<p>I hope you can assist me. My daughter is in her sophomore year in HS. She has a background in voice and dance. She is interested in music/theater. Which college is best?</p>
<p>I think a little more info is needed. When you say music/theater do you mean musical theatre (MT)? And if you say MT, do you mean that’s one thing she has an interested in or do you mean this is the one thing she lives and breathes for?</p>
<p>You’ve listed two conservatories and a preparation school for the popular music industry (Berklee). None are truly “colleges” - that is, none offer degrees other than pre-professional training in the performing arts. This is the equivalent of a HS baseball player foregoing college to go directly from HS to the minor leagues in hopes of someday having a major league career. And of course, a lot of HS baseball players do that depending upon their own life goals. Others sign scholarships to universities where they can both pursue a college degree and be trained in performance skills.</p>
<p>You can do a pre-professional degree a - B.M. in Music or a B.F.A. in Theatre - at a college or university and have both the training and a broader college degree. Or you can do a liberal arts degree - a B.A. - in Music or Theatre without committing yourself to a future that’s focused solely on a career in the performing arts.</p>
<p>Since Boston seems to be the locale of choice, Emerson College is sort of a hybrid - a school offering pre-professional degrees but neither a conservatory nor a full-range university. Rather, it’s a college that specializes in fields related to Communication.</p>
<p>There are four distinct CC subforums, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/</a>, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/</a>, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/</a> and <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dance-major/[/url]that”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dance-major/that</a> deal specifically with the performing arts. </p>
<p>While you mention three schools, one is a straight conservatory rooted in the classical tradition, BU is a conservatory level program within a university setting, and Berklee is a conservatory type of environment for more modern, popular, cutting edge music. </p>
<p>As you mention voice and dance, the music theater forum might be the place to start, but it depends on what here long term goals are. As mentioned, there are numerous paths, schools and options ranging from undergrad professional training resulting in a performers certificate, a non-academic pre professional program and BM, BFA, and BA options available.</p>
<p>Performance studies for the most part are audition base admits, and are extremely competitive. There are varying weights placed on academics and stats across institutions that will factor in to your decision as well when looking at programs. </p>
<p>As mentioned, more detail as to interest, goals, genre/discipline, and level of training and experience might help in pointing you in any number of directions.</p>
<p>OP said BOCO not BU.</p>
<p>mea culpa .</p>