Some of the best advice I have to give students (and parents) as they are approaching the college audition process is to think of it like dating. No really, hear me out.

You swipe right on a school by applying and submitting your prescreen. They watch your prescreen and maybe they will swipe left and say “no thank you.” Do you stop looking at other profiles just because one of them swiped left? NO! You keep swiping right on other prospects until one of them also swipes right! Then it’s a match, and you have your first date: the live audition. This is where you get a feel for each other in the same room and see how things go. If it goes well, they say “I’d really like to see you again,” and then you start the process of getting to know them more, meeting their kids (students), get invited over to their place (visit the campus), and if it all clicks, then you can make the decision to make a commitment after the long process of getting to know each other. If all goes well, you will have a long, happy, emotionally abusive, and dysfunctional relationship with the college of your dreams studying theatre. Until four years later when you decide to see other people.

I think I got a little sidetracked there at the end, but you see what I mean. You’re at the very beginning stages of this “relationship.” Don’t get too emotionally attached if you can help it. If they swipe left on you and say they’re not interested right up front, you can’t let that be too discouraging. Why would you want to go to a school that doesn’t like you back? They’re not the right one for you! Focus on the schools that show interest, and that will hopefully, eventually, be a match?

But for now…

as many of you are hearing back from your prescreen submissions, you are inevitably going to get some news you didn’t want to hear. My best advice? As soon as you know one of the schools doesn’t like you as much as you like them, just smile and go start flirting with their friends.

If you’re looking to #elevate your college audition and learn more about this process, be sure to visit our College Audition Podcast in addition to our newly released Spotlight App by clicking here! Serving primarily as a searchable database with over 750+ Acting, Theatre, and Musical Theatre programs, Spotlight consolidates critical details such as audition requirements/deadlines, financial aid resources, and both academic and artistic contact information for each program.