<p>Exactly what the title says, really. When should I start REALLY looking at/narrowing down, even preparing audition material for schools? I'm going to be a sophomore in high school (obviously...) and I'm just not sure- in three years, will requirements be different? Will the programs change? Certainly my voice might change by the time I'm a senior. </p>
<p>I really want to get a head start on all this, but not if I'm going to have to just scrap all my work, because my first choice now has a bad program.</p>
<p>You can start researching programs. You could even start a spreadsheet of programs that interest you with links to their MT page and admissions page. Keep an eye out toward the end of your junior year for the new common app prompts and write that essay early in the summer. Apps start going online in August (but they keep trickling on through mid September). I would read plays and start finding monologues and keep working on songs to increase your rep book, but I would wait to do actual selection the summer before senior year (you and your voice will change, making things you might select now no longer what you want to use then… And you never know when you might decide to pull a song you worked on 3 years ago out of the pile and make it one of your audition pieces). I’m sure others will also have some great advice… But that’s sort of what we did when we started getting serious about this sophomore year.</p>
<p>We started sophomore year and Easter break was a great time to get some campus visits and tours in. Start researching programs, make a list of things you think are important in both a campus and a program. Safety’s seem to be the hardest for people to narrow down so research those as well. If you haven’t done so already find out what you’re parents are willing to contribute to your education. Also if you are thinking of hiring a coach research them and make contacts to see who you would like to work with. Start reading as many plays as you can and put aside ones that you might see a possibility of a monologue in.</p>
<p>Obviously you will continue to evolve and tweak what you like and don’t like so keep all the information you research together so you can reference back to it.</p>
<p>In my opinion, your primary focus now should be on school (achieving great grades, etc.), your vocal, dance, and acting training, being in theater productions, and other extracurriculars. I would not worry about audition materials for college nearly this soon. Instead, build up your song repertoire, and most of all, build your skill set in all three disciplines. You could start reading about various colleges and MT programs, keeping a long running list, but not narrowing it down yet. I really think junior year is a good time to start on the college admissions process. Right now, your focus should be on school and artistic training. If summer programs are a possibility for you, add those as well.</p>
<p>Oh, and read as much as you can of this MT forum on CC and you will really become knowledgable about this whole process! That will help going into junior year.</p>
<p>I agree with Broadway95 that spring break of sophomore year is a great time to do some initial visits, just casually. You’ll learn a lot about the kinds of campuses and school environments you like, and that’ll help you create a realistic list next year. And read as many plays as you can–finding monologues is intense (but fun), and the more knowledge of the literature you have under your belt, the better equipped you’ll be. The research process is more fun and fulfilling when it isn’t rushed.</p>
<p>Reading I Got In! by Mary Anna Dennard will give you a good overview of the college audition process. My d really enjoyed reading Til The Fat Girl Sings: From an Overweight Nobody to a Broadway Somebody-A Memoir by Sharon Wheatley (a section of the book covers life at CCM, although they no longer have the cut program that Sharon describes). </p>
<p>Broadway: The American Musical by Michael Kantor and Laurence Maslon and/or Broadway Musicals, Revised and Updated: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time by Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik will give you a solid foundation in the Broadway canon - this will serve you well when you start deep research for audition materials in your upperclass years (both books have lots of great pictures).</p>
<p>My son began the process in the spring before applying, working with a coach and a college admissions counselor throughout the process. This was plenty of time to focus on the application process. Prior to that, focus on strengthening your voice, acting, and dance by performing and taking workshops, classes, and voice training, and you may choose to do a summer intensive. Also, familiarizing yourself with the application process and schools / programs of interest is a good idea. Finally, determining if you will hire an audition coach and if so, whom, is a good idea, and your parents will need to understand the process to know whether this is an investment they want to make. I would suggest making this decision early during your junior year, so you can engage one in time if you choose to do so. Their time is limited and may only take a limited number of students.</p>
<p>If your high school has certain days off that are specific to your school (say, teacher development days, or certain religious holidays), visit a few schools! We used these days to do day-trips to local colleges, and on a few occasions we were the only people there for a tour! One-on-one with our tour guide was fun and tailored just for us!</p>
<p>I think I’ll start to research schools/programs now, and school visits also sound like a great idea- I actually live within driving distance of quite a few reputable schools- and I’m, for all intents and purposes, homeschooled, so scheduling one for just myself/my parents shouldn’t be too much of a problem! :P</p>
<p>EmsDad, I will definitely check out those books, thank you for sharing! :)</p>
<p>SaratogaParent, I was going to start a separate discussion for this, but since you brought it up, might as well just tack it on here! What exactly is the point of hiring an audition coach? My voice teacher helps students with selecting and rehearsing college audition material, and that seems to be what the coaches do. Is there more than that to them, and do they really give students a leg up when auditioning? </p>
<p>Again, thanks for all your help, guys. This forum in general has been, and will without a doubt, continue to be an enormously helpful resource! :)</p>
<p>There are several threads on here you will find about an audition coach by searching, but essential there are some that specialize in this. The two most talked about here are MTCA and Mary Anna Dennard. Most people that use them sing their praises. You can google each of them and check out their websites. Basically they help you navigate this whole crazy process. They can help with type, song selection, monologue selection, mock auditions, a realistic college list and some here would even say connections. It is also good to have an assessment on your abilities outside of your bubble…especially if you have not done some of the big summer programs or know people in the biz. It would be worth researching them just so you can decide if its right for you.</p>