Timeline of the College Audition Process

This is the ideal timeline for Musical Theatre and Acting applicants beginning with us Junior Year. If you get a late start or you’re feeling behind … take a breath! That’s what we are here for :) Make a plan with your Consultant to get back on track, and use this timeline to map your progress. You got this!


On top of following this timeline, we strongly recommend you participate in our Monthly Webinars (included in your MCA Membership). These timely webinars, led by our fabulous consultants, will discuss all topics relevant to the month we are in and answer any and all questions from participants!

 March/April/May

  • Delegate your team! If you are using outside consultants, guidance counselors, etc, now is the time to make sure they are on the same timeline. Chat with them about expectations and deadlines for a performing arts applicant. Delays on transcripts or letters of recommendations being sent can slow down your process.

  • Complete your College List by following the guidelines set out in your Initial Consultation. 

  • Ask teachers for recommendation letters NOW. You will need these much earlier than a typical academic-only applicant and it’s best to have locked in now who will be providing them to you in the Fall.

  • Select and begin to prep all college audition material.

  • Create your designated email for the College Audition process (We recommend having one place to keep track of all college-related communication. Can be shared between applicant and parents/guardians if helpful).

  • Create your Common Application account. There is no preparation required for this step, so, create it and have it ready to go when you need it.

  • Create your Acceptd account. This is where you will upload prescreens for many schools and submit your supplemental applications to theatre departments.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Monologue Selection

  • Begin Monologue Prep

  • Song Selection

  • Begin Song Prep

  • Start Dance lessons + Prescreen Dance Prep

  • Fill out all folders in your Google Drive folder with MCA

  • Attend first Monthly Webinar in May

 June/July /August

  • Continue to prep college audition material!

  • If going away for a summer intensive or camp, be sure to get a good amount of prep work done before heading off. You should feel in great shape on your material by the end of August.

  • Work on Common Application essay and Performing Arts Supplement Essays. Need help with these? Speak with your Consultant about our Essay Prep offerings.

  • Common Application goes live August 1st. Begin work on this. 

  • Make a list of all schools not on the common app and make spreadsheet of what they require for the academic side.

  • If you feel ready to film your prescreens in August, it’s great to get it done before school picks back up again.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Continue Song Prep

  • Continue Monologue Prep

  • Continue Dance Prep

  • Begin Acting for the Song

  • Begin College Essay Prep Lessons

  • Complete main Common App Essay

  • Most schools have fully updated their audition requirements by August. Plug in all audition requirements to your Master Spreadsheet on Google Drive.

September

  • Continue application work/receive guidance on application portion.

  • The ideal date for applications to be submitted is by September 15th. This is ideal to ensure you get the audition dates you want. YOU CANNOT SUBMIT PRESCREENS / SCHEDULE AUDITIONS UNTIL APPLICATIONS ARE IN. There are exceptions to the rule, but this is pretty standard. 

  • Most schools allow for recommendation letters and transcripts to be sent shortly after the main application is in, so as long as you get the main application in, you should be allowed to submit prescreens / schedule your auditions. Of course, don’t delay on completing your application - this can greatly delay when you get your decisions!

  • Make a potential audition schedule so you can book travel arrangements. We recommend scheduling a consultation session for this. We can help with strategy + delegating which auditions to do Early versus at Unifieds, etc. 

  • You should plan to film your prescreens this month.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Consulting Hour (in this hour, we will make an audition schedule together that will help reap the best results). This should ideally happen in the late September/early October. Strongly recommend this!

  • Continue Song Prep

  • Continue Monologue Prep

  • Continue Dance Prep

  • Continue Acting for the Song Prep

  • Continue Interview Prep

  • Film Prescreens with MCA or complete MCA’s Prescreen Review if filming on your own. We strongly recommend having a professional look over your videos before they are sent off. Prescreens are ideally sent off no later than by mid-October. 

  • Participate in Virtual 1-on-1 or Group Mock Auditions (Boston) to put your prep into action!

October

  • Film prescreens if you have not already. Ideal date for them to be submitted is by October 15th.

    • Film prescreens with MCA or complete MCA’s Prescreen Review if filming on your own. We strongly recommend having a professional look over your videos before they are sent off. 

  • Applications should be submitted by this point.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Complete/Continue Song Prep

  • Complete/Continue Acting for the Song Prep

  • Complete/Continue Monologue Prep

  • Complete/Continue Interview Prep

  • Complete/Continue Dance Prep

  • Participate in Virtual 1-on-1 or Group Mock Auditions (Boston) to put your prep into action!

 November/December

  • Early Auditions begin these months! Ideally, you should plan to audition at a handful of schools early, 3-4 is standard.

  • You will hear back from early schools shortly after auditioning, so, try to remain calm!

  • If you get a yes to your dream school and are ready to commit – you could be done by December!

  • Keep your Master Spreadsheet updated as you hear from schools. If waitlisted, deferred, etc. – this is something we can help with, so please keep the spreadsheet updated. 

  • If you get undesirable results from prescreens, now is the time to supplement and add some more schools/auditions. Meet with an MCA Consultant to figure out what schools can/should be added to your list.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Consultation Session to check in on progress, updates from pre-screens and do any trouble shooting (if needed)

  • Participate in Virtual 1-on-1 or Group Mock Auditions (Boston) to put your prep into action!

  • If needed, continue prep in area of your choosing

  • If needed, schedule a Brush Up lesson in area of your choosing

January/February

  • The majority of your auditions will happen in Jan/Feb

  • If you received any acceptances from early auditions, you can politely acknowledge them and let them know you will be in touch soon - but don’t need to commit unless you are ready to. 

  • Unified auditions happen these months in NY, Chicago, and LA. Join us in our private MCA Family Green Rooms for on site audition support, pep talks, and good good vibes!

  • Many schools begin to notify regular applicants at the end of February. These come in the form of snail mail, phone call, email, portal update – each school is different.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Brush Up Lessons should be completed in January/February surrounding audition dates to refresh rep

  • Let go of any early audition schools you got a yes from that you know you won’t be attending

March/April

  • You may have some late auditions in March/April.

  • Auditions will wrap by April.

  • If you are waitlisted/deferred in the early rounds, now is a good time to follow up and express interest.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Once all decisions are in, schedule a Consulting Hour to weigh all pros and cons of each acceptance!

  • Release any schools that you will not be attending. You can email or call the admissions department.

  • Begin to weigh and negotiate financial aid options.

May

  • You must put a deposit down at a school by May 1st.

  • If you are waiting to hear from a waitlist school, there should be some movement after May 1st once students commit. However, you could hear as late as August.

  • Continue to put in some work with waitlist schools. Follow up with connections, make visits, etc.

Lessons to be scheduled/tasks to be completed with MCA this month (ideally):

  • Attend Monthly Webinar

  • Celebrate!