Student Blog: 10 Reminders for Those Starting the College Prescreen Process

For those not familiar with the term, a prescreen is a series of videos submitted to a college or program prior to the official audition. Schools can either invite you to audition for the program based on the prescreen or you can be denied entry into the school. It's helpful to start to weed out schools early on before traveling to them to audition, but it can also be hard to hear a “no” so early on in the process. Everyone has their own unique path for this process. I personally submitted prescreens to about 30 schools complete with 2-3 monologues, 2-3 songs, and 2-3 dance videos. They also usually include an essay or some sort of personal statement. The prescreen process is a lot of work, so I want to share some helpful tips and reminders for those about to get started! 
 

1. Pick material that you enjoy working on…because you’re going to be working on it a lot. It’s important that the material shows who you are and highlights you as a person and a performer. The schools are only introduced to you via video, so make them count…and have fun! 
2. Practice daily! Even if it's just for 5 minutes, make sure to do one thing each day to prepare for filming. You want to be confident in all of your material so you can be at your best when you decide to film. The filming actually can be the most fun part of the process when you’re prepared! 
3. Wear something you’re comfortable in that makes you feel confident! It's important to look your best when filming, but your best doesn’t necessarily need to be a fancy dress and LaDucas or a suit and tie. Wear something that showcases your personality! 
4. Limit yourself to a certain number of takes for each piece! Your ninth take probably isn't going to be any better than your third, and you definitely don’t want to tire out your voice on just one of your many pieces. 
5. Film in a place where you can be seen and heard clearly! You don’t necessarily need professionally filmed prescreens to be successful. The most important thing is showcasing the work that you’ve put into your pieces. 
6. Each person has their own timeline when it comes to filming and submitting. Don’t compare yourself to others! Some feel ready to film in the summer, while others wait until the fall. Don’t feel pressured to film until you’re artistically ready… but make sure to get them in by the deadline! 
7. Speaking of deadlines, make a calendar of the submission deadlines for each school! A lot of them will probably fall around the same time, but there are usually some outliers! Don’t let accidentally missing a deadline keep you from going to your dream school. 
8. What in the world do I do for my wild card video????? Wild card videos are hard because there are truly no guidelines. You are given a certain amount of time to showcase a part of yourself that may not be obvious in your other videos. It can be anything from a tap dance that you choreographed, to a cooking vlog of you making a secret family recipe. Wild card videos are important because they are used to humanize you during this virtual part of the audition process. They should be fun!! If what you’re doing feels natural and feels like you, then you're doing it right. 
9. Plan when you’re going to submit to each school. The applications take longer than you would think. It's basically like a normal college application, but you submit videos at the end of it. Take your time, and don’t rush through them. Also, unfortunately, be prepared to pay an application fee at the end. 
10.  When your results start coming in, don’t read into it too much. (This is the hardest piece of advice to follow.) The same videos that didn’t get you past the prescreen at one school are the same videos that are going to allow you to audition for the school you end up attending! You’re going to end up in the best place for you, so allow the prescreens to help you find that place! 

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. Use them as an opportunity to show who you are! Best of luck to anyone starting this process!