I have a lot of friends who are applying to colleges for a musical theatre major who have done professional theatre in the city (regional). I live far away from the city and it is difficult to drive down there for rehearsals so i mainly do theatre at my school. My school has a brilliant theatre program and we go to state every year, but will colleges look down upon that? Will it affect admissions if I don’t do professional theatre? SHould i try harder to invest time into that? Thanks!
Not at all. I think most kids DON’T have professional experience. We live in the middle of nowhere, and my daughter did just fine. College trains you to become a professional; they don’t expect you to be one beforehand. They are looking for potential. If I were you I would focus on voice lessons, dance classes, and acting classes if there are any in your area, and enjoy whatever performance opportunities you have access to. Consider some of the summer programs pinned on the main MT page here if you can afford any of them, and also an audition coach if finances allow it. All of those would would prepare you more for the college audition process than anything else IMHO.
I agree with having a college audition coach! I could not have navigated this process without mine. I would have been so lost.
My D had no professional credits prior to college. She had a successful audition season and is finishing her freshman year at BW. She is doing her first professional show his summer! So, no worries. In our experience the resume was a conversation starter in the audition room… But specific credits didn’t seem to influence admissions decisions. The audition is the key.
Agree with @kategrizz, the audition is key,more than resume credits. Also agree that the right college audition coach can be a God send
My D had no professional credits, never even auditioned for a professional theater group before colelge. And got three acceptances. So it’s nothing to worry about.
In a word, not.