I'm a senior and have eight schools to cross off my tentative long list. How?! Help!

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>Hello! I have too many schools. And I keep finding more that I like as well. This is an issue.</p>

<p>My tentative long list...</p>

<p>Baldwin-Wallace C
Ball SU
Cal SU Chico
Coastal Carolina U
Elon U
Illinois Wesleyan U
James Madison U
New York U
Northwestern U IL
Oklahoma City U
Pace U
Penn State U
Rider U
U Hartford
U Michigan
U Northern Colorado
U Puget Sound
Wilkes U </p>

<p>3.99 UW cumulative GPA, arts high school on West Coast (majoring in vocal music), will graduate with more credits than needed. My high school doesn't offer AP classes, I've taken honors in everything I've been able to (only humanities - English and history). I'm re-taking the SATs in October to try and get my math score up (730 CR, 650 W, 530 M). </p>

<p>Coloratura soprano with belt (I like my soprano voice better), ton of experience in community theatre (never professional), private voice training for four years, little ballet, four years jazz, four years tap. </p>

<p>I want to take a dance class every semester - it'd be okay to take a semester off here and there, but preferably every semester. Tap is my favorite and it'd be really nice if they had higher level tap classes. I want weekly voice lessons every year.</p>

<p>Also - the liberal arts education is important to me. I don't want to be 100% immersed in musical theatre, which is why conservatories and programs like CCM's are not included on my list. I used to think I needed a minor, I now realize that's not as important to me as just getting to take an English class or two a semester (or whatever). </p>

<p>It doesn't matter that much to me whether I get a BA or a BFA or a BM (I go back and forth between wanting a BM or not - I don't like the curriculum that much, but I know a BM is a good idea for me because I'd like to keep options like doing classical music open...), and my BAs are not necessarily back-ups.</p>

<p>So...help me out! Which programs am I leaving off? Which programs should I eliminate? And what are the questions I should be asking myself about each school to help me get rid of it?</p>

<p>Or if someone just wants to tell me which 10 schools I should apply to that'd be good too. ;)</p>

2

<p>I hate to add to the list but the BA option at Indiana may be a good match for you. You have access to many of the same classes as the BFA program and are also privy to one of the best classical voice programs in the country. You sound like a good match for the Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern programs. You could also include UCLA i=and Irvine in the mix. Their programs may not be the equal of some of the big Eastern MT schools but they are growing.</p>

3

<p>Have you found out any information about the Chico program? I never found out anything about it when my D was looking. That doesn't mean it is bad, but nobody seemed to have heard anything about it. If you are looking at Cal State programs I would look at Fullerton instead, as they have a program which has more information available and is better known for the usccess of it's grads.</p>

4

<p>Sounds like OCU (I know it is already on your list) would fulfill your "wants," so I would not eliminate it. They have an excellent dance department and high levels of each discipline, including tap. My D has taken at least one dance class each semester and usually two. Your classical voice training would be appreciated. In fact, the junior recital is required to be classical. It is a BM degree with liberal arts requirements. </p>

<p>You might decide if you want a small or large university, Division I football team (UMich) or no football at all (OCU--but kicks butt in other sports :)), east coast, west coast, or in between.</p>

5

<p>A collective thanks! Indiana is a program that I really just haven't looked into even though every time I see it being discussed I cringe because I know it'd probably be good for me but I just haven't spent the time on it...I will look into it, though!</p>

<p>About the Chico program, I've talked to the MT coordinator or program head (I don't know what his title is) through email and I like the sound of it a lot, but I've heard nothing about it from anyone else. It's on the list because it's a cheap, non-audition program that's also an academic safety. I don't want to go to Fullerton because I don't want to audition for the program once I'm there already - I want to be guaranteed into the program if I'm going to be attending the school.</p>

<p>I do really like OCU. I'm just not sure about a BM! But as of today (tomorrow might be different) I'm thinking OCU is a good match for me. :)</p>

6

<p>Ninnynoddle...have you ever been to Oklahoma? I lived there for 29 years so if you have any questions about it, ie climate, culture, etc. feel free to pm me. I will be glad to help. I am on the West Coast now, so I know the distinct differences.</p>

7

<p>You have programs spread across the US, but do you have a preferance as to whether you want to be in a big city, college town, middle-of-nowhere, east coast, west coast?
That could very much help your cutting.</p>

8

<p>The only way you will be able to trim the list is by honestly evaluating what is important to you. Simple things like campus size and location are easy. Other things to consider are climate, student cross section, school strengths in other subjects that interest you if you are not a BFA and want other classes, etc. Even when you eliminate the schools with your parameters you may still have quite a list. You should try to contact faculty and students at these programs as well, this may help you evaluate further than just the statistics. My son initially had a hard time eliminating schools, but after considering what he really wanted and where it got a lot easier.</p>

9

<p>I think the number of courses outside of the drama/MT-BFA core varies across programs, but most, including CCM, require you to take at least one "outside" course per term.</p>

10

<p>I fixed it for you and added two Gems at the bottom (LOL). Please follow Impalanut suggestions, they are excellent. I also recommend you look at cost of attendance unless money is not an issue:</p>

<p>Baldwin-Wallace C
Ball SU
Cal SU Chico
Elon U
Illinois Wesleyan U
James Madison U
Oklahoma City U
Pace U
U Hartford
UWSP
TCU</p>

11

<p>How about eliminating schools that can't be reached by a direct flight? does that cut any out? It is hard enough to be away at college - having to take two planes every time you need to get home can drive you nuts.</p>

12

<p>Leave Elon on the list.</p>

<p>I'm not familiar with all of your original list of schools. I wish you could visit them all to help you decide.</p>

13

<p>Only you can decide to which schools you will apply... I agree with those who posted above... you need to prioritize what is important to you, then look at each school and eliminate the ones that will not provide you the experience for which you are looking... I do not know all of the schools on your list, but the ones I do know offer strong training... if they all offer the kind of theatrical and academic opportunities you are looking for then look at school size, location, academic selectivity, audition admit rates.... make sure that your final list has a range of programs in terms of selectivity.</p>

<p>Visit as many schools as you can. If you cannot visit, ask to be put in email contact with a current students in the programs... this request would go directly to the department.</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!</p>

14

<p>"How about eliminating schools that can't be reached by a direct flight? does that cut any out? It is hard enough to be away at college - having to take two planes every time you need to get home can drive you nuts."</p>

<p>You honestly just recommended choosing/removing schools from the list based up having to change flights? Wow...I would laugh if I wasn't filled with pity for your children.</p>

15

<p>Laugh if you want, jec7483, but getting back and forth between home and school (how you will do it, when, how often and how much it will cost as well as other practical considerations) does end up being a factor in many people's decisionmaking. Not all, but many. I admit that while my D did not consider that when choosing her school and program, I find myself very happy that she doesn't have to fly to get to and from her school, and that I could reach her in four hours' driving time if I needed to. Plus, it made hauling all of her stuff a whole lot easier than it would have been had we had to fly it all cross country. Just saying. :)</p>

16

<p>"You honestly just recommended choosing/removing schools from the list based up having to change flights? Wow...I would laugh if I wasn't filled with pity for your children."</p>

<p>What an insightful, well thought out and informative response.</p>

<p>The reality is that for some students and families, travel considerations are a legitimate issue and it is presumptuous to trivialize someone else's priorities. Perhaps to you the ease of moving in and out, returning home for breaks, vacations, holidays and special events does not matter, but for others it does and applying that consideration to filtering a list of schools doesn't mean you end up bereft of schools worthy of consideration. In my daughter's case, we as a family concluded to limit her school list to a 6 hour driving radius from our home (and none involving any air flights even with the same total travel time) for exactly those considerations and she was not only in full agreement to do so, because she shared our family priorities, but also had a wealth of top flight schools to choose from.</p>

17

<p>Go to the group auditions. You can then kill a lot of birds with one stone. My son found schools there that did not ask for audition or app fees even. That may take care of a lot of your choices right there. Look for the out of way venue rather than NYC or Boston auditions which are chock full.</p>

18

<p>NMR, I'm glad you posted that about flights because I had already started to eliminate some schools for D base on difficulty in getting there. I wasn't sure if others had done that, but we needed to try to simplify this process. Thanks for your encouragement and advice.</p>

19

<p>Jec, your pity comment is over the top! NMR's point is a valid one. Certainly ease of commute is a plus when choosing schools. She's not implying it will be first on the list of reasons to choose a program.</p>

20

<p>The cost of airline travel (especially these days!) is considerable, so families may very well have to have a discussion about this when a student is making up his or her list. A good friend who had been through the college audition process a few years before my D advised me to think about travel as a practical concern and the reality of that did not really hit home for me until I had to buy tickets to reach a particular school where my D had a callback weekend. Then it hit me: we would have to pay this much each and every time she came back and forth. Had it turned out to be her dream program and a perfect fit, I guess she would be there now. Fortunately, she wisely selected a different program which can be reached by train in a few hours and by bus or car in three to four. Is that essential? No, not really. Am I coming to appreciate it? You betcha.</p>