<p>I'm a single father of three teens. D1 is a junior, and we're starting the college search. She's a strong student, but is most passionate about her extracurriculars, namely acting and improv comedy. She leads several acting clubs at school, and loves comedic acting and writing. Are there any schools known for their comedy clubs or groups on campus? While it's not an absolute requirement, it's something that she really wants to stay involved with.</p>
<p>Her stats, for reference:
GPA- 3.7 UW, 4.4 W (her school is in the top 100 public schools in the country)
PSAT (sophomore year)- 202
She took AP US History last year and got a 4 and is taking two APs (English Comp and Comp Gov) this year.
She'll need financial aid (I make around 65k.)
White.</p>
<p>Northwestern, NYU, UNC CH, Yale, and some others stuck out on that list. However, I think this thread is going about it wrong. Don’t search for colleges with improv groups, instead find colleges that fit her academically and socially, and then check to see if there are improv/comedy groups or not (there probably will be, it’s kinda common). She can start one too.</p>
<p>It’s an interesting approach. Would she be interested in majoring in screenwriting? Northwestern and NYU are great choices not only because of their on campus improv groups but also, if she doesn’t get into any of them, she still has the option to work with many of the fantastic improv schools in Chicago or New York. My daughter still feels one of the best things about Northwestern is that she was very popular and involved in the Chicago improv scene. </p>
<p>Not knowing what her college focus might be, I guess I would suggest some of the other Chicago and New York colleges - DePaul, Columbia College of Chicago, Hunter College, Fordham, etc. It’s an extensive list in these two cities!</p>
<p>^^ I agree any school in Chicago or NYC which works academically and financially should work. If there is nothing on campus, there will be a ton in either city. Get some college guide books (I like Fiske and Princeton Review, but there are many others) and start researching.</p>
<p>One of the many reasons my daughter is applying to Depaul is because the Second City training center is very close. Check out the Second City website. They also have a program in partnership with Columbia College, like a semester abroad program. The student can get college credit for a semester of training.</p>
<p>USC is strong in this. My D attended U of Arizona and was a member of their skit group that went to USC every Spring for their big sketch and improv throwdown that included many college groups. Canlt do any worse than being in LA unless you like the cold of Chicago.</p>
<p>“Find colleges that fit her academically and socially, and then check to see if there are improv/comedy groups or not (there probably will be, it’s kinda common). She can start one too.”</p>
<p>Seconded. </p>
<p>It’s one thing if you’re looking for a school that offers a major, sport, or club that requires expensive equipment (Film-making, Rowing, Campus Radio). Or requires a specific geographic location (Cross-country skiing, Rowing again). Or requires the campus to have a critical mass of students who showed up with their own specialized equipment (extra-curricular Orchestra).</p>
<p>But the beauty of improv is you can do it anywhere, it costs nothing to do, and anywhere you go you can find others who are willing to do it. I’m not saying you should give no weight to schools that already have a strong improv scene (or reside in a city that does), just that if it turns out there’s a better academic fit that is easier for dear dad to pay for, it won’t be as tough for her as it would be for a rowing athlete stuck in the desert. :)</p>
<p>Also, let me put in a plug for my old school. Georgetown has many well-funded <em>and</em> well-attended student groups doing all kinds of theater including improv. I had more opportunity to do theater there as a non-major than many theater majors get at top theater schools. The oldest group, the Mask & Bauble Dramatic Society, has been in continuous service since 1852. Theater is in Georgetown’s DNA, and it’s not unusual to see Arabic majors sharing the stage with Biology majors. Future Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a Society member while majoring in History.</p>
<p>Also, along the same lines as NYC and Chicago, I’ll plug Austin, TX. Here we have multiple professional improv troupes, multiple universities of varying sizes, and we host one of the major national (and international) improv festivals: Out Of Bounds. It’s also a fertile city for theater, with an emphasis on new and original work. Repertory is in short supply, but we have lots of young playwrights and companies doing adventurous work. It’s also become a popular location for film productions, if D1 has any interest in that.</p>