Boston College, Brandeis, University of Michigan & Marquette Theatre programs??

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
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<p>Hi again :) </p>

<p>So I have some good audition schools that I'm definitely going to apply to. Now I'm looking for some good BA theatre programs that have some good courses in acting. I'm definitely going to apply to Northwestern and I'm applying for the BA/BS programs as well as BFA for some of my auditioned schools. I've heard some good things about the BA programs at Boston College, Brandeis and Marquette and I was wondering, can anyone give me any specific info on these schools? </p>

<p>Lastly, I looked at the University of Michigan BFA and it looks great! However, I never really hear about it on this site... Does anyone know how good of a program it is? </p>

<p>Any info or advice is appreciated!
Thanks :D</p>

2

<p>My S was accepted to Boston College and he liked the Theatre program which included some musicals and the ability to double major/study abroad. It was one of several Jesuit schools he applied to but in the end, it was in the “wrong” city and he liked Fordham’s program better. </p>

<p>At the time, which was two years ago at this point, there was no audition but if you were majoring in Theatre you could come in for an interview with someone from the Theatre department. My S took advantage of this opportunity and was asked to provide an additional essay which was basically a “Why BC theatre” essay and video and/or audio. He gave video of past performances and audio for two songs that he had recorded with his voice teacher. He also sent artistic recommendations and writing samples since he was interested in playwriting/screenwriting.</p>

<p>He had a competitve application but I am sure that the portfolio and interview gave him the additional backing of the Theatre department and helped him gain admission to a school that receives SO many applications! If you can’t make it for a visit and interview, see if they will Skype.</p>

<p>Good luck! :)</p>

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<p>KatMT, a college professor who posts her, has had many positive things to say about Boston College’s theatre major.</p>

<p>My daughter applied and was accepted to Brandeis. It has wonderful arts programs, and she really liked the course selections. Apparently there are many changes going on there now, as I believe they are phasing out their MFA. This probably will be good for BA majors, but you will need to ask a lot of questions. </p>

<p>I don’t know Marquette’s program, but I know that Milwaukee is a fantastic theatre town. There are wonderful established professional theatres and lots and lots of small theatre groups doing very exciting things. If if the program and the courses are good, being in Milwaukee would be a very rewarding place to be a theatre major.</p>

<p>If you search for UMich BFA here, you should get plenty of helpful information. Their website is also very thorough, and the program is very well-regarded nationally.</p>

<p>My advice as you look at BA programs is to list their major requirements, examine their course catalogue, and chart out a potential 4-year program. Think about how many and what kinds of theatre classes you feel you need - ask yourself how much hands-on training you want (in Voice, Movement and Acting), and what kinds of electives are important to you (in design, literature, directing, etc.). Find out how often they offer courses and how many theatre classes vs. other courses you would be taking from semester to semester. Also find out all you can about the number of productions that are available, and how they are cast.</p>

<p>This really is possible in the current online era. It was very eye-opening to my D. This is a very personal decision, and you will know your own gut reaction to the course programs, availability, performance opportunities, academic atmosphere, location, etc. </p>

<p>My last piece of advice is APPLY. You can always decide not to go somewhere when your acceptances are in front of you, but April/May is too late for most private colleges to decide suddenly that you need more options and would like to apply after all.</p>

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<p>sandkmom - thank you so much for the info! I had actually never considered BC as I had never really heard much about their Theatre program but i stumbled upon their website the other day and I really liked their program! I actually sent in my application this past weekend! That’s great that your son was able to schedule an interview and show them some of his work. How exactly did he do this? Was it possible for all theatre applicants or just the ones that BC were interested in? I looked at their site and couldn’t find any info on this possibility. </p>

<p>EmmyBet - Thank you so much for all the info! I actually really liked the program at Brandeis but I have yet to apply. I read some mixed reviews about the school itself, especially in terms of the social aspects. The academics are my first concern but I will admit I pay a little too much attention about what the general attitude towards the social life of a school is and I’m left feeling a little bit confused about Brandeis. </p>

<p>I’ve never actually been to Milwaukee or Wisconsin and so I wasn’t sure how much of a theatre community there was. I actually really liked Marquette’s program, it seemed to have a good emphasis on performance for a BA. Thank you for all the info about Milwaukee! As far as BA programs go, I’m definitely more drawn to those that do put an emphasis on acting. In some ways a BA with a lot of acting possibilities is perfect for me as I do want to be able to double major/minor in another subject. In fact, I made sure that any BFA I applied to allowed the possibility of taking up another major. In terms of BA’s, I’ve applied to Northwestern, Boston College, USC (in the process of applying), Penn State (with an acting track) and Marquette. As for BFA’s I’ve so far applied to BU, Syracuse, Rutgers and USC (still in the process). </p>

<p>My biggest problem is having to attend all those auditions since I’m not in the best position financially and geographically. In fact I’m planning on sending recorded auditions anywhere that’ll accept them… I know it’ll probably hurt my chances but I really have no choice :frowning: </p>

<p>Thanks you both so much for all the info! It was all really helpful :)</p>

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<p>^^^He was proactive about it…the Theatre dept wasn’t interested in him bc he didn’t even apply until the RD round and his interview was in October. He searched through their website and saw he could contact Dr. Stuart Hecht from the Theatre department for a tour and interview. It was very clear that they only grant interviews to a select group of people who meet their criteria and prospective Theatre majors were included because they don’t audition. So he took advantage of the opportunity. </p>

<p>It may have changed…my S applied 2 years ago…but if you can’t find anything on their website, call the Theatre dept and ask! Good luck! :)</p>

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<p>I would definitely say that BC and Marquette, both being Jesuit schools, have more similarities in their campus atmosphere than Brandeis. If you’re not thrilled with the Brandeis “vibe,” I’d think about dropping it from your list. It’s the kind of school where you either like it or you don’t. My 2 girls both liked it - one is a pretty liberal, artsy, offbeat kid (almost went there) and the other is also pretty liberal but not so off-beat (she got in ED somewhere else). Neither one liked BC at all - too conservative for them. I went to grad school at BC and know the Boston schools well, and I could have predicted they would have felt comfortable at Brandeis and not so much at BC. </p>

<p>You are doing a great job of reading up on BA programs. Since you mentioned finances, how are you doing with your plans to pay for college? You might want to look at some other public options, since many of these schools aren’t the greatest for financial aid. There are such terrific non-auditioned programs at publics all over the place; UW-Milwaukee has a BA-BFA program that’s got wonderful opportunities, and on another thread people are talking about Temple, URI, UNH, and more.</p>