Please read through all of the information below before you begin the registration process!

HOW DO I REGISTER MY SCHOOL?
All school registrations must be submitted online. You will need to be prepared to submit all the names of students and sponsors/chaperones attending the Festival immediately following your submission of the school registration form. By submitting the online school registration form, you are adhering to the Festival’s cancellation policy (see below).  However, your school registration is not considered complete and you will not be accepted to Festival and ranked until the following has been done. We will not accept any forms until you have submitted the online school registration form.

1. School Registration Online Form: complete and submit online
   
2. Medical/Media Release Forms (PDF): complete, sign, and submit by email, mail, or fax
   
3. Principal Acknowledgment Form (PDF): complete,sign, and submit by email, mail or fax
   
4. List of All Student & Sponsor Attendees (Excel): fill in all names of those attending from your school, save, and email to Meg.  This must be done within 2 business days of submitting the online form.  These names must match all the medical/media release forms and match the numbers you provided when you submitted the online form.
   
5. Full Payment: submit full payment via a single check (payable to Illinois State University) or a copy of a purchase order (PO numbers will not be accepted)
   

Scan and Email To:  Meg at mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu

Or mail to:
ISU Conference Services
Attn:  IHSTF School Registration
C.B. 8610
Normal, IL 61790-8610

Or fax to:  309-438-5364

PLEASE NOTE: It is the primary sponsors’ responsibility to make sure that all medical/media release forms are completely filled out, signed, and are legible before you send them in. Any incomplete forms or forms that cannot be read will not be allowed. Please make sure your students are NOT using a pencil but are using a black pen to fill out the form.

Schools will be registered in a first-come, first-served basis. Due to safety, quality, and space concerns, the number of participants is determined by the capacity of the facilities. Once registration is full, schools will be placed on a waiting list. We often reach capacity several days, if not weeks, before the deadline.

IS THERE A SCHOOL REGISTRATION FEE?
There is a $90.00 registration fee per school. This fee is waived if there is a current ITA member on your staff at your school or if your school is an organization member. You will be asked to provide the member name or organization name during the registration process.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR EACH STUDENT AND SPONSOR?

Students (excluding All-State): $75.00 each
Sponsors/Chaperones: $75.00 each
Meal Card (optional): $19.70 each

If space is still available, schools that don’t complete their registration by October 27, 2023 will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee. Late registrations and payments for these schools must be received by November 13, 2023. No registrations will be accepted after this date.

NEW THIS YEAR:  When filling out the school registration form, you can purchase printed Festival programs for $5.00 each.  Festival programs will no longer be provided to each school. They are only available for advanced purchase.  All information in the printed program is available on the Guidebook app.  This is optional if you and/or your students want a souvenir copy to keep.  More information can be found here.

WHAT IS THE DUE DATE TO COMPLETE THE SCHOOL REGISTRATION PROCESS?
The due dates below are for all online forms and documents listed above.

DUE – October 13, 2023: for schools submitting a Full-Length or Showcase production

DUE – October 27, 2023: for schools not submitting a production

November 13, 2023: If space is still available, late registrations will be accepted until this date.  

All late registrations (after October 27, 2023) will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee. No registrations will be accepted after this date. Please be aware, once we reach capacity we will only accept wait list registrations. We normally will reach our first cut off capacity number a few days, if not a week prior to the deadline. 

HOW MANY STUDENTS CAN I REGISTER? 

Each high school is allowed to register up to 40 total participants, including students and sponsors/chaperones.  The most you can bring is 36 students with 4 chaperones.  All sponsors/chaperones must be at least 21 years of age. Students must currently be enrolled in 9th–12th grades. We enforce a 10:1 student-to-sponsor ratio or fraction thereof. For example, if you have 13 registered students than you will be required to have 2 sponsors/chaperones. Please check with your high school to see if they have a higher student-to-sponsor ratio.

Exceptions to the 40 total participants limit will be considered for schools that are chosen to perform at the Festival. If your school is selected, you will be able to add more students and sponsors/chaperones when filling out the Director’s Response Form after your production has been viewed. More information will be given to you on that form about adding participants.  All-State company members from your school should NOT be included in your registration numbers. Home schools should contact the IHSTF 2024 Executive Director, Hector Hernandez, via email.

WHAT IS THE REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY?
A full refund, less a $13.00 per person processing fee, will be provided for cancellation requests received prior to November 1, 2023. All requests must be submitted in writing via email to Meg at mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu by November 1. No refunds will be provided after this date, but substitutions are allowed.

HOW DO MY STUDENTS SIGN UP FOR COLLEGE AUDITIONS?
In order for your students to sign up for college/university auditions and presentations, you must complete your school registration (i.e., Online Application, Principal Acknowledgement Form, Medical/Media Release Forms, List of Students/Sponsors Form, Full Payment). Once everything has been completed and submitted, you will receive a link by email allowing students to sign up for college auditions. Students must turn in applications, resumes, and payment by November 13, 2023.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE FURTHER FESTIVAL INFORMATION?
You will receive additional details about Festival via email in on December 15, 2023. If you do not receive this email by December 15,contact Illinois State University at 309-438-2160 or via email at memccan@ilstu.edu.  The email content will also be posted on the Know Before You Go page.

WHEN WILL I KNOW THE ALL-STATE AND OPENING PERFORMANCE MY SCHOOL WILL ATTEND?
Each school will be assigned to an All-State Performance and Opening Performance on a first-come, first served basis. We will do our best to honor preference requests. All-State performance will have assigned seating.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though schools meet the registration deadline, they are not guaranteed tickets to the All-State Performance or Opening Performance. Schools will be notified via email the week of December 11, 2023 as to which performances they are assigned.

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS?

Contact Meg Rhoades with ISU Conference Services at mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu with any school registration questions.