<p>GCmom, probably your son should find Purchase students who went to his high school and talk to them about this.</p>
<p>The theatre department at Purchase is small, intense and highly selective, whereas, on the other hand, the academics of the regular liberal arts departments are not very rigorous at all. I don’t know to what extent the theatre students fit in socially with the rest of the school, or if they are even concerned about it. The drama students do take very few classes outside the department.</p>
<p>Purchase was founded as an arts-oriented school, and I don’t think it participates in intercollegiate sports. One parent of a Purchase theatre student told me, “The drama students are like football stars there.” I’m not sure whether that’s a plus or a minus!</p>
<p>You are right, of course, he should talk to people from his school who go there. I was just curious/surprised at the number of negative impressions here. </p>
<p>He goes to a performing arts hs in NYC, so similar dynamic…no football, sports are not a big deal, artists are admired. But yes, it would be interesting to know how the two “sides” of Purchase relate, if at all.</p>
<p>The overall student body is something we are considering too – or will, once we see where my son is admitted. I’ve pointed out that it’s safer to date outside your small intense program, both to avoid “drama” later on, and to widen your horizons. In terms of being around super-smart people who are outside the theatre school, we are ranking Carnegie Mellon as #1. But admission there is a super-stretch for every theatre applicant!</p>