I can wait until the day of the deadline to apply, right?

We are very grateful that so many of our colleague opera organizations have decided to use the YAP Tracker online service to process their applications and auditions.  It helps companies stay organized and eliminates a great amount of processing time; it helps singers to submit their materials more quickly and easily at no additional cost; and it also is a "green" service that eliminates a huge portion of material submissions each season.

The one question that comes up at the end of every application period is, "I can apply until 11:59 pm on the day of the deadline, right?"  The answer to that is, yes: the deadline to apply for programs is currently always set at 11:59 PST (this may change in future seasons). We agree it is handy to be able to wait when needed; however, perhaps you should consider why applying at the last minute may not be a good move.

1. Missed requirements: Didn't realize that a scanned/uploaded letter of recommendation would be needed for this application? Perhaps an art song video or musical theater recording are required. If you wait until the last minute to apply, it may be too late to get those materials together.

2. Technical problems: Have you uploaded all of your materials already? What happens if you are trying to direct upload a video and it is taking a long time? Perhaps your audio file is not in the right format and needs to be converted. Maybe your credit card is getting rejected by our system.  There are so many ways in which you might be stopped at the last minute when our staff are not available to help you.

3. Internet connectivity problems: It happens. Your internet is out and you can't connect, nor is Time Warner answering your calls.

4. Submission errors: Burning the midnight oil and thought you got everything submitted in time? There are so many cases when we are contacted by singers who think they've submitted the forms, but they've actually saved them as draft. If you had fresh eyes in the morning to review, you would likely notice the error, but alas, if you apply on the day of the deadline, it's too late.

5. You only have iPhone or iPad access: YAP Tracker does not currently support submissions on the iPhone or iPad. We may in the future, but if you were planning to submit those forms after dinner, and dinner turned into drinks, and drinks into a full night out, you won't be able to submit on the go with your mobile device.

6. Companies have already started reviewing applications: think that electronic submissions are great for singers? They are great for companies, too, but there is a catch: because so many singers wait until the last 3 days of the application period, some companies choose to front load their work and start reviewing early. If you are the very last of the 300 lyric sopranos submitting their materials, it stands to reason that the consideration you receive may be less than someone who got their materials in at a less hectic time.

Give yourself the best shot possible and apply early. With saved profiles offered through YAP Tracker, most of the work of submitting the forms is already done for you; leave those late nights for binge-watching Breaking Bad or catching up on sleep. 

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