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written by Ali, October 14, 2008

I'm the same way. I've known what five colleges I want to get in to since the eighth grade...

You have plenty of time to read those phamplets, don't worry!

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written by Jbug, October 16, 2008

1st, do you want to be a straight acting major or a musical theatre major?
2nd, you need to ask yourself in an honest way "how good are you?" Do you study voice and or dance outside of school? What is your stongest area? Do you have the kind of voice that could someday be a Howard McGillian, or James Barbour if you're a guy or Kristin Chenoweth or Audra McDonald? Or are you more a character - A la Patti LuPone or Nathan Lane? You really need to consider who you are. Be realistic - the sooner the better. What kind of parts do you usually get considered for? Ask people who know you. It might be a little brutal, but at the same time, you need to really know your type.
3rd, you must check out all the schools. If possible, start visiting the schools. Keep your grades up as best you can. Some schools will want you to have lots of outside activities (like community service). Some might be too expensive, some might be able to give you more scholarship/financial aid. Some schools might not let you study music if you are an acting major or let you in dance classes, etc. Make sure all the classes are open to you. It shouldn't be a problem if you are a Musical Theatre major, but you need to check out what you are allowed to take just in case. I had friends who were at a big university here in the L.A. area and that was a problem for them. It was a number of years ago, so I think they have a Musical Theatre degree now. But back then they didn't. Would you be a small fish in a big bowl with mega competition, or if you would be a big fish in a small bowl where you get more opportunity.
4th, do you need to go to a school near your home? Or, would you be able to go to a school that might be all the way across the country? What can you afford? Will your family let you go far away if the right opportunity comes along? Would you feel more comfortable being close? Or, are you excited to move away? Some can't wait to move out. Others would hate the thought of not being close enough to come home whenever they need to. This question depends on you and your personality and situation. There is no right or wrong answer here.
5th, some kids just aren't emotionally ready to move out at 18 and need to stay home an extra year or 2 and go to Jr. College. It's MUCH cheaper and you can get alot of the required courses out of the way without going into alot of debt. When you get to a 4 year school, you can concentrate on your favorite subjects / majors.
Don't waste time, it will tick by fast. Get those fliers out and look them over. Go visit and talk to other students. Find out the scoop on the schools and departments. Does your school have a career center? Make time to talk with a school counselor to ask more questions.

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written by Montanna Mills, October 18, 2008

It's a good idea to start visiting college campuses now. I'm in twelfth grade now, applying to 11 places, and there's no way I'm going to get to visit all of them (in fact, I'm probably only going to visit one... Ryerson... most of them are 4 hours away!)