3 Mistakes PARENTS Make in the MT College Application Process

College audition season can be a stressful time—not only for students, but for the parents and guardians who love and support them.

In this blog post, we’re going to talk about three mistakes that parents often make, all in an attempt to help, but that can actually make the whole process even harder.

Mistake #1: Not Having the Money Talk

This is a big one because many adults don't love talking about money in front of their kids. And, in fact, their kids may not even know their family's financial situation. Many parents want their kids to feel comfortable, safe, and well taken care of, so it can feel yucky to go to them and say, “Hey, listen. We cannot afford any college under the sun.” 

But it's crucial to have that conversation with your kids about the reality of your financial situation and take it into account before you start looking at colleges. Especially before you let your student fall in love with schools that may or may not be within the realm of possibility for your family.

Part of the money talk is discussing what's in the family budget, but it's also about discussing the expectations for who's going to pay for what. This includes sharing with your student what percentage you can cover and whether they will need to take on personal or federal loans.

Finally, consider the costs of applications and auditions, such as application fees and travel costs. If you're traveling to schools or even traveling to Unified Auditions, this could include hotels, flights, food—all of it.

And when you have this conversation, remember: no school or program is worth years and years of debt. There are many paths to a career in musical theatre, and many programs that offer wonderful training and opportunities without that sticker shock.

The earlier you can have this talk, the better. Freshman year, sophomore year, junior year—start talking about it early so that you can save for those immediate expenses during application year, while also having an awareness of what schools you're going to be targeting when it comes time to build that college audition list.

Mistake #2: Going Down the Online Forum Rabbit Hole

Social media can be a gift and a curse in this process. So many resources are available nowadays, but with all the accounts, TikTok videos, Facebook groups, and Reddit threads, there can also be a LOT of noise.

It's so tempting, and it's easy to get sucked into it all. But we are here to tell you: you can tumble too far down that rabbit hole. It can quickly become negative, obsessive, comparative, and often flat-out wrong. You can even get bad information that leads you in the wrong direction.

Then there's the feeling of competitiveness or comparison when you see:

“This person's daughter has already heard back from X, Y, and Z schools. We haven't heard back yet.”

“Well, they've already gotten their prescreen rejection—or acceptance.”

“They got into 12 schools, and we've only gotten into one.”

And on and on and on. It gets really tough when you're comparing yourself and your child's journey to hundreds of strangers on the internet. And then there are parents who, with good intentions, will share very specific details about their students' auditions and experiences:

“We got asked for three songs instead of two in the audition room.”

“Make sure to have a Disney song for X school because our D got asked for hers.”

While these moments may happen, and it's useful to have information, they are often specific instances. They can also lead others to feel like they have to change everything because of one person's experience.

These kinds of opinions about what each school likes or looks for are what we call game-playing, and here at Aspire College Auditions, that is not what we're about. You cannot guess what people “want.” You truly cannot play that game. It is not worth your time, energy, or anxiety trying to guess how to be different for one school, program, or director over another. If you allow those voices to get really loud in your brain, you're inviting more anxiety into the process. And this process is already difficult enough.

Anytime you hear anything that sounds like, “What this school wants,” or “What those faculty members like to see,” flip that question around to:

“What do you want to share about yourself?”

Rather than playing the game, have your student think about what they want to share with the people in the room, because that is the only thing they can control.

This is also where working with a coach who has a lot of experience in this space can be helpful for both students and parents. You can have that voice of reason who can step in, quiet the noise, and say, “Let me help you see this objectively.”

Mistake #3: Micromanaging Your Student Throughout the Audition Process

As someone who works closely with families throughout this process, I know how much parents want their kids to succeed. You want them to do their best, get everything in on time, and feel as prepared as possible. And that comes from a really good place.

But oftentimes, even despite your best efforts, that desire to help can turn into micromanaging, and that can actually end up stressing out your student more, leaving them anxious and feeling less prepared.

So if it's something you can afford, and there are resources you can use, use them. This could mean hiring a coach, going through a program like ours, Aspire, or even just contacting the college counselor at school or an English teacher with whom you could spend some extra time with your child to go over their essays or whatever the case may be.

Utilize the resources in your life so that you, as the parent, don't have to wear multiple hats. So you are not the only person reminding your kid to get these things done in the amount of time you think they should be done in. And so you can save unnecessary stress on your relationship and your role as a parent.

There are so many places to find support. If there’s a favorite teacher, a counselor at school, a friend who has been through this same process before, someone in the community that you're close with, or even a family friend who is a good writer who can just help give some comments on those essays—reach out for a little support that isn't coming just from inside the family.

Taking a step back is also a wonderful way to help your child take ownership of this process. Because this process, at the end of the day, is theirs.

Work together to help them find ways to take the lead. From drafting emails to scheduling, they will be the ones communicating with universities and programs during college auditions. Scheduling audition dates, thank-you notes, wait-list inquiries, and more. So giving them the tools and the opportunity to do that in a comfortable environment as they prepare will help set them up for success!

The Bottom Line

You don't have to navigate this process alone!

That is exactly why we created Aspire College Auditions: to give you and your student the tools, mentorship, and support to get prepped, pre-screened, and beyond.

✨ For Class of 2027 families currently navigating this process, we are cheering you on every step of the way. Don’t forget to take a deep breath, and remember that this journey will be unique for every student.

✨ For Class of 2028 families, Aspire is our 5-month Musical Theatre College Audition Prep program designed to help you navigate the whole process—from building your school list and selecting material to pre-screens, auditions, and final decisions.

Want to learn more about Aspire?

Email hello@aspirecollegeauditions.com to join the priority list for upcoming program information and FREE consult availability when consults reopen in late November/early December!

Remember: you’re not alone in this process. With the right team and support around you, even the toughest parts of college audition season can become a whole lot more manageable—and, dare we say, even enjoyable. 🥳