gms5287

Hey, I'm just curious as to what you guys do for auditions/interviews where you don't have the advantage of driving there, and what to do about housing. Do you contact students beforehand somehow and see if you can stay with them? This is what I've seen graduate candidates do here, as I'm sure paying for hotels can get a bit much. Also, again, getting around town. Or at least getting from the airport to the school.

musicianmom

Oh yes, one of the hidden costs of college applications for a musician....

At a minimum, I'd budget for cabfare from the airport.

Do you have friends at the schools you're interested in? S has hosted students (friends and friends of friends) on their audition rounds to his school. If not, some of the conservatories where S auditioned had "deals" with local hotels. Some parents have accumulated "frequent stayer" points that can be used for accomodations.

I've heard that some of the Admissions Depts. are quite accommodating and can advise you on the best (cheapest) way to get from the airport to the school and suggest where to stay. It's probably worth asking if this is a concern.

Bottom line, auditioning can be an expensive proposition depending on locale.

Singersmom07

Even when DD knew people, we stayed in a hotel the night before the audition. Staying in a dorm is not really conducive to a good audition for undergraduates and she had a routine for the night before and morning of that worked for her. I imagine by graduate school you are better at the process. But it is stressful enough as a HS senior without adding the late hours and noise of the dorm. The night after, we did allow for it when time allowed. Gave a better feel for the campus.

Used miles and points whenever we could.

-Allmusic-

I agree with Singersmom. My son knew kids at a couple of schools where he auditioned, and would have been perfectly happy to sleep on their dorm floors. I thought it worth the cost of a hotel room, to ensure that he was well rested and had time to get ready in the morning. College students cannot be counted on to get to bed early or be quiet! Graduate students may well be different.

Because of the expense, which can be considerable (if there is airfare, ground transportation, hotel and meals, particularly if a parent goes along, which I did), it makes sense to limit the number of auditions that require a flight, unless finances do not need to be considered. Even without the concern of money, distant auditions are much more taxing than ones you can drive to and from in a day. For this reason, some people choose to do some auditions by DVD or regionally; we did all on-campus auditions, just fewer.

compclub

I flew overnight across the country, landed in the morning, took public transportation to the YMCA and showered, walked to the conservatory for an interview, then took a test, walked back to the Y, took another shower, and then went back to the airport that night. It took nerves of steal, but it only cost me the airline ticket, the Y day pass of $10, and public transit day pass of another $10.