<p>My dd loves the theatre and is determined to pursue this in college. She is near the top of her class and while I'd kind of prefer she went with something a bit more "practical" I will support her in whatever she does.</p>
<p>She is interested in a smaller school, New England or New York, strong academics as well as theatre progam. She is on the acting side of the ledger at this point and prefers the live stage.</p>
<p>Any suggestions for a good match?</p>
<p>Boston University, Fordham-Lincoln Center, Emerson, Hartt School/University of Hartford, Yale, NYU. Ooops, sorry, you said small. Well, small is in the eye of the beholder, and theatre departments are typically small and are their own little "family" for four years. If small departments in a big school are OK, also consider Syracuse and Rutgers. Also Muhlenberg in Pennsylvania, which is very strong in musical theatre as well. All except Fordham, Muhlenberg and Yale are BFA degrees. Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>She may want to look into some of the east coast's liberal arts colleges with strong theatre programs such as Vassar, Middlebury, Skidmore and Sarah Lawrence.</p>
<p>Adding: Brandeis (Boston suburb of Waltham) , Ithaca College (rural upstate NY). If you live instate NY, and need a financial/academic safety school, there's SUNY at Purchase (arts magnet of the state university system). SUNY/Purchase could be her financial and academic safety (if that's relevant), but entry to their powerful and fine acting program there is by audition only.</p>
<p>An important difference is whether the ability to major in acting at the college is simply a major by choice (non-audition), like most of the LAC's, or requires a pre-freshman audition into the major, winter of Senior year, to get accepted to that major in the college (like Ithaca).</p>
<p>Gettysburgh, Hamilton, Connecticut College, SUNY-New Paltz, Wesleyan, Brown, Williams, Smith, Bennington.</p>