<p>Well, D is done with Junior year, heading to CMU precollege MT next weekend for 6 weeks, so we're trying to come up with a good list of schools for her to look over and work on applications/essays (in her spare time, lol) over the summer. We have a pretty good list of audition/BFA programs which we still have to make some visits for, and whittle the list down, but haven't done a whole lot yet in regard to so called "safety schools" (i.e. non- audition BA programs) that could still keep her on a good MT track to either finish out from, or to transfer to a BFA program later if need be.</p>
<p>Was wondering if the experienced posters here had any suggestions for good schools in this regard. Her academics are pretty good - 3.9/4.3(unweighted/weighted and has taken the most challenging courses offered, and has 4 more AP courses for the fall) SAT's - 1310/2010(will take one more time in the fall too), National Honor society/volunteer work..</p>
<p>Was particularly wondering about some of these ivy league schools that are offering these tremendous discounts on tuition lately. Not sure if she's quite in that stratosphere academically, but close I guess..</p>
<p>any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg is a non-audition BA program with strong academics and wonderful MT opportunities. Very well regarded performing arts department, great facilities and an "in house" professional summer stock company that offers opportunities to students.</p>
<p>Northwestern is also a non-audition BA program but is a bit different. Students get accepted as theatre majors with a performance emphasis and after 1 or 2 years can audition for the MT certification program. Is another very well regarded program that is probably a bit more academically difficult to get into than Muhlenberg.</p>
<p>Others that come to mind but that I don't know that much about are Kenyon and Bard.</p>
<p>Northwestern is a non-audition BA program for initial admission as a theater major. If you want to enter the MT certificate program, you must then audition after your freshman or sophomore year. You can elect not to audition and, I believe, still take voice and dance classes to compliment your theater major classes. So to that extent, if you have the academic credentials, Northwestern is an option as a non-audition BA program with opportunities to participate in various aspects of MT even though not in the MT certificate program.</p>
<p>Also, go to this link for a list of non-audition MT programs. It's been awhile since it's been updated so there may be some changes or additional schools that have been missed.</p>
<p>Columbia College in Chicago is worth checking out. They have an non-audition B.A. program and I'm pretty sure they have, or are in the process of having, a BFA program that you can audition for once you are already in the B.A. program.</p>
<p>Wilkes University, near Scranton PA. It is a BA MT program. They do require an audition, but because it's relatively unknown, there are not a lot of applicants. Many of my students have used it as a safety school.</p>
<p>Rollins, in Florida, has a theater department, and we know a few kids who have minored in music, voice, theater, or related areas. One received a nice scholarship for voice, and only takes one class per semester to maintain that award. I realize that it's not in the geographic area that you would like, but. . .</p>
<p>Doesn't Penn offer something in MT, speaking of ivy league schools? We know a student who went there during the summer last year for some sort of performance program. Your D has great academic stats, so she should be competitive at a lot of great schools!</p>
<p>We actually visted Penn her freshman year doing a JHCTY program [Family</a> Academic Programs<a href="used%20these%20seminars%20to%20do%20the%20tour/info%20session%20at%20several%20schools%20at%20the%20same%20time">/url</a></p>
<p>I would not consider Northwestern a "safety school" in any way, shape or form. With the current demographics of gazillions of college-entering kids in this country, Northwestern is one of the most difficult schools to get into academically right now -- so that holds true for its BA in Theatre in the School of Communication. You have to get in solely on academics -- so grades, level of classes (AP) and scores must be extremely high. Your "performing arts" extracurriculars, even if impressive, certainly round out your application ... but they do not guarantee admission into the BA in Theatre program.</p>
<p>In the mid-Atlantic area, I might suggest BAs in Theatre at American University in DC, McDaniel and Towson in Maryland and Christopher Newport in VA. I would consider those safety schools and your D might also get some really nice academic merit money there to boot since she is a strong academic student.</p>
<p>I want to caution you that all NON Audition BA schools are NOT safety schools. So, while your D may wish to apply to schools like Northwestern or you said you were exploring some Ivies too, none of these are safety schools for ANYONE. They are great to have on the list but it is advisable to ALSO have one or two NON AUDITION ACADEMIC SAFETY schools where your D is a sure bet to be admitted. One person's safety is NOT another person's safety. For example, Muhlenberg would be a great BA safety for many kids (including your daughter) but would be a reach school for other applicants. </p>
<p>Someone mentioned American. American would be a great option for your daughter and I recommend it often. However, while it is a BA school, the MT program is BY AUDITION. I feel that any school that admits by audition is NOT a safety or sure bet school. I feel that most audition based BAs are "easier" odds to get in than audition based BFAs and would balance your D's list nicely but they do not fit the "safety" slot. A true safety has NO audition and is ALSO an ACADEMIC safety. Audition based BAs like American, James Madison, Wagner, Marymount Manhattan, Manhattanville, etc. would round out your D's list but do not fit her "safety" slot. Schools like Northwestern are great for the BA part of her list but also do not fit the "safety" slot.</p>
<p>For a non audition safety in MT......for YOUR particular D (again, may not be an academic safety for someone else)......consider Muhlenberg, Indiana (the BA that is an Individualized Major in MT...... I realize it is not in the East but I don't think it is THAT much further from you in Pittsburgh), Rollins College, or University of New Hampshire. </p>
<p>Or consider a non audition academic safety in theater school that has MT opportunities.....such as Skidmore (is borderline match/safety for your D), Sarah Lawrence (borderline match/safety for your D), Goucher, Drew, McDaniel, Hofstra, Susquehanna, Wheaton (borderline match/safety in MA), Dickinson (borderline match/safety for your D).</p>
<p>I didn't mean to imply that either Northwestern, or any of the Ivies would be considered "Safety Schools" I guess I kind of badly worded my original post..</p>
<p>yes am interested in academic safety schools, that's why I gave my daughters grades/sat's... but was also interested in how the various theatre programs were at some of the ivies, not as safety schools, but just for info, as if she could get in, some of these new tuition aid policies are unbelievable..</p>
<p>Very much appreciate everyone's suggestions... giving us lots to research here in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>I didn't think you meant "safety" as in a sure thing for an academic admission; I took your inquiry to be about schools that were a "safety" with regard to MT because no audition is required. Obviously, at any non-audition program, a school is not a "safety" unless your daughter's academic credentials when compared to the student profile at the school make the school a "safety". Your daughter will be competing for an academic admission just like every other applicant. Most schools report the profile of their students including the most recently admitted freshman class.</p>
<p>When looking at Skidmore, check their website carefully. The last time I looked, which was a while ago, they specifically posted that they normally do not perform musicals, so Skidmore may not be the best match (although they have a very good BA drama program).</p>
<p>Skidmore has a student run theater company called Cabaret Troupe that puts on musicals every year and they are quite good. A student could piece together drama (great program), dance and voice. They also have a capella groups. </p>
<p>Of the Ivies, really good MT opportunities exist at Brown and Yale and I know many MT kids who attend these schools. However, your D's current SATs are on the low side for both these universities. And even if she gets it in range, their acceptance rates are extremely low. There are other fine selective schools with good theater programs that are not academic safeties for your D where there are some MT opportunities.....like Tufts, Brandeis, Conn College, Boston College, and several others.</p>
<p>Let me speak up for Towson University, which is in my area. Though it has always had a strong acting program, admission into the performance track in years past was non audition. However, that has changed and now students who wish to study in the acting/performance track must audition. I haven't examined the program closely (too close to home for my own MT kid!) but several of her friends from the local top performing arts high school did audition and got in, and at least one is going there. I am told by these kids that there is an option to study musical theater within the acting/performance track, and I know for sure that the school stages several musicals and plays each year. I am sure with the OP D's stats, Towson would be a sure safety academically. My guess is that her academics would put her in range for some nice hefty academic scholarships there.
Also, know that Muhlenberg is very generous with money for academic scholarships.</p>
<p>I coordinate the BA MT program at James Madison University. Your D's stats are well within the range at JMU -- so academically JMU would probably be a match/ safety for your D (Soozievt would better be able to comment on the academic stats in this regard). </p>
<p>The MT program is by audition. This past year we saw about 90 audition initially accepted 16 (8 men and 8 women), then went to our waitlist for the concentration and accepted 3 (2 freshmen and 1 transfer) more to yield an incoming class of 9 freshmen and 1 transfer into the "freshman" class (5 men and 5 women). </p>
<p>Students who are not accepted into the MT concentration at JMU, but accepted academically may come to JMU (quite a few come in the Theatre Concentration, which is currently non-auditioned... students in the Theatre Concentration may audition for all musicals, and are eligible to take many musical theatre, dance, and music classes).</p>
<p>So, if your D is looking for a school that is an academic match/ safety where she could pursue musical theatre opportunities (whether or not she is accepted to the concentration) JMU could be worth looking at. Please feel free to send me a PM if you or she has specific questions, or would like to be put in contact with current students.</p>
<p>I used to teach at Plymouth State University in NH. They offer a BA program in Musical Theatre by audition. I recommend this as a program to look at as well. It is a small program with a lot of individual attention. Students from Plymouth often win or place in the top 3 in the Boston chapter of the NATS MT competition (competing with students from conservatory programs in MA and other New England states).</p>
<p>Best of luck with your D's college search! :)</p>
<p>Be sure to check out Coastal Carolina! A faculty member posts on CC frequently.</p>
<p>Point Park seems to give a lot of academic money (and your D has the stats for that money) and also a lot of talent money (who knows???). She may not want to stay in the 'burg, but it deserves a look.</p>
<p>Point Park would be an academic safety. It has both a BA and BFA program. A question that often comes up with schools that have both BA and BFA programs is whether the BA students are short changed on MT opportunities because of the emphasis given to the BFA program. This is not to claim that this would happen at Point Park but it's important to look into this at any school that offers both a BA and BFA in performing.</p>
<p>At Point Park, you enter into the BA program by audition and "audition" again for the BFA after freshman year. The course work can be exactly the same for the students who make the BFA and for those who remain in the BA program. The BFA is described as a "vote of confidence" regarding the student's prospects of success after college. I am sure the BA students do not go to the showcases during the senior year, but, once out of school both have graduated from Point Park, have the same training, and there may not be a huge difference in what employers think.</p>
<p>You mention performance opportunities. . .If you get a full talent scholarship, you must audition for all the shows, starting sophomore year. Others have the option of auditioning (although they may be required to audition for a certain number of shows), but can. Some students say that there are students who get "preferential" treatment, often the ones with full talent scholarships. It seems to me that there are many different students who are highlighted in the Point Park shows; i.e., I have seen many shows, and the leads are not the same. A few students are also very active in the community (outside of Point Park) and these are the ones I recognize.</p>
<p>I think the OP was looking for non audition safety BA schools. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that the only true safety schools are non audition ones. </p>
<p>That said, there are some BFA by audition schools and some BA by audition schools that are relatively "easier" (BUT NOT EASY and NOT SAFETIES or SURE BETS) than some other audition BFA schools. For instance, Point Park was mentioned and so was Coastal Carolina and so these are schools to consider to balance out more competitive BFAs in terms of both academics and artistic selectivity (such as UMich or NYU/Tisch). That's not the same as a safety, but can help balance the spectrum of one's BFA portion (or audition BA portion) of one's college list.</p>
<p>Okay then here is what you are looking for, Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington IL. Ranked higher than NYU and U of Mich academically has a non-auditon BA program. You can audition if you would like to be considered for a scholarship but it is not required. What's really nice is that you can design you own program to a certain extent (i.e. take piano lessons, dance lessons etc.). Checkout their website, call the school or post on their thread here at CC if you have any questions.</p>