<p>and more to add after reading some more posts.
soozievt-i don’t know which posts of mine you have been reading, but until Jan I hadn’t taken the SAT, so you must have seen stuff about my PSAT…which was bad I know. I got a 2290 on my SAT…so that’s not a concern anymore.
and in terms of shows…(im combining dance and theatre on that list of 100). 4 ballet shows per year times 12 years=48 shows plus 8 musicals per year since age 6=56…so 48+56=104</p>
<p>UCLA will not allow MT’s to double major. Under any circumstances. We went to both an informational meeting and a pre-audition 1-hour meeting, and they emphasize that repeatedly. If you apply to UCLA as an MT, you may not list any other major as a back-up; you either get in as an MT or not at all. If you list another major along with MT on your application, you are immediately taken out of consideration for MT. What you can do is apply to UCLA under another major, and after your freshman year, you can apply to the theater department to minor in theater. Then you can get some of the classes offered under the MT umbrella.</p>
<p>Harvard- you might get more input if you put this in the musical theater forum. It sounds like you have a good idea of what you are looking for- you sound very focused! I don’t think this one was on your list, but I believe Penn State will let you double major, (or minor) with MT as one of you majors. They have a good BFA MT program. And like I said, if you get into UCLA in poly-sci, you can apply to minor in theater after your freshman year. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Since you are so focused, with a very particular plan, you probably do want to do this research yourself. (Heaven knows it’s good practice for law!) Go to the websites of each place that interests you and study the theater/music curriculum, then the extra-curricular theater opportunities. Then as you do your visits, you can visit the departments and ask lots of questions. U Chicago has some great straight theater, that much I can offer. And you can try this on the MT board too-- but when your needs are so specific you’re probably going to get the best results by doing it yourself.</p>
<p>Sorry Harvard_Hopeful but you’ve left a trail of other posts that Soozie correctly called you on… On 9/7/09 you posted that you had taken the SAT twice (which is very unusual as a self-proclaimed rising Junior) “through practicing I have already gotten my initial score of 1580 up to a 1790.” Now you want us to believe that you’ve raised your score 500 points since September?! If that’s true then I’m sure Kaplan or Princeton Review would love to know your secret…</p>
<p>But then two weeks earlier on 8/27/09 you posted the following “I didnt take the PSAT. I didn’t even hear about the PSAT until halfway through my Junior year…” So you’re ranked number 1 in your class out of 542 students (post from 8/22/09) but you never heard of the PSAT?</p>
<p>So which is it – were you a Junior in 08/09 who never took the PSAT or are you a Junior in 09/10 who has already taken the SAT three times and improved her score 500 points from one test to another?</p>
<p>Please don’t use these forums to create a fantasy r</p>
<p>There are very few schools that offer a minor in musical theatre. There are a few… Marymount Manhattan, Catawba (I believe), and a few others. You will find a few schools that will allow you to double major with Musical Theatre… On your list NYU comes to mind as a school that allows Tisch students to double major with a CAS major. The majority of the schools on your list do not have Musical Theatre programs, but some do have wonderful EC Musical Theatre and Theatre opportunities. As Soozie mentioned Yale and Brown would fall into this category. </p>
<p>You mention that you want to go to law school. Most student who major (even double major) in Musical Theatre (BA, BM, BFA) plan on pursuing performance professionally after college. If this is not your plan and law school admissions is your primary goal, with Musical Theatre and Theatre being an advocational passion, you may not want to worry about the MT Minor (which will be difficult to find), or double major (which may also be unavailable at the schools on your list) and focus on which schools have strong EC Musical Theatre and Theatre, high level classes for non-majors (this often will not be the case at a school that has a BFA program, because non-majors are not allowed in the major classes… But check each school’s policy)or schools that have a Theatre minor (much more common) and lots of MT opportunities.</p>
<p>I don’t know or care if you are able to get into any of these schools but, based on your apparent desires, I agree with KatMT in that you should be looking at schools with strong extracurricular musical theatre and theatre programs. Of your list the three I know fit that criteria are Yale, Brown, and Cornell. None of them really have a strong major (or any major) in theatre but they do have wonderful classes and performances open to all students. Their productions are outstanding and open to all.</p>
<p>Harvard_Hopeful:</p>
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<p>Sorry but I am having difficulty following you. In August, you posted that you had never taken the PSAT and had never heard of it until the middle of your JUNIOR year. You are a junior NOW, however, right? So, that doesn’t make sense to me. In September, you posted that you were prepping for the PSAT. So, that would mean you took it this past Oct., in your junior year. This is contradictory to previous statements. No, I saw NO posts about your PSAT scores. Rather, in September, you posted about taking practice tests and having raised your practice score 200 points to 1790. Now, you may have taken the PSAT and the SAT since you posted all that. But now you are saying your SAT is 2290 which is a 500 point increase since September (I don’t know your test sitting date either…but assume you took it in Dec. or Jan. if you have the scores in hand). That means that in 3-4 months time, you raised your score 500 points which is HIGHLY unusual. But if you did, props to you!!! </p>
<p>You also posted that your ranking after soph year was 1st in class if using an unweighted GPA, but 3rd in class using a weighted GPA. Most schools that use weighted GPA (not all schools do), then have a weighted ranking. In any case, you posted that you moved after soph year and so your ranking is going to shift, I presume, in your new school, and remains to be seen. Congrats on your strong grades so far! </p>
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<p>Well, in another post, you wrote that you had been in “100 musicals in the past ten years”. So, now you are including ballet shows, and so that is a different picture. So, you have been in 56 musicals, which is not 100. Now, that is still a lot, but as I said, my own kid was in that same range of number of musicals by the time she applied to college at age 16, having started at age four. However, 8 musicals per year is a lot. </p>
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<p>You are lucky and also a bit unusual that by mid junior year, you have visited all fourteen schools on your list, given that you also live in CA. If you have made these 14 campus visits, it seems to me that you are not at a preliminary stage of list building and also that you would have some basic knowledge at this point that the only schools on your entire list that offer ANY degree or major in MT are NYU and UCLA. </p>
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<p>As I indicated in previous posts on this thread, as has some others, and KatMT outlined this very well in the post before this one, the schools on your list, other than NYU and UCLA do not offer ANY kind of degree…be it BFA, BA, OR minoring in MUSICAL THEATER. What most of these schools have are theater departments and some have majors and minors in theater. So, you are not gonna get a MT double major or minor at these schools. What you have to investigate is whether their theater department puts on musicals, has any coursework related to MT, and how significant the extracurricular opportunities are in MT. By the way, Harvard doesn’t even have a THEATER major. But schools like Yale and Brown have a lot of MT going on at their campus and would be good for someone who wants to stay involved in MT. Someone else posted that UCLA’s BA in MT cannot be done as a double major. At NYU, there is no minor in MT. NYU has a BFA in MT and you MUST apply to Tisch DIRECTLY by AUDITION for that specialized degree program (which is NOT like doing a BA at all). If you get into this highly COMPETITIVE degree program (acceptance rate of about 6%), you may be able to double major or minor in Pol Science (hard to do). But you cannot apply as a major in POL SCIENCE and then decide to double major in MT. You can only do ANY MT if you apply/audition directly into Tisch itself. If you have visited NYU, this would be very very clear. A huge percentage of your coursework would be in the MT program if you went to NYU/Tisch. Most who are in that program do not aspire to be lawyers. </p>
<p>All that said, given your stated goals…my advice is that you find a strong BA school where you can major in Pol Science and that has a strong theater department (will not have a MT program…rare), and to explore that theater department to see the availability of any courses related to MT and if they put on musicals in their production season. Further, I would explore the extracurricular groups on campus and see what is offered in terms of musical theater. For example, at Brown alone, there is a group on campus that puts on musicals. You might want to consider Brandeis as their theater dept. has a MT track. But where you will get your MT experience will be in production work as the schools on your list don’t have MT programs. If you do UCLA, and are in the MT program, you won’t be in Pol Science. If you do NYU/Tisch, you will be having to get into the MT program which is a BFA which is a conservatory and later trying to double major or minor in Pol Science (not vice versa). </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I cross posted with amtc and agree very much with her points (as with KatMT). However, Brown, Cornell, and Yale DO have theater majors, just to clarify. I know people who majored in theater at all three of these schools. Yale even has some coursework in MT.</p>
<p>One question I have for you, HH, is that in your more recent posts on this thread, you mention “fit” in terms of your chosen colleges. But in your earlier posts, you mention that you chose schools based on being ranked in the top 25 (not sure how NYU made your list though? some others strong in theater ranked above it did not make your list?). So, ranking seemed like the first criteria you used for college selection. THEN, you mention “prestige” of theater program. Prestige doesn’t always equate with “fit”. Nowhere do you mention how each of these particular schools fit you. I suppose their fit MAY be their ranking and prestige of theater program? If I were working with you, I’d be asking you to list how each school fits your selection criteria and what appeals to you about each one, and the pros/cons of each one. </p>
<p>In terms of fit, as one example, it is rare for someone to like BOTH Brown and Columbia. Brown has an open curriculum. Columbia has a rigid required core curriculum. Very very different experience. Likewise, NYU is a BFA program (if you want to study theater or MT AT ALL) and has nothing in common with the BAs on your list, particularly ones like UChicago.</p>
<p>Reading your responses here H_H, I see you are on a different path from my DD so my earlier post really wasn’t on target for what you are looking for. I’m afraid I was looking at your OP through the lense of my own current experience, a mistake I frequently make I’m afraid. But I think you have gotten a lot of terrific advice in this thread.</p>
<p>Your path is actually closer to my own, way back in the mists of time, so long ago it may not be much help to you now. But for what its worth, I also wanted to major in Poli Sci, go to law school and continue to be involved in theater. I went to Tufts which is strong academically and has a good theater department. I was able to take courses in the theater department and participate in musicals (and although my meager talent and experience kept me in the back row or back stage it was still a lot of fun). I worked for a couple years between college and law school and enjoyed participating in community theater during that time.</p>
<p>It may not surprise you to know that there are lots of theater types in law. After all, litigation is part showmanship. So even at law school I was able to participate in our annual follies, and even one straight play, a legal thriller of course. And at least one of my fellow alum has stayed very engaged in community theater.</p>
<p>I hope that gives you some hope that it is possible to combine these two divergent interests in a way that makes life that much more enjoyable. So definitely look for a school that has a vibrant theater community that you can engage in, whether its something you officially minor in or not.</p>
<p>Completely agree with LeftofPisa! I was going to mention Tufts earlier as a GREAT option for the OP but he/she seems firm on the “top 25” thing (even though NYU doesn’t meet that criteria). The OP would best fit at a strong BA school where there is a very good theater department and a very active theater scene on campus extracurricularly, including musical productions (not to mention a capella groups and dance troupes and the like). In that regard, Tufts, a highly selective university with very good theater and an active theater scene, fits the bill. I have seen a musical at Tufts as one of my kids applied there and was accepted but chose Brown (Tufts was one of her very favorites however) and I have sat in on a presentation of the theater department for prospective students. Tufts is also excellent for Pol Sci.</p>
<p>I too, am an alum of Tufts for undergrad, as is my husband. I interview prospective students for Tufts in my region as well. If I were advising the OP, I would definitely have suggested Tufts as it is a fit for what he/she is looking for. </p>
<p>LeftofPisa…what Jumbo class were you in?</p>
<p>soozievt, that is too funny! “Its a Small World” is playing in my head. I graduated back in the Dark Ages, 1981 to be exact. </p>
<p>Tufts is on my D’s (long) list, mostly because of the Beelzebubs. 
I haven’t been back to the campus in a loooong time and I am looking forward to visiting there with her.</p>
<p>It is a small world. Now I sound even more Dark Ages…ha ha…because I was in the class of 1979. I didn’t care if my kids ever applied to Tufts but my older D loved it and so we visited three times…once in junior year…then decided to apply…did an overnight visit in fall of senior year as it was one of her faves…went to accepted student day in April of senior year as she narrowed down all her acceptances to her three faves and went back to decide. Still really loved Tufts but fell in love with Brown and went there instead. But as an alum, it sure was fun to go back to campus after all these years, though as a parent, but it made me realize I’d choose Tufts all over again and it was cool that my D loved it a lot too. </p>
<p>Back to our regularly scheduled program!</p>
<p>PS…as I write this, however, that same D is in Somerville this evening!~</p>
<p>soovievt…i can’t believe I find myself justifying all of this, but I feel its necessary since almost all your posts are starting to seem more sarcastic than serious (at least in terms on criticizing me). You seem to focus on the technicalities of everything I’ve posted in the past. I was asked about supplements, about attaching a resume. On my resume I have ALL shows I’ve ever done, and I have over 100 shows. In that post I wasn’t looking for someone to critique the technicalities of these 100 shows, I was just making a statement!..generalizing I suppose you could call it. In terms of my PSAT issue. No, prior to my Junior year, I had never heard about the PSAT. I took a practice exam in September and I got a 158. I cracked down! I did an exam every other day. I took the exam in October and got my scored in December, of which I received a 190. Then I took the SAT in January, and I’m not sure if you ever took the PSAT, but the scoring scare is completely different than on the SAT. I didn’t initially do well on the PSAT because I had no idea what I was getting into. But yes I got a 2290, so please stop with the subtle sarcasm. Furthermore, I don’t know if you know what it’s like to have one goal you’re whole life, but I’ll reiterate the best PolySci schools are top 25 schools (or liberal arts schools, but I don’t like most I’ve visited). So yes, rank matters to me because it just happens that the best are all in the top 25. Yes, NYU is not a top 25, but it’s one of my safe schools and furthermore it’s in NY…where I want to live eventually, so location takes front on that school.</p>
<p>Really when I posted this I was looking for responses like:
NYU-great MT program, no minor, does allow double majoring.
Harvard-…
Yale-…
But instead I got a breakdown of “reassessing my priorities” “you don’t know what you want”…that’s not why I posted this.</p>
<p>Yes I am offended soozievt, but I appreciate those that posted things that actually pertained to my initial question.</p>
<p>and WellMeaningDad-I’m taking about practice SAT exams…and well as practice PSAT exams. as I said in my above post, I hadn’t taken the PSAT til Oct 2009 and hadn’t taken the SAT til Jan (in terms of OFFICIAL times taking the exam)</p>
<p>I do believe that I have also offered you advice. You asked which schools offer a double major or minor in MT and the majority of your schools do not offer ANY type of degree in MT. I have given you the lowdown of what they offer and how you might go about your search. I have suggested various schools that might meet your needs. </p>
<p>Yes, your statement on another thread on CC that you had been in 100 musicals was hard for me to understand. As well, you stated a score you got in Sept. on practice SATs and so your increase of 500 more points is very unusual but I also congratulated you. </p>
<p>If you go through my posts, and many others on here who made similar points, there is a lot of advice there. </p>
<p>I am surprised if you have visited all these schools in person, that you are not aware that most of them do not offer programs in MT. </p>
<p>I also am not sure if you understand the difference between a BFA and a BA. Do you? If so, and if you want to double major in MT at NYU, you have to apply directly for MT into their intensive BFA program by audition, and not into the Pol Science major (but can pick that up as a second major or minor once enrolled). Thus, if you want to study MT at NYU, it is not a safety school by any means. The acceptance rate for MT is about 6%. That’s worse than the Ivy League. </p>
<p>If you apply to NYU and don’t study MT (you can’t if you apply to just arts/sciences…will not be able to double major or minor in MT at all), even then, I would not consider NYU to be a safety. I say this as their admit rate to the university is still pretty low at 29%. It likely would be an easier match but not a sure bet safety. But for MT, it is a REACH for ANYONE, should you decide to audition there. </p>
<p>Also, considering you have visited these schools and you are such a good student, the question as to which of these schools offers MT is pretty easily found on their websites and on college visits.</p>
<p>I realize you are a Harvard hopeful and Harvard has an active theater scene on campus but it is actually the one school on your list off the top of my head that doesn’t even have a THEATER MAJOR. Did you know that?</p>
<p>Another piece of helpful advice…on a theater resume, you would not list the 100 shows you have been in since age four. As you accrue more credits, you need to start to eliminate both your youngest credits or the least significant ones. Hope that helps. </p>
<p>Also ballet shows would not be listed together with theater ones. </p>
<p>I wasn’t being sarcastic to you but your post about being in 100 musicals in ten years really caught my attention. I have a kid how has been very involved in theater (and in dance) her whole life and am a college counselor to many theater and MT applicants to college and have never met anyone who had been in 100 musicals by age 17. I think questioning that was valid. Thank you for explaining, as 56 musicals is not the same as 100.</p>
<p>I also have not run into anyone who increased their SAT score 500 points in three months. Bravo!</p>
<p>Also, if you are looking at top Political Science programs, it is surprising that you have not considered these top notch Pol Sci programs that are also at highly ranked universities:</p>
<p>Duke University
U of Michigan (which also has a BFA in MT)
MIT
UVA
Dartmouth
UNC-Chapel Hill (which has strong theater too)
Emory (which has strong theater too)</p>
<p>(too bad you don’t like Northwestern as it is pretty perfect…has great Pol Science and top notch theater and a MT Certificate program…that combo is not fully there at your other schools in the same way)</p>
<p>At NYU, if you apply for MT, and don’t get into the MT program, you are not considered for arts and sciences as you can only apply to one college within NYU. Again, to get in for MT, the acceptance rate is approx. 6%. If you apply for Pol Science, you will not be considered for MT and will never been able to study MT at NYU. </p>
<p>This is one of the many helpful pieces of advice I have given you in several posts on this thread.</p>