“Dear Junior Parents…”
March is one of our favorite months at My College Audition! As winter turns to spring and we celebrate our current seniors while they wrap up the audition process, we are also getting excited as our new junior class begins their journey. As we’ve been chatting with junior families in consultations recently - editing college list drafts, making prep timelines, and discussing summer plans - we’ve gotten the question “so…any tips from parents who survived this process?!” more than a few times…
So, in pursuit of an answer, we asked two of our wonderful current MCA Class of 2024 senior parents for their best advice for next year’s class of parents, as they start to research and prepare for the process ahead. From how to choose a coach, to budgeting well, to pearls of wisdom for managing the journey with your student, they had some incredibly useful perspective and tips to share! Of course, this is just one family’s take on what worked for them, but we hope you’ll find a useful nugget or two to take away from their experience.
Note: We’ll refer to their son as S for the purposes of this article.
“Dear Junior Parents,
We were warned about how much work the application process is for Musical Theatre and Acting students, but we didn't really get it until we were in it. It’s a huge undertaking! Having a college audition coach to help our son and us navigate this crazy process was the best money we ever spent. That being said, here are the top tips we learned along the way...
Start Early!
We began talking to college audition coaches in our son’s Sophomore year, to learn about the process and get advice on what he would need to start working on in order to be most successful when it came time to apply for college. When we met with My College Audition, they gave him a few really helpful tips and identified key growth areas that he started working on even before we started the process. He did not have much dance experience, so he began taking a couple of ballet classes. They recommended some specific vocal elements for him to focus on, which he worked on with his private voice teacher as well.
We then started his actual audition prep in April of Junior Year, so that he had his artistic material selected and in a solid (not perfect) place by the summer. This was extremely helpful, because he was away working at a camp all summer, so he could then focus on the applications, essays, etc. when he returned in late Summer and into the early Fall.
Do Your Research Before Investing in Coaching
There are a lot of college audition coaches out there. We did some research online and had live conversations with two different companies. When making a final decision, we considered several things:
Coaches currently working in the industry (two of his coaches are currently on Broadway!)
Coaches that have direct connections with schools and know what schools are looking for.
Number of students in their previous class and where those students ended up. We wanted a family, not a factory.
Comprehensive support. There is so much more to prepare for than just the audition that we didn't know about...music binder prep, prescreen shoot requirement lists, resume style, interview technique, audition scheduling strategy, and more.
Connection. At the end of the day, we wanted a team which not only had the experience and the resources that would help us navigate this crazy process and get S where he needed to be, but we wanted someone who we felt super comfortable with; someone who truly had his best interests at heart and who we could reach out to any time with a million little questions (which we did!). Someone who was one of S’s biggest cheerleaders, right behind his parents ;). Organized, calming, reassuring, motivating, fun...these are all qualities you want in a college audition coach!
Make A Budget
Visiting
Aside from any on-campus auditions, we’d recommend not visiting schools until you are admitted. There are just too many, and the odds of acceptances are so low at each to begin with. It’s not statistically advisable to fall in love with any of the these schools ahead of time, and it would cost a fortune to visit them all - we recommend saving your money for other parts of the process to come!
Coaching
Once you choose your coach, invest in a package so there are no surprises and you know what to plan for upfront.
In addition, budget for a few ad-hoc coaching sessions for unexpected needs, like an extra song, a 1-on-1 mock audition, or stress management techniques once the audition process is in full swing.
Auditioning
Most schools have separate application fees, prescreen fees, and audition fees, so be sure to budget accordingly! We spent a total of $2,500 on these app and audition fees alone. We know - it’s pretty insane!
Consider your travel budget when making your audition schedule. Be strategic about which schools are important to go to, which you can do at Unifieds, and which can be done virtually without impacting your odds of acceptance.
For reference, our total family spend on the process (including FAFSA fees, academic consulting, artistic coaching & consulting, and application/prescreen/audition fees) was around $11,000. Travel costs were on top of that.
Stay Organized
In order to have good options at the end and give yourself the best chance at a successful process, you’ll need to be prepared to apply to around 20 schools, which comes with a lot of application, prescreen, and audition requirements to prepare, several supplemental essays to write in addition to your main Common App essay, and more. Finding a way to stay organized (make friends with spreadsheets!) is key.
Start supplemental essays EARLY (we probably didn't start early enough!). Find commonalities between the essay prompts and recycle/reuse as much as you can to save time on writing.
Stay on top of communication with schools! Reply to any emails or messages in a timely manner, and don't be afraid to call or email the admissions offices to ask questions. Things will get confusing at certain points, and it’s good to ask them directly for help in clarifying.
Scheduling some auditions is like getting tickets to Springsteen…jump online and grab your spot the minute you get a prescreen pass or audition invitation.
Pearls of Wisdom (Based on What We Learned Along the Way)
As a parent, aim to be supportive without micromanaging. This is their process, and through it they’ll learn skills that will serve them in college and beyond if they do as much as possible for themselves!
Either get access to your child's email address, or set up a different email account specifically for college stuff that you have access to as well. There is a lot of information floating around and coordination required, and it's easy for you or your child to miss something.
If feasible, invest in professional prescreen filming with a coach present - it was worth every penny. This takes stress and guesswork out of the equation at a critical stage of the process, and S came away from it with amazing prescreens he was so proud to send!
Try to do as many early auditions (these are auditions which occur before January) as you can, to invite the possibility of getting some final decisions earlier and avoiding the stress of lingering later auditions. We saved time, money, and energy later on by cancelling a few auditions once S got notified in January about an early acceptance he was excited by.
Don't be shy about emailing MCA with questions at any time - they truly want to be there every step of the way to help you and your child through a very stressful and confusing process, so lean on them!
Stay calm and repeat the mantra "They will end up where they are meant to be!"
Break a leg!!!
— Proud MT Parents of S, Class of 2024”
S first met with MCA and started his College Audition Prep Process for Musical Theatre in February of his sophomore year. As a senior this year, he applied to 22 schools, passed 14 out of 15 prescreens, did 17 auditions, has received some incredible acceptances, and is currently deciding on his 1 perfect fit. His journey is a great reminder that if you start early, commit to prep, do the work, stay on schedule, and make sure you’re giving 100% effort to all of your application and audition materials, success will follow!
Remember, this letter is meant as an offering and encapsulates just one student and family’s experience. Truly, no two journeys are the same when it comes to this process! As we like to say at MCA, “comparison is the thief of joy.” We wish you all the best as you prepare for your unique road ahead. In the meantime, be kind, be you, and break a leg!
If you’re interested in getting your College Audition journey started with MCA, schedule your Initial Consultation with one of our MCA Directors or hop on a Free Intro Call to get all of your questions answered today.
