Senior Emily Hucul, who is Costa’s Thespian President, shifted her focus this fall from theater to college applications, applying to 31 schools as a musical theater major.
After four years in the Drama/Tech Program, Hucul has built her high school career around performance. Musical Theatre (MT) admissions require difficult auditions, pre-screens, and academic applications, making the process far more demanding than a typical college application.
“I applied to 31 schools for Psychology and 3 schools for Business,” Hucul said. “Generally, the average acceptance rate for MT is 0.5%, so typically the maximum for most schools’ programs is 12 students.”
MT programs are known for their extremely low acceptance rates, with many schools admitting less than 15 students a year, making it extremely competitive.
“A few months ago, I was facing a lot of rejection from my pre-screen auditions, which was discouraging because all my friends were getting responses back,” Hucul said.
MT has been a major part of Hucul’s life for years, shaping both her identity and goals beyond high school. Theater, especially in high school, gave me a place to hone my skills,” said Hucul. “It gave me a greater love for drama and theater, making me want to pursue it in college.”
Applying for MT significantly differs from applying to other college majors in addition to the regular application process, students follow another process of submitting pre-screen videos, writing additional essays, and traveling to in-person auditions.
“For most MT programs you have to pass a pre-screen round, an in-person round, and sometimes more,” said Hucul. “It’s really difficult to even get through the pre-screens.”
Each school has its own requirements for songs, monologues, and dance routines, forcing applicants to constantly adjust.
“You need to know all your roles; I turn in a resume with every part I’ve ever played, and the admission director can choose a random song from one of my many roles, and I have to sing it whether I have it prepared or not,” Hucul said.
Because of that uncertainty, Hucul felt applying broadly was necessary.
“Since it is so competitive, applying to more schools gives you a larger chance at even getting a callback,” Hucul said.
The financial cost of applying quickly became overwhelming: pre-screen submissions, application fees, coaching, and audition travel has added up. At the same time, Hucul had to balance everyday life, such as schoolwork, leadership responsibilities, and daily audition prep.
“When I do have to travel I either get school assignments done before or after, because staying on top of schoolwork is so important, especially during the first semester,” Hucul said.
Hucul says that as decisions begin to come in, the process taught her resilience. She hopes that her experience can help other students considering applying to colleges for MT.
“It’s not easy, and it is a lot of work, 10 times more than you think, but it’s really rewarding. In the end, it’s only two years of stress, and then you get to do what you love for four years,” Hucul said.
As her high school career comes to an end, Hucul leaves behind a legacy in the Drama/Tech department as she steps into her exciting future. Applying to 31 schools highlights the dedication required to chase her dream.
“I still have a while to wait,” Hucul said. “But I know it will all be worth getting to do what I love.”
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