Ok so you’re all dressed up, pacing the floors, sweating in places you’ve never sweat before, and you’re mind is racing at a mile a minute. One word – Breathe.

Just breathe.

Here’s the most important piece of advice I was ever told about college auditions.  Professors WANT you to do well. Professors WANT to see you succeed. Remember they WANT to recruit you. Professors don’t want to go about teaching their freshman the basics, they want to get down and dirty to the hardcore musicianship. If you show in an audition, not necessarily perfection, but raw material, that a professor can easily work with, then you are on the track to acceptance.

Don’t freak out. Just remember these smiling faces are actually excited to meet you! They need freshman and you are potentially one of those freshman!

Think before you play. You’ve probably heard this statement billions of times from your private teacher before. I’m telling you, you’ll probably forget so I’m reminding you once more. Think before you play. Breathe. Relax. Professors understand the stress and want you to play your absolute best. So make sure you make the most out of those 10 minutes and show them confidently that you can play.
Also, be yourself. Don’t choke. They want to see your personality too! Have fun with them.

Smile.. Always remember to smile and walk in with confidence in your music. Let the professors enjoy your song for that short moment you have with them.

I’ll tell you a short story from personal experience. I, myself, have never been a performer. I love playing, but solo performances have never sat right with me. And I’m a bundle of nerves going in to play for people. But trust me when I say that auditions are only as scary as you make them out to be. Go to your happy place. Do any pre-performance rituals you normally do. Wear your lucky shoes or listen to your piece on your iPod on repeat for three hours before hand. And most importantly, stay calm and breathe. Make the most out of the time you have. And enjoy it!

Now it’s time for the “fun” stuff. Actually spending the time, filling out every single detail of your life from your dog’s name to your social security number and everything in between.

Suggestion #1: Fill out your applications and have a rough draft of your essays BEFORE school begins.
Accomplishing all of this early will save you hours and hours of headaches when stressed at the beginning of the year with IB and AP classes, marching band seasons (if you’re a band participant) and every other rehearsal that may take up your time. It may be difficult to get that work ethic going before school is in session, but just take the week before and fill out everything you need to. Also, see how many schools of yours accept the CommonApp Application. This saves you a lot of time as well, but don’t get too excited- there are always supplements!

Suggestion #2: Know your limits.
Please know that for simply applying to schools, there is a fee. To send SAT scores there is a fee, which must be paid for each school you wish to send them too. To send ACT scores there is also a fee, which must be paid for each school you wish to send them too. Applying can get pricey so make sure that whoever is laying out the money for applications is okay with the amount of schools you are applying to.

Suggestion #3: Uniqueness- It’s Essay Time
This part you can actually have fun with. You can write about almost anything for the CommonApp, and a lot of the time individual schools with their own applications have fun with the essay portion, and give you a very out-of-the-box topic. Be creative. Think of a completely random experience that you can look back on as if it was a movie scene, and you know you’ll never forget it. Or think of the time that you realized who you truly were. I can’t tell you which experience or person or place to talk about as I have not lived your life. But think of something that no one else can say “Oh, that happened to me too!” Be unique. Be original. And if you have fun writing it, the schools will have fun reading it.

Suggestion #4: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The minute school begins, knock on your English teacher’s door and say “Can you read this?!?” Ask for as many opinions as you can find – guidance counselor, teachers, parents and all. Do not be afraid to ask for opinions and don’t be afraid of a little constructive criticism. The school officials and family members are only there to help you. No worries!

The added stress of college applications is not what anyone wants, especially when beginning your senior year of high school. But, it will be much less painful if you get the dirty work done in the summertime. Remember to always be yourself and let that show in everything you write. Let colleges hear your voice and don’t stress!