IN CASE YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT FILM SCHOOL

 I recently wrote about how many opportunities there are out there for students who are looking to go into the film industry.  Anyone I know will tell you it is a tough business and they would recommend you NOT do it, but then there are someone of you with a burning itch, and so not to do it is a crime.

California City Studios opened about 6 years ago, and has recently contracted to assist Cerro Coso Community College with teaching film classes.  I thought I would let you see a fraction of what they are about with their "YOU TUBE" presentation in the event you are looking for something to do over the summer.

http://www.youtube.com/user/filmschoolreality

10 CLASSICS TO READ BEFORE TAKING THE SAT

If you are preparing  to take SATs,  have already taken them, or your are  waiting  for results or to hear from colleges, it will always be a benefit to read the classics ahead of time because many of what the SAT tests for comes from these readings.

A high school student should make themselves a reading list of each of  the “10 CLASSICS" that should be read in high school, but if not, make a point to read them over the summer and holiday breaks.

Most students arrive to even the top colleges with little knowledge of the classics. There are many fine versions available nowadays to help students understand tough literature.  Some of these editions are the Norton Critical Editions or Twayne's Masterwork series.  Both of these series offer an in-depth historical look into these special works, as well as essays about the book and other useful information. College students should invest in these as well as they will provide many tips for strong papers and background information.

Here are some suggestions that  not only will you build your vocabulary, but will prepared  you for  not only the SAT, ACT  but better enable you to discuss literature in your college interviewers.

This list should include the following Classics:

• Charles Dickens’ novels
• Homer's Odyssey and Iliad
• Ulysses
• Dante's Divine Comedy
• Virgil's Aeneid
• Cleopatra 
• Moby Dick
• The Passages of HM 

  

The more mature level books you read over summer, working the vocabulary as you go, the higher your critical reading SAT score will be. 

ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT GOING TO FILM SCHOOL? HERE IS SOMETHING TO DO THIS SUMMER

If you are thinking about going to L. A. to study film at USC, Loyola-Marymount or Santa Monica College, or to NYC to Film Camp, you might want to look at a new option in California City, California.  As of this year,  California City Studios is lining up with Cerro Coso Community College to expose High School and Community College Students to the world of film.

California City is located just northeast of the Los Angeles/Kern County line.  It is roughly 25 north of Lancaster, 10 miles in from Hwy 14 on the west side,  and Hwy 395 on the eastside.  Because it is the HIGH desert, the heat is not quiet as hot or cold as the lower deserts like Palm Springs.

There is a lot of open space in California City and not the traffic problems of the city.

Check out their article below.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1008889197/Film-studio-working-with-community-college

ARE YOU CONSIDERING A "GAP YEAR" DECISION ?

Some Students when they finish high school feel they want to take a "gap year" to enhance their ability to seek and retain knowledge and understand the complexities of contemporary global issues before entering college. While it sounds like a good idea for some, it often is seen as a "risky maneuver". How will colleges view this alternative decision? Will the student continue to be academically challenged? Of course, if your time off consists of nothing but watching soap operas and eating potato chips, all you'll have at the end is a wasted year. But with research and planning, you can design a semester or year that is both a great learning experience and a lot of fun.


Maybe you're tired of the academic grind. Maybe you're not sure why you're going to college or what you'll do when you get there. Maybe you yearn to explore far-away places or a career that interests you. If this sounds like you, perhaps now is the time to consider taking a gap year between high school and college.

Maybe you are thinking that taking time off before college gives you the gift of time to learn about two essential things: yourself and the world around you.  or maybe you are facing significant peer pressure, parental pressure, and/or school pressure and need to take a break for a while and not go right on to college.



While this may sound like a great idea, it is important that students before deciding on and signing up for a gap year program should seiously consider and look at the desired outcome. Does it promise personal growth?, Will you be forced to reflect on their goals? Is it based around community service? Does it offer a rich academic experience in a foreign land?   These are questions you should ask yourself.

Students who have participated in "gap year" programs often have found most interesting aspect of doing a program like this is how all of their daily activities directly contributed to their lives.   Some students travel to a country where an  issue they were interested in was relevant, and they lived and worked with the people it was affecting, talk to local experts and innovators about their perspectives, and read articles and books about the issue.

Many times the decision to take on a gap year and explore life is supported by parents.  Some students, however, may need to acquire voluminous information on the subject in order to convince their families that the decision to postpone freshman year of college has merit. One important factor to remember early in the planning process is that the application process should not be postponed.

What ever your reason is for exploring the idea of taking a gap year is, it is really important to apply to college during the normal application process, during the senior year, then think about your year off.

Once you are sure you want to take a year off and you have thought it through, contact the college you plan to attend and ask that your admission be deferred for a semester or a year. Most colleges are very receptive to students who want to defer their admission. Admission people across the country encourage the idea of time out before matriculation.

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE -ATHLETE RECRUIT

Many high school student athletes with the ability and the desire to play at the college level are never recruited by the college coaches.  Why?  Because the coaches and their recruiters don't know that they exist.

To be successful in being an athlete recruit gaining to seek admissions into the college of your choice, students have to willing to be pro-active in the college recruiting experience and process.  They first need to ask themselves two questions in an honest way.  "Do I have the ATHLETE ABILITY to play in college sports? "and "Do I have the DESIRE to play my sport for more than 4 years?"  If you determine you do you need to move on to the following steps.

The next question you need to ask yourself is " Will I be attending college and playing sports for  scholarship funds?"  This is important question because while Division I and Division II schools offer scholarships, Division III schools do not, and Division III school have the greatest number of College Athletic Organizations.   There is also NAIA, which has a few more College Athletic Organizations than Division II schools.

Examples of Colleges in Each Division are as follows:

Division I                                                                                 

• UCLA                                                                              
• Stanford                                                                                 
• U of Washington                                                      
• Penn State                                                                                          
• Harvard U.                                                                                             

Division II                                                    

• UCSD 
• Chico State  
• Seattle University 
• Merrimack 
• Queens 

Division III  

• UC Santa Cruz    
• Chapman  
• Menlo College  
• NYU  
• Vassar    

NAIA

• Westmont
• Biola  
• Dominican
• Bluefield
• Spring Arbor

There is a maximum number of scholarships that are available to athletes by the NACC, so it is important to start early and be on top of your admissions process, and only the Division I and Division II schools will offer scholarships.  No atheletic scholarships are offered at Division III schools. Letters of intent to athletes start as early as the Junior year.  There is the first round of offers, and then the late offers.

Athletic Recruiting starts September 1st of an athlete's Junior Year in High School and College Coaches start to watch students play and may contact you.  But what if a coach does not contact you?  Does that mean you are out of a dream to play college sports?  NO.  It means you have to be pro-active and develop a strategy on how to get on a team, at the school you want to attend.  At Division III schools this process is not as critical, nor do you have to go through the NCAA process.

If you are looking to play sports in college,  you need to contact your school's college counselor, not your athletic Director or Coach, and let them know you are interested in playing sports in college.  These people are the people who are responsible for making sure your registration with the NACC is timely and proper... especially if you are looking at going to a  Division I or Division II school.  The NACC in turns reviews your background through the Clearinghouse, is an organization that performs academic evaluations for the NCAA which will evaluate your academic record, and they then determine if you are eligible to participate at a Division I or II school as a freshman student-athlete.

For more information on the NACC, contact the Clearinghouse Customer Service Reps at (877) 262-1492 for students in the U.S. or if you are an international student, call (319) 337-1556.  The NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. (PO Box 7110, Indianapolis, In 46206)

If you need assistance with preparing a portfolio of yourself to introduce to schools to play sports,  we can assist you.  Feel free to contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation to see how we can help you in your search.

A READING LIST FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

Whether you're about to take  the SAT's or have already taken them and are waiting to hear from colleges, it will always be a benefit to make a reading list of the "10 classics" that you have never had the time to read in high school. How about Homer's "Odyssey and Iliad" Dante's "Divine Comedy", Virgil's "Aeneid", or any Charles Dickens' novels?  Not only will you build your vocabulary, you will be better prepared to discuss literature with your college interviewers or college professors.  What about books like Herman Melville "The Passages of HM" . Moby Dick, Etc.?

The more advance level books you read over summer and do vocabulary on, the higher your critical reading SAT score will be.  You should also note this amazing list of summer reads…we are so excited at the idea of being able to read, read, read, this summer! 

Here is 10 books sites that you should read just for the fun of it over the summer!

Summer reading: The big list—Los Angeles Times
Books to Bury Yourself In—The New York TimesThe Ten Hottest Prospects From This Year’s Book Expo—New York Magazine

Indie Booksellers Target Summer's Best Reads—NPR
10 Essential Books for Thought-Provoking Summer Reading—The Atlantic
10 Must-Read Summer Books—Newsweek
11 excellent novels for summer reading—Christian Science Monitor

Tweeting Joyce—Salon

Top 10 Short Stories of All Time—Hotwire

Have fun!

 

CALIFORNIA CITY, CA GRADUATES THEIR FIRST CLASS -- CONGRADULATIONS TO THEM

The Article heads the headline of " From Blue Prints to Foot Steps" and nothing could be more true.


  California City, Ca is located just north of Edwards Airforce Base, the 2nd home of the Aerospace Shuttle.  For years,  I had heard about California City but never knew it was.  I was driving by it, and had no idea.  One day,  I decided to drive out to this place in the unknown only to be blown away first by its beauty, and second to digest its motto of The "City of Opportunity" The best kept secret in Southern California real estate, no smog, low crime, affordable housing, adult living, come and see why we think California City is a great place to live, work, play, invest and raise our families!

California City had its origins in 1958 when real estate developer and sociology professor Nat Mendelsohn purchased 80,000 acres of Mojave Desert land with the aim of master-planning California's next great city. He designed his model city, which he hoped would one day rival Los Angeles in size, around a Central Park with a 26-acre artificial lake. 

Growth did not happen anywhere close to what he expected. Maybe if the city was started either on Highway 14 or Highway 58, instead of 10 miles east of Highway 58 and 10 miles north of Highway 58 the city may have developed faster.   The population was 8,385 at the 2000 census,  and estimated in July 2006 to be 12,659.  Today it has near 16,000 residences.


Although the growth of the city has not met its founders' expectations, Nat Mendelsohn projected a population of 1,000,000 people by the turn of the century, California City has seen substantial population growth over the past several years. 

These students graduating this year need to be very very proud, as they are the pioneers of what is to come of this amazing city.  It may not be Los Angeles, but I expect within the next 20 years that this city will be well placed on the map and if Nat Mendleson could look back and what he created back in the 1950s, he would be proud. 



http://www.desertnews.com/news/article_1d408b5c-8d69-11e0-96ae-001cc4c03286.html

        CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2011 CLASS OF CALIFORNIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL!