My 13-year-old son turned to me on Sunday morning with the first expression of genuine interest – and fear – since the search for a New York City public high school began this fall. He made this solemn declaration: “What happens today,” he said, as we raced out the door for his audition at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art & the Performing Arts, “will determine the rest of my life.”

For a moment, my stomach seized with butterflies. I envisioned thousands of hopeful eighth-grade actresses, musicians, dancers and artists from all over the city waiting for their own Big Chance. The collective anxiety and excitement overwhelmed me.

Would I remember my lines?

Wait, I had to remind myself. I was not a character in “A Chorus Line,” but simply a harried mom, like so many others in New York City, wanting the best education and opportunity for my child in the highly competitive world of public high school admissions. For many of us, that has already meant preparing our children to sit through the specialized high school exams, dragging them on tours and overseeing efforts to secure letters of recommendation, prepare portfolios and write essays.

There is only so much a parent can do, though, and yesterday's tryout reminded me of that once again.

Since early November, the arbiters of talent at LaGuardia have spent weekends listening, taking notes and evaluating every applicant – some twice, with callbacks already underway. If the stakes feel extraordinarily high, it is because they are. Last year, according to the school’s website, some 9,000 applicants vied for 664 spots in art, dance, drama, instrumental music, technical theatre and/or vocal music. Founded in 1936 by then Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the school began its life as the High School of Music & Art, a place where the city’s most gifted and talented musicians and artists could get free, top-notch instruction while also pursuing a full academic program. A 1961 merger with the School of Performing Arts followed by a 1984 move to a Lincoln Center facility with a concert hall and theater paved the way for what is now LaGuardia Arts. The astonishing list of famous alumni includes conductors, producers, composers and actors like Al Pacino and Jennifer Aniston.

A strong academic program with a full menu of honors and advanced placement courses ensures that graduates routinely attend some of the finest and most competitive colleges and universities in the U.S. They also get extensive training from top experts in their specialty area, and unsurpassed opportunities to produce and perform.

As my son and I walked into LaGuardia, I mumbled something about how one audition could not possibly determine a lifetime, about the many other excellent high schools where he’d also be happy. He didn't hear a word. I once again offered food. He once again refused.

We immediately ran into plenty of nervous but cool-on-the-outside parents. My son saw many of his equally anxious classmates. Parents were politely told to get lost; kids were ushered toward their specialty area and asked to answer an essay question about why they wanted to go to LaGuardia. Eventually, they got their chance to play, perform, draw or show their portfolio. About two and a half hours after I left the building, my cell phone rang. The tryout was over. I remained calm.

“How did it go?” I asked casually.

“It was AWFUL,” he said.

My heart sank. I’d heard him play the same two songs on the piano so often for so many months that I’d find myself shouting, “STOP PRACTICING!” He knew them cold. What went wrong?

“Awful?” I gulped, my heart sinking.

“No, not awful. AWESOME!” he replied. “It’s over! I did my best. Can we go home now?”

I took a deep breath, which I'll be holding until sometime in February.