Kimball and Maroulis Help Select Performing Arts Scholarship Recipients

Calling all gleeks and triple threats! The Arts Edge, an educational consulting firm, is offering a Broadway-inspired scholarship for Arts Edge Summer, a unique two-week musical theater and college prep boot camp in New York City. Scholarship applicants will be reviewed by top-tier performing arts and education professionals including "Rock of Ages" star Constantine Maroulis and "Memphis" headliner Chad Kimball.

The elite Arts Edge Summer program, offered August 9 through 20, gives aspiring singers, dancers and actors specialized guidance on the admissions process from prestigious performing arts schools while helping students hone their performances. High school and college transfer students seriously considering a college major in musical theater will learn how to make their college applications, portfolios and auditions stand out so they can get in.

"We're thrilled to be able to offer the opportunity for a student to showcase their talents in front of Broadway superstars, while competing for the chance to attend a unique program that combines musical theater with college prep," said The Arts Edge founder, Halley Shefler.

The Arts Edge Summer program incorporates daily performance-based classes with one-on-one college planning sessions led by top industry professionals from schools such as Boston Conservatory, University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Miami's BFA Theater Program.

The Arts Edge Summer program and scholarship are open to high school students who will be sophomores through seniors in fall 2010 and to college transfer students. Applicants must submit a brief application online and a video of themselves performing two short, contrasting and age-appropriate songs from the Broadway repertoire: one ballad and one upbeat selection. Candidates will be judged on stage presence, repertoire choices, interpretation, tone quality, diction, musicianship, acting and intonation. The applications and videos will be reviewed by a panel of professionals that includes Shefler, who is the former Dean of Admissions at The Boston Conservatory, and Broadway stars Chad Kimball and Constantine Maroulis.

The Arts Edge Summer scholarship, with a value of $1,950, covers the full tuition of the summer program. Students must submit their application and video by July 12, 2010, and scholarship recipients will be announced the week of July 19, 2010. The scholarship does not include accommodations, meals or transportation.

Additional information and the application for The Arts Edge Summer can be found at: www.theartsedge.com.

About The Arts Edge and Arts Edge Summer

The Arts Edge is an educational consulting firm specializing in helping high school students in the visual and performing arts navigate through the unique college application and audition process. The Arts Edge Summer Program was developed by Halley Shefler, founder of The Arts Edge education consultancy who was Dean of Admissions at The Boston Conservatory for more than 11 years. Ms. Shefler brings 30 years of experience in higher education including admissions and academic positions at Boston University's College of Fine Arts and The Longy School of Music. She has also served on the faculties of private and public schools in New York and Boston, including The Dalton School and The Rhodes School.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski