You have a better chance of being the next "American Idol" than you do of getting hit by lightning. But not that much better.

Last year, more than 100,000 people turned out for "Idol" auditions across the country. And, of course, there was only one winner.

Your chances of getting struck by lightning are somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 in 300,000. The thousands of "Idol" hopefuls who go to the EnergySolutions Arena to get wristbands today, Monday or Tuesday and audition on Tuesday have only a slightly better chance than that of impressing judge Simon Cowell.

"You can get 5 million people to turn up, and at the end of the day you're going to get three or four who are really, really good," Cowell told TV critics back in Season 2.

Most of you auditioners won't even get to meet judges Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. They won't be in Salt Lake City until callbacks in September. And for the vast majority of you who do get to meet the judges the question isn't if you'll be sent on your way, it's how. As in — how mean will the judges be?

You could well be the best singer among the thousands of hopefuls at the arena, but that doesn't mean you'll even get a second glance. One thing "American Idol" has been over its eight seasons is consistent, and what Cowell told TV critics in Season 1 is still true today.

"The idea of this show was to try and show ... what the music business is really like," Cowell said. "Which is illogical, sexist, all those things."

Hopefully, that will help console those of you whose dreams are crushed.

First impressions mean everything in "Idol" auditions. You're going to get 10 seconds to prove yourself on Tuesday before you even get a chance to prove yourself in front of the judges. And even then it's go big or go home.

"You have to make a snapshot decision," Cowell said as Season 8 began. "It's based on instincts, I guess, and emotion. "

And it's not just how well you sing, but how much the judges like you.

"I honestly think (Season 2 runner-up) Clay Aiken has changed this competition forever.... It's becoming incredibly personality led now," Cowell said — explaining Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks.

Most of you will be sent on your way by judges who are bored out of their minds and ready to strangle each other.

"You get on each other's nerves," Cowell said. "I think we all find new audition sequences harder and harder as years go on because it is torture and it gets on your nerves."