I am a senior in the midst of applying to colleges. I’ve been involved in musical theatre since i was two, and the thought of not pursuing that in college kills me. I would also like to pursue international relations, as I have had a lot of exposure to international law & politics and am very intrigued by that. I’m hoping for a school where I can double major. Any ideas for good schools? I need one that offers merit aid!
Ideal School:
-urban/suburban
-has non-BFA MT or Theatre program
-offers international studies/affairs/relations major
-allows double majors
-offers merit aid (I won’t really qualify for much need-based, so this is important)
Stats:
ACT 34 (35 English, 34 Reading, 33 Math, 33 Science)
SAT 2190 (770 Writing, 760 Reading, 660 Math)
4.0 GPA unweighted, 4.35 weighted
10 AP classes by graduation (three 5s, one 4, one 3 currently)
on track to be valedictorian in class of ~600
ECs:
NHS
Beta (Officer)
Key Club
School Play (lead roles)
School Musical (lead roles & Choreographer)
Community Theatre Productions (lead roles & Choreographer)
Advanced Choir
Y Club (Founder & President) -> this is like Youth in Government in some states
Model UN (state officer)
Model State Legislation
Moot Court (8th overall at nationals)
Mock Trial
French Club (President)
Drama Club (Officer)
DECA (Officer & International Medalist) -> business & marketing competitive organization
over 500 volunteer hours
Tutor
Other:
Governor’s School for the Arts (Musical Theatre)
Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (1st place team winner)
Thanks for any help you can provide!!! It’s much appreciated!
You might check out Indiana University. Their merit aid is a little stingy for out-of-staters compared to out-of-state tuition differential - at least it was two years ago - but your stats are high enough you that you might be eligible for their tippy-top awards. If you happen to be in-state - good for you.
You have some great qualifications. If wanting a double major with MT being one of them and a BA degree, with International Relations, there are not tons of options, and add in that you are seeking Merit Aid.
But based on that criteria…try:
James Madison
American University
Muhlenberg (though the BA is not truly an MT major, you can fashion one)
Tulane
Brandeis
Temple
Wagner
Hofstra
HOWEVER, I would think you are also hoping for a certain level of academic challenge. In any case, before overlooking schools that don’t necessarily give merit aid, there are some very selective colleges where you can double major and do lots of MT and International Relations and some of these schools offer some of the best need based aid out there (though you say you won’t qualify for much, you ought to run the net price calculators for some of these very selective schools because you can have a good income and still qualify).
So, with that in mind, consider:
Northwestern
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown
USC
UCLA
^^^Some of these don’t have a true MT degree program, but offer a lot in MT either in coursework or extracurricularly.
Also, while NYU/Tisch is a BFA degree program in MT, you can double major in International Relations or at least minor in it.
Lastly, you likely realize this, but I would submit your ACT score over your SAT score because it is better overall. At the most selective schools, it would be helpful if your Math score was higher, but it doesn’t matter because your overall ACT score is higher than your SAT one and is the one you should submit.