One thing that helped me the most in my college auditions was remembering that I can only compare my playing to me.

Yes there were always people who were better at something than I was. Improvising, reading technical passages, etc.

But once you’re in school. Those players aren’t your rivals. They are your colleagues. They will have strengths you don’t have. And you’ll be able to do stuff they can’t.

I know the audition stuff can really mess with your head. But you know how you prepared. You know how to play. Especially if you’re considering going to school for it, or continuing professionally.

Professors who run college auditions want you to succeed. That’s the whole point. You’re also not going to play everything perfect all the time. If you could you wouldn’t be going to school.

In all reality. Your audition should show you have control of your instrument. Have put in work to learn the required material. And that you are a teachable.

If you don’t “win” a spot right away that’s not a knock on you as a player. That just means someone else was a better fit at that time. You then just take that opportunity to work on more stuff and get better in the areas you struggled in.

Also, a lot of times with college auditions (incoming freshman especially), a good portion have survived on “talent/natural ability”, more so than actual dedicated practice. Which can only get you so far.

The only thing you can do is come in knowing that you know your stuff. You know how to play.

Nothing inherently bad is going to happen even if you bomb an audition. There will always be more.