If for years, you’ve dreamed of fame, stardom, or just being a part of the theater community, get ready for a very different college application experience. Your friends will be tailoring essays, piling on extra-curriculars, and retaking tests. For those of us who want the coveted BFA in acting or musical theater, though, these next months will be filled with searching for the perfect song, monologue, outfit, and headshot to try for the selective programs.
By this time, you should have a pretty good idea of what programs are out there. The “trifecta” remains to be Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Michigan. These three schools have excellent reputations, programs, and connections. However, they’re selectivity rivals Ivy League schools. Harvard this past year took 7% of its applicants. CMU’s drama department took closer to 2%.
Never let that statistic discourage you. Most people agree that to stay alive in theater, one must always believe they are a part of that 2%. It also shouldn’t discourage you because of the wealth of programs out there. Some great programs include Syracuse University, Penn State University, Pace University, Elon University, New York University, Emerson College, the Boston Conservatory, Muhlenberg College, Florida State University, University of Miami, Point Park University, and Northwestern University. And, that’s the short list.
As you search for where to audition, remember this: you’re still going to college. If the idea of living in a large urban area frightens you, NYU might not be the best place to go, and Penn State is probably not a good idea for someone who wants a small college experience. All of these schools have great programs, but your job is to find which ones will be right for you. When you apply and audition, the people behind the table will be doing the same thing. They may think you’re very talented, but still believe you won’t be a good fit for their program.
Also, I mentioned above that your friends would be focusing on how they look on paper. You should too. Having great SATs, essays, and grades will never keep you out of a school.
Remember that as you go through this process, it’s great prep for the life ahead of you. Constantly auditioning and receiving good and bad news will continue all through an actor’s life (at least, that’s what I’ve heard), and this is great practice. Enjoy the acceptances and take the rejections in stride. (Easier said than done, I know)
Now, for the actual auditioning. As you prepare over the next few months, one thing I cannot stress enough is work with a teacher. I repeat, work with a teacher. This is too much work and stress to handle alone. Having a teacher will help keep you sane, give you a shoulder to cry on, and an ally in this crazy process. I’ve heard arguments over choosing a teacher. Some believe working with someone new will help, while others believe that a familiar teacher brings better results. Ask yourself which you need.
No matter what you decide, pick a teacher with knowledge of the process. Most of them will know about schools, but the more they know, they better they can help you prepare. Whether the teacher is new or familiar, find someone who will be honest with you. If a piece you’re doing isn’t working, the teacher needs to feel comfortable telling you.
If you don’t have a teacher in mind or you believe working with a new teacher will benefit you most, there are wonderful coaching services out there. One, mtcollegeauditions.com, has exploded in the past few years. A whole coaching team, many of them recent college graduates, will help you find great pieces for you and get you ready for the audition.
Have a variety of pieces prepared and know the ones that show you off the best. These pieces should be ones you feel comfortable with, enjoy performing, and bring out your best qualities. Avoid material that’s too old or too young, and try not to stand there for a minute and a half using only profanity. Usually, it turns a panelist off very quickly.
There are two main ways to audition for most schools: on-campus and unified auditions. On-campus is exactly what the name predicts. You visit the school and audition there. It’s a good opportunity to tour the school and the surrounding area, and more faculty is usually present at your audition on-campus.
Unified auditions take place in select cities around the US. Here, schools usually gather in one location, and students can audition for them there. Less faculty is present, but it’s a great way to audition for a bunch of schools at once. Some argue that auditioning off-campus means that rejection is imminent, but in personal experience, it makes little difference. If a school sees what they want in you, they will remember you, regardless of the date or place of your audition.
Hopefully, this served to answer any questions or at least make you aware of what’s ahead. Try your best to enjoy it. It’s stressful, time consuming, and impossible to figure out, but for a few months, anything’s possible. You get to travel all over the place and make great friends. I wish you well, MT 2014, and trust me, in a year, you’ll look back and smile.
