Student Blog: The Big Scary College Audition

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog. As audition season approaches, I thought I’d impart some of my wisdom as someone who went through the process. Firstly, a little disclaimer: I auditioned in 2020, the first year of COVID, so all of my auditions were over zoom. I didn’t get to experience things like Unified or traveling for auditions, so this blog post will not address those. That being said, I think I still have a lot to offer from what I learned.

Firstly, don’t get too caught up in labels. Acting vs. Musical Theatre or BA vs BM vs BFA. Instead, look at what the individual program offers. Some BA programs are more rigorous than BFA or BM programs. You just have to find what you want. A lot of acting programs also offer music and dance courses. I ended up at LIU Post as an acting major, and we have the opportunity to take all the courses musical theater majors are offered.

Secondly, your repertoire should show off your unique personality! If you use a program that helps you pick repertoire and they give you something you don’t like, do not be afraid to speak up! This is your moment, and colleges know that. They want to see who you really are, not who someone you hired thinks you are. Be a part of your own process!

Thirdly, I want to encourage you to speak up for what you need. A great professor told me at a prospective students talk that colleges look for students who take initiative. I loved that program, but I didn’t get in. I emailed that very professor that I went to his talk and this was me showing initiative. Was there any way he could get me into the program? Lo and behold, he did! Take risks for your future, the worst that can happen is they say no.

Next is possibly the most important tip I have for you: make friends! This process is extremely difficult, and without people going through it with you, it will only be harder. Join Facebook groups, make group chats, have Zoom calls! Putting yourself out there may be scary, but as I said earlier, you need to take risks. These people will support you through your process, celebrate your wins, and cheer you up through your losses. I am a junior in college now and I still keep in touch with many of the people I met through the audition process.

Lastly, take care of yourself. Your mental and physical health comes first. You can’t present yourself to colleges as your best self if you aren’t at your best self. Take mental health days, schedule your time so that nothing is crammed, eat food and drink water, take your meds, and leave time to do non-audition-related activities that make you happy! Reward yourself for taking care of yourself. Positive reinforcement (the rewarding of good behavior) goes a long way.

That’s all I have for you today. Break a leg at all your auditions and feel free to reach out with questions! I am sending you all so much love and good vibes. Until next time!