Organizational Tips

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I'm cleaning out my office and one of the projects is clearing out the file system we put together for D's audition process. It makes me realize I don't know what I would have done without all the tips those who went before me gave me on how to keep organized. So....as some of you head into your audition year, I thought I would start a thread in which we "old-timers" could offer any helpful tips. </p>

<p>I think I remember Theatermom quite some time ago offered her "method" of organization and I used it as a base to start....refining it for our household. But it all started with a hanging file system. Each school gets it's own file. (I loved this when it was time to visit or audition at that school...I just had to grab the hanging file and take it with me!) Everything regarding that school went into the file....materials from the school, the department, all correspondance (yes, hang onto your letters and emails...you'll never be able to remember who told you what!), and copies of each completed application once they had been submitted. On the inside of each file, I had a post-it note with the date the application was submitted, the date D's transcript was requested (and subsequently mailed), which recommendations went to that school, etc. </p>

<p>Besides the individual school files, there were files for scholarships, ACT/SAT score info, recommendations, activity list/resumes, headshot file, and then there's the burgeoning file filled with pages printed off the MT thread on College Confidential....takes me too long to search so I would print off pertinent discussions and save them in the file. (My D was so overwhelmed with the process she got to a point where she didn't want to talk about college...so I would print pages off and when she was "in the mood" to talk college - usually on the way to an audition - I would give her some pages to read.)</p>

<p>So...that's my filing system...in a nutshell. But I couldn't have survived without it.</p>

<p>Of course, I also purchased a large calendar and put all the audition dates on it with identifying marks by the ones WE were attending. (Having all the dates on there allowed us to see the possibilities for making a change if necessary.) I also marked on the calendar when the applications needed to be done. Scholarship deadlines went on the calendar. Trip travel dates too.
Couldn't have survived without the calendar either.</p>

<p>I'm sure you all have suggestions beyond these...but they're a start. I know the whole process is sooooo daunting, and I remember feeling very overwhelmed. The organizational system of the files and the calendar helped keep my stress under control! Good luck to you all!</p>

<p>(Oh, I'm bequeathing my left-over college information to our high school music department for future music/music-theatre students use!)</p>

2

<p>Thanks to musicalthtrmom for starting such a useful thread for all seniors. </p>

<p>Here's another tip: I wrestled for some time in the early days of senior year with the issue of whether I should be helping my D as much as I was by doing a similar filing system. </p>

<p>Don't waste any time on this concern. There is no physical way that students could keep up with what is required on the organization, plus keep up the performing, school work, lessons, audition preparation, etc.</p>

3

<p>I, too, used a filing system for individual schools just as musicalthtrmom, but I also made a simple spreadsheet that listed all the schools my d was applying to, along with audition requirements, audition dates, what we needed to submit, etc. so we could see what we needed at a glance. It helped keep the busy audition season right in front of us and made it easier to see if my d had prepared everything.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!
~lexasmom</p>

<p>P.S. Just a reminder...when you go to your auditions this year, take an extra outfit. My d had to make a quick change due to a hole in a brand new top right before her audition time, but we had brought along another outfit thanks to someone on CC who recommended it to us!</p>

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<p>Lexasmomkbj...Spreadsheet is a GREAT idea...actually, my D kept our spreadsheet in her binder that travelled with her to voice and acting lessons. Down one side was the school name and across the top was the categories: Acting, Dance, Monologue, Misc. Underneath each category she put the requirements for each school. It helped her to keep it with her since she was doing the audition prep at her lessons and needed to remember which monologues or songs to prepare prior to each audition.</p>

5

<p>Thank you all for all these great ideas. </p>

<p>We are heading into senior year, and it does seem overwhelming..... We have the file system started (it has already worked really well for 4 college visits -- just removed the school info and put it in a folder w/ pockets which I've designated the "Travel Folder" - bright red so it's hard to lose!), definately need the calendar and spreadsheet next! </p>

<p>chrism: thanks for your words on wrestling with helping too much. That has been a very big concern of mine; being afraid that D won't "own" the process if I help too much. But the reality is: 4 AP classes, drama & dance rehearsals & shows (after school), voice lessons and a part time job that she won't give up since it's performing. So, not much time in her life.</p>

<p>She does get a deadline tonight though: I'm challenging her to whittle down her theoretical school choices to the actual schools she will send those apps to!</p>

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<p>Excellent info above! I want to reiterate that it would be extremely difficult for a student to do this on their own. They still have to do all of the essays, apps, etc., requesting teacher recommendations, etc. I might add that you should start thinking about teacher recs now as you will probably need 3 of them. Some want 1 academic recommendation as well as 2 artistic recommendations. Ask teachers early in the semester. We were given copies of teacher recs (although some teachers may not offer to) so you could decide which schools to send which recommendations to (the originals should be sent directly by the teacher on their stationery). These recs don't happen overnight, so give teachers lots of time to prepare. </p>

<p>We also did the hanging file system, gave each school a manilla folder and wrote down everything that went out and on what date on the inside of the folder (my post-its always fell off). That way if the school tells you something is missing, you have a record of sending it. Make a note when you resend it as well. As was said above, print out all e-mails sent out and received and keep it in the file. </p>

<p>For the unifieds, we typed out a list of time, requirement, etc. so we knew where to go when. It also just luckily turned out that the 2 schools that required a classical monologue were on day 2 - Boco and CMU - (in L.A. on Monday) so that on the first day she just had to concentrate on her other 2 monologues. </p>

<p>As was said above, you WILL forget who you said what to and who you sent what to so write everything down! I might add that most schools were very good about sending postcards or e-mails telling what they were still missing. I remember CMU sending an e-mail about 2 weeks before her audition in February that admissions had never received her application. We had submitted it on line and luckily printed out a copy so we just faxed the copy over to them.</p>

7

<p>A helpful thing we did was to keep the hanging folders in a travel file case. If we were driving to auditions (as we often were), I threw the whole file case in the trunk. Along with the files for the indvidual schools, I also had files with extra resumes, headshots, copies of music, etc. I never worried about leaving anything behind (or that I had misfiled something!)</p>

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<p>I just put my hanging file together and thought it might be helpful to bump this thread.</p>

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<p>I am bumping this up.. the hanging file worked for me. I also kept track of everything on Outlook's "task." It was a great way for me to have everything in front of me. I created one "task" titled all college things and another the college to do. Then I checked them frequently and updated.</p>

10

<p>I too used a hanging file...but at least one school stymied my method. Wagner's college prosoectus was a big square and didn't allow me to close my portable file once I filed it. I eventually kept the brochures in a seperate pile from all the rest of the info.</p>

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<p>We also used a hanging file folder box...I made a worksheet to go in each file that we could fill in the blanks as she got stuff completed. At the time my D thought it was totally ridiculous how much info. I included:</p>

<p>College name/address/phone/fax at the top - spaces for ACT codes, deadlines, student ID numbers and passwords, a blank box to document correspondence with schools, a table with columns for forms (ie. Recommendations, mid-year report, transcripts etc.) the date things were requested, date they were submitted to the college etc. This came in handy for us when one school had yet to receive one of the teacher recommendations. We were able to look at the worksheet and see right away which teacher had received it and give her a gentle reminder.</p>

<p>Not hard to tell - I go a little overboard. But a little work on my part - sure made it easier to manage. Most everything on one handy little sheet. I am in total agreement that these students have waaaay too much to think about with writing the applications alone (especially for as many schools as some of them apply to!) and being the "support staff" in our case was greatly appreciated by our D.</p>

<p>I also cut and pasted info. into Word docs (from this awesome website) that I thought our D might find helpful regarding each individual school. I stapled together little packets which went into their respective folders. She spent time looking through them on our way to auditions and inbetween auditions in Chicago.</p>

<p>Thank you, Thank you, Thank you CC'ers that were so willing to share their knowledge and experiences! </p>

<p>My little bit of advice is to piece together the various organizational suggestions that you think are important...then tweak it to fit what works best for you and your S or D. </p>

<p>I'll quit rambling...but one more thing - we think the best part of our little system is: D highlights the tabs of the folders of those schools that have accepted her and they take priority in the front of the box...negative notifications get flipped around, go to the back of the box and face the wall.
: )</p>

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<p>minnesotaMTmom --</p>

<p>Love the system, especially the last part -- that's the greatest!</p>

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<p>We also used a hanging file system with a file for each school. We also utilized a spreadsheet so we knew what was in each school's file. When we went to an audition we took the file and wrote notes on the file jacket. </p>

<p>When we got rejections we through out all the materials and as schools were weaded out, they also went if we were sure they were out of the running. The only remaining ones now are CCM and UMich, but UMich needs to go.</p>

14

<p>WOW - what a great read this is! I am feeling as if I need to get started - this is worse than taxes :) !! But, since I am secretly pretty organized- in my own 'peculiar' way- this will help a lot. I was wondering how others did it!</p>

<p>And thanks so, so much to everyone of you 'seasoned vets' who have been bumping up threads for us up and coming 'kids'........as we read and process and go "AUGHHHHH!!" I know these threads will be useful to us.</p>

<p>Again, merci, danke and THANKS A WHOLE BUNCH!! This is simply one of the most informative and SUPPORTING online communities I have ever been a part of!</p>

<p>Mikks Mom</p>

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<p>I (my son) also used the file box system, (thanks so much!) a accordion-style box with 15 or so compartments for resumes, photos, test results, timelines and to-do lists for my son and for his counselor, and a pocket for each school.</p>

<p>But I use the internet for a lot of research so I developed a system there as well.</p>

<p>As some school websites are difficult to work through, finding the drama site, and admissions info, etc, buried deep within a site is time consuming and of course different for every school. Argh! I created a bookmark folder for each school in my browser. AOL has a list called "My Favorites", Internet Explorer allows you to organize under 'Favorites', Mozilla allows you to create folders under 'Bookmarks'. The title of the folder was the name of the school, the application due date and a U if they appear at the Chicago Unifieds (I live in Chicago). For example, "CMU - Jan 1 U" - Inside each folder were links to the main theatre department page, curriculum, faculty, alumni, admissions, university admissions, (some schools require application to the university AND the theatre or music department), main university page, admission checklist, audition info, and CC pages with appropriate info. [this was before College Mom thoughtfully reorganized the site with direct links to each college - thanks so much!]. So many times I needed specific info and this helped me find it quickly. I even exported the links to a friend whose daughter is pursuing a BFA, though I can't remember how I did it ! ;) </p>

<p>My son auditioned in Syracuse on Dec. 2, and had 7 other auditions at the Chicago Unifieds. To keep a clear idea of each school's individual weak and strong points, he spent some time researching 3 good things, 3 bad things, and 3 questions that were not answered by info on the website. He typed up these notes and reviewed them for a few minutes before the audition. This really helped him have a strong picture of the school, and allowed the interview to be more structured.</p>

<p>Luckily, he remained healthy for the Unifieds, and really enjoyed them. He is excited about the next year, and I will post his results over the weekend.</p>

<p>I could not have gotten through this year without this board and without the amazing women I have met and kept in touch with. We all know our kids are amazing, but I will tell you, their parents are amazing, too!! Thank you to all who have gone before us, and we will be there for you junior dads and moms now.</p>

<p>Carole</p>

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<p>If you find yourself having trouble getting your brain around all of the details you have gathered, here is a tip that might help.</p>

<p>We have used an organizational tool for decision making (i.e. which school to summer progam, visit, audition, accept, etc). You get a paper (or poster) then draw a line into 4 sections (have one paper for each possible choice(school)). You label the top left PROs with high impact, the lower left as PROs with low impact, the top right with CONs low impact, and bottom right as CONs with high impact. </p>

<p>Parents, students, coaches, friends, etc. then "brainstorm" PROs and CONs for each school on a post it note or piece of paper. After removing duplicates, each idea is then placed on the paper for the appropriate school paper and in the appropriate quadrant (PRO/CON and High/Low impact). You can put these on the wall and change it as you learn new things or impacts change. </p>

<p>What happens is that you can visually see your thoughts. Schools with more stuff posted in the upper left are good and schools with more stuff in the lower right are not as good. </p>

<p>One problem is if people can't agree whether an idea is good or bad or high or low impact, then either put a separate post-it in each quadrant or put the post it "on the line". Another problem is convincing other to participate in this activity. You are on your own for that problem.</p>

<p>It also can help you avoid fixating on one issue and forgetting other issues that might bite you later. All charactistics get to stand next to each other on the paper.</p>

<p>I must confess that we currently have 4 large posters up in our living room covered in post-it notes scrawled with ideas that have been contibuted by us, the student, siblings, friends, directors, etc. We have also moved ideas around as we learn new information or set new priorities. Once we get all decisions and financial aid information, then we can make our decision. It will still be hard, but this tool will make it easier.</p>

<p>Best of luck to everyone.</p>

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<p>I used binders, at first when we were getting general information I put everything in one binder in sections, including an ACT/SAT section. When he had made his decisions of what schools to apply to I reworked the binder with those schools only. Then as the info from the schools started to really come in I went to several binders (with pockets). I know it was a lot of hole punching, but it worked out well. I also got one of those big "desk pad" type calendars took it apart and pinned the seperate months on my kitchen wall (I need to paint anyway) to keep track of audition scheduling - and everything else scheduling, this was a life saver as I would get headaches from trying to remember it all! Since my S did well at NFAA we got a TON of stuff from all different schools, we just put those in a stack, for fun, to see how high it would get. As far as my S keeping track of all of this, forget it, he can't remember to take the right color of socks for a performance! If it was up to him he be lucky to get into our local community college! And of course I heavily relied upon this sight for everything else, it was truely a lifesaver! Even though our HS has a great theater department, there was little if any info on college auditions, etc. So I have compiled a three page brief step by step packet to give to the directors and the councelors.</p>

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<p>bump for rising seniors</p>

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<p>i used an accordion-organizer that i bought at staples, that way i could organize my audition stuff, then after my (academic) acceptances came in, i could also organize financial aid, open houses, etc. it worked really well for me.</p>

<p>for trips, (and i always make fun of her for this, but it REALLY works) my mom makes a folder for each "place". for example, if you're going to ithaca and syracuse on the same trip, one folder would have mapquests, hotel info, audition info, etc. for syracuse, then the same thing for ithaca. it works REALLY REALLY well, and i kept these in the same accordion-organizer as above that i brought with me to all the auditions. that way, i could pull out the syracuse folder and say "we're staying at hotel X, and here's how we get there." and not get confused.</p>

<p>those are two really really simple ways that worked really well for my family.....twice....soon to be three times!</p>