5 Tips to Handle the College Audition Results Waiting Game (Student Edition)
Keep the intro, cut the verses
And the waiting, the waiting
The waiting, the waiting, THE WAITING!
- "I Know It's Today" (Shrek)
After months (or even years) of determined college audition prep, your college auditions are finally over! You have obsessed over selecting the perfect college audition songs and college audition monologues, survived the pre-screen filming process, spent many late nights writing endless supplemental college essays, crammed in extra dance classes, added some last minute college choices to your lists, etc., ALL while trying to rock your performances in your high school shows, maintain your GPA, and hold on to some insanity. And what do you get as a reward for being a serious college audition rockstar? The March (and April) waiting game!
If you are waiting for your college audition results by the mailbox, obsessively checking your email, or freaking out about any mysterious unknown phone numbers like this...
Here are 5 Tips to Handle
The College Audition Results Waiting Game
(Student Edition)
1. Spend time with your friends and family.
Whether your friends also have been running around to college auditions or have been done with their college applications for months now, you don't have to say, "I can't...I have college auditions" anymore! Savor this time with your friends (and family) and allow yourself to enjoy all of the fun things that you have been saying no to because you have been in college audition mode.
2. Write down all of your thoughts about each college.
As a college audition acting coach, I ask my students to tell me their thoughts on each college audition interaction while they are still fresh, so that I can keep a log of the vibe at each college. If you auditioned at 10+ colleges (some all the way back in the fall), they all might blur together when the acceptances roll in and you are trying to make a final decision. The process of writing it all out also will feel therapeutic!
3. Don't second guess yourself or your college audition process.
It's so easy to wait in agony replaying every audition in your mind. It's so easy to regret not applying to more colleges or not practicing more or not being prepared enough for that interview portion of the college audition. Trust that you brought your best at that exact moment to every college audition. Remember that they are looking for potential, not perfection.
4. Make a list of everything you have learned about yourself during your college audition process.
You've just survived one of the most challenging audition processes of your life. You may not feel it right now, but you just learned a goldmine of info about yourself and the way that you audition. Make a list of all of the parts of the audition process that you NAILED and the areas that you hope to improve upon during your training.
5. Trust that what is meant to happen will happen.
We all want to get into the University of Michigan BFA Musical Theatre Program or the Carnegie Mellon University BFA Acting program, but honestly, as you have hopefully learned through your college audition process, there are so many BFA programs out there and you have most likely found great connections with faculty members at many different colleges (some might even have surprised you). Getting into a "top BFA Musical Theatre or Acting program" does not determine your future success. Getting into the right program that will nurture your talent and passion is the key!
Most importantly, enjoy your spring high school musical or play, your Senior Prom and banquets, and the last few moments you have in high school. For a few hours, shut your phone off and stop obsessively checking your mail and email for college audition result notifications. Treat yourself to something you truly love. You've earned it!
If you're a parent, check back next week for
5 Tips to Handle the College Audition Results Waiting Game
(Parent Edition)
or subscribe here.
Tom Morin is a NYC-based acting coach, co-founder of Polish Your Passion, and a professional actor/singer. He holds a B.A. in Theatre & Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.F.A. in Acting from Ohio University and has been teaching for the past 9 years, advising and coaching students through the college audition process and beyond. He loves coffee, Shakespeare, and YouTube.
