At Dreyfoos, it is clear that the arts are prioritized. Paintings line the halls, music wafts out of buildings–even the online newsmagazine you’re reading is a product of the arts. For some students, this artsy atmosphere will be Dreyfoos-exclusive. However, other students choose to pursue the arts in college, which means they have to endure the stress of art-related college auditions. Each individual prepares for these auditions in different ways. Even students as young as freshmen and sophomores have begun to prep for the strenuous process.

“Art colleges have high standards, so the pressure is definitely on,” communications sophomore Stella Vasilopoulos said. “I want to pursue the writing aspect of my major, so I’m planning on creating a portfolio that shows the highlights of my work.”

Many students have been preparing for their auditions for years, like dance senior Rachel Billings.

“I’ve been dancing since I was little, but I started to think about taking dance to the next level and began preparing in freshman year,” Billings said.

Billings’ time at Bak Middle School of the Arts and at Dreyfoos taught her numerous techniques in preparation for college auditions.

“Throughout the years I’ve learned how to stand out in an audition to make the judges notice me, in a good way. This is super important in the dance world,” Billings said. “[In] my 4 years at Dreyfoos, the dance teachers would constantly remind us of colleges’ expectations. We’d do research on which colleges were good options and had master classes with teachers and choreographers from dance schools. For Dreyfoos, I knew mutual people so I had an idea of what the judges were looking for. When auditioning for college, everything was all new and I never worked with the teachers before so it was more intimidating.”

During her college auditions, Billings had great practice on how to present herself as a professional student.

“A lot of girls [who] didn’t have to audition for schools before didn’t know what to wear or how to act,” Billings said. “Bak and Dreyfoos really taught me how to stand out and make myself professional so that they noticed me and see that I take it seriously.”

To prepare for ultra-competitive art auditions, students such as communications senior Nick Sadler dedicate time to summer programs. Sadler spent the two weeks at New York University’s music technology school and took the same classes he would be taking as a student at NYU. Despite the low acceptance rate, Sadler got into the music engineering program and formed tight relationships with staff members. To apply, Sadler submitted academic records and a music portfolio.

“I think that [the summer program] helped a lot with getting my foot in the door because when I did my application for the actual Steinhardt School of Music at NYU, the same people that I had to contact for that were the people that I met and actually interacted with at the program,” Sadler said. “Having that relationship with them already helped establish who I was so it was really easy to communicate back and forth for my application.”

The summer program wasn’t the only thing that assisted Sadler. Spending time in Bak and Dreyfoos acted as a stepping stone for his future endeavors. However, the two arts schools and college have a few differences.

“The first thing that’s really different is that with Bak and Dreyfoos you actually show up to the school and audition in front of a panel of judges,” Sadler said. “When you’re applying for college you have to depend on everything you’ve done in the past. In my case I had to build up a portfolio of all the artists I have recorded.”

The arts are especially difficult to get into because students must excel academically as well as artistically to be accepted into a college program. For Dreyfoos students who want to continue studying the arts, maintaining the balancing act of good grades and dedication to the arts provides a unique challenge. However, the process pays off for those that are truly passionate about the arts.

“I think auditions are stressful but with proper preparation it will be less stressful, and worth it if you truly enjoy what you’re doing,” theatre freshman Azure Kordick said.