<p>Just thought I would add a tip: This is probably the hardest thing to do, but before & right after your auditions, try not to stress out too much about where you will be going. A big part of your decision will likely be made for you when you get your acceptances. Instead of the 6 (or however many) schools you auditioned at, you may have it narrowed down to 2 or 3. This makes the decision a bit easier 
;)</p>
<p>& overall, try to think positively - You will all end up somewhere.</p>
<p>I haven’t posted too much on this board. I’ve been lurking mostly because all the answers I needed were already on the threads so I didn’t have many new questions to pose and up until now I certainly had no advice to give. But now that I have been through this process as a transfer student, I wanted to share my experiences. There aren’t too many transfer testimonies on this site, so I want future students or even in case your freshman decide to transfer to know that it is possible. Anything’s possible.</p>
<p>My parent’s didn’t fully support me going into MT for school. They are very supportive parents, but I have always done very well in school and they wanted “more for me.” Ultimately it was my choice, but we all know how a parent’s hinting and unease can sway a teenager. Besides, they were paying a substantial portion of my college bill. I wasn’t entirely giving up on theatre going to Loyola. I planned to find something “rational” to major in and then get theatre enrichment in Chicago. It seemed like the perfect compromise.</p>
<p>It wasn’t. I found a voice teacher in the city and I made contact at local theaters and I got involved in theatre, ballet, and choir at my school, but everything was so segmented and separate and surface level. I spent more time trying to put together some semblance of a performance education than I actually spent getting educated. Truthfully, I got little out of it but frustration. When my mom visited parent’s weekend she saw through the forced smile and offered to let me transfer.</p>
<p>The rest I did on my own. Well, not entirely. I had a mentor back in Kansas who I called and emailed. My voice teacher had a little less than a semester’s experience with me, but she did what she could. And I had this forum. But I had to find professors to write rec letters and they barely knew me. I had to coordinate with my highschool and past teachers and other schools I had credits from to send documents and recs. I had to search plays and scores to find audition materials. I had to plan my travels. And I was alone in Chicago. The advice I recieved from these boards proved so valuable. You have no idea.</p>
<p>The hardest decision of all of this was to return home at semester. I was facing starting over as a freshman MT and I couldn’t really afford 5 years of college. This was so tough because I was building up a good rapport with my voice teacher and I had made friends and i LOVED Chicago. But it was such a wise choice. I replaced my freedoms for financial security and a community college education that I felt less guilty skipping out on occasionally to travel for auditions. </p>
<p>By the time I came home I had already prepped everything for my auditions. I went to FSU and to Unifieds alone. I stayed on the floor of my friend’s dorm room in Chicago, not in the Palmer House. I sat around at auditions hearing parents talk about CC and wishing mine even knew what that was. I heard senior girls belting their lungs out and wished I had done that the year before. I felt like an outsider entirely. It was tough. </p>
<p>I’m not saying this for glory…I’m saying this to prove that it is possible. I auditioned for 9 schools…I got in to 4. 3 accepted me as a freshman, something I was already prepared for and willing to take on, and one accepted me as a sophomore, an unexpected blessing. I ended up researching my options very closely and calling and asking questions and thinking hard about what I needed and found a brilliant fit. Seriously. I could not have asked for a better match in Florida State. Which is good because I don’t want to transfer again. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But here’s one thing I do know, It was also the most real learning experience I have ever had. </p>
<p>Sure, it would have been easier to have done this the first time around or if I had more help but I know with 100% certainty what I want. I have learned that nothing can replace my desire to do MT because I tried that path. I have learned to trust my gut. I knew nothing about FSU before fate got involved and a gut feeling got me interested. When I faced 4 spectacular options for school I had to trust where my feelings and fate were leading me. (you can PM me for details about how/why I chose FSU) My color coded lists stopped being effective after auditions…as far as pro-con lists go, I think feeling is what it needs to come down to. </p>
<p>I would not wish transferring on anyone, but I also would not wish a bad college experience on anyone. If you know what you want, go for it. It will be tough, but you will appreciate the outcome infinitely more than people who found their way more easily. And only good things can come from knowing yourself in the infinite manner that you will after putting yourself through this kind of a life-changing experience. I do not regret my freshman year or begrudge my family for not being stage parents. This was my path. They were supportive in their own way. My mom told me while I was going through all of this that I have always taken my own path. She said it only fit that I was taking my own path this time too. I find who I am when I follow my own path. There are many different paths to the end we all want to achieve. Find yours and fight for it. Don’t worry if it seems inconvenient or improbable or against the grain. Look up John Lloyd Young, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sutton Foster’s educational history and you will see how there are truly many means to the end. And that’s what I love so much about this business: we are the business. If we don’t trust ourselves and do things that are best for us, how can we survive in a career that will rely on those abilities and instincts? You are your greatest asset. Love it, know it, and fight for it. Others may discourage you, but with passion and direction and knowledge of what is right for you, anything’s possible.</p>
<p>Emonade </p>
<p>Thank you so much for so eloquently sharing your personal story. You are right that we don’t have too many detailed and successful transfer stories on the forum and it is a path that many have tried or done, or will in the future. You sound mature and responsible and have thought things out very well. I am happy for your positive admissions outcome and thrilled about the opportunity that awaits you at FSU. Do try to come back next year to let us know how it is going. Hearing from current college students is so important to those who are in the midst of the admissions process. You know how that is now and so you know you will have a lot to offer to future applicants once you are in a program. </p>
<p>Wishing the best and many congrats. Thank you for sharing.</p>
<p>“I would not wish transferring on anyone, but I also would not wish a bad college experience on anyone. If you know what you want, go for it. It will be tough, but you will appreciate the outcome infinitely more than people who found their way more easily.”</p>
<p>I FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY EMONADE!! Even now when I hear my friends saying “Oh ya know, I’m sort of thinking about transferring” I can’t help but try and caution them against it…it is SO SO HARD.</p>
<p>And we appreciate the successes so much. SO SO MUCH!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Start your applications in August and get them done by September and schedule auditions RIGHT AWAY. I waited too long for a bunch of my auditions and it turned out to be kind of a mess. Keep in mind that some schools require an acceptance to the university or application overview, so the sooner you get your apps out the sooner they’ll notify you. Chances are you’re going to have to wait till you have heard from those schools before you can actually schedule because you’ll probably have to set up a prospective audition date for all your schools so that none of them overlap. So the earlier the better! Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate ANYTHING. scheduling, choosing songs, getting audition outfits. The sooner you get them done the more at ease you’ll be- and being at ease is SO important!</p></li>
<li><p>Organize your information like no other. I made a general folder for each school and then I had a binder with dividers with audition requirements and such. Make a chart or excel spreadsheet with the requirements for each school and make sure you double, or even TRIPLE check them! It’s so vital to a smooth audition process.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>*SO IMPORTANT: have an AUDITION BINDER. But organize it SUPER well! Get one of those binders with the plastic sleeve in the front and back so you can keep all of your resumes and headshots (with lots of extras!!!) in the clear sleeves and then divide up your binder by different audition materials you’re using. I used the same two songs for all of my auditions. But since all of the schools required so many different cuts I got dividers and made a “full songs” section, a “32 bar” section, and “16 bar” section and then another section with additional audition material just in case. It was amazing just walking into an audition asking them what cut they wanted and being able to do ANY cut right there and then because I had it all set up neatly. I always had extra headshots and resumes and I kept my monologues in the inner sleeves of the binder in case I wanted to visually look at them at all.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Get started EARLY with audition material. I did Carnegie Mellon Pre-College last summer and went expecting that I would come back with all of my audition materials ready and it would be a smooth ride- Boy was I wrong. I learned a lot from CMU Pre-College but the stuff I worked on there was not the stuff that I wanted to use for my college auditions- mainly because I felt rushed and pressured to get monologues and songs for the deadlines my teachers would set for their classes. Don’t let that happen because chances are they’re not going to hand you the perfect song and monologue, they’ll send you to the library to look for it (atleast that was my experience). If you’re going to a Pre-College program geared to preparing you for college auditions, gather up a TON of materials from everywhere and anywhere and organize it into binders (monologue binder, song binder- divide into belt/mix songs, legit songs). Get a hold of all the materials you’ve always wanted to do, materials you don’t know very well, and get a variety of stuff (dramatic and comedic monologue that showcase a variety of different qualities/types) and contrasting songs (uptempo, ballad, belt/mix, legit, etc.)</p></li>
<li><p>Dress appropriately. Present yourself well, it can really only help you and do you really want to risk rubbing an auditioner the wrong way because you’re horribly underdressed? But be COMFORTABLE! I didn’t want to wear uncomfortable heels, but I’m 5’1" and wanted some height, so I wore 3 inch heeled boots that I was very comfortable in. I wore black pants with a three quarter sleeved shirt that was a solid deep eye popping blue with a fancier cut that I picked specifically because I know it’s a good color for my dark hair and I got constant compliments on it from auditioners and accompanists. So dress nicely and in whatever colors or cuts compliment you best!</p></li>
<li><p>As far as not doing any shows to focus on auditions- if you get your stuff done earlier and are not scrambling last minute to learn songs/monologues or schedule auditions, doing shows (without overdoing it) can actually help. I was reluctant about being a lead in a show because I was afraid of hurting my college auditions. But it helped to distract me and keep my head on straight without going nuts over college auditions. Plus, I ended up finding my belt song for auditions through the role I was playing!</p></li>
<li><p>Choose original material! I know it can be really difficult, but choose material that really works well for you and is unique. You want to be refreshing!</p></li>
<li><p>I know it’s cliche, but HAVE FUN and BE YOURSELF! Auditions can be fun if you let them be.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I think a lot of my points are very typical but I think a lot of us are saying them because they’re true! Good luck next year everyone :)</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for the awesome information in this thread 
I put it all into a Word document…and I’m going to print it out and make my mother read it, haha.</p>
<p>Congrats Emonade…I bet your Mom is extremely proud of you! Best of luck following your dream )</p>
<p>Have at least four audition songs in your audition portfolio and don’t forget that BoCo and CMU require a classical monologue.</p>
<ol>
<li>Auditioning at all!!!</li>
</ol>
<p>Not a good experience…</p>
<p>lol…I loved the experience, I literally enjoyed every minute of it, I sometimes wish I could go back but oh well…lol :-)</p>
<p>Kayla, after following your story so closely on this forum, I think many of us are anxious to learn what you have decided to do for next year. Many have been rooting for you. If you care to share, let us know! </p>
<p>I could tell you loved the audition process. I look forward to hearing what comes next in your journey.</p>
<p>PS…you will be auditioning LOTS more, don’t worry…a life in theater is about many many auditions…they never end!</p>
<p>Hi Kayla!! </p>
<p>inquiring minds want to know…have you decided?</p>
<p>I wish I could have auditioned for more programs, but I can’t complain.</p>
<p>I would think that learning to enjoy auditions is a skill that every actor needs to develop. As someone said above: you’re going to be doing enough of it, so learn to love it! (And even those of us who are not actors find we need to “audition” for jobs, etc., throughout our lives. :))</p>
<p>at every single audition, there will be ALOT of chatter and talking among other auditioners, which can be distracting to you and the mental place you should be right before you go in to audition. although its important to enjoy yourself and meet new people, i say make sure you allow yourself focus time to yourself a few good minutes before youre up to sing/act/dance. jsut to keep focused and remember what youre there for! </p>
<p>HAVE FUN! such a great experience.</p>
<p>Oh goodness where do I begin?</p>
<p>1) I would suggest finding the place where the audition is taking place the night before. I was almost late to one of my auditions because we couldn’t find the building.</p>
<p>2) MAPQUEST STINKS!!! Almost every time there was something wrong with the directions. That created some interesting situations…</p>
<p>3) Bring TWO waterbottles, in case you lose one. Always bring on into the dance audition because I didn’t a couple times and I was DYING.</p>
<p>4) NEVER STAY AT THE RODEWAY INN! It’s a horrible place to spend the night. Just look up reviews of the place and you’ll understand why.</p>
<p>5) I reccomend Singers Saving Grace if you’re sick and you have an audition. Spray it a couple times before the audition and you’ll be in good shape. </p>
<p>6) Always walk into the audition room with confidence, and be polite and courteous (especially to the accompanists!! They’re your best friends. They can decide they don’t like you and “mess up” while playing. Not that this has ever happened to me… just a tip).</p>
<p>hmm thats all I can think of at the moment. If you wanna know more about my audition experiences I’d be glad to share! :)</p>
<p>Broadwayjen07</p>
<p>Good advice - btw - what is Singers Saving Grace (what’s the ingredients and where can you buy it.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>My S brought the cd of his music to one audition, but when he put it in, the school’s cd player couldn’t read it properly. (It wasn’t the cd; he was playing it and practicing in the car on the ride up!) First the cd player didn’t play it, then it played it too softly, even when on full volume. Finally the person auditioning told my S to sing acapella–which he did. But still! So I’d add that you should definitely bring your own cd player as back up.</p>
<p>Raphael,</p>
<p>Something similar happened to my D while she was in H.S. She was attending a unified theatre audition for companies in the Cincinnati area. They required that MT performers bring a tape of their accompaniment. I had my D run through her song with the tape at home before leaving for the audition that morning. My husband and I had her run through the song again in the car. I cued the tape myself before we got out of the car and I listened to be sure it was in the right place. </p>
<p>My D was the first performer scheduled after lunch. She put her tape into the boombox provided by the auditors and heard very nothing. She looked at the tape to be sure it had been inserted correctly and tried again. Since she was standing directly in front of the boombox on that attempt, she could hear her music playing very faintly. One of the auditors cranked up the volume as loud as it would go, but the music was still very faint. My D was told that there must be something wrong with her tape and that she should go ahead and sing a cappella.</p>
<p>After the audition ended, she reported to us what had happened. We put the tape into the car’s tape player and it worked perfectly. My husband thought for a bit then realized that someone in the audition room had probably accidently pushed the CD button after the morning set of auditions had ended. If you attempt to play a tape on some boomboxes when the CD button is engaged, you will hear the tape playing very faintly. My D felt embarrassed at the audition because the auditors assumed she had come in with a defective accompaniment tape. Though she stated that it had worked perfectly minutes earlier, the auditors were skeptical because the tape wouldn’t play on their equipment. </p>
<p>D now knows that the best thing to do in an audition situation in which you are required to provide a tape or CD is to bring your own boombox. I think it’s best to use one that operates on either batteries or electricity. If there is no outlet in a convenient place, it can run on the fresh batteries you have installed in it. If for some reason you must use the equipment provided by the auditors, be sure that the appropriate button is pushed!</p>