If you’re looking to audition for Sands College of Performing Arts, chances are you’re stressed. Whether you’re looking to act, dance, direct, do musical theatre, work in production, or any of the other programs Pace offers, it’s a competitive school. You’re probably getting so many opinions about what to do, which can be overwhelming. I remember the insanity of college auditions with so many feelings. It’s a huge thing to undertake, and you’ll feel proud when you do it, but it’s also just hard. I’m a freshman BFA Acting major, so I can only speak for that audition process, but I think the lessons I learned can be applied to many of the Sands programs. All pre-screens are submitted virtually, but because I am from Hawai’i, I also did my callback audition virtually. When I logged on to my audition, I was placed into a virtual room with everyone else who was auditioning that day. In the room with us were current students who were there to help everything run smoothly and answer any questions we might have. When it was my turn to audition, I was moved into a breakout room where faculty members were waiting for me. I did my monologues, and once those were done, I was assigned a partner to do the second part of the callback with. Following the audition, a few of us were selected to stay in the meeting and talk to the faculty. To give you as much information as possible, I asked Liam Clark, a sophomore BFA Acting internal transfer, about his in-person audition experience. The in-person and virtual audition are similar, the only difference is being physically present in the waiting area and audition room. Clark noted that he remembered being nervous around all the others that were auditioning, but by talking to people, was able to set himself at ease. His biggest piece of advice to potential students was to “be loose and tall”—to let go as much as possible and trust yourself to put your best foot forward.  

The following is a list of a few of the most important things to remember during your audition process. Nothing can guarantee your admission into Sands or any other performing arts school, but the best thing you can do is put yourself in a position to show the faculty what you can do.  

1. You have to know what your Sands program is asking for at the audition. Be sure to check their requirements and stick to them—including time restrictions and cut-offs. Each performing arts department has its own unique audition material, and the guidelines are posted online on the Sands college website. Read this carefully, and then read it again. You have to give them what they’re asking for. Also, make sure that you have an updated headshot/photo and resume.  

1. Give yourself enough time to get everything done. Not only do you have to submit your auditions, but you also must apply to Pace academically and fulfill your senior year responsibilities. You want to be as prepared as possible when going into the audition, not rushing around at the last minute.  

1. CHECK YOUR ACCEPTD PORTAL. This is how Sands will reach out to you if you are selected to move into the callback stage. They will tell you when/where your callback is, as well as what material to bring to the callback. I can’t stress enough how important this is. During the audition process, I was accidentally scheduled to do two different program’s callbacks at the same time. Luckily, I was able to reach out to Sands via Acceptd and get the situation resolved, but I was only able to do that because I had checked Acceptd in advance.  

1. Be yourself. I know this seems cliché, but it’s true. Sands is not only investing in you as a performer, but you as a person—don’t try to act like what you think they want. They want to hear your unique voice and see the things that you bring to the table that make you stand out. Additionally, don’t be afraid to take up space. This doesn’t mean being arrogant, but instead asking the questions you want to ask and not being afraid to advocate for yourself. The saying that you are auditioning the program as much as they are auditioning you is true; you need to know what Sands and its faculty are like to decide that you want to commit to Pace.  

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people. It’s so easy to get lost in looking at what everyone else is doing. Some people choose to use college audition coaches, some don’t. Some people get professional headshots done, some don’t. You have to do what is right for you. 

It’s a lot easier to say this on the other side of auditions than it would have been a year ago, but take a deep breath. I’m a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and that things work out the way they’re supposed to. It will be okay, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.