Minimum GPA requirements for BA Theatre programs?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

For BA Theatre programs, are the minimum GPA requirements pretty much the same as what would be found in the Common Data Set for the college/university? Or are theatre programs more like conservatories where a strict GPA minimum plays a lesser role?

Specifically looking at:
Allegheny College
Christopher Newport University
Columbia College Chicago
James Madison University
McDaniel College
Miami University (of Ohio)
Muhlenberg College
Rowan University
Susquehanna University
University of Maryland Baltimore County

2

BA programs would generally be in line with university standards, esp those without an audition/interview process as part of acceptance

3

Thank you, @toowonderful – and you raise an excellent point about audition/interview requirements.

4

@OrangeFish I know many students who have gotten into Columbia College with a 2.5 gpa for their acting/film program and their act/sat scores weren’t very high. They take somewhat a holistic approach and there is an audition prescreen or portfolio review. It’s pretty easy to get into this school. I would suggest you google Columbia College as well as go on Yelp to read some student stories so that you can make a sound decision if this is one of your top schools.

5

Thank you @actingdreams – appreciate the info and the recommendation.

6

Also, I’m on the Parents of the HS Class of 2019 - 3.0 to 3.4 GPA thread, so you have a sense of my D’s GPA. We’re trying to determine if any of the listed BA schools should be removed from her list.

7

I don’t know about the other schools listed however other parents in my circle are going through something similar. One of her children with a 3.6 GPA and not so stellar SAT score (he refused to retake it) was just accepted to the University of Chicago because they are now taking a holistic approach to acceptances right now. He had an interview and he had to select one of their essays topics to write on. This is for a BA in Theater or Acting ( I forget) I would go to their sites and just take a look at how their approaches are. Things are changing or so it seems

8

Wow, @actingdreams! Maybe U Chicago’s change to a holistic approach is the reason for all the mail at our house. :))

9

Giggle it’s worth a Try! why not? you never know :slight_smile: >:D<

10

@actingdreams, are you sure it isn’t University of Illinois at Chicago? University of Chicago has an 8% admissions rate, very hard to get into…very academic theater program. The lowest GPA accept from my kids school (using Naviance) is 3.99. Also @OrangeFish research the news about Columbia College Chicago’s strike, and financial position. Also, if merit scholarship is a consideration, you’ll want to focus on schools where the GPA/stats are good, or if the expected family contribution is low, focus on schools that offer a high percentage of need based aid.

11

hi! yes i’m absolutely sure. Perhaps his Essay was outstanding as well as his interview. His school is pretty rigorous and I believe he takes more classes so perhaps this aided in him being accepted. I’m not sure but he’s attending. I may also add that his grandparents are alumni @DoinResearch

12

@OrangeFish @DoinResearch http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/ here is a look and he is going for theatre

13

@OrangeFish CCPA Roosevelt may be an option (BFA), since they’re all about the audition, not GPA or stats

14

Thanks for the info on Columbia, @DoinResearch. It’s just the sort of thing we are looking for to help us refine the BA list.

D19 has a completely separate BFA list. :slight_smile:

15

@OrangeFish I can only speak for JMU, but arts students in that GPA range have been admitted with departmental recommendation to academic admissions.

16

This is wonderful to know, @KatMT - thank you!

D will be visiting JMU in January as she very much likes the school and the program.

17

@OrangeFish have you checked out SCAD in Savannah, GA ?? I hear that their Performance Arts/Drama/acting is a pretty good program although only several years old. I know a student that got in last year with a 3.2 gpa but only decent act scores. it’s a beautiful campus ( family lives nearby). They will hold unifed auditions for scholarship purposes but not sure which cities they will be in

18

^^SCAD attended Chicago Unifieds two years ago and were accepting walk-ins. I can’t tell from a very brief look at their website if they are returning.

19

Thanks, @actingdreams – SCAD is too far south for D19. (She has definite opinions on location, and UNCSA is about as far south she will go.)