Backstage with Tracee
Happy fall, Muse friends! If you are pausing to read this blog post, thank you. I know this is a very busy time of year. Above all else, I hope you are finding time for self-care.
This is a moment in time where many of you are working on wrapping up college applications, prescreens, and/or submitting portfolio materials, as well as researching and applying for scholarships. Of course, that is also on top of your normal day to day lives, which I am sure are quite busy.
As you juggle all the above, I want to provide a few tips and words of wisdom to help you navigate this time.
Applications
If you are working on finalizing your college applications, that is a-okay. As you work through these final steps, keep in mind the following:
• Do not wait to submit your application on the day it’s due. This is a recipe for disaster and does not give you time to troubleshoot any issues that might come up.
• Be yourself! Admissions staff read a lot of applications each cycle, and they know when you are telling your story and being genuine and when you aren’t.
• Make sure you are checking in with your recommenders and reminding them of deadlines.
• Double check you have all supplemental materials ready to submit.
• Have a trusted advisor or family member look through your application before you submit it to make sure it’s filled out completely.
• Try not to forget your username(s) and password(s) for each application site.
I recommend you turn in your application at least two weeks ahead of the deadline. It’s important to celebrate the completion of each part of this process, so get those apps submitted and do a little happy dance (or anything else nice for yourself).
Prescreens:
I want to recognize and honor that preparing and submitting prescreens adds a huge layer onto your application process, and I want to remind you that ‘you’ve got this!’ As you are navigating this process, here are some important tips:
• Pay attention to requirements and deadlines. Each school is going to be slightly different, so you need to pay close attention to the details. Do not wait until the deadline to submit your materials.
• Before submitting, ask someone with professional knowledge for feedback (i.e. your theatre teacher, acting coach, etc).
• Be yourself! I cannot stress how important this is.
• Remember that you are applying to an acting program so you can study and train to become a better actor. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be vulnerable and show you are ready to learn.
• Know why you want to do this and be ready to share genuinely if asked.
It is very likely you will not get a callback for every program you apply to. I encourage you to believe that you will end up where you are meant to be.
Portfolios
Submitting a portfolio is an exciting opportunity to showcase the work you’ve done. As you are preparing your materials, keep these tips in mind:
• Pay attention to requirements and deadlines. Each school is going to be slightly different, so you need to pay close attention to the details. Do not wait until the deadline to submit your materials.
• Select pieces that show depth and breadth. Schools want to see what you are proud of.
• Remember you are applying to this program so you can learn and grow into an expert.
• Before submitting, ask someone with professional knowledge for feedback (i.e. your theatre teacher, acting coach, etc)
• Know why you want to do this and be ready to share genuinely if asked.
In-person auditions or interviews
If you are invited to participate in an in-person audition or interview, congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment and next step in this process. As you prepare to navigate this experience, I recommend the following:
• Be yourself, be yourself, BE YOURSELF! I can’t stress this enough.
• Remember you are there to share what you know up until this point in your life and why you are passionate about this major/program.
• Every program has different requirements, so know before you go what you need to bring/have prepared.
• Connect with other people attending the events (admissions staff, faculty, current students, fellow applicants).
• Take deep breaths and have so much fun!
These next few months are going to fly by as you move through each step in this process. Try to pause and take moments to reflect on truly how amazing this all is. Not everybody gets to navigate a process like this, and there are a lot of amazing moments if you pay close attention. If you need a little help, we are here to support you on this journey. Remember to be bold, brave and confident!