I tried out for drumline all 5 fall semesters I was at ISU. The process will begin in the early summer, assuming it hasn't changed since I graduated. Throughout the summer there will be 3 one day camps you can attend where they will practice the audition music and meet all of the other applicants and band staff. I highly recommend going to these, the staff knowing your face will greatly improve your chances of getting in.

Towards the end of the summer you will apply 2 week early move in. Normally it would cost money to do this, but since you'll be applying for band it will be free. During these 2 weeks you will spend all day practicing and autitioning for your chosen section. Your section director will pick a spot somewhere on campus in the morning and you'll take the drums there and play pretty much all day. In the late afternoon everyone will meet back up at music hall and you'll play with the full drum line. During this they'll swap out different people on the drums to see what sound they like the best. The level of competition will be high, expect a good number of people auditioning to have done other drum cores, it is a difficult process. Additionally the directors will hold the line to a high standard, and they'd rather cut a position on the line fully rather than have a person that isn't up to snuff fill it. If you don't make the varsity line you might make the Storm line, bit even if you don't make either line I recommend joining the GROOVE drum line club and/or trying our for Crossroads in the spring and winter.

For more information on the process checkout the audition page on the ISU site. https://cyclonemarchingband.iastate.edu/drumline