Over the years, we’ve had many discussions about standardizing the process of MT/Acting auditions for college on these boards, and it appears there is some discussion about this by MT educators. (Most recently this was discussed extensively starting with post #4365 on page 291 of the thread called “Class of 2021 (sharing, venting, etc)”.
In any case, while I cannot post a link here, there is a blog on Huff Po right now entitled “Stressed Out! The College Audition Quagmire” by Mary Anna Dennard interviewing Sherri Sanders on just that subject.
Sanders is involved with Music Theatre Educators Association (MTEA) and she is trying to spearhead efforts to do just that.
Sounds like a longer-term effort, but she’s very passionate about it. Google the title of the article and you’ll find it easily.
I think it’s okay to post a link to an article… just not to promote a particular business.
(If I’m wrong I guess this will be deleted! :D)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stressed-out-the-college-audition-quagmire_us_58ed2997e4b0145a227cb8ff
It is an interesting article (with a little plug for coaching but that’s ok w/me). I would like to see standardized prescreens; schools could maybe shake it up a little for final auditions. It would save time and $$ to pass/re-direct at the prescreen phase.
I’d also like to see them not require to complete an application to the school itself - or at least waive the application fee - until a decision is made artistically.
(I have never counted up the $$$$$$$ we spent on applications. Nor do I ever want to. Ugh.)
I just read that article this morning. Very interesting…I wonder if MTEA will be able to convince the schools to go along. We shall see…
It doesn’t appear many of the so-called top programs participate in MTEA?
What makes sense to me is for all schools to require the basics and then they can add in something specific.
So kids don’t have to try and memorize 4 versions of a song… etc. If they want to add a third song or monologue… fine… but keep the basics the same.
I know NOTHING about volleyball, but a friend with a D who will be auditioning next year also has a volleyball player. You wouldn’t believe the cool website for college volleyball that they have with all of the student’s information, school information, links to schools; they can upload videos, their stats, and other stuff I have no clue about. =)) She showed it to me recently and said “if only MT had something like this.” There are big schools, small schools, urban, rural, etc., and they all use the same website. Students from all over have access to the same information! I do think they pay a fee to use it, and I don’t know details about that. The article cited above sounds like it might be a move toward something similar.
I am not trying to start a long discussion about how volleyball/sports is completely different than the arts - of course it is! It is obviously quantifiable (how high can they jump/how many games have they won/ok that’s the extent of my knowledge!) and theatre/MT is not. But the basic premise of 1 place with all information sounds wonderful. And as my friend said, a business opportunity? Someone has to run the website… 
My daughter was a VP admit last year, so my comment doesn’t relate specifically to theatre/MT, but it does relate to pre-screens and auditions. (Believe me, I know the BFA process is way worse than VP! But we had some mutual hang-ups.) I would love to have colleges/conservatories eliminate “stealth” essays and uploads! If they are key, tell the students upfront. For one college, D16 went to upload the pre-screen videos and the repertoire list requested on the fine arts school’s website. After uploading it, wait…please upload an artistic resume in this specific format…and an academic resume in this specific format…and a headshot…and now would you like to make a short video on why you’d like to attend…? All fine things to request of a potential student, but why couldn’t they be on the main page so she could prepare them before starting the process of uploading videos? It was crazy. This was the worst-case college, but not the only one.
Although not specifically MT, my son was applying this year as a BFA theater tech major. The schools had different requirements for portfolios, a couple wanted essays, one wanted him to read a play and be prepared to discuss it. He tried but he’s dyslexic and couldn’t get through it, so he never finished the app. If I had known about this type of thing, I, too, could have saved some application money.
Really interesting discussion. I wonder two things: Do the colleges have a concern about what families have to go through? and Why would colleges be motivation to change their requirements?
Seems like it would cause complications for admission?
And who would decide what the standards would be? Shari Sanders? Would there be a steering committee formed from sort of MTEA conference? And what about the colleges who are not members of MTEA?
@Notmath1 no the colleges are not that concerned I’m sure about what the families have to go through . Not to be mean they just arent going to make it a priority to make it easier. It’s just what we all signed up for …supply and demand…I do wish that there was more info made
available to the parents/students as to the insane competitiveness and nature of mt admissions.
We all know if we hadn’t read a lot on this forum we’d all been toast. Even WITH the crazy research our family has done the past two years, I still wish we’d done a few things differently.
So…thinking of the families who did not research and really educate themselves and maybe did not apply to enough schools etc, I wish there were some link or education direction even on the MT dept of the school website directing people to some basic info. Maybe an overall “read this before you decide to apply/audition” thing to just give people a heads up. Like basic info but just to say “ok gear up if you really want to do this”
Just a thought.
@Notmath1 - exactly. I think there is exactly ZERO motivation on the part of colleges to do this. But perhaps a passionate advocate like Shari can get the conversation started.
And I just read a tweet that Carnegie Mellon will now have a prescreen in 2017. That will help simplify things. The prescreen is helpful to so many families and as you so rightly say, “the insane competitiveness and nature of mt auditions”
Yep, just tried to post a new thread about that but it said it would appear “after it is approved” – these boards are changing last few days for sure…
@Notmath1 and I guarantee that next year you will have parents complaining about the fact that CMU has a prescreen and if only they could see their child in person they would have a better chance of admission. Prescreens are a double-edged sword. Yes, the help the school winnow it down to applicants they feel fit their program. But those who don’t make the cut often don’t see it as a savings, as a way of crossing one school off your list without the hassle and expense of going through the audition process.
Overall, I’m glad to see CMU move to prescreen. D will be applying this fall, and if the news is going to be bad (which it will be for all but a very few applicants), she might as well hear it before she invests the effort to audition live. It will certainly motivate her to be sure she has her material polished for her prescreens.
@CTDramaMom that is exactly how I see it! We will spend more time over the summer working on prescreens - but it will ultimately save time and money if D can focus on schools where she’s passed the first artistic hurdle.
I’m glad the process was not standardized to require a prescreen this year. Prescreens are great for people with a support system, a background in mt, a coach, or otherwise knew about “the process” before senior year. I’m other words, newbies like my daughter would never stand a chance. Her prescreen videos were so, so bad, because we didn’t know anything. Now, standardizing the cuts… That would have been AMAZING!! I never could figure out why one school needed 16 bars, one 32, one a minute, one 90 seconds… Oh well. If they standardize, I’ll make merit badges for the kids and families who had to do it old school 
@Notmath1 Great points. Colleges have no obligation to be concerned about what families have to go through. Their objective is to fill their class with the students they think will succeed in their program. I think the prescreen is the only indicator of a change in recent years, and although it ends up being of benefit to the applicant, it is there primarily to make things easier for the schools.
Getting dozens and dozens of very different programs, run by different individuals, who likely have different visions of what they’d like the admissions process to assess, to agree to common standards is going to be very difficult, and the chances of getting every program to agree are probably nil.
I’ve been around CC a long time and this discussion is not a new one. It has been going on for years, with little change, but then it’s always a good opportunity to promote coaching services! 