My Brain is Exploding!

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>Well, I have been on the college search for about a week straight now. Just recently I have decided that I am going to college for a theater major. It's not that I haven't wanted to FOREVER, but I have just now gotten my parents...not consent, but kind of...blessing....to go forth with my dream :] So now, the mad dash is on, because I want to have everything figured out before the school year (a.k.a. my senior year) gets really going - because I am so busy!</p>

<p>So, I just need some advice - my brain is starting to melt!!!! :] I have 3 sections - BFA, BA, and my Safety</p>

<p>B.F.A.: Carnegie Mellon, DePaul, U of M, Ithaca, Evansville, U of I Urbana, Emerson, UNC-School of the Arts, Chapman, USC, Julliard, SUNY Purchase, and Otterbein</p>

<p>B.A.: Carnegie Mellon, UC-Davis, Ithaca, Yale, Boston College, Wesleyan, Emerson, Syracuse, Chapman, UCLA, USC, Otterbein</p>

<p>My only safety as of now: U of M - B.A.</p>

<p>I would really like a program that allows students to audition for other things outside of the school! </p>

<p>I just want some guidance on what your opinions of these schools are, I have been getting so much information....which ones are the best? etc.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your time! :]</p>

2

<p>A little bit of info from a first glance look at your list…</p>

<p>If you are talking about majoring in theatre at all of these schools…</p>

<p>Syracuse does not have a BA in theatre. They have a BFA and a BS. All students must audition for this program regardless of intention to eventually pursue the BS degree, because all students are fully integrated in the first two years of the program. The course of study diverges junior year.</p>

<p>I do not believe that Carnegie Mellon has a BA in Theatre. They do appear to have a BHA (Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) interdisciplinary degree). [Carnegie</a> Mellon School of Drama](<a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/cfa/drama/]Carnegie”>http://www.cmu.edu/cfa/drama/) </p>

<p>In terms of U of Michigan (is that she U of M you mean?) They do offer a BA in Theatre, but this is a generalist degree… from the website “What is the Bachelor of Theatre Arts curriculum? This degree program is for students who wish a well-rounded, substantive theatre education within the framework of a solid liberal arts education. The BTA is not a performance or technical training program. It is designed for students who want to pursue careers in areas such as production management, arts administration, dramaturgy, or teaching.” Does this meet you long range career goals? Or are you looking for a non-auditioned safety school that will allow you to pursue performing (or another more specific discipline… ie. design, etc…)? Link to BAT admissions page "<a href="http://www.music.umich.edu/departments/theatre/auditions/aud_bach_theatre_arts.htm"&gt;http://www.music.umich.edu/departments/theatre/auditions/aud_bach_theatre_arts.htm&lt;/a&gt;" </p>

<p>Also – Michigan may or may not be an academic safety for you (I do not know enough about this school to know if can be considered a safety for anyone), but only if you are well below the admit grades and scores. There are others on this board who can talk better than I about what makes a true safely school. In general it is one where you are WELL above the admitted student stats, where an audition (or portfolio review) is not required to declare the major, and is a financial safety.</p>

<p>I am sure that others will have LOTS of good advice for you! You will get even more specific advice if you post a little more about the kind of educational program you are looking for and your background and stats. </p>

<p>The list of schools mentioned above is varied in terms of program type, size, location, etc…</p>

<p>:)</p>

3

<p>I just want to pitch in on the UMich part of your post. Do you mean the Bachelor of Theatre Arts in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, or the Bachelor of Arts degree in LSA? You listed both BFA (which is only Acting, Design & Production, and Musical Theatre) and BA, but you can’t apply for both at the same time.</p>

<p>The BTA degree (the one offered at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance) is suitable for professional training, according to the professor I talked with when I applied.</p>

<p>And I echo what KatMT said about the uncertainty of UMich being a safety for you, but I can’t judge as I don’t know your stats or anything. But typically, I wouldn’t call UMich a safety for most people, especially when you’re applying for degrees that require an audition.</p>

<p>You should also consider what major you really want. Do you want a BA that typically allows you to explore more areas outside your major? Or do you want a BFA that’s more limiting, but will be more in depth? Are you looking into acting or design or MT or just a general degree?</p>

<p>Schools like DePaul and CCM are professional conservatories that will focus solely on acting for example, while Yale’s drama degree is more for study of theatre in general instead of training actors.</p>

<p>All the best in your search!</p>

4

<p>To piggyback off of be_somebody… Think about the kind of education experience you are looking for in undergrad. Generally speaking, a BFA is a more specialized training degree with 70% to 90% of your course work in you major classes. A BA program usually will require a student to take 30% to 50% of the course work in your major with the rest in general education requirements. either degree can ultimately lead to a career performing or designing professionally. I know quite a few successful professional performers with BA degrees. Some went on to graduate school training, some did not. Most of the professional designers I know have MFA degrees, but there are also some with BA and
BFA degrees. There is a lot of information on this and the MT forums about the different types of training at different schools, safety schools, etc. Keep reading. You will have many of your questions answered, and be armed with more information to focus your search. Good luck!!</p>

5

<p>Sorry, by U of M I meant University of Minnesota - Twin Cities! I live there so it’s easy for me to forget that there are other U of M’s :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>I would really really like to get into a BFA program for acting, but I will obviously have BA program back-ups</p>

<p>I hope that semi-clears things up?</p>

6

<p>That help! </p>

<p>In terms of back-ups. You need to make sure that your safeties are schools that do not require an audition, where you are well above the mid-range admissions stats, and you can afford to go. You also want to make sure hat your safety schools are schools that you would be happy to attend. </p>

<p>As you are coming up with your list you may also want to look at the opportunities available to BA students at schools that also have a BFA program. At some schools students take the same classes, and are “equal” in the casting pool. At other schools the BA students take completely different classes than the BFA students, and are rarely cast in mainstage productions. It all will depend on the school policies and culture. </p>

<p>:)</p>

7

<p>cmae: I am curious as to why you said you would like a program that allows students to audition for other things outside of the school. I understand your desire to pursue many performing opportunities, but I should caution you that most BFA programs – even if they permit outside auditions – are very intensive and will not allow you much time to perform elsewhere during the school year. For example, my D is a BFA MT student at Syracuse. Her classes typically end at 5 pm, and school productions begin rehearsing at 7 pm on weekdays, and include all-day rehearsals on weekends. When she is in a production, her only free time is Monday evenings – so that is when she usually schedules her electives. As you can see, that kind of a schedule would not allow time for either day or evening rehearsals elsewhere. However, summers are free, and most students in her class have been able to audition and perform in summer stock productions.</p>

8

<p>A lot of schools do not allow you to work outside of the program… Especially the well regarded ones… If you are serious about acting I would add Boston University and Rutgers University to your list for BFA programs as they are both known to be more highly regarded and competitive programs over other schools you have on your list…</p>

9

<p>Your B.F.A Acting should be…</p>

<p>Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, SUNY Purchase, U of M/Guthrie, Rutgers, Boston, Ithaca, Evansville, Emerson, UNC-School of the Arts, USC and DePaul.</p>

<p>Make U of I Urbana & Otterbein your back up school.</p>

10

<p>Thank you for the input everyone - it helps a lot :]</p>

<p>I wanted a program that allows auditioning outside of school because…well, that’s kind of what my Theater director told me to look for - because it gives you a really great opportunity to make connections & contacts, which is very important. Even if I cannot be in the performance I would just like to try out and see what it’s all about and things :]</p>

11

<p>Oh dear, cmae, whatever you do, please don’t audition for any shows if you know you can’t be in them! Directors really don’t like it when you do that. Yes, you will make contacts – but not in a good way!</p>

<p>I understand the point your drama director is trying to make – yes, contacts and connections are very important. But most of the schools you mentioned in post #1 have instructors who are active and influential in the theater business, and have methods in place for helping graduating students make contacts and connections. My advice to you? Concentrate on your training and performances at school during the school year. You can always audition for summer stock or regional theaters during the summer.</p>

12

<p>I agree with the comments about not working outside the program. I would find that unusual, except in the summer. I know that UCLA does not permit work outside of the program and they are very firm on this.</p>

<p>I am guessing (and this is a wild guess based upon your school choices) that you may be a Californian. You may wish to look at Cal Arts for your BFA. It is widely respected, and many say will be the Juilliard of the West. But it is also very expensive, very hard to get into, and very “different.” It takes a certain type of person to go to Cal Arts. I second the Boston University suggestion. If I could have gotten my D to apply there, I would have been a very happy person. Make sure you do a tour there and do one specific to the theatre program; they offer them.</p>

<p>I do not know how good a student you are, so I hesitate to call these “safeties” – and I am assuming you are a Californian based upon the presence of UC Davis, UCLA, USC and Chapman, but assuming you are, I am surprised by the absence of UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine on your list. These were my D’s “safeties” because they are non-audition programs and she had the grades and SATs to get in. Both of these programs are outstanding theatre BA programs, and given the absence of audition, IF you have good stats, could be “safeties.” (Generally, safeties are non-audition schools you have the stats to get into.)</p>

<p>Another consideration for a safety, but less so given the recent cut backs to the state university system, are CSU Fullerton and SF State, both of which have outstanding theater programs. Assuming, again, that you have good stats, both of these programs are initially non-audition and you could use them as outstanding back ups. There have been many things written up on these pages about them. </p>

<p>If you have the presence of mind, and initiative, may I recommend you apply to Emerson Early Action. You will have to fly to Boston to do your audition in the very cold of November, but if you are one of the lucky ones to be admitted EA, it is nonbinding and takes a huge weight off your shoulders. Emerson is a wonderful place and has a great program and my D seriously considered it before being admitted to UCLA.</p>