By the ArtsBridge Team

We asked Ana Gregoire, Grace Goble, Tracee Duerson, Shaun Ramsay, Halley Shefler, and Ariel Strasser of the ArtsBridge team what they wish students and families understood about college auditions and prescreens. Here’s what each had to say.

1. What helps students handle the college audition process well?

Shaun: They’re preparing early and getting the written and busywork aspects of the college admission process out of the way early (essays, applications, supplemental applications) so that they get to a point as soon as possible of being able to focus more exclusively on the audition side of the process. More specifically, they’ve practiced their audition material in high-stakes settings: getting themselves intentionally nervous, getting their heart rate up, and then running through their pieces. They’ve practiced them in places where there are tons of distractions and noise. They’ve practiced them in less-than-ideal circumstances so that they get comfortable in the discomfort. The ones who struggle with it are late and only know how to get through their material one way or with ideal ambient conditions.

Ana: Students who know themselves, who are confident and comfortable in their own abilities, and who know what they, specifically, are looking for from their education. They are able to focus on their own goals and experience without getting swept away by comparison.

Grace: Flexibility! I think the students who handle the audition process well are the ones who are able to remain really flexible (in every way). Things will go sideways throughout the process — whether it’s travel interruptions, scheduled auditions needing to change, being asked to do your monologue in a completely different way than you rehearsed, or getting a prescreen rejection the day before your dream school audition (it’s true, it happened to me). The best thing you can do is focus on what you are in control of, and let go of the rest.

Tracee: They come feeling prepared and excited, and know how to balance being confident in what they bring to the table with showing humility and vulnerability, knowing they are applying to these programs because they want to train, learn, and grow in college.

Ari: I think the students who do well with the process have familiarized themselves with it even before it starts. It’s a lot more than meets the eye, so I think the students who know what to expect have fewer surprises and handle it better.

Halley: Their families support their artistic pursuits, and the students themselves are organized and invested in the process.

2. What are the biggest misconceptions about college auditions and prescreens?

Ana: Limiting the college list to only big name schools. Sometimes the biggest or most prestigious schools are not the right fit for a student.

Ari: I see a lot of students wait until the last minute! I don’t think they realize that audition dates fill up. Submitting prescreens sooner, when the school accepts them, can help, especially if audition dates are assigned as submissions are reviewed.

Shaun: One misconception is that talent will make up for going over a time limit or not following instructions. More commonly, students don’t have a sense of how extraordinarily competitive the process is for certain majors. Another common misperception is that a recording needs to be perfect. There simply is no such thing, and what would even be interesting about working with a student who’s already perfect anyway? Faculty want to see creativity and students with a perspective. They want to see joy in the work and a passion for the craft. They want to see potential, but also that work has already gone into the preparation. They want to see the rules followed too.

Halley: That being the star of the high school musical, having strong grades and scores, being a full payer, or being a legacy applicant will automatically get them in. None of those things guarantees an artistic acceptance. Students also don’t have to be the star or the best in their school for a college to be interested. It is important to build a balanced list rather than assume that several competitive programs will work out.

Tracee: Not understanding how competitive this process is or the importance of creating a balanced list. It can also be difficult for students to understand how their talent compares with applicants beyond their own school or community.

Grace: That there’s one right way of doing things. Each school will have its own preferences for auditioning and prescreening, whether that’s material selection, slating, time limits, outfits, etc. There is no cheat code to get into a specific school. I also see students trying to pick the most “impressive” or “difficult” material rather than something they feel comfortable with and can make uniquely their own. Performing an “easy” song really well is much more impressive than performing a “hard” song just okay. You are also not likely to be at your absolute best and healthiest in the middle of the busy audition season. Prepare material that you can knock out of the park even on your worst day.

3. How should students choose and prepare audition material?

Halley: Work with someone who knows the “space.” A summer program or college intensive can also be a useful place to train and get feedback, if that is an option for you. Don’t feel you have to show everything you do in one song or piece, and don’t do a piece that isn’t “you.” A well-known piece is fine if you connect with it and make it your own. For theater students, use your acting! Listen to recordings of your songs, but learn the music first and be sure to make your own interpretation.

Grace: The most important thing is owning the process as your most authentic self. If you have to pretend to be someone you’re not to get into a school, why would you want to go there anyway? Choose material that you genuinely love performing, that says something about who you are and what you value. You are looking for a place that values what you bring to the table, too.

Ari: Students should really love their audition material! If you love to do your pieces, it shows. It’s not about singing the highest you can or about doing your most challenging pieces. Do the pieces that you connect to and that show your strengths.

Shaun: For theater, effective material demonstrates a genuine connection between the content of the song or monologue and the student’s lived experience, so that it is real and believable. The student also needs to be aware of what that material, and the choice of it, communicates about them as a human (not as the character, but as the student the faculty are considering whether they want to work with for four, or three, years!).

For music, it’s a bit different. Effective material shows what a student can do beautifully and well, and shows their joy in playing and performing. What they share in common is that they must show contrast and versatility, follow the stated instructions, and not “try to impress” with material beyond their technical capacity, range, or level of current ability, or even with content that is too mature and not age-appropriate for theater.

Tracee: Choose material that makes sense for your age and life experience, and lean into your strengths as an actor at this point in your life. You also need a range of options that meet the requirements of each institution. Spend less time worrying that you are picking the same material as everyone else and more time personalizing what you have for who you are as an actor and singer.

Ana: The most important thing is to choose material the student connects to and feels true to them. When you get into a room and adrenaline kicks in, you don’t want to be pulling a piece that is a stretch for your body. You want something you know inside and out.

Read more: How to Choose the Right Theater Audition Material and Choosing the Best Classical Voice Audition Repertoire.

4. What are faculty evaluating beyond the performance?

Shaun: It depends on the audition. Some run like a mini-workshop or mini-lesson. In those auditions, faculty can gauge a whole lot more. Can the student incorporate feedback and ideas immediately? Can they do that consistently as more feedback is added? This speaks to trainability: how a student responds to teaching, including when an adjustment feels unfamiliar.

In auditions where you present your work and it’s just “thank you, next,” there’s less opportunity to gauge that, but faculty still get a ton of information. How prepared is the repertoire? How does the student manage a memory slip, an out-of-tune note, or having to stop and restart a piece? Do they clearly love what they do?

More generally, how do you enter the room? How do you greet and speak with the audition panel, the accompanist, and the coordinators? How do you present yourself between pieces? Are you prepared for questions about yourself and your interests? All of that is part of the audition, too.

Halley: Can they imagine four years with this student? Can you take adjustments, pointers, and healthy criticism? Do you listen, are you kind and generous, and did you follow instructions? Be on time, don’t talk too much, and don’t name-drop. And did you read the play or learn the story of the musical or opera?

Ana: Are they directable? Open? Curious? Are they kind to the people outside in the hallway? The organizers of the auditions? The other students? How deeply have they thought about their material?

Grace: So much of the audition process is showing that you are a person who people want to work with. The faculty is watching to see how you respond to feedback, how you communicate with every person in (and outside of!!) the room — are you someone who will contribute positively to the culture of their program and school? It doesn’t always (or even often) come down to who is the most talented and who can belt the highest.

Tracee: Faculty are watching to see how you might work as part of an ensemble: whether you work well with others and are interested in contributing, rather than proving you are the best. They are also looking for potential and a willingness to be taught and trained. There are a lot of observations being made about group dynamics and whether an individual has passion for the program.

Ari: Faculty are also meeting you! They get to see who you are as a person. Acknowledge the people who are there. It can be hard to relax when nerves are running high, but take a deep breath and be present. Don’t perform when you introduce yourself. Say hello like a human!

5. How should auditions fit into the college application timeline?

Ari: Students definitely need time to practice their material during the process. Training doesn’t stop when the admissions process starts! Getting an early start on everything can help make sure you have time to keep your pieces fresh and not get bogged down by the rest of what’s required. It’s a lot! I also recommend that students don’t audition for their “top” school first, when they have a choice about the order.

Grace: Going through a college admissions process that involves auditioning means that getting applications in early is critical. Audition dates can fill up quickly! But more importantly, you want all of the application work to be out of the way once you start doing your auditions. Balancing looming deadlines on top of audition preparation and your regular schoolwork and extracurriculars is just too much!

Tracee: Students should plan way ahead. Ideally, audition materials are selected and solidified by late summer or early fall. Getting the Common App and supplementals done by the end of September can leave October for recording and submitting prescreens, depending on your schools’ deadlines. You also need to be reasonable about the size of your list. For many students, 10-15 schools is a manageable range, but the right number depends on how competitive and balanced the list is and what each application requires.

Shaun: It needs to be concurrent, but prepared separately and not considered more or less important than the academic and general side of the process, especially for university- and college-based programs. Early is key when it comes to performing arts admissions. Complete applications and prescreens well ahead of deadlines where possible. Depending on how a school schedules auditions and releases decisions, that may help you secure preferred audition dates or receive an earlier artistic result. Either way, it leaves you more time to manage the process. And booking travel early can mean better fares on flights! Early, early, early.

Read more: How to Choose a College Consultant for an Arts Student.

6. What should students and parents understand before they begin?

Ana: That they are also auditioning the schools to see if they are the right choice for them. Did the student enjoy their audition process? Did they learn anything from the feedback they received? Did they enjoy the student TAs helping with the process? Students can sometimes be so focused on getting accepted into a school that they are not considering whether it is actually the right fit for them.

Halley: It is possible to get into only one audition-based school. You need non-audition schools on your list that you would actually be happy to attend.

Tracee: It’s a big process that can be overwhelming if you don’t stay on top of all the information. Seek help from people who understand it: admissions representatives, arts teachers, and consultants. I want students to enjoy this process as much as possible, and a big way to do that is to be organized and leave room to have fun. You may not pass every prescreen or get into every school. That is why having a balanced list and staying open to different options matters.

Ari: Start early! I know I sound like a broken record, but when students get a head start, they are much more at ease and know what to expect when auditions roll around. I also think students should remember that they are auditioning the schools as much as the schools are auditioning them! Remembering that can help take some of the pressure off.

Grace: Just because a school is highly ranked and highly competitive, that doesn’t mean it’s the best school for you. It’s really important to look beyond the surface when you’re deciding which schools to apply to — plenty of working artists went to colleges you’ve never even considered, or went to college for something completely different from the field they’re working in! You have to consider that you are deciding what you want to spend the next four years of your life doing, and that goes beyond “getting a degree from a top program.” It’s important to find a community that you will be happy and supported in, a city/town that you genuinely enjoy living in, and a curriculum where you can learn a lot and explore all of your interests.

Shaun: That talent alone will not carry the weight of the process. Writing matters. Academics matter. Following instructions matters. Being professional matters. It’s all being observed.

7. What common college audition advice do you disagree with?

Shaun: That a piece is automatically off-limits because it’s overdone. That there’s a best or worst time of day to audition. That if I’m sick, my chances are ruined. Or that attending an institution’s summer program guarantees an advantage in admission to that institution. A summer program can be valuable for training and exploring fit, but families should not assume it comes with an admissions benefit.

I also hear that all that matters is how well I play, sing, or dance, or that I should be wary of contacting admissions about a scheduling conflict with another college. Ask for help! And don’t assume that choosing an offered regional audition rather than traveling to campus will hurt your chances. Check the school’s guidance. My goodness, so many assumptions to untangle.

Tracee: There is so much advice circulating among applicants and on online forums. It’s understandable that families look there for answers, but someone else’s experience may not apply to you. This process is different and personal for everyone, and there is no magic formula or secret. The biggest key is for students to be themselves and bring what they have. Let’s encourage students, parents, and supporters to be good humans in this process.

Ari: “Be yourself.” Of course it’s true, but it’s easier said than done! I’d say try to take a deep breath and just try to meet the moment. You are enough. Nothing to prove, everything to share.

Grace: There’s a lot of advice along the lines of “Do Not Sing” lists that I think is completely oversimplified. Just because a song or monologue is popular or well known shouldn’t automatically remove it from your rep book. If you genuinely love and connect with a piece, and you’re confident you can do it extremely well or have a unique take on it, its popularity alone is no reason to throw it out. Follow a school’s specific restrictions, of course. It’s also usually not worth working really hard to find a piece no one else is doing. When a piece is used a lot, it’s usually because the material itself is really good.

Ana: What to wear for an audition. Every school/faculty member has a different opinion. There is not a perfect outfit. Students should wear clothes that they feel confident and comfortable in. Clothes that do not restrict movement.

Halley: That applying to 30 colleges is automatically a better strategy, or that you should apply without considering whether a program is a realistic artistic and academic possibility. Be thoughtful about the list.