For those who have started or been through this process can you give me advice on what paper should be used for the audition book with kids songs in it? Do you use page protectors? Thanks for your help!
I heard that Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has done walk ins at Chicago in prior years. Not sure if that is a guarantee that they will do same this year!
My D used page protectors and a binder @KAT67 - she put her music in a single binder with tabs for each song / cut.
Thank you so much @CaMom13
@KatMT - Ok great! Thank you so much for your response 
@KAT67 Not all schools want the music in page protectors… like everything else in this process schools have different requirements. Check the requirements for each school.
@KAT67 As lojosmo stated, make sure to check the requirements, as some schools specifically say DO NOT use page protectors. Just read the fine print for audition requirements for each program.
@MomofJ5 you raise some excellent points about this debate about walk-ins and the facts people are assuming. To answer your question, I will advise my daughter to be fully open about the fact that she’s already applied. And I expect like others have said, that they’ll have a database of kids who have applied and submitted prescreens. My advice is to ask nicely if she can audition. And I also expect the answer will likely be no (as I’ve said repeatedly here). BUT it might be yes. Especially if they have open slots, like I read some prescreen required schools did last year (e.g. Otterbein). That probably only happens when weather prevents students from showing up. I dunno. But to think that a kid will get marked with the scarlet letter and a horrible reputation from nicely asking if she can audition, letting them know she’s applied, and then letting them decide whether or not to proceed… well that seems ludicrous to me. As you said, people in this debate are assuming a lot, like maybe a kid will be lying, dishonest representing themselves, or arrogance/rudeness. I’m suggesting none of that. I’m suggesting politely asking… “can I try again? Will you see me?”
@CanaDad I totally get that! We’ve been trying to manifest our own destiny, the more we say it, maybe the more likely it will happen!
@SoCalPops - Given the essential (imo) fact that she will disclose and then ask, I don’t see how anyone can disagree with her trying this. If the school doesn’t want to offer a “do over,” they can always say no. I cannot imagine they will be bothered by a mere request. If they are sitting around with weather cancellations and have a truly dedicated go-getter who loves their program, they can (if they choose) give her another shot. Personally- I think the debate is over.
@stagedoormama edoormama THANK you!
Just thought I’d briefly chime in to the failed prescreen/ walk-in debate by saying I know two people in MT programs talked about a lot on here who did walk-ins at schools they did not audition for and ended up getting accepted. Not the case for every school obviously - but it does happen.
^lol I meant did not pass the prescreen for. Not “did not audition for”
Can parents weigh in on the benefits of auditioning on campus vs. unifieds? What are the benefits of auditioning on campus?
@mamaboyz - I think there are benefits to both locations. You need to evaluate what is best personally for your child and your family as to which is better. Many people end up doing some at unifieds and others on campus. But in general, our D actually enjoyed the high energy and hectic pace of unifieds and being able to do many auditions within a short period of time. I think she felt empowered as the days went on and the more times she did her audition material and received feedback in auditions. She is extroverted and loved seeing many other students she had met along the way. And thrived on the hustle and bustle. Conversely, she did not enjoy the auditions that consisted of long days on campus. Many of those included information sessions, campus tours, sitting in on classes, etc… She preferred to do those things on a different day from audition day. She would have preferred to solely focus on doing her audition if possible. Having said that, we have friends who felt just the opposite. Their kids did not like the busy-ness of the unified locations and felt stressed with having to prepare for so many schools at one time. They preferred doing one audition at a time where they could take their time, familiarize themselves with their surroundings, and learn more about the schools. Only you and your child knows what type of environment appeals most to you. So really think about your child and what will allow them to shine.
Of course there are other more practical pros and cons: Unifieds allows you to audition for many schools in one trip saving you money in travel and lodging. On campus allows you to really get to know a school, its students and its faculty where you can picture what it might be like to go to school there.
We received offers from both unifieds and on campus auditions. As did many of our friends. So I do not think there is a better chance of being accepted at either location. They do both for a reason. They truly want to find the right students for their program no matter where they see them. So do not worry that one location yields better results than another.
@mamaboyz - the downside of auditioning on campus is time, money and the possibility that your kid will fall in love with a school that they ultimately are rejected from.
The upside (depending on the kid’s mindset) is the potential to “feel” more confident in the audition because he/she has demonstrated “more interest” by coming to the campus than the Unified auditioner. Note: I am not saying that the school will treat their auditioners any differently based on where they audition - only that it can help your own kid’s confidence. Another upside is your kid gets to see the school to help in his/her ultimate decision. Depending on your kid (this is important- not all kids are like this), an on-campus audition is more calm/orderly/less hectic than the kids-all-over “craziness” of Unifieds. My son was very stressed to have two auditions for 2 schools in one day and nearly cancelled his morning audition when they were running late and tried to delay his initial time - the school talked him out of cancelling and promised him the first post-lunch break time to help him with his potential conflict. He ended up having plenty of time to make both auditions. We only did one day of Unifieds for two schools that we couldn’t drive to (or fly to in less than a 1.5 hour flight.)
@vvnstar makes a very good point about the differences in kids. My S (who also got offers from both on-campus and Unified auditions) was obviously the opposite of her D. I agree I t is best to do at least a little of both.
@MTdreamz - I think both approaches can work and it’s probably different for everyone. We actually consulted with someone on the CCM faculty (after reading that we should apply to no less than 20 schools), and she thought that was overkill. You are correct, I think we’ve had some luck. His one rejection thus far was from the school we thought he had the best chance of acceptance, and his one acceptance was from the school we felt would be the hardest to get into so it’s left us scratching our heads a bit. I’ve given up trying to figure it out. My S just gives it his best shot and then we see what happens.
Have your kids check their emails…S just got Penn State pre-screen results.
Penn State pre screen results are in for us.
My D got a no.