Applying to college is, without a doubt, expensive. Add on the additional requirements of applying, prescreening and auditioning for performing arts programs - and the application process quickly becomes riddled with fees. However, with a little research, there are so many wonderful free options to take advantage of when planning to apply to a performing arts program. Here are some resources to get you started.

Students who hope to gain an undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre and Acting are, essentially, completing two college admissions processes. You can, and should, consider what these Seniors do as a part time job on top of their senior year commitments.

No, a “career in music” is not an oxymoron. But it can take on many forms and look pretty unusual compared to other industries. And yes, the music industry is an industry. Let’s look at the definition and origin of the word:

The Truth. Truth is really tough. We’ve been talking a lot recently about what is true, what is a fact and what is not, and how to tell the two apart. Social media increasingly asks us to question ideas about what is “true.” Uncountable ads and endless media images tell us what to think about ourselves, others, the world… the list (and the scrolling) is endless. The antidote? Some healthy subjectivity.

The first quarter of my freshman year at Northwestern went perfectly. I auditioned at generals the first week, and was cast as the lead in one of the biggest musicals on campus. I was accepted into the Musical Theatre Certificate program a few weeks later. I got into my top choice student theatre board, and an awesome performance group. I made tons of friends through all of these extracurriculars, and I already felt like I belonged.

It’s that time of year…Depending on where you live, you could be experiencing weather changes, allergies, or it’s just dry. But one thing is for certain, audition season is here and you are stressed. Then it happens... you wake up with a cold and no voice or you’ve been rehearsing all week and now you’re hoarse or physically and/or vocally fatigued. Don’t freak out… there are things you can do to get your voice back into shape.

The ultimate "how-to" for setting up your Zoom audio for auditions and more.

At MCA, we have a hard, tried and true 24-Hour Prescreen rule. We have a 4 step process of what to do when you don’t pass a prescreen and I’d strongly encourage you to adopt this for yourselves. Here are the steps:

This season is different, but we want to make sure you are just as prepared to ace your audition digital as you would be in person.

I am a firm believer that, in this business especially, karma plays a huge part. So let’s practice that attitude of gratitude. Let’s share the applause and the accolades with the people who are “backstage” because they deserve it just as much as you!

Things are going to be different. We know this. But just how deeply will this impact college auditions?

Does this inner monologue sound familiar? Stress is one of the biggest components of one’s life. We all experience and feel stress in different ways. However, many times, what we are calling stress is actually other emotions such as fear...

I got into my dream school!!! Ahhh!!!!! I got into my safety school. Meh. If you find yourself in either scenario, congratulations…

We don’t like to talk about it, but we all think about it. Rejection is a big part of life, but almost seems like an even more integral part of the acting business. It’s never easy and it feels extremely personal.