I should say @EmTeeDad2016! a 35 ACT goes a LONG way at WSU. S is National Merit and graduating debt free will go a long way post graduation too. I hope your S will also be attending the masterclass the day before audition - that went a long way towards moving WSU to top of S’s list. I don’t know that I have any audition advice, except to be as relaxed as possible and be yourself. Don’t sweat showing up first thing in your “fancy” clothes. At least for my S’s experience, they had everyone get into dance clothes right off. I think the pre-audition instructions said dance would be first thing, but S was nervous about making a good impression and arrived in “monologue” clothes. No big deal. He had fun at his WSU audition and was pretty “jazzed” when it was over. I’ll ask if he has any specific advice.
Definitely doing the master class. He just finished NATS Ky competition. Do many of the kids get performance scholarships too?
Yes, do the Masterclass!!! This was S’s first audition and we originally thought of Wright as a good option, but not at the top of his list… after the audition, every future audition and school was compared back to WSU. Their production of Hot Mikado was stellar… best college show we saw. Enjoy… its a crazy year. Tell your son to be himself throughout the process. 
FYI, on the Masterclass day, there is nothing for the parents to do. On audition day, parents are in the holding area (D-lab) and can chat with current students. But on Masterclass day, there is nothing formal. There is a nice shopping area not too far away. I did a lot of Christmas shopping that day. 
The Greene! I’ve done a lot of work there plus we have very close friends that live 5 minutes from WSU campus. Mrs EmTeeDad will probably drive up Saturday afternoon for Chicago. Such a nerve wracking time
I believe quite a few kids in S’s class get talent scholarships (he doesn’t know numbers as the students “don’t discuss that stuff”), but they are not large. My S got one as a freshman, but not as a sophomore. His Nat’l Merit + talent put him over the total cost of the school (in-state). His case is unusual. I believe most students who get a talent scholarship keep it all four years - as long they are meeting the prescribed conditions of eligibility. @EmTeeDad2016, if your S has 35 ACT plus a good GPA/class standing, he should come out very well with merit scholarship at WSU, regardless of demonstrated need. A talent scholarship would be “a cherry on top”. Hope Mrs EmTee and S enjoy Chicago. S is in the ensemble and says it is coming together nicely.
Junior D has a talent scholarship for the 3rd year - very high ACT, but GPA was less than stellar (combo of weird way her high school reported GPA & her “why waste time on homework” philosophy!). Her audition advice is to be yourself, be confident, & “it’s your show & you get to perform.” She also said (and this goes for ALL auditions) to remember to be nice to everyone in the hallways because if you’re not, it will get reported! Easy for those of us on the other side to say, but enjoy the experience. Headed to Dayton this weekend to see D in “Spelling Bee” in the D-Lab.
Fun… Spelling Bee is such a great show. Mine is in A Very Potter Musical the same weekend we’re coming to see Chicago. Man, tickets for that sold quickly! We ended up with Saturday matinee in the balcony & we’re glad to get them.
S is bummed he’s currently too busy to participate in D-Lab shows. Hopefully, he will be able to see them - and stay awake (NOT a commentary on the shows’ quality).
I get the staying awake part! D’s Snapchat story has a picture of several of them leaving the CAC at 1:20AM. Not being a dancer-girl, she isn’t in Chicago, but some of the cast is, so Spelling Bee rehearsals this week are after Chicago rehearsals! They’re exhausted and having a ball. (And A Very Potter Musical - FUN!)
Yikes!.
Three weeks. I’m a ball of nerves and S is cool as a cucumber
That seems to be the way it works. At least the one auditioning is the cucumber.
Here’s my Mom advice… document the experience this year. Take a few pictures, make notes about each audition weekend (including silly things like where you ate dinner, what the weather was). It will be fun to reflect on when you are through it all. Enjoy every minute! It will fly by…
Great advice @MTmom2015! While in town to visit this weekend (Spelling Bee was great!) we showed D’s dad the place we ate lunch after her audition, and laughed about how miserably cold we were (January), which led to a fun conversation about audition year. I wish I’d taken notes & more pictures at the time. It’s a nerve-wracking year, but after it’s done you will miss it (and I say this with a HS sophomore D who wants to be a film actor - maybe I’m crazy…LOL).
My son saw Spelling Bee this weekend & reported that it was “Awesomely, awesomely, awesomely awesome!”
S stayed awake to see it after rehearsal. He too, said it was good.
Tickets bought for Chicago. Room booked. Days off work secured. Headshots on way from LA. Trying to nudge S along to schedule CCM, WKU, NKU, BW, OCU visits too. Artsy kid is killing me. I’m a compulsive planner.
Haha @EmTeeDad2016 - I recently found an email sent to my D in the fall of her senior year - I was tired of nagging, so thought if she saw it in writing it would help. The gist was “we love you and will support you, but it’s up to you to do what needs to be done.” I told her she had to decide if she wanted to do the whole audition year thing or just go to her non-audition safety school. Not sure it really helped, but she finished the essays/uploading, etc, and it made me feel better!!! That, and wine. 
I knew I would be the one who wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I did the nagging and the scheduling. S was responsible for getting into the car at the appointed time with the proper clothing and audition materials. It mostly worked. Wine and donuts helped. I’m STILL working that off.
Gonna have to be bourbon for me ladies. Really appreciate the insights from you all!