Rachel ‘Chokes’ During NYADA Audition on ‘Glee’

There were a few lessons to be learned on this week's episode of 'Glee': There are no excuses for physical violence in a relationship, everyone should graduate high school, and you can't choke during auditions.

This week, the judge from the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts (played understatedly by Whoopi Goldberg) comes to William McKinley High to see what Kurt and Rachel had to offer the prestigious institution. Kurt, wanting to wow the judge, decides to go with a riskier option, but Rachel sees this as a form of self-sabotage, as a way to write off a rejection. She chooses a well-worn classic, 'Don't Rain On My Parade,' from 'Funny Girl,' which she performed in the Season 2 finale. Kurt agrees to be safe at first, but at the last minute, takes a risk, and sings 'No the Boy Next Door,' a song from 'The Boy From Oz' that includes some incredible high notes and flashy dance moves. The judge loves it, and it sets a high standard for Rachel.

When Rachel is up for her song, she does something she's never done before: She chokes. The song falls totally flat, and she can't even get past the first few bars. Naturally, this is devastating for her, not just because it compromises her chances of being accepted to NYADA, but also because it means that she let her nerves and self-doubt get to her. She's always been one to push through a performance, to give it her best at all costs, but this time, she just couldn't.

Rachel has been banking on NYADA all season. She even convinced Finn to move to New York, which prompted him to enroll in The Actor's Studio. Now, things are totally up in the air for her, and she's one thing she never thought she'd be: aimless.