singactglass

Can someone explain to me how unifies work?
im auditoining for 10 schools
ccm
cmu
fsu
pennstate
boco
emerson
marymount
fredonia
montclair
hofstra

all musical theatre
i would not audition for unifies at hofstra or mmm prob
the other 8-- def in new york city
how does it work?
how do you find the audition dates?
are they all on one weekend?
thanks [:

MTgrlsmom

singactglass - there is actually a ton of information available on this forum and mixed in on all these threads, but you will want to look for 'Unifieds', not unifies. Hope this helps a bit . The new dates will not be available for a while, but tend to be the same (more or less) year over year. Here is a link to one of the threads from this past year:
Unifieds 2008 - a question

proudmother

I agree with MTgrlsmom - there's a wealth of information elsewhere on how to sign up (through the individual schools) and what to expect. Unless you are in or near to NYC, the Chicago Unifieds are easier because nearly all of the auditions are in one place or within a couple of blocks. I would not recommend doing more than 2 auditions per day, as some schools require a half day block. My S auditioned for 8 schools at the Chicago Unifieds and it worked out, but at times it was a bit tight as far as scheduling goes. Good luck to you! :-)

beenthereMTdad

One big piece of advice. Audition in person at as many schools as possible.

NotMamaRose

I don't really agree with beenthereMTdad, but we all have our own opinions on this topic. My D did quite a few of her auditions at New York City Unifieds and was accepted at a number of the schools, including one that she did as a walk in. Statistically, I seriously doubt that there is any significant difference in terms of success of those who audition at Unifieds and those who audition on campus.

beenthereMTdad

Agree to disagree. The disadvantage is many of the schools do not send the same people on the road that are at unified. The bigger the jury, the better chance you have of having someone on the panel like you and push for you not just the head of the department. Especially if you are a bonafide triple threat. Note to all: The better MT programs do not allow walk ins. They have a hard enough time seeing all the candidates that applied properly.

NotMamaRose

The school at which my D walked into her audition (after politely approaching the people at the table and signing up hours ahead of time, I should add) IS one of the top programs.

beenthereMTdad

My advise to all is follow the rules. This way there is no chance of being locked out.

CT Mom

This is coming from the perspective of someone who has been through this process twice. Two years ago with my older S and this year with my younger S. With my older S we traveled to ALL 8 schools he applied to...alot of money and time missed from school and work. With my second son we did travel to those schools within driving distance, but he did many at unifieds in NYC. Both got into great programs and in my opinion it really does not matter. They both have several friends who have gotten into "top" programs from unifieds as well. At the end of the day, if you have the talent AND have what they are looking for, you will get accepted whether you audition at unifieds or on campus.

soozievt

I agree with CT Mom. My child did not attend Unifieds and went to all 8 of her auditions on campus. There are many benefits to attending campus auditions. For that matter, there are many benefits to attending Unifieds. All of these have been discussed elsewhere on CC. However, the one thing that isn't a benefit in either scenario is the chance of being accepted. Kids are accepted at both Unifieds and campus auditions, including to top programs.

MTgrlsmom

Unifieds will typically allow for "walk ins". Be prepared to pay registration fees on the spot however (in other words, bring a checkbook, as not necessarily credit cards are accepted). Scheduled on campus auditions will typically not allow for walk in's.

I wholeheartedly agree with NMR that it is not necessary to audition on campus in order to get accepted. In my D's case she opted to audition on campus, because this way she had an opportunity to visit the school and get a feel for it. Also, she is an experienced dancer and felt better about dancing on marley or sprung floors, than on carpet or a slippery floor in the ballroom of a hotel, which tends to be the case at Unifieds.

But again, it definitely does not affect one's acceptance as has been proven time and time again by many kids of members on our forum.