<p>I'd like to minor in theatre, and at this point, the idea of minoring in theatre at LC is the only thing keeping me from choosing this other college. I know that people with a minor in theatre can audition for mainstage productions, but is preference given to theatre majors? Acting on stage is what I've always loved to do, but my mom refuses to let me major in theatre. I somewhat agree, and see where she's coming from. So I've chosen international studies as my major. But I still think that it'd be so much better to minor in theatre in NYC then go upstate to minor at a college with a weak theatre program. Another worry is that if Fordham gives me less aid later on, then I would be forced to transfer due to finances. I know, I make like a bajillion posts, but I have so many questions and Im torn between colleges and I want an outside perspective on things.</p>
<p>Why would Fordham give you less aid later on? Do you have a figure from them for all four years, with the stipulation that your GPA has to remain at a certain level? If you can continue to receive the current aid package, would that be enough to afford Fordham?</p>
<p>I think a theatre minor is an excellent compromise between passion and practicality, and there’s no better place than NYC to study both theatre and international studies.</p>
<p>The current aid package would be enough if it were renewable every year, but that’s not a guarantee, right? I really would love to stay in NYC, however, the idea of commuting everyday to Manhattan is sort of a drawback for me too.</p>
<p>My daughter has a renewable package and I’m just assuming as long as she maintains the stated 3.0 GPA (as stated in her Personalized Packet) that she will have it every year – I hope I’m right!</p>
<p>Would you definitely be commuting? Where from?</p>
<p>I’ll be commuting from Staten Island. It’s about 1 hour, give or take, by express bus to the school, and the same back.</p>
<p>You have a few issues here…first, your main question, how is the theatre minor? I am pretty sure that LeftyLou’s D was considering minoring in theatre so hopefully she will chime in here and give you some real info. I really don’t know if there is preference given to the majors in casting at Fordham but the general consensus among people who post in the Theater forum is that yes, there is preference given to majors over minors and BFA majors over BA majors in schools with both programs. Now Fordham does not have a BFA program so that is not an issue…I only mention it bc I don’t know about the other school you are considering and that could potentially put you further down the casting totem pole. Keep in mind, this is just a general school of thought. Specifically, I don’t know if Fordham majors get preference in casting…I want to believe that the roles are truly open to majors and minors equally but it is probable that when they pick their season they do have some ideas as to who they might want for certain roles. I am also certain that Fordham Theatre majors don’t always get cast or get the part they want either but that is just life in the theatre!</p>
<p>Second, regarding FA. It is my understanding that merit based aid will not change annually provided you meet the requirements to maintain your scholarship, usually filing FAFSA and maintaining a 3.0. However, need based aid depends on your family’s annual income which in theory, if there was a dramatic drop or increase, could change your award. I think that this is an important issue to discuss with Fordham’s FA counselors who will look at your individual package and determine what if anything is subject to change. It is very important to know this before enrolling bc the COA will increase annually. My S is a Junior and every year costs have been slightly higher than the year before but his merit awards remain the same.</p>
<p>Finally, you mentioned that you live in Staten Island and would be commuting to Fordham but are considering a school upstate which I would guess means you would be a resident. These are two totally different college experiences and that should factor heavily into your decision, particularly if the upstate school is a SUNY given the cost. Since you didn’t mention the upstate school by name, I can’t say whether they will have a good Theatre dept but there are some SUNY’s and LAC upstate that do. </p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>I just searched your other posts and saw that you are considering Binghamton. My H & I are actually Binghamton grads and visited a few years ago when my S was applying. They don’t have what I would classify as a weak theatre dept, it’s actually pretty good and my S did apply there as well. Is it as strong a dept as Fordham? No, that is one of the reason’s my S is here and not there. But he is also a Theatre major, not a minor. Binghamton is a quality education at a very reasonable cost. Given that theatre will be your minor and not your major, I would place greater emphasis on whether you want to dorm in an upstate locale or commute to Manhattan when deciding between the two. If finances are an issue, go to Binghamton, have fun and do your best! :)</p>
<p>My daughter is a sophomore, and yes, she is minoring in theater. While she has always loved to be on stage, she hasn’t auditioned for any shows yet at Fordham, she is just so busy with her job and internship (and seeing shows on Broadway) that she doesn’t think she has the time to devote to being on stage. Her career goals don’t include being on stage, but working in theater in some other capacity.
So, I can’t tell you about preferences as far as casting the shows. </p>
<p>She does love the theater class she is taking this semester. They will be singing in every class, someone is there to play piano to accompany them for every class. She wasn’t able to fit in a theater class last year, she only had one elective space each semester last year, and took the intro class in her major, so this is only her second class so far in the theater dept but she is very happy and looking forward to taking more theater classes over the next two years.</p>
<p>My daughter chose Fordham because it just clicked for her, the minute she walked onto the campus, she knew this was the place for her. Her high school grades and scores were great and she could have gone pretty much anywhere, but Fordham is the only school she applied to. She is really happy there.</p>
<p>chirisarah, I think you’re getting great feedback. One more thing you might want to take into consideration is what it might be like to have to commute home to Staten Island after late rehearsals, with classes to take the next day.</p>
<p>Also, I want to commend you for thinking your choices through so carefully. You have two excellent options, and several months to figure out which is the best for you. It makes sense to try to learn as much as you can about what life would be like at each school.</p>
<p>Hi</p>
<p>Just some more input:</p>
<p>Someone here said Fordham does not offer a BFA. While it is a BA for the theater major, they do in dance:</p>
<p>“The Ailey School and Fordham University are partners in a highly innovative Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in dance.”</p>
<p>As to it’s strength of program “The Fordham University Theatre Program is highly regarded as one of the most outstanding B.A. theatre training programs in the country.” “Located at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), on 60th and Columbus, in the heart of New York City, and within walking distance of the Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre districts, the Fordham University Theatre Program is chaired by two-time Obie Award-winner Matthew Maguire. All faculty members are working theatre professionals who help students develop their skills in an intimate and personal atmosphere”. Very few schools can match that even if you only minor in theater.</p>
<p>While there is no US News and World Report ranking for theater majors, here is a link that might help [What</a> Universities have the best theater programs](<a href=“Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions”>What Universities have the best theater programs? - Answers)
and yes, Fordham is on this listing.</p>
<p>Another thing you can do to judge how strong the outcome of a program is, look at a schools Wiki page on the net and look up famous grads. Note how many are successful actors and directors at a given school.</p>
<p>Fordham does not cut its aid/scholarship package for the 4 years unless you fall below the required GPA. There are schools that offer a good 1st year package and then drop off after that.</p>
<p>Thank you for your input, everyone! It really helped answer my questions. I’lll be visiting both campuses throughout February, so I’ll see which is a better fit. 
And right now I’m not sure if Bing or Fordham would be cheaper for me. With Fordham it’s 12,000 a year, but I won’t find out about Bing until later. If Fordham’s cheaper, I’ll go there. I had also applied for a Ronald McDonald scholarship which would cover full tuition at any accredited college, but unfortunately I’ll find out after the May deadline lol. If I got it then I’d go to Fordham and ask to be put on the waiting list for dorming at LC. Commuting is a huge issue for me, because right now I commute two hours just to come home from High school and it drains me.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, Fordham Theatre does NOT offer a BFA. The Theatre program is a BA. The OP asked about minoring in theatre and not dance, and the two programs are not connected in any way other than they are both offered only at LC. But for anyone else interested, the reputation of the Fordham/Ailey BFA program is outstanding. I also believe there are fewer core requirements for Ailey students whereas Theatre majors must complete the entire core curriculum “minus” the Fine Arts requirement, haha.</p>
<p>@RamRay</p>
<p>I absolutely agree that Fordham has an excellent Theatre program, one of the best in the country. Of course, just bc a program is strong does not mean it is the best fit for everyone. Even a great program like Fordham Theatre does have students who drop the major or transfer out of the school. </p>
<p>I also agree it can be helpful to search Wiki for famous grads, keeping in mind that doesn’t necessarily take into account other careers BA Theatre grads may have pursued or possibly even venues outside of the larger markets (NYC/LA) where grads might be earning a living. Off the top of my head, I can think of famous Theatre grads from Fordham and even a few from Binghamton but admittedly, and I haven’t actually searched, I would guess with as strong a Theatre dept as Fordham has, there are more famous Fordham alums than Binghamton alums. </p>
<p>@anouilh</p>
<p>That is an excellent point about late night commuting back to Staten Island! Just this past weekend, my S was invited to attend Phantom’s 25th Anniversary performance and he had to take the train back home to Long Island to drop off the girl who invited him, then turn around and go back to Fordham bc her parents were not comfortable with her commuting alone at night! OP, definitely talk to your parents about this although I guess you may have had late night rehearsals in HS before and it has already come up.</p>
<p>@LeftyLou</p>
<p>My S hasn’t auditioned for any mainstage shows either due to a lack of time! In spite of his being a Performance major, he has actually only performed at Fordham in one studio show! Of course, there’s always next year!!!</p>
<p>As for the Theatre class your D is taking this semester…is it Song as Scene with Alison Fraser??? That was one of my S’s all time favorite classes at Fordham!!! She is FABULOUS!!! :)</p>
<p>@chirishsarah</p>
<p>Glad you are visiting both in February. That should help tremendously with your decision! And you got Fordham for $12k a year? I stand corrected, Fordham may well be the cheaper option! </p>
<p>Best of luck to you…you can’t go wrong either way!</p>
<p>@sandkmom</p>
<p>Thanks for the help! One more question, on average how much higher does tuition get per year? My brother will be graduating college fall 2014, so if it falls under a certain amount then I’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Tuition was $41k this year and I believe it was just slightly over $39k when he started. Sorry I can’t be more specific but I just don’t have access to that paperwork right now…we are still under construction thanks to Hurricane Sandy. 
Hope you are managing better where you are in Staten Island!</p>
<p>sandkmom, yes, that is the class and she really, really likes it.
I hope she finds the time to get into one show while she’s at Fordham. There is always next year, but she has to have an internship next year, so I don’t know if there will be any more time next year either. She sings in the University Choir and that takes up a lot of her time too.
Hope your son finds time to do another one.</p>
<p>Aw! I hope you guys finish construction soon. Staten Island was pretty bad too, but thank God our house is still in one piece. We only had to have our car repaired because a tree branch fell on it. I feel for all those people here who lost their home or are still suffering from the effects of the storm.</p>
<p>sandkmom;</p>
<p>“Just to clarify, Fordham Theatre does NOT offer a BFA. The Theatre program is a BA.”</p>
<p>Please reread my post: I wrote “Someone here said Fordham does not offer a BFA. While it is a BA for the theater major, they do in dance”. I never said the theater major was a BFA, I clarified it is a BA, but that Fordham did offer a BFA… in case your statement could be read that Fordham did not offer ANY BFA, so you were only repeating what I had said.</p>
<p>I suggested looking at the Wiki page for well known actors/directors merely as one tool (of many) to help a person gage if a program is successful; real world results if you will. ANY school can claim greatness or being one of the best for a given major, so other resources are a tool to help decide. As this person is on the Fordham forums, I offer this as a tool to help her make a decision. I am sure someone from the Bighamton forums can offer her SUNY-B strengths in theater. I just don’t understand the point of your comments.</p>
<p>I come from Staten Island (Tottenville) so know what a trail many are going through…But Islanders are tough! chirishsarah, I hope you pick the school that makes you feel at home! Best of luck!</p>
<p>^^^I don’t need to reread your post. The “someone” you were referring to was me. Personally, I didn’t understand the point of your comments either…why in a conversation about Fordham Theatre and the potential for preferential casting you felt it was important to bring up the Ailey Dance program, an entirely different major and entirely different casting pool but whatever. So I chose to clarify my remarks…why would you care about that??? </p>
<p>And I am sure that since you took the time to post you felt your comments…which also included citing Wikipedia and the Fordham Theatre webpage for prospective students…offered a valuable perspective to the OP. Why else would you have taken the time to post them? Similarly, I thought my comments offered a valuable perspective as a Fordham Theatre student’s mom, Binghamton alum and someone who had visited and researched Binghamton Theatre just a few years ago. I’m sorry if you don’t understand the point of my comments…like I said, I didn’t understand the point of yours either but it’s really up to the OP to determine if the point of ANY of our comments have merit! :D</p>
<p>@chirishsarah</p>
<p>Glad to hear that you are not among the hardest hit Staten Islanders by Sandy the horrible! Sorry for the silliness the direction of this thread has gone and again, I wish you the best of luck! Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions. I won’t be commenting in this thread again.</p>
<p>Perhaps we somehow missed each others points in trying to (over) clarify, sankmom. It is clear we both really want to help out chirishsarah in her decision. It seems just a misunderstanding as we each have much to offer students on this forum and you are clearly very knowledgeable. I hope to see your posts again here. </p>
<p>Good luck chirishsarah.</p>
<p>^^^OK, so I wasn’t going to comment in this thread again but I had to…LOL re the clarification/overclarifications. You left out overly sensitive and too much time on my hands last week!!! :D</p>