Has anyone had any experience with the Schmidt Vocal Competition at American University in D.C in June? I’m thinking of applying to compete… Is it a worthwhile experience? Is it well run?
Thanks!
My D did this competition last summer on the day before she began participating in WNO Opera Institute. All the kids that attend WNO are highly encouraged to participate, so last year I’d guess that about 80% of the kids who sang at Schmidt were WNO participants. But that doesn’t really matter, in terms of the experience you’ll get. It’s very well organized and professional. The accompanist is fantastic - top notch! There is a master class mid-day (in between first round and finals), in which they choose 3 students who sang in the first round to work with the judges, in a master class format. It’s also open, so you and your parents can watch the entire competition and the master class. All in all, a great experience – definitely a good chance to perform in front of an audience in a fairly intimidating (i.e. recital hall) environment, which I think is a great experience before auditioning for colleges.
I did it in 2014 and it was a fantastic competition experience. The judges are welcoming and the space is great. It’s two rounds on the same day, and you can sit in on others’ auditions (which you may or may not like). The other competitors were friendly and welcoming. The prize money isn’t too shabby either 
This competition is also held at other locations with some nice price money, as @mezzomiss pointed out, as well as scholarships. The judges are excellent too, so even if you are not in the DC area, look into it and see if there is one near you.
Ditto above. My D did it in Atlanta. Well run. Good experience overall.
Looked at the web site - Is this a single round competition with prizes awarded at each site or is there a grand round after the local rounds?
Single round. It’s not like Classical Singer with a national round.