Hello! If there are any current Millikin or Columbia Chicago students who can shed some light on each of these school’s programs it’d help a lot. My major concerns are the money and the location.
I live on the east coast, and I do not have the time to visit many colleges. I was able to check out Chicago, the city not the school, when I went to audition for another school. However, I was rejected from that school. I really liked Chicago and would really like to attend a college there. CCC seems to have a good program even though many people consider it a safety school. But the downside is the cost. I did receive aid but not as much as Millikin.
I got a good amount from Millikin and they also have a good theatre program. However, I am going into their BA program which is a program that allows for the different aspects of theatre and not just performance. So my concern is whether or not I’ll be able to take as many performance classes as I’d like. I did not get to go to Decatur to see the University in person, which makes a lot of people around me nervous.
Any information will be helpful so feel free to comment!
I’m a Chicago native and still live in the area. Every single person that I know who attended Columbia, left after 6 months to 2 years to attend different colleges. All of them - and there are a bunch. I don’t know anyone personally who likes Columbia.
Millikin … two things. 1., my daughter broke her foot (not kidding) during the dance portion of her audition and they couldn’t care less. Didn’t ask if she was okay. Didn’t help her. Zero concern. And 2., I know a lot of people who’ve attended (and graduated from) Millikin for MT. There are a few who have loved it - and a few who graduated but felt their training wasn’t up to par once they hit the real world. (They’ve also been known to cut people from the program in the fall of their senior year. I can’t even imagine attending college and being told in your last few months, “sorry, not sorry - no BFA degree for you!” I would be homicidal.)
Sorry I couldn’t say more positive things … but I do want to be honest and give you my unvarnished opinion.
Do you have other choices?
Millikin is better overall though for your chosen field it’s not, and Columbia college isn’t worth it.
Many MT applicants seem to need a Gap year.
I don’t know much about CCC, but my D and I have researched Millikin thoroughly. The downside? If you are not enjoyably immersed in your college experience, Decatur won’t offer much in the way of diversion. It’s not as awful as many might lead you to believe, but for a college kid, it’s probably pretty close. I think that there is plenty of upside, however. As a BA student, you are not treated as a second-class citizen, as is true for the majority of programs that also offer BFAs. there are only a few classes, mostly upper level acting and dance, that are reserved for BFA students. BAs are very much encouraged to audition and crew for big productions. Furthermore, they are building a new facility for theatre and dance that will open in 2020. It should be completely state-of-the-art. Also, and probably most attractive, the university as a whole is focused on entrepreneurship, which means that all theatre students, BA and BFA, are taught how to essentially form their own theatre company and produce their own work. As difficult as it is to find work in this industry, the ability to create your own job is very compelling.
I, like others, read with horror about KaMaMom’s audition experience and also about another parent’s unhappy run-in with student health (which seems like a common issue with many schools), but we are convinced that these are outliers. As for the “hurdles” faced by the BFA students, this shouldn’t effect you at all. It’s my understanding that very, very few get expelled from the program after the first two years anyway, although I expect that this is largely due to lawsuit potential, rather than artistic charity. Regardless, of the schools that we have researched (all of which had BFA programs), Millikin had the best BA program by a fair margin. Two cents.
I also live in the Chicago area and know many incredibly bright engaging students who LOVE Columbia College Chicago. It is a wonderful school with a strong faculty of people who work successfully in their fields. You are talking about two very different schools in terms of vibe, and I think visits are very much in order before you try to choose between them. I do urge you to check out the alumni page on the Columbia College website. It is very impressive. Good luck!
I know kids who have done well at CCC, but they were extremely motivated, aggressive kids. My impression is that it is fairly easy to get lost in the shuffle there if you are not.
My D is a sophmore in the BFA MT Performance program at CCC and still happy with her choice. (She auditioned in as a freshman a couple of years ago when they offered that opportunity.) She chose it over two other BFAs and feels that the instruction she’s getting and the talent she’s surround by are excellent. That said, we definitely felt forewarned by posts on this board that the set up at Columbia requires the student take initiative to make it work, and like other schools that offer the BA into BFA audition route, that piece is quite competitive. For anyone looking at Columbia to keep open a BA into BFA option, it’s important to register for all the requirements (including the extensive liberal arts) rand take 16 units from the first semester to stay on track for the BFA. They typically have dance and vocal auditions in the fall for placement into those classes, and a placement exam for Music Theory. I know it’s hard to do campus visits but I agree with that recommendation!