By Valeria Camino

It’s college application season, Seniors! And, I’m sure for most, that sentence is very anxiety-inducing. Figuring out the next big steps into their career, what city they will like to live in during the next four years, the jump into adulthood and independence…I’m sure you’re all probably shaking right now. But it’s ok! Every senior goes through this same scary process. As Taylor Swift has said “Breathe in, breathe deep, breathe through, breathe out.” Still, for Performing Arts applicants, students who have spent years living under the heat of the stage lights, the pressure of being typecast, constant competitiveness, comparisons, rejection-- yeah, it’s been a lot. But this persistent energy is food to theater kids. These students have spent years training to do what they love, and applying to college is just another challenge.

The process of applying to musical theatre colleges can be a very long journey of waiting and preparation. Much like you Ivy League student-applicants…you’re not alone. As of last week, for schools such as Princeton, Harvard, and Yale University, the acceptance rate is average 4%. For musical theatre programs across the country, the acceptance rate is 0.05%. The process consists of applying to around 15-20 schools, submitting videos including two one-minute and thirty-second songs, two monologues, a dance, and a wildcard video consisting of any other talent. All of this in addition to the typical academic application. Once you hear back from your initial submission status, you schedule for either an in-person or virtual audition and interview. 

To give more information on the process, I interviewed two students from High Tech High School applying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre: Avery Ramsey and Arianna Guerreiro.

Avery is applying to 16 schools for a BFA in Musical Theatre, including University of Michigan, Pace University and Penn State, as she is slowly hearing back from schools, she is beginning to  schedule auditions. Avery's road to a BFA started with her training at Garden Street School of the Performing Arts as part of the Dance Competition Team at 5 years old, before making her way into training at Mile Square Theatre Dance in all styles (Jazz, Ballet, Tap). She still studies voice at Pearson Studios, and takes active acting lessons with Ranae Baker. Avery furthered her craft over summers at PaperMill Playhouse. She has also appeared as a vocalist on KidzBop, a commercial for Toyota, and Macy’s Santaland Holiday App. And hopes to pursue a career onstage, film and TV acting, and later work behind the scenes in directing and choreographing. 

Arianna is applying to 22 schools for a BFA in Musical Theatre and minor in Business. Her top choice has been NYU’s minor in Business in the Arts. She expressed how the application process is such a long and grueling process, especially while balancing extracurriculars and academics, while having to pay so much money for 22 application fees. She compares how easy a “normal” major application might be compared to Theatre in understanding the huge difference between the preparation of materials one might have to have to submit college applications. Arianna is now fully done filming prescreens and in the works of submitting them, and has a NYU audition coming up (Let’s all wish her the best of luck!!). When applying for such a competitive program comes the assurance of keeping everything to one’s self. Because of the high stakes, it’s hard to talk to the rest of your friends applying for Theatre. The fear of wondering if she might be doing something wrong or different, causes her to choose to keep her process to herself. In the future, Arianna hopes to get in the film industry, she quotes “I just think I can make a living out of film, I really want to sell myself [as an artist],” but if her career takes a different direction, she sees herself opening up a dance studio and teaching. 

So, if you still think theater kids don't do anything but re-cite all the lyrics to Hamilton, tap dance, and constantly harmonize, well, you'd still be correct--but there’s so much more to us than just performance! It’s the work and dedication that goes with it. The constant rejection will never escape but the ambition will always remain. 

by Isabella Duran

November 1st has passed which means most of our seniors have started or even finished their applications. During the last few days, I went around and asked some of our seniors about their top schools. We want our students to get inspired seeing our seniors push themselves to apply to very competitive schools. Watch some of their responses here. Best of luck to all!!