Student Blogger: Ruby Wolter

Once you’re settled into classes, and dorm life, and you have a few friends, that barreling freight train is going to come to a crashing halt. One day, you’re going to look around and ask yourself, “Am I doing enough? Am I busy enough?”.

This year I have had the pleasure of being a small part in these graduating senior’s college processes – answering questions along the way and giving advice as they needed it. I am so proud of all that they have accomplished! Now veterans of the college audition process, enjoy some words of wisdom from these 10 wonderful seniors, soon to be college freshmen.

When I graduate from college, move to New York, and start auditioning for jobs, the last thing I want to worry about is finding a day job that is flexible with my audition/rehearsal schedule. This stressed me out for a while, but then I decided to take action and start now.

Chances are that if you’re auditioning for musical theatre college programs, you’ve scheduled some of your auditions to take place at either New York, Chicago, or LA Unifieds. Unifieds are a great tool to audition for as many schools as possible, but they can also be daunting.

As the holidays are approaching and wish lists are being made, I thought I would share some things that might be smart to put on your Christmas list this year!

Take my thoughts on Unifieds, and make a choice that works with who you are and what makes you thrive. And who knows, you might end up going to the school you auditioned for at Unifieds! 

Every musical theatre program has standout qualities. During my personal audition process of over 30 schools, I witnessed an array of these qualities first hand. Proximity to theatre districts, agent signing statistics, masterclass opportunities, and varying credit requirements are just a few of the qualities that most schools boast. The most appealing quality to me, however, is outstanding faculty.

Musical theater is a challenging thing to “grade”. There aren’t many classes with essays that could be plagiarized or tests where you could choose to cheat. However, if your homework is to do the exercises your voice teacher assigned to you, it is easy to view the assignment as one that can be skipped over.

Treat every day like a blessing and a challenge all wrapped into one, and hopefully your days will feel burnout free!

Remember that prescreens are just a snapshot of your work. They’re not supposed to be perfect, and they are also not your audition. Do your best, but don’t allow them to become something stressful.

Keeping up training during the summer is challenging without having a structured work environment. My biggest advice is to make structure for yourself! Find a friend to train with you over the summer…or if you’re like me, and you really like structure, find a summer job like mine that allows you to work in your element all day! 

This past year has made me tough, yet compassionate and a hard worker who knows the value of rest. I recommend that anyone with a dream similar to mine puts in the work to make it happen. The exhaustion and tears are truly worth it, when you’re working towards a dream.

This summer, I decided to take on the task of choreographing the entirety of Seussical KIDS for a middle school summer program. I have never done anything harder, and I have never loved anything more.

Each year high school seniors across the globe work tirelessly on college applications. At my high school, students typically apply to a range of 3 to 8 schools. While the normal college process is already time-consuming enough, those seeking a college experience on the stage live out a completely different senior year.