Application Policy
Applications and associated materials must adhere to the following application
policies. By submitting an application your group agrees to abide by all policies
listed on this website.
Deadline
Applications are due by November 1, 2008.
Materials must be received at Varsity
Vocals Headquarters by this deadline. Postmarks will not be considered.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. If you are applying
from overseas and do not wish to mail your materials, please email
our headquarters to make alternate arrangements.
Application Materials
To apply, please submit the following materials:
| Application form: | Download and complete an application form. |
| Application fee: | All applications must include
a $35 non-refundable application fee. Checks should be payable to Varsity
Vocals and labeled with the group name and school name. |
| Entry fee: | All applications must include your entry fee. This entry fee is due with your application but must be in a separate check, and it will not be deposited unless your group is accepted into competition. Checks should be payable to Varsity Vocals and labeled with the group name and school name. Entry fees are as follows: High school ensemble: 250 USD |
| Application tape: | 1. Only CDRs and audio tapes are acceptable. Videotapes, mini-tapes, DATs and mini-discs are not. CDRs may not include MP3 files or any other compressed format. 2. Tapes or CDRs must be recorded after January 1, 2008 and accordingly will include those who were members of the group at that time. You do not need to sing what you intend to sing in competition. 3. Tapes or CDRs must be protected in a proper case and must be clearly labeled with the group's name, university, and date of recording. 4. Tapes or CDRs may have three or four full-length songs; no more, no less. 5. Tapes or CDRs must be accompanied by a set list. 6. Tapes or CDRs must include only the songs themselves. False starts or chatter should be cut from the final recording. 7. All voice parts or material to be judged must be audible on the tapes or CDRs. 8. Tapes or CDRs must be live recordings. You may not overdub or use any form of post production beyond the cuts required by regulation No. 6. |
Special Consideration
| Late applications: | Because the general application deadline
has been extended to November 1, petitions for late applications will
not be accepted. |
| Resubmissions: |
If your group submitted an early application featuring last year's 2007-2008 group (as opposed to the new, 2008-2009 group) and you feel there has been a fundamental shift in the groups’ focus, ability, style, composition, etc., your group is permitted to resubmit its application by November 1. |
| Returning competitors: |
If your group participated in last season's semifinals, held after January 1, 2008, you may elect not to submit a application tape. Instead, we will consider our audio recording of your performance at semifinals as part of your application. Groups that competed in quarterfinals but not semifinal rounds must submit an application tape. |
Eligibility
Groups must consist of permanent, full-time, full-fledged participants
who are full-time students enrolled at your school or university. Exceptions
will be made on a case-by-case basis and will take into account the academic
enrollment status of the member in question as well as the individual school's
policy for participation in registered student organizations. Please contact
headquarters with membership
questions.
You must notify headquarters of any exceptions or new members not on the original
roster included in your application in order for these members to be eligible
to compete. Groups who lose members between rounds will not be penalized.
Under no circumstances should groups bring in outside performers for competition.
Failure to comply with this regulation may result in disqualification from any
and all future competitions.
The Varsity Vocals Championship accepts vocal ensembles of all styles, but it
is not a choral competition. Groups composed of more than 24 members should
contact headquarters before
applying.
Acceptance
Groups will be considered based on the musical aspects of our competition judging criteria and selected by the Executive Director and the Executive Producer.
Accepted applicants will be notified on a "semi-rolling"
basis beginning September 1, 2008, but we will not be able to schedule groups
into quarterfinals until after the November 1 application deadline.
Note: Although headquarters will fill spots beginning at this time, adequate
space will be reserved for those applying in the fall. Headquarters will allow
for as many groups to participate as application quality permits.
A final list of acceptances will be posted on November 15, 2008.
Commitment
By sending in an application, your ensemble agrees to compete and pay all fees incurred by competing in the events.
Please list on the application form any known academic conflicts
with events in your region. If you apply before all the events in your region
are scheduled, you should still submit your conflicts to headquarters
before the November 1 application deadline. Once this deadline has passed, we
will schedule accepted groups into quarterfinals, doing our best to take into
account academic conflicts and academic breaks.
We recognize that groups have very full schedules, and we will do our best to
accommodate groups who share their conflicts with competition dates before the
application deadline. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of events in
each region, we may not be able to accommodate all conflicts. Applicants are
expected to make Varsity Vocals events a priority whenever possible. Those who
withdraw from competition because of a conflict of which Varsity Vocals is not
notified before the November 1 deadline may be barred from competition for one
year, and their entry fee will not be returned.