<p>actormcfamous - Thank you. That was a really helpful post. Best of luck at school.</p>
<p>Unifieds are a wonderful wonderful opportunity to audtion for several schools at one time and really save money from flying all over the country with airfare, hotel, rental cars, etc. On the other hand my D auditioned in NYC for CCM, CMU, Ithaca and Emerson with a 102 temp. One thing we learned is if you start taking Vit C capsules everyday during audition season it really cuts down on vulnerability to those nasty airplane germs. </p>
<p>I just want to wish everyone of the upcoming Senior auditioneers the very best at your auditions!!!</p>
<p>Haha thanks for the kind words! I remember how overwhelming this whole process was and am happy to help demystify it a little bit.</p>
<p>Javon - I’m not sure I quite understand your question; are you asking if I had applied to all my schools beforehand (as opposed to doing walk-ins at the Unifieds)? If that is the question then yes, I had actually applied to all of my schools before Unifieds. And yes, all the auditions were scheduled prior as well - I don’t know of any schools that don’t schedule ahead of time, although some will have 3 or 4 hour sessions in which they will see a certain amount of kids (Ithaca and CMU, for example). </p>
<p>To add to what HoosierMom2012 had to say about vocal health, a couple more tips/remedies that are VERY worth trying:</p>
<p>1) Nasal irrigation - this involves pouring a solution (of water and usually salt/baking soda) through one nostril so it passes through your sinuses and out the other nostril - sounds gross, I know. This disinfects the nasal passages and clears out any gunk that might be in there, so it’s great to both prevent colds and to lessen their impact if you’ve got one already. You can buy several over-the-counter type products for this, namely the NetiPot and SinuCleanse, but can also be done “do it yourself” style - get a baby bulb (used to pull mucus out of a baby’s nose) and fill it with warm water with salt and baking soda mixed in. Best done in the shower since it can get messy.</p>
<p>2) Personal steamer - BEST THING EVER. This is the only way to get moisture directly to your vocal folds and works wonders for a tired/sick instrument. It’s a little machine that you put water in, which it then boils to create steam that is then inhaled through a mask. I had a nasty bout of laryngitis about 6 weeks ago and my steamer literally saved my life. They’re available at most pharmacies and on amazon.com</p>
<p>To future auditioners, I’d recommend using both of these at least once daily during your audition season - last thing you want is to get a nasty cold and be sick for 2 weeks, either just before or during a big audition.</p>
<p>actormcfamous, I am impressed that anyone your age knows about a baby bulb. :)</p>
<p>I’d like to address a few things that have been mentioned on these last few pages.</p>
<p>CMU was definitely at the same hotel as the unified schools in Chicago.</p>
<p>Some schools allow a student to book an audition before an application is received. Every school is different in this regard. There were schools for which my son had scheduled a unified audition months in advance, academic applications were due in Jan. or Feb., and he cancelled the auditions after getting into some top choice schools before Christmas. He never ended up applying for these schools. We went ahead with the unified audition trip for a couple of schools because the airline tickets were purchased, hotel reserved, and those schools had required a big non-refundable deposit along with an application in the fall.</p>
<p>NMR - haha, thanks! My voice teacher introduced me to it and prior to that I had absolutely no idea what it was.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.solar-snow.com/nasal.html]Baby”>http://www.solar-snow.com/nasal.html]Baby</a> Bulb<a href=“think%20turkey%20baster%20but%20smaller”>/url</a></p>
<p>The past few posts are perfect examples of why you need to look at each individual schools’ requirements. CMU has not been a part of Unifieds but has auditioned at the same time as Unifieds in the same cities; in NY but at a different site, and in Chicago at the same hotel. Also, as noted, some schools will let you schedule an audition before you have applied, but A LOT of schools will require you to have at least applied and some will require you to have been accepted academically as well before scheduling auditions. Check each schools’ requirements!!! Also, don’t assume that just because something has been done in the past it will happen again this year. Last year there were some new schools that participated in Unifieds if I remember correctly. </p>
<p>It was useful to my S and I to keep a spreadsheet comparing various schools audition requirements and checking off as each component was accomplished and each audition scheduled. We also had an accordion folder that we used to keep track of everything.</p>
<p>Baby Bulb–We used to call it a “snucker” in our house, short for snot sucker!!</p>
<p>So, I’m curious…has anyone already scheduled audition times for the '09 Unifieds??</p>
<p>So i’ve been really looking into tons of colleges where I want to go, and I saw that Mason Gross school of the Arts (Rutger’s University) had their auditons Feb. 4,5,6 and 7 of 2008 at the Palmer house in Chicago, which were the same as the Unifieds. Just saying that mabe it’ll be the same in 08-09. Here’s the link:</p>
<p>[MFA</a> Acting](<a href=“http://mgsa.rutgers.edu/Theater/MFAActing.html]MFA”>http://mgsa.rutgers.edu/Theater/MFAActing.html)</p>
<p>Edit: Of course, thats the Master Of Fine Arts degree program.</p>
<p>just want to chime in with a suggestion. For those of you planning to go to Chicago Unifieds I would suggest making your hotel reservations NOW if you want to stay at the Palmer House. We made ours last August. When we checked in they had overbooked the hotel and did not have a room for us. I pushed and prodded, and they finally “made one available” for us, and then we had to change rooms the following day. </p>
<p>I personally would not want to stay off site if at all possible. The weather was miserable some of the time (snow and/or freezing rain). Plus the ability to come back to the room to relax a bit between auditions was very valuable to my son. It was fun to be able to visit with our friends in the lobby as well. Also it was very close to the Art Institute and is on several El lines so it is very convenient if you want to get out and play a little too!</p>
<p>I agree wholeheartedly about staying at the Palmer House and making reservations early. We made our reservations early and then upon reading about a discount available for Unified participants in prior years, I periodically checked in to see about a special rate. When I originally made my reservation, there was no special rate available yet. The staff was very accommodating and in the months leading up to February, we had our original rate lowered and received a bigger room; not at my request, just helpful reservation people finding and offering a better rate/room if it was available. </p>
<p>I also made the reservation for the longest period of time that might have been needed. We were able to schedule all the auditions my son wanted in the first 2 days and so canceled the last day of the reservation. </p>
<p>We loved staying at the Palmer House and spent some of the downtime window shopping on State Street! It was also Super Bowl time, so that was fun watching the game while there!!</p>
<p>How much does 1 room cost for like 3 days?</p>
<p>Javon, there will be some variation depending on what type of room you want. A friend just booked for the Unifieds, for her and her daughter. She got a room with two beds $199/night. She could have gotten one a bit cheaper if she wanted to pay in full in advance, which she wasn’t interested in doing. She inquired about a discount for Unifieds and was told that it is likely she could get one but it hasn’t been announced yet so she should call back in the fall sometime. A friend of this friend of mine has also already booked but she’s booked on the executive floor which is more expensive but which includes breakfast and access to the concierge lounge all day. She has done Unifieds before and found that the lounge was worth the extra $$.</p>
<p>We paid $159 per night (did not pay in advance) for a very large room with 2 double beds last year. I would make a reservation now for a room, then as alwaysmom said, keep checking back to see if the price goes down at all.</p>
<p>For those of you staying at the Palmer House, consider getting a tower room on the top two floors. They will run about $50 a night more but there is a free breakfast, there are always snacks and drinks available, all at no charge. Just for all the water my son used last year it paid about half the difference. The lounge area was large and quiet. Also, each large double room had two bathrooms, concierge service with no lines for dinner reservations and help getting around town. We did go to the art museum and some people did go to some shows, and they were a great help. When the weather turned terrible they help keep in touch with the airlines, and we did get out the day we had intended.</p>
<p>Ditto to the tower floors. Made a huge difference for my D to have access to the drinks, bottled water, fruit, and snacks. Definitely worth it.</p>
<p>Just starting this process with a daughter who is a rising senior and interested in acting.</p>
<p>Any thread that people would recommend for someone at ground zero?</p>
<p>pasmith13, welcome! If I were you, I would just pick a thread and begin reading and taking notes. There is a wealth of info here. But you may also want to read the threads for acting (not MT) majors that is here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/arts-majors/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/arts-majors/</a></p>
<p>You say your daughter is interested in acting. Does that mean she wants to pursue a BFA in acting at a university/college or conservatory? If she has not done so already, you two may want to explore the differences between a BFA and a BA as a jumping off point. Knowing which one she is likely to want will help you begin to formulate a list of schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>Which schools typically do not hold a full dance audition at Unifieds in Chicago?</p>