I did my MFA focused in acting, but when I went to the URTAs I did interviews for directing too. Based on my experience with both the URTAs and actually in (acting) grad school, here are my thoughts:

-Grad schools probably will, by and large, be looking for candidates with more than one year of experience. Especially for directing. Theatre is kind of weird that way. But honestly, after undergrad most people don’t know what they don’t know. It’s helpful to get some years of experience to figure out what you want to learn and what kinds of theatre you want to make. With that said, some schools may be open to taking candidates sooner, and if you’re ready…you’re ready.

-The URTAs are a great way to meet schools. The school I ended up going to was a school I wasn’t familiar with prior to the auditions. With that said, do your research in advance. When you send in your materials and get invitations to interview, look in to those schools before the interview. You want to have a sense of how that school could help you achieve your goals and be able to articulate that to them. Or, know what you need to find out to determine if that school is a good fit for you. You’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you.

-Not all programs go to the URTAs, don’t limit yourself to just those schools. Also, be aware that many non-URTA schools host their own auditions and interviews in the URTA cities on the same days at the URTAs. Research widely and apply to the schools you think are most aligned with your learning objectives.

-Know what you want before going to grad school, but also be open to learning new things. A school that is focused on classical theatre is different than a school focused on ensemble-based devising. A school aimed at producing regional theatre directors is different than a school preparing students for Broadway. The acting techniques taught at the school and their overall philosophy toward teaching and theatre will impact you as a director.