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by Jose Triana
Dreaming of continuing your theatre education in college? With so many schools and programs to learn about, and the need for countless auditions, it can be challenging to know where to start. Luckily, you can get all the info you need plus opportunities to audition for many of these programs at the International Thespian Festival (ITF)
The ITF college audition program is designed to connect rising seniors with more than 50 colleges and universities. But before you head to Indiana University this summer, here’s what you’ll need to participate and some advice from the university professionals you’ll be meeting.
To participate in the college audition process, you must meet a few criteria, including:
• You’re an inducted Thespian graduating in 2025.
• Your troupe director, teacher, or parent/ guardian has registered you for ITF and selected the college audition add-on.
• You’re preparing to submit your audition materials by the May 15, 2024 deadline. Note: you’ll receive a separate email after registering with the link to a secure platform to submit your materials.
When submitting your audition materials, you’ll have the chance to choose your preferred category, including performance, technical theatre, or theatre education – be sure to visit our site for more details on the specifics you’ll need to submit based on your selected category.
There aren’t many opportunities to get in front of so many colleges at once, so making the most of it starts with preparation. Regardless of the category you’re applying for, you’ll need to submit materials ahead of time. These materials are available to all participating colleges for review and are often the criteria used to schedule their callbacks.
Depending on the category you’re applying for, you’ll need to submit:
• Performance Auditions – An audition video with two monologues for students pursuing acting, or a monologue and song for students pursuing musical theatre, a current headshot, and resume. (Performance Audition Tips)
• Technical Auditions – Three samples of work, an audition video of you speaking about your work, a current headshot, and resume. (Technical Audition Tips)
• Theatre Education Auditions – A current headshot and resume, written responses, and either a performance or technical audition tape based on your strongest skills. (Theatre Education Audition Tips)
Paul Steger, Dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University, and Sharla Cowden, Department Chair at University of Evansville, have been attending ITF and college auditions for over 50 years combined.
In that time, they’ve seen the evolution of the audition process and shared seven tips to help seniors make the most of their experience.
Your audition tape is often your best opportunity to make a first impression, so make sure it’s a good one. While you may be tempted to do things on your own (and you totally can), don’t hesitate to ask for help.
“Encouraging students to ask for help from their high school teacher, counselor, or upper classmen could be really helpful,” says Cowden. Asking someone to operate the camera also “[gives] them someone else in the room to play to.”
Whether they’re checking the framing, spotting distractions in the background, checking audio to make sure you sound your best, or “watching it with them afterwards and redoing it (if needed),” another set of eyes is never a bad thing. Using them as an off-screen scene partner can help inform acting choices and line deliveries, even though the other person should remain unseen and unheard.
The materials you choose for your college audition are always going to be important, but so is your delivery. While you may be tempted to be as elaborate or animated as possible, Steger says authenticity is more important.
“[We] don’t have to see extreme characterizations in your body, speech, dialects, or any of those things. Just be as natural and close to you in real life as you can imagine,” says Steger. “You don’t have to costume it up or use props or anything like that. If you want to sit in a chair, go for it.”
And the same goes for Cowden. “I always encourage the kids to start with a piece that is the most like themselves,” she says. “We’re looking for honest and truthful work, so let me see a little bit of who you are through each character.”
Showing your range is important, and it’s why most Thespians opt for performing contrasting content like comedy and drama. However, having a deeper understanding of your material can make a bigger impression on colleges. One strategy Steger suggests is choosing a monologue from a play script rather than a monologue book.
The folks watching your auditions likely have read and have a deep understanding of the material you’ll perform – and you want to show you do too. Often, that contextual knowledge can shine through in a performance and allows for less time spent establishing the character’s dynamics and conflicts, instead showcasing the material and performance skills.
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Once schools have reviewed your material, they may want to meet you in person. This can happen either at their booth in the exhibit hall or in dedicated callback rooms, with many participating schools bringing multiple staff members. For example, the Webster University team often includes design tech or stage management faculty, design students, and additional senior staff.
Why? To get an opportunity to work with students in their discipline.
“We want to give everybody we think has a talent and that might fit with the program an opportunity to explore it,” says Steger. “It might be to give a direction, like upgrading what their relationship is with the person they’re singing to or doing the monologue with, or we might give a vocal adjustment,” he says. “I always say, just come prepared with the monologues you did as polished as possible… that would be a place where we would start the conversation.”
For Steger and many colleges at ITF, this is also a chance to see how you work with others and your coachability.
Participating colleges have limited timeslots to meet with students. And if everyone is aiming for the same spot, you may not have an opportunity to visit the schools you’re most interested in.
“Workshops are an important part of [ITF], but you also need time to really do your callbacks,” Cowden says. “All our students have to audition and interview, and this is a place where they can do both.”
Colleges will contact you directly if they want to schedule a callback, so be sure the email you use is one you have access to and check often. And if there’s a school at the top of your list and you get a callback, don’t wait to schedule your meeting. It may be tougher to find a convenient timeslot towards the end of the week.
While you don’t have to be settled on your degree (i.e. BA vs BFA) or where you’re planning on going, having some expectations or goals for your education can help. For example, knowing how many shows you’d hope the program does each season or what your responsibilities behind the scenes might be can help narrow your choices for schools you want additional information from.
“Do the research to see all the different programs, because there’s usually general information about what kind of plays we’re doing or have done in the past, plus all the audition requirements, degrees that are offered, the faculty, and kinds of classes you might take,” says Steger.
He also suggests thinking about your college experience. Whether that means schools with huge sports programs and stadiums or smaller private campuses where there may be 5,000 students total, knowing what you want out of your time at a school is equally as important as what the school is looking for in you.
“It’s [has to be] the right fit for the student and the right fit for the program,” he says. “That’s the
difference between looking at the auditions versus doing a callback; who’s going to show up for four years beside their talent.”
Finally, relax and have fun. Like most things in your theatre career, college auditions will be a learning experience. While it can be intimidating to perform in front of new people or interview with schools you’d love to attend, it’s important to remember the schools are just as excited to meet you too.
“They want you to be great and I think a lot of kids forget that when they walk in a room. They want you to solve the problem for them and they’re rooting for you, so take away the judgment part,” says Cowden. “I always tell kids, don’t close doors. Enough people are going to close doors on you. Use ITF to walk through doors that are opening to you.”
There’s plenty to do at ITF, but if continuing your theatre career into college is on the list, applying for college auditions can be an amazing opportunity. Not only is it an opportunity to get in front of wonderful theatre programs from around the country, but it’s also a chance to explore what the next four years can potentially look like.
But before you arrive in Indiana this summer, be sure to get your application completed, remember the materials you need to submit, and focus on our helpful tips to make the most of your experience.
Make the most of every tour in person or virtually.
by Laura Enstall
Visiting a college campus is the ideal way to get a solid feel for the school, the town, the programs, and more. While COVID protocols are still shifting it’s important to be sure you understand tour
details for wherever you want to visit. Get all the details ahead of time so you know how to be prepared and to get the most out of your tour. Here are tips to maximize your tour experience:
Contact the theatre department to set up a theatre tour and a meeting with the faculty. If you want to major in theatre, check out the theatre facilities and meet the faculty, if possible. Your admissions officer may set this up for you or you might need to do it yourself, depending on the school.
Have questions prepared to ask the faculty. You want to be prepared with questions about their theatre program specifically. Here are some questions you can ask:
1. How many students do you accept into your program?
Be specific about which program(s) you’re interested in whether it’s acting, musical theatre, tech theatre, or theatre education.
2. What performance opportunities are there for freshmen?
3. How are students taught about the business of theatre?
4. How does your program help students who are graduating find work in the field?
5. Are there opportunities to perform / audition for summer work?
Bring along a notebook or create a note in your phone and keep track of what you like and dislike about every school. This is a very simple, yet effective way to stay organized throughout your college process. If you’re auditioning for theatre programs, you most likely will be visiting and auditioning for many schools. Staying organized is essential. Trust me, it’ll hard to remember details about each program six months after your visit.
Bring your headshot and resume just in case you have a chance to share it! When you meet with the theatre faculty, they might ask for your headshot and resume. If you have one, bring it along. If you don’t have one, it’s okay but you can easily put together a resume.
Here’s a template
Ask if you can audit a class (sit in). You’ll need to set this up ahead of time, but many schools will allow you to sit in classes in the theatre department. This is a firsthand way to observe the faculty’s teaching style and see how the students work with the faculty. You can also try to visit the campus during the school year and see a performance. This is a great way to get to know the theatre program.
If you can’t visit the campus in person, for whatever reasons, here are ways to maximize your virtual campus experience:
Many, if not all universities are now offering virtual tours of their campuses. Spend time doing the virtual tour of the campus. Explore the school’s website thoroughly and see what it has to offer. Take as much time as necessary and dig deep.
Find the social media handles (Instagram/ Facebook) for the theatre department and the university. Look for additional info there. Many times students will do takeovers, Q&As or “a day in the life” to give you a better feel for the student experience.
Ask to set up a virtual meeting with the theatre department to get more information and ask questions. During this meeting, you can also ask if you can speak to current students (or be connected with current students) so you can ask them questions about the school and program.
Connect with students online or over Zoom. Ask the theatre department to put you in touch with students so you can get a feel for the program from the student’s perspective. They may even give you their own personal tour!
If you’re unfamiliar with the city or town where the campus is located, do some online exploring! Google what’s nearby. Search for the nearest grocery store, distance from the airport (if you’d be flying to and from school), local restaurants. Check how far hotels are from campus for family and friends’ visits. Get to know the surrounding area.
Some of the campuses are open but aren’t giving tours. In this case, walk the campus on your own self-guided tour. You may not be able to go into buildings but you could at least drive around and walk around outside to get a feel for the campus.
As we all have learned, situations will continue to change in this post-COVID world of ours. Campus restrictions will change so be sure to check with the university and the local restrictions before you plan a trip.
You’ll shine if you’re prepared!
by Patty Craft
Make your time spent with college recruiters useful. You need to be prepared to ask what’s most important to you. First review the Reality Tips and then create a plan for yourself.
Maybe you wish your college recruiters could tell you just the answers to these two questions:
1. Will I be happy at this school?
2. Will the school accept me?
Of course, they can’t. But if you plan your time with them and do the right research then you’ll get closer to those answers on your own. Before we share the best questions to ask your college recruiters, here are tips to keep in mind:
• Be prepared. Put your questions in a note on your phone or write them down on a notecard. Use the method that works best for you.
• Don’t think you’ll just remember the questions.
There’s a lot happening during ITF. And there’s a lot happening in your personal life. Your prepared questions will let you shift gears quickly when it’s your turn with the college recruiters.
• Don’t expect the college recruiters to carry the whole conversation. Your prepared questions show you’re interested and eager to find out more about the school. In fact, a lack of your participation in the conversation can go against you. The recruiter may think you’re just going through the motions!
• Consider asking every recruiter the same questions. That way, when you review your notes, you’ll be comparing “apples to apples.” Random questions won’t let you compare each recruiter’s answers.
• Feel free to ask college recruiters about scholarships. They may share opportunities about their institution’s awards that you didn’t even know existed.
• Ask the questions that will give you a full picture of life at that college. You can ask about financial aid, student life, the academic experience, etc.
• Stay away from asking the college recruiters personal questions. It’s fine to ask if they attended the college and if they want to share anything about their own experience there. Beyond that, leave the personal questions off your list.
• Ask sensitive questions sensitively. You want to ask thoughtful and pertinent questions. But trying to put the college recruiters on the spot is a bad idea. It’s important to keep in mind that college recruiters can and may report back any troublesome interactions they have with potential students.
Read through the following questions and carefully choose the ones that will help you make the most of your time with college recruiters.
1. What theatre degrees does your school offer?
2. Is theatre the major? Is musical theatre the major?
3. If you offer a BFA vs. BA what are the advantages of each? Why is the one you offer more useful?
4. What are the performance opportunities for undergrad students? Can I perform as a freshman? Is it ensemble-only? Leading roles?
5. How many plays vs. how many musicals does the college produce each year? What’s the typical production calendar look like? When are the shows?
6. Are there student productions? Does the school support independent productions? Will the school sell tickets? Is there performance space available for my production on campus?
7. Do my extra-curricular activities and hobbies influence my chance of being accepted into the theatre program?
8. Am I allowed to audition for professional works while still in school? If I get hired, can I pause my schooling and return after my contract?
1. How would you describe campus culture? What is student life like?
2. What can you tell me about on-campus living? What are the dorms like and how many are on campus? How many students to a dorm room?
3. Are there part-time work opportunities within the program? How might I earn money doing something relevant to theatre on campus or nearby in town?
4. What about off-campus living? What’s available to freshmen? What do most students do after freshman year?
1. What differentiates the college from others?
2. What upcoming changes to curriculum, planned on-campus construction, etc., will affect students, either positively or negatively?
3. What do students enjoy most about this school? And, as a follow-up, what do you hear that students dislike most about the school?
4. If I need to pause my education for a semester, can I come back without having to reapply?
5. When do I have to declare a major? Can I change majors later?
6. Are there study-abroad opportunities?
7. How would you describe the faculty overall?
by Laura Enstall
Knowing what to do, and when, are short-term goals that you can help your students work toward in their college audition process. As an audition coach, I tell the students and their adults that this process is unique. “You’ve never done anything like this,” and then I try to assure them, “and you’ll never have to do this again!”
There is a distinct timeline that is important to know and follow if your students are planning to audition for musical theatre or acting programs across the country or even in state. While some programs do not require a rigorous
audition like we will discuss, many of them do. Remember that every school is different, with different requirements. THIS is one of the biggest issues to learn and accept. What your students did for School A will likely be different for Schools B, C, and D.
Even though you, as their teacher, may not be as involved in the college audition process as the student’s coach or adults, understanding the timeline is one way you can empathize with what they’re attempting to accomplish. If it’s in your bandwidth, you can also be one more adult supporter on their audition team.
Junior year is when preparation for college auditions begins in earnest. I’ve found that the best time to begin college audition prep is at the start of second semester of the student’s junior year. In this early stage, the student begins gathering audition material and finding songs and monologues that are age appropriate.
You can remind the student that they might already have material in their audition book. A lighthearted, “no need to reinvent the wheel” may help them see they have already done some good work toward their college goal.
If you have younger students who already know they’re interested in college theatre programs, a friendly suggestion to them and their adults to begin looking at schools even in the freshman and sophomore years is wise. I encourage families to consider incorporating a college visit if they’re on a road trip. Or they can check out local schools during those summers. Usually there is information on the school’s website about summer tours. Be sure to check if you need reservations or if you can just show up.
Summer prior to senior year, which is now for rising seniors, is when applications open. In most cases the application open date is August 1. What the student needs to be working on prior to the application date are:
• Filling out the applications. These applications are often long, time-consuming, and tedious about details needed. Starting this summer gives the student time to go about the process calmly and accurately. And to gather any important info they need to get from their adults.
• Writing essays. Yes, many writers think they do their best writing under a deadline. However, the reality is that there will be the writing of the esssays, and then the revising to polish the essays. Start now.
• Continue working on audition materials.
• Continue going on college visits.
• Get headshot taken. The student needs for prescreen submissions in the fall. (The start of the school year and early fall are always jammed with activities and the process of getting adjusted to a new school year.)
In September of senior year, the student should be preparing for prescreens and getting a slot (which is like a reserved time for their prescreen). If the prescreen is passed, the student will have the opportunity to schedule an audition with that school. Remember that not every school will require a prescreen; find out which ones do.
Late December and early January are often quiet because of winter break. 3 6 4 5
October is a great time to film prescreens. Filming earlier is fine if the student’s material is film ready. A few programs might have an early decision deadline in October; I can’t say it enough: check each school’s particular requirements and deadlines.
November and December are when most prescreens will be due. Many schools follow the Musical Theatre Common Prescreen. Check each school’s website for requirements. Common deadlines are November 1st and 15th; December 1st and 15th.
Mid-January is when most students will begin (if they haven’t already) scheduling their auditions. Some auditions might be virtual. Virtual auditions are acceptable and can be scheduled, too.
Late January and February are when students audition for school programs. The National Unified Auditions are held in New York (January 2024), Chicago and Los Angeles (both in February 2024). These unified auditions allow students the opportunity to audition for many schools in one weekend. In 2024 there are currently 25 schools involved. Be sure to check out the link.
March may still offer some audition times. Some students will hear back from schools this month.
April is when the final schools may notify students of admittance or denials. Now is the time for the student to review all the options they have been offered. It’s important to remind students they are within their rights (according to the school) to decline any offers they do not wish to accept. That is, an offer is just that. The student is not obligated to accept it.
May 1st is decision day! Students should commit by May 1 to the program of their choice.
Is a BFA degree better than a BA degree?
No, it all comes down to training. Ultimately, whatever your student puts into a program is what they’re going to get out of it. The letters on the paper, BFA or BA, do not matter in the professional audition room. What matters is proof of solid training and honed technique.
First start by researching programs. Have the student make a preliminary list of schools they’d like to learn more about. Second, suggest that they begin working on songs and monologues that are age appropriate. This dual assignment “start” helps them begin to understand that there are going to be a lot of moving parts during college audition preparation.
Review the above timeline and mark key deadlines and to-do items for each month. Provide the student with this same information in whatever way best fits their processing and planning method. Let them know you’re willing to be their accountability partner and check in with them on key dates (if this is something you have time to do).
• CommonApp is a platform students use to apply to multiple programs: https://www.commonapp.org/
• Musical Theater Common Prescreen has a lot of important info for the prescreen process in one place: https://getacceptd.com/musicaltheater-common-prescreen
• National Unified Auditions landing page has details about all three major cities’ auditions: https://unifiedauditions.com/
by Laura Enstall
Helping your students succeed is at the heart of all you do; thank you! Here are ways to help your seniors stay on track with college auditions and participate in their senior year activities. (Plus tips to help younger students get a jump on the college audition process.)
I’ve seen it happen too many times that a senior misses college audition deadlines because their
senior year is just so busy! As the school year begins, students should be working on their college essays and getting applications completed. Meanwhile, auditions for their senior shows start happening. Then the whirlwind of rehearsals for the fall show begin. However, the college audition timeline is steadily ticking away.
Here are three ways to help your students prep for college auditions:
With so much information available online it’s easy for students to get overwhelmed by choice. So, to combat the tidal wave of info they might be drowning under, students sometimes defer to “Top 10 Theatre Programs” lists, a viral video on TikTok, or fixate on going to the school of their favorite Broadway actor.
Sure, there may be good info at their fingertips, but you can help them turn down the noise of too much info to find meaningful opportunities.
What’s most important is the student finding a school and a program where they feel comfortable. Ideally, they’ll find a place that feels like home for the four years they live and learn there.
Yes, some students will transfer even after doing a thorough search. But I believe many transfers happen because students focused their school choice more on the prestige of the program rather than deciding whether the school was an allaround good fit for them.
• Review the Musical Theatre Common Prescreen.
There are more than 40 schools on the list. There’s a downloadable spreadsheet of requirements, too. This site is a great place to start.
• Check out the schools participating in the National Unified Auditions. These universities do simultaneous auditions at three different locations across the country.
• Remind students that in-state schools are options.
Though the student may dream of being “far away from home,” it’s amazing how
many students realize that a 3-hour drive might work just as well to feel more on their own.
• Add university representatives to the school’s career event. Also, a local working actor at career day can be a valuable source of firsthand information for students.
Many students and parents want to know if it’s possible to double major in Theatre (or Acting or Musical Theatre) and something else. There are a variety of reasons to seek a double major, but the bottom line is that every school is different.
Explain this to your students and encourage them to search the program department’s website for information about double majors. Emailing the school is another way to get details. And rolling old-school and making a phone call could connect the student to a helpful contact at the school.
If double majoring is your student’s goal, have them include this question with their prepared questions (in a notebook or on a phone) for every in-person school tour they take.
I’ve found that if a student is a BFA musical theatre or BFA acting major, it might be tricky to double major because of the course curriculum and track that students need to follow. Minoring in a field might be more doable in a high-intensity major program.
Clear communication is key throughout this whole college audition process. Reminding students that it’s okay to stop and ask questions whenever they are unclear helps them have a kind of permission to not know everything already.
Senior year is especially full of activities, obligations, and emotions. Miscommunication can get students flustered; they don’t want to let anyone down (parents, teachers, their friends, themselves). And once flustered, the college audition process can begin to go sideways.
As adults, we know that if students communicate their needs that most things can be worked out. And we also know that this process of clear communication is fragile. I like to remind students and their adults that college audition prep is like adding a part-time job to the students’ lives!
Here are my tips for the students I coach through the college audition process:
• Use a paper calendar (yes, an old-fashioned paper calendar with lots of room to write on). Write down all commitments, rehearsals, voice lessons, dance classes, coaching sessions, deadlines, major school assignments, must-attend fun activities, etc. Then post the calendar where the student and their adults see it daily. Yes, the visual is an accountability tool. (Digital calendars are fine for backup, but seeing everything written down tends to make it more real for everyone.)
• Put your high school audition dates on the calendar ASAP.
If you get into one of the high school shows and then find out later that you have a college audition date that conflicts with a rehearsal date (which you’ll have on your master calendar), let your director know immediately. Teachers, your students don’t have much control over college audition schedules.
If/when a student comes to you with this conflict, please be prepared. Try to work around the missed rehearsal. If necessary, let the student kindly know that missing won’t work. It’s a dose of reality to be told they simply can’t do it all; and yet you can help them process their disappointment and prioritize what’s best for their future education. Your clear communication will be a gift.
• Ask for help gathering all the necessary college audition application information.
Yes, this is a chance for students to practice independence. And it’s also a huge undertaking that their adults and teachers can assist them with. When a student asks for help, the adults can guide how to prioritize efforts and even lend a hand by taking on a task. You know that students continue to need guidance even as they are spreading their wings to fly!
Teachers, you are an integral part of the Educational Theatre Association’s effort to make #TheatreInOurSchools a program that helps students succeed. Your passion and support make profound differences in the lives of the students in your classrooms.
