Cheerleading Tryout Tips: How to Stand Out and Make the Team

Standing out at a cheer tryout isn’t about doing the hardest skill in the room. It’s about scoring well on what the judges are actually told to look for. Many college programs publish those criteria in their tryout packets, and some publish their scoring. This guide uses those published criteria to show where you can gain points and make an impression.

If you’re new to tryouts, start with our cheerleading tryouts guide, which explains formats, deadlines and paperwork. To avoid losing points, read cheer tryout mistakes to avoid.

What Programs Say They Are Looking For

Here is how some programs describe their ideal candidate in their own tryout materials:

• Arizona: points are awarded for skill execution plus “Overall Presentation, Collegiate Appearance, Attitude, and Effort.” The program says it seeks athletes who excel in athleticism, skills, stunt versatility, academics, professionalism, teamwork, leadership and attitude.
• Kansas State: “technically sound, versatile stunters who have an athletic presence and show potential for growth.”
• Florida: besides minimum skills, candidates are judged on interview, crowd appeal and cheerleading skills.
• Louisville: candidates should show “the athleticism, abilities, skills, style and collegiate look” expected of a Louisville cheerleader. For stunts, it looks for technique, strength and potential.
• UCLA: female applicants who are versatile in more than one stunt position are preferred.
• Utah: “We are looking for the most well-rounded cheerleaders.”

The same themes keep coming up: clean technique, versatility, game-day presence, and a mature, collegiate presentation.

1. Learn How the Tryout Is Scored

If a program publishes its scoring, study it. Virginia Tech’s 2026-27 tryout page is a good example:

• Each of five standing tucks is worth one point, with execution scored out of 10.
• Running passes have a difficulty scale from 1 (round-off back handspring) to 8 (a specialty pass with a full), plus execution out of 15.
• A standing full earns 2 bonus points, and a standing series to a full can earn up to 5.
• Toss stunts, walk-ins, dismounts and a combo stunt each have their own difficulty scales and execution scores.

Scoring like this shows where your time pays off. A clean, repeatable skill scores on execution. A higher-difficulty skill only helps if you land it well.

2. Show Your Best Skill That You Land Every Time

Kansas State tells candidates to perform their “most difficult yet confident pass,” and adds that you’ll be expected to keep performing the skills you try out with during the season. It doesn’t allow spotters for tumbling at tryouts. USA Cheer’s college rules also say skills that haven’t been mastered should be performed only in a supervised practice environment. So pick the hardest skill you can land cleanly, not one you’re still learning.

3. Arrive Knowing the Material Cold

Material you learn in advance is the easiest place to stand out, because everyone gets the same chance to prepare. Kansas State posts its fight song, “Wabash Cannonball” and chant online and won’t teach them at tryouts. UCLA posts its choreography on YouTube. Virginia Tech expects candidates to know the fight song on arrival, and Arizona sends fight song motions to semifinalists in advance. Learn every count, then practice performing it full out, with a smile and a loud voice.

4. Be Versatile and Easy to Stunt With

Several programs test how well you work with different people. At Virginia Tech, everyone stunts with three different partners and can’t use the same partner twice on the same day. Arizona pairs semifinalists with random partners for each stunt. Utah asks for video of every stunt role you can do. Practice with as many partners and groups as you can before tryouts, and learn to communicate calmly with people you’ve just met. Our guides to basing and flying cover the technique.

5. Lead the Crowd, Not Just the Routine

College cheerleaders are there to lead a crowd, and many tryouts test that directly:

• Arizona’s video round includes a 30-second musical freestyle with “rally motions, claps, and cheer talk,” performed as if you were on the sideline.
• UCLA may put candidates through game-day scenarios such as time-outs, quarter changes, free stunting and spiriting.
• Florida judges crowd appeal.
• Hawai’i’s video audition asks for a game-ready chant using UH themes.

Practice projecting your voice and making eye contact with an imaginary crowd. Our guide to keeping your energy high while performing can help.

6. Match the Program’s Look Exactly

Presentation is scored at some programs. Arizona says collegiate presentation and overall appearance “will be considered for points in evaluations.” But the details vary a lot. Arizona asks women to wear their hair half-up or in a full ponytail with a bow. UCLA asks for hair down, “NO Ponytails” and no bows. Kansas State asks for school colors and a bow. Follow your program’s packet exactly, down to shoes, hair and nails, and look at its social media for its game-day style.

7. Prepare for the Interview

Interviews are common at college tryouts:

• UCLA: a personal statement of up to 45 seconds, then a group interview with up to three questions.
• Arizona: a small-group interview (up to three people) in professional attire.
• Fresno State: interviews on the final day, in business casual.
• Video rounds often include interview questions too. San Diego State asks why you want to cheer there and what strong qualities you’d bring. Hawai’i asks what interests you about its program and why you’d be a good addition.

Write a short answer to each of those questions for the program you’re trying out for. Know its teams, its traditions and what it expects from members, such as game-day appearances and community events.

8. Get in Front of the Coaches Early

Many programs offer ways to meet coaches before tryout day:

• UCLA runs prep clinics and offers one-on-one feedback on squad choreography by email.
• Utah held optional prep clinics that it calls “a great way to learn our style and ask questions about the team.”
• Virginia Tech held open practices in the weeks before its 2026 tryout (you have to be cleared by its athletic trainer first).
• Texas Tech says some athletes can earn a video bypass at designated clinics. A bypass skips the video round but doesn’t guarantee a spot.
• Ohio State calls clinics “the best way to interact with our coaching staff.”

9. Treat References and Paperwork as Part of Your Score

Arizona sends evaluation forms to two professional references and scores them as part of the tryout. It also says “following instructions is part of the evaluation.” Choose references who know your work ethic, tell them the deadline, and submit every form early.

10. Be a Good Teammate All Day

Arizona requires candidates to attend the entire tryout “to support all groups,” and scores attitude and effort. Cheer for other groups, help reset mats, and stay engaged when you’re not the one being judged.

Your Stand-Out Checklist

• Read the program’s scoring or selection criteria, if published.
• Choose skills you can land cleanly every time.
• Know the posted material before you arrive.
• Practice stunting with several different partners.
• Rehearse crowd leading with a loud voice.
• Match the packet’s attire, hair and makeup exactly.
• Prepare a short personal statement and interview answers.
• Attend a clinic or open practice if one is offered.
• Line up your references early.

For conditioning, see our cheer tryout fitness test, and for skill work, see how to do a standing back tuck and how to improve jump height.

School-Specific Tryout Guides

Every program runs tryouts its own way. See our guides to Virginia Tech, Arizona, Kansas State, UCLA, Florida and Louisville, or browse the College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do judges look for most at cheer tryouts?

It depends on the program, but published criteria usually combine skill execution with presentation, attitude and versatility. Arizona, for example, scores “Overall Presentation, Collegiate Appearance, Attitude, and Effort” alongside skills.

Should I try my hardest skill at tryouts?

Only if you land it cleanly and consistently. Kansas State asks for your “most difficult yet confident pass” and expects you to perform it during the season.

Is there an interview at cheer tryouts?

At many college programs, yes. UCLA, Arizona, Kansas State and Fresno State all include an interview.

Sources: tryout pages and packets for Virginia Tech, Arizona, Kansas State, Florida, Louisville, UCLA, Utah, San Diego State, Hawai’i, Fresno State, Texas Tech and Ohio State; USA Cheer, 2026-27 College Cheer Rules. Last checked September 30, 2026.