Need some advice on college choice

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>My S loves acting and is fortunate to have been accepted to some programs. Each program has some pro's and con's and having read tons of articles about each college I'm not sure which pro/con really is important. We all want to make the best choice with our kids and although his opinion is very important, I'd like to hear from other people that may have already had a child go through the cycle. Here's the schools and how I see them:</p>

<p>Penn State - Great MT theater program, but not sure the BA is the best. In addition they do not have a senior showcase for the BA Acting program. The cost is middle of the pack and we have family that lives nearby. It's also a manageable drive by car.</p>

<p>Loyola Marymount (LA) - Also BA program, but seems to be more focused on acting classes. Has a great international one semester program in Russia/Germany and also internation internship opportunities. Spoke to a kid who is the program and he likes it. My S would love to go there. It's in LA which is where he wants to end up. The major negatives are it's really expensive (23K more than Penn State) and it's in LA (we're on the East Coast). Other than those two negatives I think his education would prepare him well.</p>

<p>Emerson College - Seems to have a fantastic BFA program, but it's small, and my son really doesn't want to go there. It's also expensive like Loyola Marymount. My gut feel is that this program may be the best academically out of all of them and they do have a senior showcase. I think they have a cut process.</p>

<p>Depaul - Great curriculum, costs about the same as Penn State, and like Penn State is a managable car drive. It's a focused BFA program that sounds like it is outstanding. They have 3 senior showcases which is the most of all the schools. The major negative with this school is their cut program.</p>

<p>My gut tells me that Depaul may be the best option and if he can't make the cut process then maybe he shouldn't be studying acting. And if he does get cut, then what? However I have a hard time thinking that a kid should not pursure his dream just because a group of teachers cut him from their program. I also know in life that not always do the deserving get chosen. Given the cut process, I'm next leaning towards Loyola, but is it really worth spending 23K more for a different BA program than Penn State? Which then brings up the question about how important is a senior showcase? I assume Penn State must have something to assist their kids in getting an acting job or hy would anyone want to got there?</p>

<p>As you can tell, there's alot to think about and it would be nice to hear some other peoples opinion. Thanks in Advance.</p>

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<p>I would remove Emerson from the list bc as you said, your S doesn’t really want to go there and it’s expensive. Yes, it’s a good program. But your S doesn’t really want to go there. If he got a great scholarship/FA package then it would probably be worth another look IMO but it doesn’t sound like that is the case. Focus on the other three.</p>

<p>I’m not sure if you meant that Loyola was $23k more than Penn State or $23k more PER YEAR, plus additional travel expenses. There is a big difference there and IMO $23k over four years is really not that much and if that is where your S really wants to go then let him. Perhaps he would be motivated to contribute something toward the difference in price. But if you are talking about nearly $100k over four years that is a different story altogether. Either way if you really can’t swing it or justify the added cost financially, then tell him and focus on the other two schools. They are both excellent choices…let him visit them both again and see how he feels. </p>

<p>Congratulations on his acceptances and good luck! :)</p>