<p>I'm just wondering if anybody could recommend some great acting schools that still have a focus on academic excellence. Some examples would be Northwestern, CMU, NYU, etc... I'm trying to compile a list and then narrow it down from there. If you have any experience with the schools, I'd love to hear whatever insight you may have! I guess I'm somewhat of a nerd, but I'm also a theatre geek, so I'm trying to find schools that tie in the most rigorous academics with a pretty solid theatre program. If it comes down to it, I'd probably prefer a harder curriculum for a lesser theatre program. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Vassar’s pretty great at both, I hear.</p>
<p>Wesleyan University in CT has a great theatre and film department. Classes are tough and challenging - the college as a whole is somewhat funky, though!</p>
<p>CMU won’t give you much balance. It’s pretty much a straight up conservatory like Juilliard, LAMDA, UNCSA, RADA etc…</p>
<p>Like NU and NYU, BU could also offer you a blend of academics and preprofessional theater training.</p>
<p>What exactly does “rigorous academics” mean to you? Do you mean very hard classes in theatre or very hard classes of all types? Do you have a specific area you are interested in outside of theatre? I ask because some schools are very strong in say English or Philosophy, but are lacking in the sciences, so it would help to know where it is your interest in being challenged lies.</p>
<p>Aspiring,
I’m interested in a broad range of things, so rigor across all disciplines is what I’m looking for.</p>
<p>Marbleheader,
What do you mean by “somewhat funky”?</p>
<p>Your criteria is sort of vague. “great acting school” “rigor across all disciplines” “academic excellence”</p>
<p>Of the three very different examples you listed: NU, NYU and CMU- perhaps if you could articulate which program you like best and specifically why, the folks here could better help you.</p>
<p>In addition to NU and NYU, Skidmore and Muhlenberg are possibilities. As others have said CMU has no classes outside your major.</p>
<p>The University of Michigan. My son is a senior there (BFA Acting with minor in Creative Writing). It fits the criteria you listed.</p>
<p>If you are willing to go way out west, I’d add UCLA and USC, both are top 25 research universities. Though I hate USNWR, that’s one way to look at the overall university academics within which the theatre department sits. </p>
<p>If you are competitive for admission to highly selective schools, many are known to have great theatre offerings, including Brown, U Penn, Columbia, and all the usual suspects (well, maybe not MIT?). Northwestern is always among the tops for theatre/academics, as you’ve mentioned.</p>
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<p>It used to be possible through the BHA program to combine drama and study in the humanities or social sciences. I don’t know if the acting concentration is still available (my D was interested in this the year she applied but that was more than ten years ago). It was a good option for what she was looking for and was her top choice after Tisch.</p>
<p>I agree that Brown is an excellent choice if the student has the stats.</p>
<p>I think I posted this on one of the OP’s other similar threads - but here is CMU’s BFA acting curriculum. You take one elective outside the department each semester.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.drama.cmu.edu/media/assets/CMUFactActing20132014.pdf[/url]”>http://www.drama.cmu.edu/media/assets/CMUFactActing20132014.pdf</a></p>
<p>Getting into CMU and worrying about their non-acting academic classes would be such a lovely problem to have</p>
<p>lolholler,
That’s what my son was looking for and he applied to the following schools which have a range of selectivity in admissions:
Northwestern
Vassar
Oberlin
Brandeis
Muhlenberg
Connecticut College
Skidmore</p>
<p>So true Jkellynh17</p>
<p>I’ll go out on a limb and say that most of the over 1,200 kids who will audition for one of CMU’s 16 acting spots will not worry too much about CMU’s non drama elective offerings.</p>