Reflections Post!

So I would love to take this time to reflect on the first half of the audition season and what I did wrong/right. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes, or whatever. I will update this as I think of things!

What I Did Right:

• Did it for fun! I really tried (and succeeded!) not to get attached to schools. It was actually amazing. No tears were shed except the first time I watched my videos :) :) :) :')
• Don't fucking visit. Especially prescreen schools. It's so unwise. I have a special love for the BFA process but don't visit. Just don't. It's stupid.
• Choreographing my own prescreen? It worked out like...okay. I am not a dancer or a choreographer by any means but it was pretty handy (and inexpensive) to do it myself. 
• Honestly I fucking love my songs. I still do. I probably could have picked better ones vocally, but as far as age/gender/type, I think I rocked it. I never would have heard of either if I hadn't gone to Circle but still. I stand by my obscure material.
• Waited to send SAT scores. Best. Decision. Ever. I mean, if you don't pass whatever prescreen, you save yourself $11. No theatre department won't review your prescreen if you haven't sent scores. Seriously. EDIT: I'm pretty sure Michigan and Elon won't review your prescreen if you haven't sent scores. They have an academic as well as artistic prescreen. 
• Applied early! (Some places.) No but you get fee waivers! Hartt and UArts were free :) Wait, actually I had to pay a prescreen fee for UArts. But both applications were free because I applied early.
• Did extensive research very very very too early. It saved me so much damn work junior and senior year. I have a sophomore friend who is busting his butt looking at schools right now and he's doing it so right. 
• Used part of a long monologue as a short monologue. This is very specific but HIGHLY recommend. This way you don't have to learn another monologue a week before the audition because it was the only one that was like "2-3 minutes please" and yours is 1.5. Brills. Do this.
• Use songs/monologues you've already worked on/performed. This can be dangerous if you were in, say, Grease and were like "I'll just sing There Are Worse Things I Could Do since I know it already." But I have performed both my songs in cabarets before (and they're not from Grease. Lolololol) so when I went to pick audition material I didn't have to start from scratch. This is helpful because you never know when the only time you'll be able to film prescreens is tomorrow because your video guy is super busy.

What I Did Wrong

• Had like no time to actually film. Some of the songs I only filmed once. So if my voice cracked or if I looked shitty, too bad. Not a wise idea. 
• I thought hiring a videographer would be super worth it. It was not. Because we couldn't afford him for as much time as we needed. See above.
• Picked the wrong dance music. HAHA. I danced to Lady Gaga's Marry the Night. It was way too sexy for someone of my type. On the other hand, have someone choreograph for you.
• Act in your dance video. ACT IN YOUR DANCE VIDEO. I mean, yes, it was Marry the Night, but still. I could have at least smiled. I was deep deep deep in concentration and I have the grossest concentration face in history. I have literally been told this by dance teachers. We'll be doing chainees and my JLT (Jumps, Leaps & Turns--basically like, contemporary jazz) teacher is like "ABBY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SMILE NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT." I will make sure not to make that mistake in any of my auditions. 
• Act in your songs. Don't freak about mixing that awkward part. Change the damn key. 
• Ummmmmmgetcoaching. I did this insane workshop with Cady Huffman the day after I filmed my vocal prescreens and it completely changed the way I thought about my song. I was pissed and thought seriously about refilming them.
• Hair. And. Make. Up. Do it. Well. I think I mentioned that I didn't brush my hair and it was the biggest mistake of my life.
• Don't sing something you get nervous about singing. I just changed my ballad because I couldn't mix the middle as well and it was distracting. 
• I want to say also you shouldn't sing something that shows NO range. My belt song shows zero range. It goes to a C, once, briefly. And I can belt almost an octave above that. But I chose it because I love it to freaking death and it is very comfortable, like I can even do it when I first wake up in the morning and that is saying a LOT. Find a middle ground on this one, I guess?
• Gotten too absorbed in The Process. Honestly, I love auditioning. I'm sure I've mentioned that before. And with the Whole BFA Thing, it is really really easy to get caught up in that love of suspense and challenge and everything working out OK in the end. I started out not tailoring schools to what I really wanted so much as what it would be like to audition for a lot--i.e., fun and exciting. And it IS! It's a blast! But don't get caught up in the blast and apply everywhere just BECAUSE it requires an audition. The blast is expensive. And might or might not be what you actually want for 4 years.
• Applied late to NYU. I was lucky to get an audition date that worked decently but if I had waited one more day it would have been so, so much worse. Basically I would be on a train right now and missing my midterms.

Things No One Tells You About Writing College Essays

• The word counts are freaking infinitesimal. You better use some giant descriptive words or you can sound so boring so quickly!
• There are 90298470389724508340875 kadrillion ways to approach every prompt. I've grown to love the good old "hook" technique, but I use the first time I heard of/fell in love with said college. It's all cute and storylike. So, pure me.
• Talking about campus visits is ridiculously tempting. I literally visited 3 schools, and applied to 2 of them. AND IN BOTH SUPPLEMENTS I WROTE ABOUT VISITING. It's really hard not to. Really really hard.
• You have to do actual real fucking goddamn RESEARCH. This is not an AP Gov paper. You are not allowed to pull sources from logic or memorized court cases. Oh no. You have to troll the college web site until 3:22 am (what time is it again?), looking for some evidence of some program that interests you. Because they ask that. Oh yes, they ask that. Fuck you, Engle v. Vitale. (I just picked that one because I'm really passionately against school prayer because I am a raging Vermonter cow-tipping quasi-atheist liberal. Hilary 2016. EDIT: Bernie 2016! Vermont, indeed!)
• Some schools give you options. "The fun prompt or the not-fun prompt?" No, just kidding. But beware: the fun prompts can be a trap. Brandeis, for example, asks "why do you want to go to Brandeis?", "if you could uninvent one invention, what would it be?" and "tell us about a law you feel is unjust and why it should be broken." (I'm paraphrasing.) I wrote the boring one, because I do love Brandeis and it was easy. I will admit that I was tempted to write about why Kinder Eggs should be legal in the US. But alas. My common app essay is weird enough. 
• Do not write your essay in a junior class with a teacher who thinks everything you do is perfect!!!!! I made this mistake. And so I trashed my generic ass essay A WEEK BEFORE THE DEADLINE.
• On having other people read it over: honestly, I suck at taking criticism of my writing. I just want to be a weirdo goodball nuthead and write exactly what I feel and what goes through my brain (oh, like how I talk) (oh, like what I am doing right now). So when people pick my essays apart it feels like they are vultures picking away at my intestines or something. I have no trouble being criticized if it's a performance. I guess because I know whether it sucks already. With writing I legit have no idea. Moral of the story, be careful who you ask for help. Make sure they know what they're doing and will let you down gently.
• YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE EVERYONE'S ADVICE. IT IS YOUR ESSAY AND YOUR LIFE. 
• I never thought I would say this, but Google Docs is my savior. I hadn't used it except on group projects since about the 7th grade, but it has been a godsend for sending works in progress back and forth from school to home as well as peer editing. 
• If you have to do a video personal statement, have that shit fucking MEMORIZED. I made this mistake and we did like 40945784 takes before one was even semi-acceptable. All I had was a vague outline of what I would talk about and there were so so so many awkward pauses. Please. For me. Write it out. 
• On using the same essay for two different schools: I won't lie, I started out doing this a lot. And I won't say don't. But. But. Make sure it actually answers the prompt. And make sure what you're copy/pasting is a fucking gold mine of truth and insight. If you're putting in half the work, it had better be good.
• Be unique! I quoted Legally Blonde in my common app essay. It sucks a little, but it is so me. I suck a little too. Okay, I suck a lot. But anyway, don't be generic. It must suck to me a college admissions officer reading the same failure/success essay over and over. Personally, I think if a college doesn't want unique, it doesn't want me. :)

Hope you learned something amidst my 3 am sassiness. Sorry I swear so much. It's even worse in real life, I...swear...

Update 12/31: Aca-demics

Pitch Perfect ftw.
Since the last time I posted literally anything, I auditioned for college (!), received my last prescreen rejection and FOUR academic acceptances: Marymount Manhattan, Webster, University of Hartford and Columbia College Chicago. I am going to college! Somewhere!
A recap of my Hartt audition will come soon I swear. Right now I'm totally busy trying to fine-tune all the supplemental essays that are due on the 1st--gulp!--tomorrow. Northwestern's is killing me. And, haha, I still haven't even DECIDED whether I'm applying to BU! I think I'm just going to work some copy/paste magic and go for it. I was going to apply for communications or something but.......why not just do theatre? It's a fantastic program that I have no chance of getting into, AGAIN, but what do I have to lose? Just money!!!!!
God, I am really feeling BAs lately. Or like liberal artsy BFAs. That's probably because I'm fixing up my nonaudition school essays right now. But still. Lord. College. Somehow I'm still pumped.

12/8 upd8

I called UArts, and they had invited me to audition, so I was supposed to be in Philly last weekend. But I rescheduled and now I'm auditioning at NY Unifieds. Thank god! I was not ready last week. This weekend I'm off to my first live audition at Hartt! I actually think I might be ready. Haha. Today I have another audition for a theatre near me that is putting on Legally Blonde and I'm pumped!

Update 12/1

OK OK. So I have been like pretty bad at prepping for auditions. I thought I would be super super driven and motivated at this time but...yeah. My first one is on the 13th for Hartt. I have a workshop this friday, an audition for a local show monday, a college audition the next sat, and a cabaret I am performing in a week after that. And then break!
I ended up applying to Ithaca for theatre management, not MT. The more I think about it, the more I realize I want to do all musical theatre performance all the time, but for undergrad, it makes so much more sense to get a degree in something a bit more broad. I think theatre can be broad but I'm not sure many BFA MT programs are.
I withdrew from schools where I didn't pass prescreens and sent scores to all the rest. Plus all my auditions are scheduled. Now I just have a buttload of supplements to write for non audition schools. Woo.
Something weird happened today. I never got a prescreen decision from UArts so I just kind of let it go and assumed it wouldn't be happening. Then today I got an email reminding me of my audition this weekend?!?! It was from the school, not the theatre dept, so it is definitely possible they got their wires crossed or something. I have to call tomorrow and ask. Joy. I would still love to audition there, just...not this weekend. Oops.
Also, school is cray. I have an enormous AP English project due Wednesday and I am going to die. Plus tons of AP Music Theory homework from over break that I only kinda did. Hahahah it is going to be a loooong night. Kill me now.

Extreme update!

Since I last posted, I received 4 more prescreen rejections. Plus I failed my driver's test, which was more painful than all of them. I am amazed at how little I care. When I tell people, they feel sooooo bad for me. It is odd. I'm not detached from everything, it's more like...I have a life to live. I am more inspired to actually be a person (like...not just a theatre person) than I have been in YEARS! I Am adding some schools, but not for MT. Academia WHAT. I have actually been avoiding all college stuff like the plague lately, so I suppose those prescreen rejections did affect me some. But I'm still totally feeling theatre. I'm not angry at it or angry at myself for not being good enough. I knew I wasn't. I'm just chilling, and you know what? I haven't done that in years. I do have a lot of college stuff to so now though. Apps are due in January even if you are a math major. I applied to Emerson tonight--I am still going to do all of my non prescreen school auditions, just for fun! I am still technically waiting to hear from 2 other places, but I don't think I will for a while. I have thought about getting a coach just for the rest of this audition season (plus I still might go for it again next year, depending on said coach's advice). I have a little money. I am 18 now. The possibilities are endless. Not driving is pretty prohibitive though.

Update 10/28

This might be a huge rant that I have to edit later.
I got my SAT scores back which was kind of enormous because I aced the critical reading section, which brings my superscore to a 2200! Holy crap. I can't believe it. I'm now having major existential doubt about the future and musical theatre and whether I'm wasting my brains (800 though!!!!!) going totally all-in for something I have no natural talent in. So, I think I'm going to add more non-audition schools because I'm 99% sure I'm not going to pass any prescreens. Of course, I have NO idea where to start or where they have halfway decent theatre.
I'm still dealing with MT stuff and I have 2 more prescreens I haven't submitted and I don't even know if I'm going to or if I should cancel my live auditions or what because if I don't pass any prescreens (and like I said, it's likely--I've already not passed 2 that aren't known to cut a significant amount of auditioners) I feel like that's a pretty good indicator that I'm just kidding myself. Or at least, that I need to talk to someone who knows what they're doing and what schools are actually looking for.
Honestly, I've started to worry about money. Professionally filming the prescreens was expensive. Applying is expensive. Prescreen fees add up. Plus if I reaudition I have to do this all over again, money included. I kind of had a giant shouting match with my mother over what I want to do with my life...like 10 minutes ago. I am just not feeling the whole college thing at the moment. Not being able to get trained in theatre is like......unthinkable for me. I'm in such a weird situation because I'm really educated on the process of it all but I don't have the technical skills everyone else does (especially vocally), and I don't look marketable which doesn't help. I'm not being down on myself, I KNOW I don't and decided to go for it anyway. And there actually aren't tons of schools I'd be excited about attending if I wasn't getting that training there. But at the same time, there is a part of me that doesn't even care and just wants to go /somewhere/. I'm so conflicted. I'm a mess of contradictions. And I haven't started the AP English essay that's due tomorrow.

Update 10/26

First prescreen rejection came Friday from Coastal Carolina (aka the school I accidentally applied to when I wasn't supposed to)! I wasn't at all upset--I haven't even let myself think that I might actually go to college one day, so I'm not really attached to any particular school--but it totally made this process real for me. It was like, "WOW, it is my turn, and schools are watching MY videos (!) and acknowledging that I exist, and maybe I do exist? (it was a very existential moment), and I am going to get more of these, possibly 8 more, and that's fine but like THISISHAPPENING."
Pace said a week so I was prepared for a rejection from them too but I just keep getting these e-mails listing audition requirements. I double and triple checked and I've done everything on the lists. They say to call if you haven't heard within two weeks.
To be honest though, not passing the vast majority of prescreens is a bit worse than just not getting accepted anywhere because obviously, schools take more kids through the prescreen than they do into their actual program. Like, you could be rejected from a /school/ but as long as you passed prescreens you at least knew you were decently close, or like in the top half of auditioners. Honestly, I doubt I am, though I think it's a lot about type, like I said in my last post. As you all know, I have a lot of regrets about my prescreens as it is (and I will list them at some point in the future so you can avoid making the mistakes I made! Maybe I will even post them?). But there is no point worrying about it now.
I love how I'm assuming I didn't pass ANY prescreens after hearing back from one. But I'm one of those people who assumes the worst, because if it doesn't happen (not if the best does, if the worst doesn't), you're pleasantly surprised, and if the worst DOES happen, that sucks but at least you get to be right about something. Oh yeah, this is how I get through everything in life.

Update 10/21: 7 down, 2 to go...!

Except Ithaca, for the reason I mentioned. I'm just going to use the monologue videos from the other day that I don't like as much. Sigh. Also, Shenandoah.
BUT HAPPINESS! I feel like I can almost sort of breathe now that I've submitted to Indiana, Baldwin Wallace and Texas State.
WHEW. I'M READY TO BE REJECTED NOW.
Real talk: I'm not going to pass all my prescreens. If I pass half, I'll be like, ok, cool, I must be really talented after all. It's largely (no pun intended) a type thing. To start, I look absolutely horrible in my monologues and intros--partially due to bad lighting and not having brushed my hair that day, but honestly, I'm never going to be a good looking or thin person, which for an actor, well, sucks. But facts are facts and I think my personality might be weird enough to match my type. NOT of course that I would blame all rejection on what I look like! There are so many reasons not to pass a prescreen. This is just one applies to me more than other people. And I'm not being "down on myself," I'm being realistic. I am not marketable looking. I do not have my weight listed on my resume for obvious reasons (though I've actually been told it's better not to, regardless). I am not even really insecure about these things. If you saw my headshot, which I will put on here somewhere, you would be like "what?! You're not ugly!" And it's not that my headshot doesn't LOOK like me, it's just....a really really good angle. Whereas my monologue prescreens are the opposite extreme. To put things in perspective, there is not a single double chinless moment.
But you know what? There's nothing I can do about that (EXCEPT BRUSH MY GODDAMN HAIR IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT). I'm just going to roll with it and hope some school thinks I'm interesting enough to be see in person. If none does, their loss.

A Comprehensive List of College Audition Resources

When I was first looking at the MT audition process, there were so many little places I gathered info from. I thought I would put them all in one place.

BOOKS:

I Got In by Mary Anna Dennard
This book is pretty classic for MT auditions! It outlines the process really well. There are newer editions, but I have the first one. Nonetheless, Mary Anna spills everything. This book is the Bible. I pretty much memorized it.

Admit One: Ten Steps to Choosing Your Acting or Musical Theatre College Program by Chelsea Cipolla and John West
This book is very, very helpful in figuring out what it is you want/need in a college. By the time I read it, I was pretty much set on a BFA ("or really intense BA") but it still helped me to discover a lot of "hidden gem" colleges and decide what I was looking for.

I know of a book on Amazon that someone wrote about their daughter's personal process. But I can't find it because I am an idiot.

#SOBLESSED: The Annoying Actor Friend's Guide to Werking in Show Business by Annoying Actor Friend @Actor_Friend
Although there is only a chapter dedicated to college auditions, this book is hilarious and so real about what "the business" is like. Some of the humor in the college audition chapter....well, you kind of have to do your research before you understand it 100%. Which brings me to...

ONLINE RESOURCES:

The internet is really really great.......for learning about MT college auditions!! Seriously. It is a fantastic resource that I would have known NOTHING without. Here are some of the best places to gather info and intel:

Forums and Social Media:

College Confidential
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/
AH, the great and terrible College Confidential aka CC! I discovered it several years ago because of a link in a comment on some article about MT colleges on broadwayspotted.com. I have spent hours--perhaps days--of my life on here. The great thing about it is that you get real, firsthand information from real people (mostly parents) who have been through, or better yet, are currently going through the process. (Sometimes if you're really good (read: A REALLY GOOD STALKER aka me) you can figure out who the kids in question are.) The terrible thing is that it's extremely addictive. I would advise NOT to go on once you have actually submitted apps, unless you have a burning, specific question. I started feeling bad about myself once I heard about kids passing prescreens when I hadn't even submitted mine yet! So I left until I had finished all of my auditions. Make sure you check out the drama major section of CC as well.
Here are a couple of threads that are especially helpful (most now have class of 2019 and 2020 counterparts which you can find pretty easily):

• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1616849-final-decisions-background-class-of-2018.html This is my favorite thread on CC. It is a great way to see how peoples' lists compare and the average numbers of schools students are accepted to (not as high as you might think). Plus, most of the stories are totally heartwarming. 
• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/477658-preparing-to-apply-information-for-h-s-juniors-and-seniors.html Special info for those just starting the process. Hella useful. Keep this bookmarked.
• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/102726-books-and-other-resources-for-mt-students.html Self-explanatory. Not limited to books about auditioning/auditioning for college! (In addition to these, I highly recommend reading some acting technique books. Stanislavski is great, but if you can't get through all of My Life in Art, try Boleslavsky's Acting: The First Six Lessons. We were required to read this at Circle and I loved it.)
• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1067706-the-freshman-experience.html This thread is excellent for comparing programs. Current MT students literally post their schedules with comments about life in their respective programs. Read all of it! It's a FANTASTIC resource.
• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1575642-2013-2014-audition-day-review.html Another one of my favorite threads! The info is very personal and specific, about each poster's experience at their school X audition. Just take everything at face value! One person might get a completely different vibe from a particular school than the person standing behind them in the dance call.
• http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1517445-class-of-2018-yikes-sharing-venting-etc.html Last one I promise! This thread is super general, but you can see how the process goes as it is happening. 

Facebook
Good old Facebook is actually a fantastic resource for MT college info, if you know where to look. I highly suggest joining each MT class's facebook group and scrolling back through posts. The ones I know of are: The Collective, The Allied (2017), The Unified (2018), The Ensemble (2019) and The Troupe (2020). All the groups have lists of school reps that you can talk to if you're interested in the schools they represent or their experience with the college audition process in general. People are really nice. I've gotten fantastic advice from sooo many students in the years above me, and commiserated with students in my class!

Twitter
First, follow Annoying Actor Friend and BFA Problems @BFAproblems! Both are hilarious. If you want to go deeper, check out @BFAMTAcceptance and @BFAMTRejected. If you want to go REALLY deep, stalk the people who tweet at both those pages and see what else they've said in their personal tweets. I'm kidding, don't do this. Please. Don't be a stalker like me. I have a problem.

BLOGS AND BLOG POSTS
Blogs are the greatest thing ever and there are SOOOOO many out there! Here are just the ones I know of:

Schools

http://tada.fredonia.edu/
SUNY Fredonia's Dept. of Theatre and Dance blog is one I literally discovered 5 minutes ago. I haven't had the chance to look through everything but it seems like it can offer serious insight into life in a BFA or BA program.

Most schools have a Tumblr account where prospective students ask questions! Just search the school's name.

Teachers

auditioningforcollege.com
Matthew Edwards, who is a voice professor at Shenandoah Conservatory, runs this blog which offers advice about all aspects of college auditions (for Vocal Performance as well as MT!). I particularly love what he says about type and age appropriate material. There is also a fantastic overdone list on this site. You will want to go to ShenCo after spending 10 minutes on this site. You just will.

http://contemporarymusicaltheatre.wordpress.com/author/contemporarymusicaltheatre/
Contemporarymusicaltheatre.com is another great resource. In particular, author (and Marymount Manhattan MT voice teacher!) David Sisco writes some articles including anecdotes about his students. It is an easy way to see what voice lessons in an MT program are like.

Coaching Services, Etc.

http://www.mycollegeaudition.com/mca-blog
My College Audition is founded by the same people who wrote Admit One! Their blog is chock full (chalk full? Where does that expression even come from?) of good advice. I haven't visited in a while and I think I need to spend some hours....

http://collegeauditionpro.blogspot.com/
This one is really old, but still has relevant info. Check out her post on using your summer!

http://getacceptd.com/blog/
The infamous prescreen upload site getacceptd has a blog as well! And it's wonderful! Not just about prescreens either :)

http://artsbridge.com/artblog/
ArtsBridge, which is a college audition specific summer program, also has a blog. They feature certain theatre schools every once in a while, and have general advice about auditions. 

Students!

http://survivingccm.blogspot.com/
She has 2 posts, but they are AMAZING POSTS. READ THEM. BASK IN THEIR GLORY. SLEEP WITH THEM UNDER YOUR PILLOW.

http://shencomt2017.blogspot.com/
A girl at Shenandoah Conservatory created this blog to document her freshman year, and it is fantastic! Lots of pictures which I adore.

http://divasguidetocollegeauditions.com/
DIVA'S GUIDE IS SO COMPREHENSIVE. Current MT students give advice on topics like headshots, prescreens, and making a balanced list of schools. I'm obsessed with this blog and I think it's insanely useful. Watch for new posts every weekend!
Edit: I will be guest blogging at Diva's Guide in the fall! Stay tuned and I'll post a link to whatever I write :)

http://justinec-bfa-mt.tumblr.com/
This girl is a freshman at SUNY Fredonia and is detailing her experiences at the school and in the BFA MT program so far. Plus, she posted a really handy MT college audition checklist, which you can also see if you are in The Ensemble!

http://helloemilyd6298.tumblr.com/
I love this blog because the author is so candid about her experiences auditioning for college. She talks a lot about MTCA so if you're considering coaching you should definitely read it!

auditionhorrorstories.tumblr.com
I actually made this blog with a couple people I met in one of the facebook groups! There was this giant post in The Unified (you can still find it if you search "audition horror stories") that has even more. It's pretty hilarious. Add your horror stories if you have some!

https://collegetheatrestudent.wordpress.com
There is only one article on here, but it's so helpful and so true.

VIDEOS
A lot of people say not to use youtube to look up possible audition songs...BUT, if you search "musical theatre college audition/prescreen" you can find a lot of what songs NOT to do! A lot of people post their audition videos on youtube and...some of those videos aren't fantastically done. Nevertheless, there are good examples of prescreens out there! But that's not all youtube has in store for MT auditioners. Many college audition veterans have made videos about their experiences:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GuZLgWw-JE
You should watch this before you make any decisions about anything. I actually sat down and did it which was very wise.

http://www.1and16.com/ A new reality show/web series about college audition prep. It's very cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovy2ndqj7nA
This video details this girl's experience at LA Unifieds. It is incredibly helpful and I think I have it memorized. I sometimes watch the background to see what people were wearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiJ_ZMNygJ0
This one is great too! She really talks you through the entire audition process and seems like a fantastic human being. I learned a lot and I feel like I made a friend! Ha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfbQ-qHEyIY These videos are very informative. And funny! A super convenient way to get a lot of info.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU6aFYgj7on0nd2wHeSjlUUP_hLlRzXSk More audition tips, specific to dance/voice/acting...I actually met her at one of my auditions and she was very nice. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj1xTYVwomo Here is a Class of 2020er's new vlog. She's just started her process and you'll be able to follow it through this year! It could also give you some organizational ideas and whatnot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgUD92O-WEU  This is a documentary she made as her senior project. It takes you through her entire college audition process, featuring explanations as well as in-the-moment videos. The vocal health stuff at the beginning is particularly interesting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPsnexJkbYo
This is just a bunch of video footage she compiled during her auditions. It's really cool because it feels like you are going through the whole travel process with her!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axwoIT2LfKQ
This one is basically everything from her process, and includes great advice (from MTCA) as well as footage from actual auditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q4iwfE4Bzs&index=50&list=PL8A3B21081D4B0314
Don't watch Stages. You will want to go to Baldwin Wallace. And die.
Actually, watch it. Watch it watch it. It's so perfect. It's a good kind of dying. I swear. You must get to go to Heaven aka get workshopped by Vicky Bussert. Sorry I just have a lot of feelings.
There is also this video where the faculty gives audition tips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRTjUqE4DmU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWS6M4iETA0
This is a "day in the life" sort of video, made by students at Florida State University. It is super informative and makes me wish I was in college already! (There used to be a whole vlog made by Hartt MT majors but I can't find it anywhere?? It must have been taken down.)
EDIT: When I auditioned at Hartt one of the guys from that vlog was helping with the dance call. It was pretty much exactly like meeting a celebrity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-IUUl0ipVw&feature=youtu.be/ CMU students tell you how to manage when you're actually in a college theatre program!

ARTICLES
There are various articles around the internet that contain awesome advice about college theatre schools. Just beware the lists of "top schools"...the rankings are very subjective, and they are often written by someone outside of theatre!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anna-dennard/ Mary Anna Dennard has written some excellent articles on Huffington Post. You can see them all here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-josephson/note-to-self-4-reminders-_b_6504348.html
This is a great one for parents to read as well.

http://media.wix.com/ugd/6a667b_7e6d1c6c63a84af5be14281c716d4696.pdf This is done by faculty from Shenandoah Conservatory and it's VERY helpful. Information you might not find anywhere else. Also check out the other article on Jonathan Flom's web site!

http://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/campus-visits/blog/lights-camera-college-audition/
A Q&A with one of the authors of Admit One and founder of My College Audition!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/education/edlife/theater.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 A very long NY Times article about Unifieds.

http://www.examiner.com/article/22-audition-tips-for-college-theatre-and-music-program-admissions
An ArtsBridge person wrote this article! It's in the Buzzfeedesque numerical format everyone and their dog is crazy about. :)

http://theatre.cah.ucf.edu/files/Preparing_for_Musical_Theatre_Auditions.pdf Great advice from MT faculty at UCF!

https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/SCHOOLTHEATRE/dec00%20audition.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJH5D4I4FWRALBOUA&Expires=1422987297&Signature=jNWSrdBLx2Tmcf6scDdFSMe%2BjuM%3D An article originally published in Dramatics magazine.

http://majoringinmusic.com/is-musical-theatre-your-calling/ This is great! Just remember that if you want to do theatre, and you know it's your calling, you shouldn't stress over whether you fit someone else's "should I be an actor" criteria. That said, these are excellent criteria. It's a very thought-provoking article.

Playbill is full of wonderful articles, although they're more informational and less instructional. Here are a few articles I found on there:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/whats-the-best-choice-for-a-performing-arts-education-college-or-conservatory-333470 About choosing a performing arts college, from Playbill.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/the-secrets-you-need-to-know-to-have-a-successful-performing-arts-college-audition-332618 Again, not specific to theatre. But check it out anyway! Most of the info is still relevant.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/everything-performing-arts-students-need-to-know-about-getting-federal-financial-aid-338621 Oh, the great and terrible FAFSA. This is so important. You finish apps and you're like, "I'm done! No more deadlines! Now comes the fun part!" but OH NO. You still have to submit the FAFSA if you want to be able to actually afford college. And it's a nightmare, but if it gets you money in the end, it's worth it.

Backstage.com is a fantastic resource! They have a college guide, but also there are some articles that might be specifically helpful:
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/resources/10-theater-colleges-kick-start-your-career/ You may have overlooked some of these colleges. Make sure you don't fall in to the BFA MT trap! These are a lot of straight acting programs at liberal arts colleges that are just as strong.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/resources/3-things-know-nail-your-college-audition/ Read this! Anything you can find that is from people who are actually behind the table in audition rooms is invaluable.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/9-tips-high-school-students-applying-acting-programs/ Important. Especially the starting early stuff.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/6-questions-ask-about-your-potential-theater-program/ A list of questions to ask college reps and current students! They're different than the list I posted, so make sure to read both.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/7-college-essay-writing-tips-borrowed-broadway/ THE CUTEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN AND MAKE SURE YOU DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ESSAYS



That's all for now! I'm sure I'll keep finding great resources and putting them on here.

Update 10/18 and 4 PRESCREENS SUBMITTED!

It's been kind of a while! Things have been pretty slow re college apps. That's mostly my fault for trying to have a life. But acceptd has been pretty stupid as well. Prescreens have not gone as smoothly as they possibly could have. Nevertheless, I submitted my first four today, plus the Texas State app. Five to go! And I will start hearing in 5 days..........ackkkkk. I'm not expecting to pass any. I'm not expecting anything. I am not nervous. I am nothing. I am blank.
Getacceptd.com is a blessing and a curse. As I mentioned, technology hates me. When I first uploaded videos to acceptd, they would take literally overnight. As in, 8 hours. Then they stopped working altogether in Google Chrome. I had to use Internet Explorer! THEN, the videos wouldn't upload after about 5 pm. Don't ask me why. My mom's theory was server overload. Maybe because my dad's computer is on when he gets home from work? I have no idea. Anyway, it took literally weeks but FINALLY all the videos are on there except one. GRAHHHH. And I have to upload my transcript (for the same school). WHEW. That's why I have been so behind, partially.
The other problem was with the new intro to my monologue. The videographer put my /full/ introduction onto the introless monologue, including songs. And Ithaca specifically asks for introduction of each piece...so...it's gonna be weird.
My voice teacher and I have been going over what to put in my book/"have in my back pocket" if I'm asked for something else. It's pretty much going to be songs I've worked on and/or performed before that I'm revisiting. I love them all and I missed them and I'm pumped to sing them again!
I retook the SATs because I'm an idiot who wanted to increase her math score 30 points without studying. I am positive I did not. For the record (I'm revealing everything here, that's the point), my grades and scores are like pretty good. I don't have a 4.0, I WISH (I have a 3.9 if you round up from 3.87???? still a fine GPA, I'm not embarrassed or anything, it could be way worse). A lot of theatre people DO have 4.0s though! Which intimidates me so much. OH WELL!!! It's all going to work out even if I have to take a gap year. I'm starting to be into the whole gap year thing. Like, yeah, I might get to do this whole process over again but with an actual clue what I'm doing! Awesome!
I'm sorry this is so boring right now. It's just the part of the process I'm at. I promise things will be a tad more exciting come December. :)

Update 10/7

I promise I will make some actual informative posts soon but I really want to keep track of the process as I go through it. This is exactly the kind of thing I needed when I was learning about the audition process! I mean I am still learning...even now I would love to see a blog like this, just based on personal experience.
I got my first audition day schedule today, from Hartt. I was in advisory and I squealed like I had just been accepted! HAH YAY. I have to be there at 7:45 on December 13th, and my individual audition is at 10:40...should be interesting, considering how much my voice despises the morning. Ah well. I will get up at 5 to warm up. They also sent a campus map and a parking permit. And they cced my mom which she was very into. So I am super excited for that!
I am in the process of uploading prescreens to acceptd. It takes FOREVER. You basically have to upload 3 at a time and walk away or go to bed or whatever. But that is a-ok because I still have to get my intros sorted out with the videographer. I have time I have time I have time I have no official deadlines until December 1. This is happening. I am saying affirmations and probably failing AP English lit.

Update and a rant!

I am just going to rant about prescreens for a sec.
So I had this one great take of my monologue and I was like "damn so honest and true. I'm unstoppable" but then I went to submit prescreens and realized I HAD NOT INTRODUCED IT. so now I either have to film it again or use the other take where I messed up a couple of words. Gawd. It looks like I might not be ready to submit prescreens after all!
On the plus side I applied to 4 schools today: Ithaca, pace, Shenandoah and Baldwin Wallace!

Update 10/2

It's technically 10/3, but oh well!
Yesterday (technically the day before) I applied to Hartt/U of Hartford and Columbia College Chicago. And I got my first audition date confirmed at American! February 14th! YAYYYYY! Also Hartt waives the audition fee if you audition on December 13th, which I plan to.
I also sent a form to Indiana University letting them know how to contact and what my preferred audition date would be if I pass the prescreen.
I really really have to submit prescreens and get my transcripts sent and blah blah blah. At least I'm mostly done apps.
But so far this is a lot less difficult than I expected???? Is that bad?
Tomorrow is Yom Kippur so I get a break from thinking about anything but my sins from the past year and how hungry I am ayyyyyyy

Update 9/29

Today I finished filming my prescreens! I did dance at the studio on Saturday, along with one take of each monologue. My songs were filmed with my voice teacher a week before. We (I say we because my mom paid) hired a videographer (someone I work with) because no one in my family knows anything about editing or has decent equipment (like, the best equipment we have is my 5 MP phone camera). I may post videos of my prescreens later, but they are definitely flawed. Ah well! I am a flawed human!
I am not a dancer-dancer, and anything beyond a double pirouette is pretty much beyond me, so I have no idea how I choreographed my own dance prescreen. It is a little over a minute and I am only submitting it to two schools (for the rest it is optional). I watched the video today and while I was satisfied with how most of the actual dance looked, I was terribly disappointed by my lack of a facial expression during the entire thing! Ugh. I can't refilm it now so I'm just going to thank God it's only for two schools.
The monologues went really well today but personal statements and intros were honestly hellish! I said "um" a LOT and I kept forgetting important points I was planning to make. Blehhhh.
I was supposed to submit apps and prescreens before October 1st, and it might still happen but I haven't even turned in the form that my mom has to sign in order for my counselor to send my transcripts...oops!
We also went over the possible audition schedule today which was interesting. It seems like 15 schools could actually work. But it probably won't end up that many, seeing as that includes 9 prescreen schools. I e-mailed Indiana and American with the first bits of information so I can get a confirmed audition date (AU) and submit my prescreen (IU).
I also submitted to UArts yesterday! They are waiving the application fee through September 30th, so I went for it! The app was super easy to fill out. I have been pleasantly surprised but a lot of non common app schools. They are not very difficult or time-consuming, and with the exception of ApplyTexas, quite easy to use.
UGH, I want to do nothing but audition for/apply to college!!! I am having so much fun! I am loving this excuse to prepare/perform songs and monologues!

Another Opening, Another Show (Or Not)

Shows were the only acting training I had for so long. I was never in tons--usually two or three a year--but they ruled my life anyway. After my freshman year (when I was in way more shows than usual!) I decided there were other things that needed my attention more. First, I started dancing more. I finally restarted ballet (which has helped me so much) and tap. I also took two acting classes, got a job, and started going to whatever workshops I could. I still participated in my school show, but I also realized I didn't have to depend on other people to cast me in roles that would benefit me.

In addition to outside training, I put on my own cabaret performance as a fund raiser for my Africa trip. It was tough being a director/producer but I am so glad I did it! In addition to raising money, my friends and I got a chance to perform.

I would never advise anyone to give up shows, but if you want to continue doing MT in college, think about what each one is going to offer you. You do not owe it to anyone to be in shows! Of course, shows are fun. But if the only benefit is social time, think again. I personally went for shows where there were people I would learn from. That meant not being a lead most of the time, but that was okay as long as I was learning. It's so okay not to be a lead all the time. Just think carefully about what you are choosing to do with your time. :)

This year I'm not doing ANY shows (at least, not right now). I miss it, but I just can't stretch myself that thin right now. AP English is a full time job as it is. I was not going to be the lead in my high school musical, which is fine. I'm actually glad I wasn't the star of my high school/area, because I don't have unrealistic ideas about my talent level (part of that comes from seeing shows and doing research though). Admittedly, hearing "every kid auditioning for college MT programs had the lead in their high school musical!" is not a huge confidence boost, but you know what? There is nothing I could have done about any of those shows. I could come up with excuses like directorial bias and illness and typecasting and "there's just a lot of talent in my school", but what is the point? I wasn't right or good enough or whatever, and that's okay. It's okay not to get every part, it's okay not to get ANY part, it's okay not to spend your time trying. The important thing is improvement. Go forth and improve, friends.

Starting Here, Starting Now

I first heard of the college audition process at a workshop with my current voice teacher, just before he became my voice teacher.  I took the city bus there; I was very committed (public transportation is TERRIBLE here). I asked if activities mattered (oh, the days when I cared!) and he said they helped because you had to apply to the school as well as the program. He gave an example of a swimmer who had gone to college for theatre. I was like, "what? I have to play a sport now? But I just want to perform!" Spoiler alert: I did not join a sports team. That is a stupid reason to join a sports team. Play sports if you like sports (and have no life because they are SO TIME-CONSUMING AT MY SCHOOL).

A year later I took /another/ workshop with a director I had worked with in the past. Her daughter had auditioned for college the year before (she is now an Ithaca MT) and all the information she gave changed my life. I started researching schools that week. I took like 30 pages of notes and I sleep with them sometimes. They are my Bible. Don't make fun of me, this dedication will make me a STAR!!!! ving artist.

Anyway, it began. I bought I Got In and that other purple one with the long title. I memorized them, pretty much. And sometime around there I discovered College Confidential and spent hours reading about everything. I wish I was exaggerating. This is actually really embarrassing. I'm going now. 

HERE I AM

Hi, people of the future! As you know if you read the blog description, I will be spending this year applying to/auditioning for some musical theatre college programs. Before I start to talk about what has happened so far and is going to happen soon, here is a little bit about me.
(I assume you know a bit about musical theatre if you're reading this. If you don't...Google? I wouldn't know where to begin!)
SO. My name is Abigail Morris and I am a senior in high school from Vermont.  My family is ridiculously musical so I have grown up around the arts. I could sing A before I could talk. I have been doing legit theatre since I was about 7, but before that I just made up my own! (I had LOTS of talented beanie babies.) I've only done local shows, but last summer I went to Circle in the Square Theatre School's summer intensive. I am an actor first, then singer and dancer. I think acting should always come first (more on this later for sure), and I've always been in singing and dance lessons /for/ musical theatre. If you were wondering I'm probably a soprano belter (???? labels) (it's complicated) and a character actor of some kind. I'm not a great dancer and I definitely don't look like one but I have a little training and can pick up choreography.
Nontheatre things (isn't everything a theatre thing though?): I work at a local pizza place (goodtimescafevt.com everyone), I went on a service trip to Africa, and I am a downhill skier. When I see those things on paper I am always a little surprised that they are not theatre related...but like I said, everything is. Theatre is about people. Art is about the world. I am a person. I live in the world. There you go.
I may or may not decide to make fun MT themed post titles so I picked an ambiguous one for this first post. It's a little bit introduction, a little bit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.