dancer who is used to some “slip” on the floor, particulary for slow ballet movements where the carpet fights against very subtle movements of the foot. Of course that was not a problem when the auditions were located at the 520 Ripley Grier studios, which are always a pleasure to visit. (Parents, don’t feel like you have to wait upstairs on the Rip-Gr 17th floor where there’s not much room. Find a comfy rattan chair or soothing rocking chair on the 16th floor to wait.)
That being said, my daughter seems to think she did as well as she knew how to do at the Unifieds as she did at the campus auditions, and she had some wonderful dance calls that she didn’t want to see come to an end, even on the carpet and cement floors, so we’ll see what happens in the upcoming weeks.<br>
Best wishes to all of ya’ll who still have many auditions to go. We are just about done.</p>
<p>Best of luck classicalbk and your daughter, and to all of the other auditioners out there. I would agree that the Unifieds can be stressful but I don’t think it’s an advantage either way as far as chances for acceptance. I think that if you can manage it, auditioning on-site does give you the opportunity to get a feel for the campus and the surroundings. However, if you are limited to Unifieds, you can always visit schools after acceptances and financial packages are awarded and still get that same feel before making a decision. Good luck everyone!!!</p>
<p>Depends on the audition. Where I am, the audition is all day, and includes three workshops and a show. A full day for us to get to know each other and for you to see our work. We are going to spend four years working together, we want to know you better than the 10 minutes generally allotted. And you should want to know the people you are betting so much on. I have no issues with the way other schools do their work. But check into what the on campus audition is like. It may be very different in many cases.</p>
<p>I think that if you are able to do it, an on-campus audition is always the better choice. As kjgc explains so well, the on-campus audition is likely to be a very different experience than that at Unifieds. You may, as an applicant, get the opportunity not only to get to know the school better, but also to get them to better know you. For some kids, it might not make a big difference but for others, this can be important. It’s also important, for all the reasons stated, for students to get to know a school’s campus, to sit in on classes if possible, to meet staff and students, to get a sense of not only the school and department themselves but also other tangential things like dining halls, dorms, available shopping in the area, public transit, ease of transportation to and from home, etc. It seems like a good idea to wait and only visit after an acceptance but that time from acceptance to decision time is short and for most theatre kids, the month of April can be a busy with one spring shows.</p>
<p>I didn’t see much difference between the unifieds and on location auditions in general (other than the carpet thing). At the on location auditions I attended there were so many kids there you only really got your few minutes in the room with the faculty anyway. You can see the facilities but it seemed to me that all the schools I saw have a great theater, classrooms etc. and all the mt students are friendly. It is really great that so many schools go to unifieds as I imagine it is a tiring week for the faculty. It saved my family a lot of money, and enabled me to apply to schools that my parents would not have been willing to travel to especially when the chances of being accepted are so slim. One thing I would say is staying near the unified location is nice if you can manage it. I was able to go back to my room to change for dance calls, have a snack and just get away for bit which was nice. I did meet one girl at unifieds (actually we were down at Ripley Grier Studios loved that dance floor!) who said she was so thrilled to be at unifieds since her family could not afford to pay for her to travel to auditions.</p>
<p>Good point GRACEMT. Time and money can be an issue for most. </p>
<p>While I applaud kfgc for the way they conduct their auditions, it is not very practical for kids that are auditioning for 10 - 15 programs. Ideal yes. Practical no.</p>
<p>As I mentioned in an earlier post, I think it is important to make sure that the same people who audition on campus are the same at unifieds. Even though I’m sure the big decision maker might be at both, you could have other faculty members pulling for you.</p>
<p>^I agree. My daughter would not have been able to audition for the number of programs she did if she had to travel to each location. We are on the west coast, so just about every program she was interested in was far away. Once she was accepted to programs, and we knew which ones would be financially feasible for us due to scholarships, then we were able to narrow it down to the ones she wanted to visit. If you have the resources to audition on-site though, I would say go for it. I think it is a good idea if you can stay near the Unifieds as Grace is right- you can go back to the room and relax if you have time. We only live about 45 minutes from the LA Unifieds, but my daughter did end up getting a room with 2 other kids in the hotel one night. By sharing, the cost was reasonable and it was less stressful for them.</p>
<p>I also agree with GRACE MT… my credit card is about to spontaneously combust! We are also close enough to NY that we did not stay in the city (though I know people who live close by who did). It was nice to go home and sleep in our own beds. We figure we will go visit the schools to which he is accepted.</p>
<p>This message is probably more suited for the class of 2012 but for the sake of conversation:</p>
<p>It’s also a good idea to mix both unifieds and on campus auditions. Can you imagine if the unifieds are held at the same time as a major winter storm? Or if you plan to do all auditions at the unifieds and you become ill?</p>
<p>^Agreed. I know people who scheduled 8 or 9 auditions for the weekend of Unifieds (Thursday-Sunday). It’s definitely good if they can’t make on-campus dates due to distance, scheduling conflicts, etc, but that seems way too stressful. I scheduled four auditions for two days, and did two walk ins this past weekend at NY Unifieds. By the middle of the second day, I was exhausted. I would definitely suggest trying to schedule on campus auditions for top choices, if possible. Otherwise, Unifieds is definitely a great way to save time and money. I live 15 mins from NYC by train so aside from train fare, we cut most of our costs by attending NY Unifieds.</p>
<p>My D absolutely loved auditioning in Chicago. There was no long car ride before/after each and every audition; we scheduled the auditions so there was plenty of time to get from place to place and to eat meals; she felt she was given the time and attention she was due at each audition; and she felt she learned a lot about the programs from the auditions. Further, it was impossible to schedule on-site auditions due to schedule conflicts. The cost of travel is another consideration. I must note, however, we visited each of my D’s schools at some point during the 2 years prior to applying. </p>
<p>There were some negatives. It was sort of crazy in the hotel hallways; you had to sort of ignore that. And, if you are sick or the weather gets in the way, you are sunk! Finally, I worry that you may have fewer auditors watching you off site than on site. I’m not sure whether that is bad or good, but I would think that having the entire faculty taking a look at you would be better in the long run than having one faculty member doing the evaluating.</p>
<p>I wanted to mention something else. . .not for this year, but for those doing the auditions next year. There were at least two schools where students were asked to indicate whether they had visited campus–UNCSA and Ithaca. And, at Ithaca, when you visit campus, they take your photo. That photo showed up in Chicago with my D’s app materials! So, while not a deal-breaker, I think it’s important to the auditors to have VISITED the school.</p>