Best Program for Non-Trad Transfer?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>BFA or BA, either with an acting concentration. Auditions are fine. Major Cities preferred. My top 3 transfer picks are pretty solid at this point and have reputable academic and theatre programs...I'm just curious what everyone here thinks.</p>

<p>Gender: F
Age: 26
Location: Clearwater, FL
Current Academic Status: CC Sophomore, Grad 5/12
College Class Year: 2014
High School: Public
College Type: sends some grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Yes, EFC=0, Independent</p>

<p>Academics:
HS GPA - 2.0
Dismal Failure NGL
College GPA- 3.692
Honors Institute
Dean's List 3 semesters</p>

<p>Scores:
(11/2003)
SAT I Math: 440
SAT I Critical Reading: 570</p>

<p>Significant Extracurriculars:
-FT/PT Work (2 Major Entertainment Venues) 2006- Present, 8-50+ Hours/wk.
-Acting Work (incl. Student Film/Comm and School Theatre/TV/Internet/Interactive/Theme Park) 2005-Present, 15+ projects/productions to date
-Co-own online handicrafts store with grandmother
-Ghostwriting grandmother's memoir
-Acrylic painting
-Urban landscape photography
-Blogging - current: cctoivyleague.blogspot.com, 1.5 years; Previous: "The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living", 6 years, self-published
-Attempting to accredit CC theatre program through NAST
-HNMUN CC Candidate
-Jack Kent Cooke Undergrad Transfer School Nominee (Nationals Pending)</p>

<p>Leadership positions: Co-Founder/Marketing Chair-Get Haiti Running-Tampa, President - HCC Drama Society Ybor Campus, Marketing Chair/Committee Member - Arete HCC Honors Institute</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: Get Haiti Running Tampa, Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk, Regular Blood Donor, Semi-Annual Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, Relay for Life, Humane Society, Give a Day for the Bay Invasive Plant Cleanups</p>

2

<p>How about Marymount Manhattan or Columbia College Chicago?</p>

3

<p>Temple university in Philadelphia-- many transfer students in their theater program.</p>

4

<p>Interesting, my top picks are Columbia University school of General Studies (NY, who has an integrated theatre program through Barnard headed by Will Worthen), Barnard itself, NYU which has Tisch - for obvious reasons. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>Columbia College (Chic.) is close to hubs like Second City,ect. and it has come up from time to time in talks with my advisor.
What are the professional ops in the Phily area like?</p>

5

<p>Philly has a strong professional theatre scene and Temple (BA) and UArts (BFA) are both strong programs. I do not believe that an audition is required for the BA in Theatre program at Temple. </p>

<p>Columbia and Barnard are strong BA programs. NYU Tisch is a BFA. </p>

<p>Are you prepared to spend 3 - 4 more years in undergraduate school to complete a BFA program? Even for BA programs that do not have articulation agreements with your CC you may find that it will take you 2.5 - 3 years to complete the degree.</p>

<p>You have a 0 EFC, and are independent, so you will qualify for larger Stafford (federal loans), and full Pell grant. This will likely not come close to covering the cost of schools that do not meet full need. I am not sure if the schools you are looking at guarantee to meet full need? </p>

<p>I would not cross the listed schools off your list, but you may want to be sure to include FL State Schools that have articulation agreements with your CC. They will be less expensive than OOS private schools, and you may be able to complete a BA program in 2 additional years. Even a BFA program that might take longer will be more affordable in-state. </p>

<p>Once you obtain your undergrduate degree there are MFA programs that will offer full tuition, plus an assistantship stipend… I believe that FL State/ Asolo Conservatory is one of those. As are many of the URTA Schools – [url=&lt;a href=“http://urta.com/]URTA[/url”&gt;http://urta.com/]URTA[/url</a>] </p>

<p>Again, I would not avoid applying to the private and OOS public schools you listed above. Simply suggest including in-state as well (if you have not already). You may be lucky enough to get terrific financial aid packages, but just in case :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Theatre is not a particularly stable career, and many of the entry level job opportunities as low paying. Minimizing debt is a great plan. Particularly as an independent student, who may be financing her education on her own. </p>

<p>My intent is truly not to be discouraging, simply to offer options. </p>

<p>That being said – in addition to schools mentioned above you might want to look at Pace, Marymount Manhattan, University of Maryland College Park, George Mason University, Virgina Commonwealth University, Towson, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Goucher as OOS/ Private Schools in or close to cities. They may not meet full need, and some may take 3 - 4 years to complete the degree.</p>

<p>In FL – Florida State, UCF, University of Florida, and Florida Atlantic University for public FL schools… and Rollins, Eckerd, and University of Tampa for private FL schools Not sure of formalized articulation agreements with FL CCs, but you CC counselor should know. </p>

<p>All the best! :)</p>

6

<p>Columbia School of General Studies (GS) does not guarantee housing, and apartments in Manhattan are prohibitively expensive. That is one significant drawback, although some university housing is available.</p>

7

<p>Philly has a strong theater scene that you can research easily (check the Theatre Alliance website, for example.) To answer your questions, Temple is a state school with relatively low tuition even for out of state students and merit aid based on your scores and current GPA. UArts is a private school-- relatively expensive. My daughter had a play produced at Temple recently and we were impressed by the theater department students. Of those she met, many were transfers. There is an audition for musical theater but not for the theater BA. It’s a rolling application; my daughter applied early and was accepted with merit aid. She went in and talked to professors at the department and came back impressed enough with Temple to cross off some applications for auditioned schools off her list. I have another daughter who recently transferred to Temple from an out-of-state private school where she had considerable merit aid. Although it is a large university with a bureaucratic interface, her particular school (Tyler) has turned out to be truly world-class. Although we are local, we have had little interaction with Temple until this year. I’m impressed with the school.</p>

8

<p>Are you prepared to spend 3 - 4 more years in undergraduate school to complete a BFA program?"Even for BA programs that do not have articulation agreements with your CC you may find that it will take you 2.5 - 3 years to complete the degree.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t mind it the extra work, considering my CC’s drama program was so limited. I am a bit of an idealist when it comes to that sort of thought, though. My mantra is to claim your education, that is don’t shortchange yourself on the one of the most important investments you may make. Putting, in another 3 years or so wouldn’t be horrible, except perhaps in the financial sense. But…
**
I would not cross the listed schools off your list, but you may want to be sure to include FL State Schools that have articulation agreements with your CC. They will be less expensive than OOS private schools, and you may be able to complete a BA program in 2 additional years. Even a BFA program that might take longer will be more affordable in-state.**</p>

<p>I’m also applying to USF and UCF, and possibly Eckerd. I’ve known numerous cast-mates and directors who have gone through all three and recommend them highly. Ultimately though, getting out of Florida is a big part of the equation. I don’t mind having the safety nets, but I’ve been wanting NY for years.</p>

<p>Once you obtain your undergrduate degree there are MFA programs that will offer full tuition, plus an assistantship stipend… I believe that FL State/ Asolo Conservatory is one of those. As are many of the URTA Schools – URTA. Again, I would not avoid applying to the private and OOS public schools you listed above. Simply suggest including in-state as well (if you have not already). You may be lucky enough to get terrific financial aid packages, but just in case</p>

<p>I have been told this, by numerous honors class mates to stay local even for the BA or BFA, and to apply for grad work in the city I ultimately want to end up in. However,…</p>

<p>Theatre is not a particularly stable career, and many of the entry level job opportunities as low paying. Minimizing debt is a great plan. Particularly as an independent student, who may be financing her education on her own.</p>

<p>^ …that is exactly why I don’t really want to wait to get settled. Considering I’m 26, I’m old by conservatory time. ^-^ I’m academically on my 3rd or 4th chance and finally flourishing. I’m not entirely convinced grad work is worth the effort when looked at through the icy eye of show business, though my pursuits are varied just beyond the practical, into dramatic history and the international anthropology of the subject.<br>
**
My intent is truly not to be discouraging, simply to offer options.**</p>

<p>Oh by no means! You we’re extremely helpful!
I’m going to look into the programs you mentioned, and see if I can find some middle ground between my top 3 and my safetys. Thank you so much!</p>