Becoming A Bachelor Contestant Is Harder Than You Think
With 25 seasons of The Bachelor and 16 seasons of The Bachelorette, there have been a ton of people who have landed the coveted contestant position. The most current season, featuring bachelor Matt James, started with 32 women vying for his heart on episode one, after cutting the list down from 43 finalists (via TV Insider). With such a high number of final contestants making it on the show, it may seem that your chances of getting chosen are high. But, according to Refinery 29, there were over 6,500 applicants for Matt James' season this year, so the likelihood of making it on the show isn't as high as you may think!
Whether you apply for love or for fame, it sometimes seems as though all it takes is a pretty face to get cast on the show. The bare necessities require potential contestants to be at least 21 years old and a United States citizen, a permanent resident, or a foreign citizen without travel restrictions (via Men's Health). And while many people may be able to easily check those off on their application, actually landing a spot is much harder than simply checking boxes.
There are a ton of steps to making it on The Bachelor
In addition to the simpler items, contestants must also pass a variety of tests to be considered. According to StyleCaster, in order to make it on the show, you need to pass an STD test, a psych exam, and a background check. And even if everything comes back clean, they still require more from you.
All contestants must agree to up to nine weeks' worth of filming, forcing many to quit their jobs before signing onto the show — a big ask for those who are just starting out in their careers or have established roles already. If you are still interested in applying, look for open casting calls in your area (they are currently casting for the next season of The Bachelor) and fill out the online application (via Bachelor Nation). If you make it past this stage, you will then be interviewed by producers and likely flown out to Los Angeles to meet with casting directors before any final decisions are made, per Page Six.