LACs with strong academics + theatre?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>I already posted this on the “search and selection” forum, but they suggested I come over here</p>

<p>So I'm not really sure what I'm going to major in, theatre is an option but so a lot of other things. But I know that wherever I go, I want there to be a strong theatre arts focus as well as strong academics because no matter what I do, I'm going to continue performing in shows. I don’t want to go to a school with a BFA program. If I do decided to major in theatre, it will definitely be a BA</p>

<p>I have a 3.92 UW GPA, 34 ACT, full IB, and good ECs, so I'm pretty sure I have at least chance at even the most selective places. I have a list of places I'm interested in, but I'm having trouble finding information about how strong the theatre programs are. Plus my list is a little too extensive due to my inability to visit and narrow it down. The list is:</p>

<p>Whitman
Vassar
Occidental
Oberlin
Carleton
Bates
Bard
Colgate
Muhlenberg
Pomona
Lewis and Clark
Drew
Skidmore
Macalester*
Kenyon College*
Connecticut College*
Wesleyan*
Williams*
Colby College *
Swarthmore*</p>

<p>*suggestions from the other thread</p>

<p>I'm also interested in Northwestern and Brown, although those aren't LACs. Of these schools, I have visited Whitman and Lewis and Clark, visiting SoCal in the fall, I have no idea when I can visit the rest of 'em.</p>

<p>I do not want anything religiously affiliated, and I’m wary of all-girls schools due to the fact that I tend to get along MUCH better with guys. Geographically, I like the west coast and the north east, a little bit into the midwest, but the school has to be dang good for that. Same for suggestions anywhere south of Ohio and Oregon.</p>

<p>So...comments, additions, thoughts, anything? I'm a junior girl from Washington, btw  Thanks very much!</p>

2

<p>You’ve done a great job starting your search. It’s terrific that you’ve got scores and grades that definitely will help you get in where you want.</p>

<p>Have you read all of the theater dept descriptions on these schools’ websites? The course offerings are going to give you a feeling of what your experience could be. Also they usually have listed the productions that they’ve done in the past year or coming year. That will help you, too. If you’re thinking about a BA, a possible minor or double major, it’s important that you like the kinds of courses they offer and how their programs fit together. Some schools are more experiential, some more academic. The BA approach is much more loosely defined than the BFA, and what you’re going to get is going to be very different from college to college. Just because they’re “famous” for theater doesn’t mean as much as whether they offer what you want, especially since you’re looking for a more liberal arts experience than professional training. </p>

<p>So look at: the courses, the major requirements, if there’s a minor, what the facilities are (including whether they have a black box, etc), what their faculty specialize in (such as if they have design and directing faculty for variety), what their productions have been and will be. That is available on most schools’ websites. If they have student profiles, look for theater majors or arts majors in general. They can give you an idea of what it’s like to be in those activities there. Look for clubs that show that many students are involved in theater in general; if you decide to major in something else, it’s nice to know if non-majors have theater opportunities.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Boston College</p>

<p>In the south – but I would still check out William & Mary in VA. I believe the atmosphere is similar to many of the northeastern LACs you mention. Also Davidson in NC. </p>

<p>Also – have you talked with you HS guidance counselor about what would be a good academic safety for you? Are finances an issue… if so you will also want to find a financial safety.</p>

<p>Make sure that your safety schools are places you would be happy to attend :)</p>

4

<p>Kenzie - I’m going to make a kind of “mom” comment here, too: You’re saying you want east coast or west coast. I understand that; those parts of the country have their attraction. But being a New Englander transplanted to the Midwest, pretty familiar with most of the schools on your list, I’d say you shouldn’t discount the Midwest quite so much, or put those schools through such a strict wringer.</p>

<p>One decision you might really need to make is about the location TYPE, rather than the region. I can’t tell if you care more about the selectivity/rigor of the school, or if it’s near a geographical nerve center. If it’s the school itself, then it shouldn’t matter where in the country it is. If you want access to a major city, many of your eastern (and western, too, maybe) schools aren’t going to give you that, no more than midwest schools, and numerous midwest schools are near great cities. </p>

<p>Many of the schools on your list are very rural - I don’t think you’re going to feel much more “eastern” at a school like Skidmore - and likely not Colby - than you would at Kenyon, for example, EXCEPT that many more of the students there will be from the east (but at most selective schools you’re going to get a solid geographical mix, no matter where they are). Carleton is also close to an hour from the Twin Cities, while Macalester is in it. If you like Kenyon, you should probably look at Oberlin, which is usually considered more artsy, and quite close to Cleveland. </p>

<p>You can make your location type choice by visiting local schools that are similar and getting an idea of how you feel. You’ve also got a range of sizes. You’ll be able to narrow down your choices a lot if you get your feelings about a couple more criteria figured out.</p>

<p>Also, following Kat’s comments, if you find high-level schools in the midwest (Grinnel, Oberlin, Lawrence U., etc.) you often find the competition to get in is lessened, and the financial aid greatly increases.</p>

5

<p>Add Bard to your list!</p>

<p>Agree with EmmyBet on the midwestern schools. My D was admitted to Kalamazoo College with an fantastic aid package. Wasn’t the right fit for other reasons…but keep these schools in consideration!</p>

6

<p>Williams FTW</p>

7

<p>Investigate: Amherst College, Dept of Theater and Dance; Amherst is also part of the Five College Consortium in Western Massahcusetts.</p>

8

<p>I looked at a lot of these schools, so I will share what I learned.</p>

<p>Vassar
I visited but I couldn’t seem to get a tour of the theatre. My tour guide was a theatre major and although they have a good reputation, I wasn’t very impressed. I didn’t apply here.</p>

<p>Occidental
This was the first school I visited that I fell in love with. It is an incredible school. The people were so friendly, the campus is gorgeous, it’s in LA. However, I toured the theatre and the faculty were all very welcoming but I don’t think their department is that strong. I believe it’s a small department and most students double major. A professor told me 70% of grads work in theatre/entertainment I believe. When I had to make a decision, Occidental was in my top two schools. </p>

<p>Bard
I visited here and the students were a very funky crowd. Kind of a city/hipster vibe. It seemed like a great school, it just wasn’t for me. Every student has to write a thesis [or perform something I believe]. The theater is beautiful but you have to apply to get in once you are already in school which I think would be stressful. Also, I think many of the directors are from outside of the faculty which has it’s pluses and minuses but I preferred faculty directors. I didn’t end up applying here.</p>

<p>Muhlenberg
I really wanted to like this school. However, when I was trying to make a decision I felt that it wasn’t as academic as the other schools I was considering. It is heavily PA/NJ/NY students and I am from WI. The theatre program has a great reputation but I felt like the students seemed fake and too cheery. None of the professors I talked to seemed all that inspiring. This school was the most generous with scholarships, but in the end it just didn’t feel right.</p>

<p>Pomona
This school was like heaven, just not for a theatre major. It is a very impressive school and I encourage everyone I know to look there. I just don’t think their theatre program is that strong. I believe there were 9 theatre majors last year. I met with a senior theatre major who wanted to become an actor but he seemed like a rarity. They also focus on Japanese theatre/kabuki. </p>

<p>Skidmore
I absolutely love Skidmore. I will be a freshman there next fall so I might be a little biased. However, I think they have a great theatre program within a fantastic liberal arts college. I sat in on an acting class and it was very inspiring. I then was invited to stay over in a dorm with a theatre major. The students are all unique and friendly. It is an artsy school with strong academics, excellent theatre [check out the website], and they also have a new arts administration program that I am interested in. Visit! You’ll fall in love. And completely unrelated but the food is absolutely amazing.</p>

<p>Let me know if you have any more specific questions! And best of luck with the college process!</p>

9

<p>thank you Dramarama! This is the kind of honest gut reaction info that I wish we had more of on CC. Others will have had different opinions of course, but it is SO helpful to start getting a full round picture like this, for those of us just starting to look.</p>

10

<p>Hi, Kenzie - Can you say a little more about where in theatre your interests lie - acting (straight or musical theatre), design (set, costume, sound, light, etc.), directing, playwrighting, other performance? Even though you’re not committed to one area yet, it’s helpful for us (and you) to get some idea, because some theatre depts. are strong in some areas and not others. For example, Kenyon (where my daughter originally enrolled) is very good for acting, but not so much for design, whereas Barnard (to which she transferred) has some excellent design training and numerous productions where design students can advance their skills, as well as a very solid acting program.</p>

11

<p>dramaramaxo: Can I ask you to clarify about Bard? We toured Bard and my D really liked it. I know at Bard you kind of have to work with a committee of your professors to enter any major; it’s one of the “special” things about their program that they’re proud of. Is there something beyond this for theater majors specifically? We didn’t hear anything about that. Our tour guides talked at length about the “major approval” process and they said it was fair, generally caring and thoughtful. I hope that’s the case with theater, as with anything else.</p>

12

<p>EmmyBet -I’ve toured Bard, though not with a prospective actor. I do remember that one thing that they said was that there were certain majors, especially film studies, where not everyone who wanted that major was allowed to have it, due to capacity limitaions. So you might want to check and see if Drama is also in that category.</p>

13

<p>Thank you - yes, we toured it early in the game when theater wasn’t so much in the forefront. This makes a big difference, since mostly we typically think of the BA programs as a guarantee that you CAN study theater, as long as you can get into the school.</p>

<p>Is this just so much more popular now, or what is going on? My D1 who is a bio major said, nicely but with a bit of condescension, that many of the people she knows who are BA theater majors (at a quite competitive school that has been referred to here as a pretty good place for theater, although not on kenzie’s list) seem to have it “pretty easy,” and she thinks some of them are doing it because they are wimping out on academics. She sees this in some other majors, too. </p>

<p>Now, before we get into the discussion about theater not being a “soft” major - and I respect it as much as anyone - I’ll say that she also sings, and has put in a lot of hours in 2 choirs there, so she understands the arts are work. She respects some very intense music majors she knows, and has friends who are pursuing arts degrees at lots of places she admires. She just wonders if her school’s particular BA theater degree represents as much of an education as other majors. </p>

<p>I can relate to this, having majored myself in English, but completing what would have been a minor in Art (they didn’t have minors at my school). I had a substantial liberal arts foundation, including science, an enormously demanding English major with more requirements than almost anywhere. The art classes were something of a relief, something I enjoyed besides volumes of reading and writing, a welcome change. But they were also an enormous amount of work, and one of the easiest classes to fall WAY behind in. You just couldn’t pull an all-nighter creating and printing a portfolio of 6 prints each of 6 etchings, let alone do them well. It’s just different work. Most academic majors, though, suspected they were the “basket-making” kind of gut classes that are so famous. It really depends on the school, and the department.</p>

<p>With BA programs, a big question will always be “Is it really enough theater for me?” Another issue is “Will I get a good education in general?” Now I guess we have to look for the hidden limitations of space and availability, i.e. “Can I even get into that major?” </p>

<p>If people know of other BA programs that limit space, without making it clear on their website that certain majors or courses require auditions or approval (Temple and Northeastern say this clearly regarding upper level acting classes), please let us know. This makes a huge difference in where these schools are on our audition/non-audition lists.</p>

<p>I’ll check more with Bard and post what I find out.</p>

14

<p>Bard has a process called moderation, where all students – regardless of major – have to apply, essentially, to be in that major. It’s really a way that the school ensures that the student has thought through and is prepared for what they intend to study. I do believe that for certain majors, photography for example, not everyone who wants to moderate into that program is able to do so.</p>

15

<p>As I recall, the acting program is open to all. BUT it is important to note that not all of the Seniors get to go to the NY showcase!</p>

16

<p>OneToughMommy - not sure what you mean by the acting program is open to all at Northwestern. Yes, you apply to Northwestern as a theatre major without an audition but if you apply to Northwestern for a different major or undecided it is much harder to get into the major once you are a student there. If you are not a major you can still audition for any and all productions.</p>

<p>Because of the trimester system many kids double major or major and double minor, etc. So if you’re interested in a theatre major you should apply as such and then add another major or minor Freshman or Sophomore year.</p>

<p>It is true that not all Senior perform in the showcase, not sure if that’s significant of not.</p>

17

<p>Northwestern-You apply to the School of Communication within which is the theatre major. You must be accepted into the major. This year 92 students were accepted into the program. Northwestern is on the quarter system, which does allow for double majors. As a theatre major you are required to finish your distribution courses by sophomore year.</p>