Category Archives: college planning

admissions, college guidance, college majors, college planning, Guest Posts

3 Steps to prepare for a college theatre audition

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College Theatre and Musical Theatre Programs are amongst the most competitive programs to gain acceptance to within a College or University. With thousands of applicants vying for a spot, it is important to present your best and most marketable self to make an impression. In order for you to be ready for these auditions, it requires you to put in an adequate amount of time, energy and passion into your preparation.

Sound stressful? Don’t let it be! If you are truly passionate about getting an education that will begin your professional career in the arts, then allow the process and preparation to be fun and exciting.

Step 1

First things first: Where do you want to pursue this dream education? Just as important as choosing the right monologue or song for the audition, is choosing the right program to match your needs as a performer.

Before you begin looking at different programs within Colleges and Universities, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What will my main focus be? Straight Theatre or Musical Theatre?
  • Will I do better within a conservatory or university program?
  • What do I hope to accomplish after graduating college?
  • Do I have other interests that I want to pursue alongside Theatre?

Once you are able to come up with these answers, your search will be much easier. Take a look at the differences between Conservatory programs and University programs. Inquire as to what recent graduates of the program are up to after graduation. Decide whether a BFA or BA program suits your needs and your other possible interests besides theatre.

Step 2

Okay, you’ve found a couple dream schools and programs…now what?

Time to focus! You are now ready to begin visiting these schools, setting up interviews, and most importantly, setting up a date for an audition. An easy way to set up a schedule for yourself and your parents is to make a “College Calendar Checklist” spreadsheet. Post this on your fridge or any other important area to make sure all of your requirements are being met. Use the following categories for each college when creating the list:

SCHOOL
APPLICATION DEADLINE
AUDITION DEADLINE
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
AUDITION TIME/DATE

Step 3

Alright, so now all of your schools are chosen, your dates are set, and you’ve started your applications. Now the real fun begins! It’s time to choose your audition material.

This is definitely the most daunting task of the College Audition Process. What type of Monologues are “they” looking for? What type of song suits my personality? If you are amongst the many who are confused as to what pieces are right for you, don’t worry.

First, make sure to check out the website of the programs in which you are auditioning so you know what their requirements are.

It is important for you to do your own research and really take an initiative on finding your material. Check out Pulitzer Prize winning plays, look at Musicals that won Tony awards. While some of the material from these works may be “overdone” pieces, they are good places to start. Hiring an audition coach is always a good idea to oversee the process with you. They are able to help you properly prepare and choose powerful pieces while not over-rehearsing your choices.

For inspiration on your college hunt, my favorite quote is:

 “If you’re not afraid, if you take everything you are, everything worthwhile in you and direct it at one goal, one ultimate mark, you’ve got to get there”. – James Dean


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Today’s guest post was written by Chelsea Cipolla, a professional Actress and Audition Coach. For College Coaching Services check out: www.mycollegeaudition.com or send an email to info@mycollegeaudition.com.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

College Questions?

This week, it’s my privilege to be interviewed by Power Women Magazine about my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit and college preparation. If you have any questions about college preparation or have wondered about the content of my Toolkit, tune in LIVE:

Date: Thursday, September 22nd

Time: 12PM ET, 11AM CT, 9AM PT

Where: Online at Power Women Magazine

admissions, college guidance, college planning

High school seniors gear up for college

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Fall is in the air (at least in most parts of the country) and seniors are gearing up for a busy year of college-related activities. To help parents and students stay organized and on top of the college to-do-lists, I’m sharing my senior list from my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit and Parents Crash Course.

My good friend and colleague Paul Hemphill has another take on the senior “to-do-list” (3 Things High Seniors should do early) that you will also want to share with your college-bound teens.

FALL

  • Continue to follow a rigorous program of study and verify that your course plan is consistent with college admissions criteria. Keep tabs on your GPA and your class rank; double check your transcript for any errors.
  • Start collecting recommendation letters. Gather any that were done over the summer and if you need to add additional ones, ask for them early when school begins.
  • If you need to take admissions tests again, register for and take the SAT and/or ACT and SAT Subject tests. Fill in the proper codes for each college to assure they receive your test scores.
  • Lock in your college choices and visit any on your list that you haven’t already checked out.
  • If you are applying to a military academy make sure your file is current and in the possession of the person from whom you are seeking the nomination.
  • If you are seeking an athletic scholarship, send a copy of your game schedule to the appropriate coaches; ask your high school coaches to help with contact names.
  • Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other evidence of talent to send with your college admissions application.
  • If you are going to apply for early decision or early action, be sure to submit application materials by the deadline.

WINTER

  • Gather all the data for the FAFSA and encourage your parents to complete income tax returns early so that you can file in January. Complete the CSS/Profile as well if necessary.
  • Continue your scholarship search process focusing on those for 12th grade students. Request any college specific scholarship applications and apply.
  • Apply to the colleges that you have chosen and assure proper completion of each application package.
  • Verify that your mid-year transcript has been sent to the colleges to which you have applied. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Follow up and verify that the colleges receive the transcript.
  • Review your SAR Report for accuracy and submit corrections if necessary.
  • If any college requests additional materials or forms send them promptly and verify they are received.
  • Apply for State Financial aid which may require additional forms.

SPRING

  • Plan to take AP Exams. Check with your colleges and verify that once the tests are taken you will receive college credit.
  • Compare college award letters and financial aid packages. Contact the school’s financial aid office if you have questions about your award. If you would like to dispute your award due to extenuating circumstances, follow the guidelines outlined in the toolkit.
  • Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll and talk with students, professors and admissions advisers to help you make your final decision.
  • Complete any loan paperwork if you will need to take out parent or student loans.
  • Make your final decision and notify the college you will be attending, along with the colleges you will be declining admission. (Remember: there are students on wait lists that will be waiting for spots to open. So be respectful and notify ALL schools of your decision).
  • Accept or decline your financial aid awards in writing. You have the option to accept all or part of the aid awarded.

SUMMER.

  • Attend Freshman Orientation and gather information regarding your course offerings to begin searching for textbook offers and deals.
  • Write thank you notes to the people who recommended you and thank them for taking the time to write those recommendation letters.
  • Apply for a summer job and save that money for college expenses.
  • If Federal Work Study is part of your package it’s your responsibility to secure a job and follow up with the financial aid office when you arrive on campus.

Print the list–email it to your teenager–post it on the frig for easy reference. It will help remind YOU and your college-bound teen that senior year is NOT the time for senioritis to kick in.

admissions, college planning, organization, scholarships

Zinch’s New Facebook App…and more!

Zinch is all about using the latest and greatest social media tools to connect with students. Their presence on Twitter and Facebook has gotten the word out about their EASY, BREEZY scholarship tools and contests. They use those amazing tools to help students connect with colleges and colleges connect with students.

I love what Zinch says about Zinch:

What is Zinch?

That is the question.

We hook students up with scholarships

Based on our comprehensive student profile, we can match students to any scholarship out there. Students tell us who they are…and we hook them up with scholarships that matter.

We hook students up with colleges & grad schools

Zinch allows students to learn about, get recruited by, and interact with more than colleges and universities from all over the world. And it happens on a platform that students embrace – the web.

We make the process fun

The admissions process is very stressful. We know. So we let students connect with other students who are going through the same frustration, struggles and pains as they are. Hopefully that way the process can be a little bit easier.

It’s no surprise that they have now branched out with a Facebook application allowing students to amp up their profiles and enter their weekly scholarship ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Since so many students are on Facebook, it’s an excellent way to reach more students for their $1000 weekly scholarship giveaway.

And here’s another great upgrade to Zinch’s already amazing student profile section. Students can have others post recommendations within their profile, giving them even greater exposure and flexibility. It’s a WIN WIN for students AND colleges!

Check out this profile http://www.zinch.com/musicqueendebi19#endorsement_36478876 to see how the new feature works.

Zinch is on top of what students and colleges need to connect during the admissions process; and their scholarship opportunities provide a means for EVERY student to apply and possibly win. Zinch deserves an A++ in my book!

college planning, internships

College without internships…

…is like cereal without milk, chocolate without peanut butter, and the perfect dress without the perfect shoes!

Seriously though, with all the competition in college for jobs after graduation, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of an internship. We are also recognizing the fact that an internship in high school might be the perfect springboard to help your student pick a major, a college, and eventually a career.

Matthew Zinman, creator of Internship Success, a program created to help students make the most of their internships and provide employers with prepared interns, is offering my readers (and friends) first dibs on a federal grant subsidy. The grant provides a $100 credit toward’s Matthew’s online Career Preparation Certification (CPC) and professional skills training course at InternshipSuccess.com.

The grant provides for 250 registrants to reduce the course fee by more than half. So I invite you (and others you may let know) to use one or more of these credits now available for both the individual and group registration (use “DOLgrant” in the course credit code): http://www.internshipsuccess.com/Register.aspx

Those who take advantage will find this step-by-step course to be very comprehensive. It has three hours of self-paced instruction and 70+ supplemental career-support downloads for students and other job-seekers to get the right internship, gain the most meaningful experience and perform at their best to EARN employment.

In short, this is what isn’t learned in class.

Matthew reminds us, “A college degree is no longer sufficient for graduates to access the current job market. I’ve made it my life’s work to make internships matter and afford those every opportunity to succeed because I firmly believe there is no substitute for experience.”

If you have a student in college, know a college student, or are an employer who uses interns, take advantage of this AMAZING OFFER.

college planning, financial aid, Guest Posts, parenting

How Students Can Graduate from College Debt Free

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Here’s some advice from Ellie Kay, America’s family financial expert, geared specifically toward parents about how to help their students graduate from college debt-free. As we all know, student debt is a major problem for recent graduates across the country. Currently the total student loan debt in America exceeds 1 trillion dollars! It can be difficult to graduate debt free, but if you have the right advice and common sense it can be done!

Hearing from a financial expert is great, but hearing from a parent who has been able to apply wise financial advice and help her kids graduate debt-free is even better!

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college planning, organization, parenting, Uncategorized

Back to School Resources for parents and students

My favorite lines from “You’ve Got Mail” are:

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”

Newly sharpened pencils always remind me of back to school days. And when fall comes around, I think about that movie (mostly wishing I were in New York in the fall!); but it also reminds of the promise and expectation of a new school year.

Armed with the right online tools, parents and students can face the new year with anticipation and promise. Having the right tools can mean the difference between organization and frustration. These tools would help students succeed as they enter college. Here are some excellent links that I shared with my newsletter subscribers today that I thought you might find helpful:

42 digital resources for students and parents

http://mashable.com/2011/08/16/back-to-school-student-tech/

7 Great online resources for students

http://www.jobacle.com/blog/7-great-online-resources-for-students.html

Coolest Free Online Resources for Students

http://www.radicalparenting.com/2008/04/17/coolest-free-online-resources-for-students/

9 Hot Web Tools for Students

http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/497

Educational Quiz Games, Homework Help

http://quizhub.com/quiz/quizhub.cfm

How to find great apps

http://theonlinemom.com/secondary.asp?id=1952&t=how-to-find-great-apps

How to get free books online

http://theonlinemom.com/secondary.asp?id=1949&t=how-to-get-free-books-online

25 Amazing web tools students can’t live without

http://listofonlinecolleges.org/2011/25-amazing-web-tools-online-college-students-cant-live-without/

 

Here’s hoping you and your student have a fabulous school year as you look toward college preparation and the future.

 

college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, parenting

Prepping students for life as a college student

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Parents, you have spent nights up with your kids when they were sick, read over homework assignments, and been a listening ear to their rough days at school. Fast forward to their senior year of high school and now your child is an adult. While no one can turn back the clock, there are several actions you can take now to ensure your child is prepared to smoothly transition to a college student.

  • Encourage responsibility–While you are still the parent and have an important role in your future college student’s life, promote independence. For example, set boundaries with your child if you will be sending money regularly. Also, determine consequences if your child abuses money that you send such as by not sending additional funds until the next semester. Let your child know that you will be available to listen and offer suggestions, but the ultimate responsibility lies with them. There has to be a balance between being a parent and treating your child as an adult.
  • Encourage your child to avoid getting into debt, when possible–Many students and their families receive financial aid packages that include grants and loans. With this in mind, encourage your child not to incur further debt such as credit card charges or overdraft bank fees. Offer suggestions for your child to save money and establish a budget to cover the expenses that come with the college life. Examples of suggestions would be to work part-time on campus, purchase food at the grocery store, and limiting entertainment expenses.
  • Encourage your child to use the resources available on campus–The college experience is more than attending classes, but will hopefully allow your child to learn new things and meet new people. So, when your child needs help with talking to a professor, dealing with a rude roommate, or finding an internship, advise him or her to seek out the appropriate organizations and individuals for assistance. While you maybe tempted to speak to someone to help your child, keep in mind that ultimate responsibility remains with your child.
  • Encourage your child to maintain balance–Don’t be surprised if your child calls you from college and mentions his or her increased stress levels from classes. Remind your child to seek out attending counseling, participating in fitness courses, eating properly, or taking a brisk walk around campus with friends. Certainly, preparing your child for college will be a time of anxiety for you because you ponder over whether you taught your child and equipped them with the tools necessary for survival in the world. Now is the time to trust yourself that your child is ready to attend college and be available to encourage him or her along the way!

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Today’s guest post is from Ashley Hill, founder of CollegePrep Ready. Ashley brings her knowledge, expertise, and compassion to helping junior and high school students and their families to successfully prepare for college. She founded CollegePrep Ready in July 2010 in response to her personal journey to achieving success in her undergraduate program. She is dedicated to developing an individualized plan of action for every student and family because no two students are alike.

 

college housing, college planning, dorm life, Guest Posts

Ship2School makes move in day bearable

I’m always looking for services that parents and students will find helpful throughout the college admissions process. When my daughter moved from south Texas to Boston for college, it was a nightmare as you can imagine. I wish I had known about these type of services. It would have made our move half way across the country bearable!

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Arriving at college on move-in day is an experience that is filled with strong emotions. Incoming freshman and their families want the college experience to be great, and can also appreciate that it is going to be the start to a new phase of their life – one full of challenges, discoveries, and wonderful achievements. At Ship2School, we want to get everyone off to a great start to this new path in life by making the actual process of moving in as easy and hassle-free as possible. We do this by simplifying the way your college-bound freshman gets their stuff from their room at home to their room at school. With our service, you will receive a box-kit that come in packs of 6 or 12 sturdy boxes, packing tape, and box labels to print out. How much you want to bring is entirely up to you! After all the boxes are packed, we will come by and pick them up and then have them sent straight to the dorm – from nearly anywhere to just about everywhere!

We start the process of simplifying your lives before the acceptance letters even start rolling in. As soon as you and your child start to discuss college preparation, we are ready to help you take one huge thing off your mind – getting all of your college-bound freshman’s things to their school, even before you know where they’re headed to in fall! You can go to the Ship2School website, fill out an order, and then let us know when the final decision has been made!

After the order has been placed, the college or university has been decided upon, and you’ve received your box-kit from us, you can tackle what’s next for you and your college-bound young adult – packing! The best advice we have for the sometimes overwhelming process of college packing is to make lists for 1) essentials, 2) maybes, 3) don’t needs, and 4) we’ll get laters. On our blog, we’ve written a lot about the process of packing for college, and you and your daughter or son can also do some searching and asking around for extra tips. For more information on packing, including our suggestions check here!

Once packing is finished and you’ve arranged for pick up and drop off with Ship2School, the real payoff comes on move-in day. There’s no loading the car or sitting in a cramped car for sometimes many hours while you try not to think about much stuff there is! You can enjoy all the free time and space you would otherwise be missing and have a more pleasant ride to campus. Once you’ve arrived, there’s no unloading of the car, so you and your family can just stroll into your freshman’s dorm relaxed and comfortable knowing that they will have more time to get themselves settled into their new situation.

Our Ship2School service delivers right to their dorm building and is very affordable, with highly competitive rates by locale and destination. For an extra $199 you can even upgrade and get the white-glove treatment and we’ll put their stuff right in their dorm room! Right now you can get $25 off any order. As well, we’re having a contest where one lucky student can ride like rockstar and show up move-in day with their friends in a limo!

Our best wishes to all those heading off to college and their families!

Check out us on Ship2School.com, follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook!

college costs, college planning, financial aid

Is it possible? Can it be done? Is it affordable?

My good friend Jeff Sheely over at the College Money Insider created this amazing Infographic about the college admissions process and what it takes to accomplish your goal of attending college.

If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen you may be asking yourself the same question, especially as it relates to paying for the education. You might want to jump over to my blog at CollegeParenting.com (The #1 Question Parents Ask Me) to check out my suggestions and then take a look at Jeff’s infographic to help you visualize the process.

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Helping parents navigate the college maze