<p>I actually have a couple of questions. I am having a delimma over which school I should go to; I am going to to transfer to either UVA or W&M and get a B.A. in theatre. Both schools have rigorous a academic standard which impresses me, so having said that which school would better for a theatre major? Also, I am going to get my M.F.A. at programs such Yale school of Drama or the drama program at NYU; so would getting my B.A. at UVA or William and Mary affect my chances in any way of getting accepted into these graduate schools?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for any input anyone can offer me.</p>
<p>Your talent and how you do at auditions will probably determine your ability to get an MFA at Yale or NYU or any other good program. I have no idea which of the two undergraduate programs would give you a better grounding in theater and prepare you to do better at auditions than the other hundreds of talented people you will be competing against. I feel as though UVa might have an edge just because it is larger and perhaps more exposed to various enriching cultural influences because of its location. </p>
<p>There may be other threads where you would get a more specific and informed answer. (There is a theater major section under college majors; see the college discussion home page.) Overall I think neither acceptance at UVa or W and M OR getting into a nationally regarded theater graduate program is something anyone can really plan on. If it works out great; if it does not you need a plan B that still gets you the training and opportunites you want.</p>
<p>Both are very small departments. I've visited both and nothing bad to say about either. However neither are very well-know for their theater/drama departments if you take away Tina Fay, Jon Stewart, and Glenn Close. Don't know how a Conservative agenda will effect W&M, but it has impacted an art showing there recently. The atmosphere at UVA could be presumed to be a bit more liberal and accepting. I do know you can't apply to UVA as a drama major and the school has mentioned on several occasions that they have no influence in admissions for prospective drama majors. Not sure about the same at W&M.</p>
<ol>
<li>The department is slightly bigger at UVa</li>
<li>UVa has had impressive alumni that you could possibly network with after graduation
ex: Katie Couric, Jon Stewart, Ben MacKinize, etc. </li>
<li>Bigger campus so more opportunities to show your skills</li>
</ol>
<p>And Katy Couric had nothing to do with the Drama Department while at UVA, AFAIK. Tina Fey, (BA Drama UVA 1992), is arguably more popular than Katy since the election, though.</p>
<p>Really? I've always gathered that UVA was the much more conservative and traditional of the two schools. Is this something specific to the arts departments?</p>
<p>Well, then you didn't follow the ousting of the College's president Gene Nichol last year, defended rather vociferously on this forum by some W&M student Neocons. The Rector of their Board of Visitors is Michael Powell (Colin Powell's son), the same Michael Powell who was head of the FCC when all the "wardrobe malfunction" and Howard Stern issues came up, causing you to now have to watch your news correspondents report with that stupid few-second delays to avoid fines. Here, have a look and see for yourself:</p>