<p>Meg - my D will be starting at NYU (CAP21) in the fall. She started to look at MT programs during her freshman/sophmore years, and fell in love with NYU. Even though it was her first choice, she kept an open mind, because she knew that the odds of getting in were slim, and she applied to a bunch of schools. Things worked out well for her.</p>
<p>To prepare for this very competitive process, she simply worked hard in school, took (some) challenging courses, kept up with her training in dance, voice and acting, participated in a variety of activities (not “just” drama), and, once audition season was around the corner, immersed herself in selecting monologues she could relate to, and songs that showcased her range. Much of this you will need to do on your own, as it is really difficult for anyone to make choices for you. She read complete plays (after first reading the synopsis to see if the storyline included someone she could portray, and if the play appealed to her), because only that allowed her to really dive into the character. Another thing she did, was that she did most of her applications over the summer (she had printed out copies of applications the year before) just to get a head-start. Now some components will be fresh every year (essays) and so you may need to wait, but this definitely allowed her to get things done before many people started. She met with her school college counselor the week school went into session, which helped expedite recommendations, and helped in some cases to get audition slots right away (some schools require you to complete the application) etc. This made my life easier when I had to schedule the travel arrangements for her auditions (which is pretty much the only thing I did but still :))</p>
<p>Hope this helps you a bit :D! Good luck, it seems you are on the right track!</p>