<p>I am going to chicago unifieds and am saving a whole day and a half to be there to do walk ins... How do they work? is this a bad idea? is it likely to get walk in times...? any info helps.</p>
<p>If you know you are going to be there and are spending the money for the hotel, why not apply and set up auditions so you know you can get the ones you desire? Like, why take a chance? Even if you DO a walk in, in order to be considered for admission, you'd have to apply anyway and pay the app fee, and so what advantage is there to that? They are not going to tell you that they may want you and so in order to find out, you still have to do an app and pay an app fee. Also, each school has different audition requirements and so won't you want to prepare the right ones for each school?</p>
<p>NYQ12, as you asked, I have to say that I agree with soozievt: there is really no advantage (but plenty of disadvantages) to setting aside a day for walk in auditions. I <em>do</em> see the sense of doing a walk in or two if a student ends up with excess time (and energy) at Unifieds, but if you have the day free now, why not plan ahead and audition at schools you want to be considered for at a pre appointed time? </p>
<p>One big potential disadvantage of your plan is that the schools you may want to audition for as walk ins might not have any times open. That happens.</p>
<p>Yes, thank you I just wanted some insight... I was thinking I would just spend my first day there doing some walk-ins to get a feel for it in a setting that allows me to feel more like I am practicing.... hmmm? I don't know I can't find the words... But I agree. I should apply... But am already loaded with long applications that I am working on now and just thought it would be easier to not have to worry about others. I am applying to five schools, maybe six. But will hopefully find time to add to the list maybe after I am done finishing the ones that are most important to me.</p>
<p>NYQ12, I realize that I neglected to answer the second part of your question, which was how walk ins work. I can relate a little from my own kid's experience.</p>
<p>Basically, at Unifieds in NY (can't speak to whether it's the same in Chicago and elsewhere) the various schools have tables set up outside rooms in the AMA Bldg. There is usually a person or people stationed at the table (often, current or former students) who can tell you whether or not there is room in the schedule to squeeze you in and when. They may ask you to pay a fee (so bring a checkbook). You basically then come back at the time designated and do the audition in the way that the school wants you to, which can include a group dance audition and then monologues and singing. (One hint: at least do rudimentary research on the schools at which you think you may do walk ins, so you have the appropriate music ready. Some schools, as you know, want pre 1960s songs, etc.) Also know that you are going to, as soozie says above, have to go home and fill out the application anyway (and pay the fee and send your SATs and have your GC send your transcripts, etc.) so again, if you can do that ahead of time, why not? </p>
<p>You may end up falling in love with one of the schools that you are thinking of as "dry runs," too! That happens. Best wishes and let us know if you have any more questions.</p>
<p>Many, if not most of the schools, will have full schedules, so you can't count on being able to do walk-ins. There will be some schools who will have appointments available and you can go around and check. We saw many kids last year in Chicago asking various schools if there were walk-ins available and for the most part they were told no. We also saw kids who wanted to change audition times and for the schools with full schedules that also was a no. There will be schools who have walk-in audition times available but there is no way of knowing ahead of time which schools will have open slots or when they will be. You will have to wait until you are there and see which schools have openings and then how it might fit in your already scheduled auditions. It would be a waste of a day (and money) to count on a day of walk-ins and find out that the only openings available were on other days than you had planned. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>If we had known ahead of time more about the Unifieds (our fault for not doing more research) we would have booked two solid days of auditions. However, our son did three walk-in auditions and is attending one of thoses schools he literally "dropped in" for an audition.</p>