<p>I'm looking at applying to some rather competitive schools next year known for having good BA programs, such as Brown and Vassar. I know that in the general admissions process, adcoms look at the rigour of your courses, SATs, etc... But when applying for theatre, do you know how heavily they weight your artistic merits as opposed to your academic merits? Do they expect you to take a substantial number of math and science classes because it's seen as 'rigorous'? It's just an odd situation we're in as people interested in the arts but also learning more, academically.</p>
<p>From statements by adcoms at Vassar and Northwestern I believe they do expect you to take a rigorous course load, including math and science. My D is taking a math class over the summer so that she will have additional math but also room in her schedule for other courses she would rather take.</p>
<p>Selective BA schools do not weight your artistic merits MORE than your academic merits. You must be a competitive candidate academically to be admitted. Artistic merits may be in ADDITION TO, but NOT INSTEAD of a very strong academic profile. Yes, taking the most rigorous HS curriculum offered by your HS, or close to it, is recommended for schools like Brown and Vassar. Artistic merits would be bonus points for someone intent in majoring in the performing arts. But there is no acceptance directly into the major.</p>
<p>I understand that my courseload should be rigorous (especially since I’m applying to an ivy league school!). It’s not like I’m taking all bird courses. I just do many more writing intensive courses like arts and humanities. I guess I should have rephrased my question; do selective schools like Brown and Vassar take into account the fact that maybe my courseload is rigorous in a different way? Especially since I don’t intend to go into say, engineering, or anything.</p>
<p>I think the schools will look favorably on you following your passions. However, they will expect you to maintain rigor in math and science through course selection and accelerated level, but not to take extra courses in those if that’s not your interest. Is that what you’re asking? </p>
<p>If you’ve only taken regular math and science, and never accelerated levels, then that would not be looked on favorably, I don’t think.</p>
<p>Colleges are not looking for you to have specialized in high school when it comes to academics. The most selective colleges will want to see a rigorous academic core subject courseload regardless of your intended major. Then, on top of that, if you have explored your intended field by going above and beyond in that area…GREAT. But you can’t substitute going after your passion and replace the academic core subjects. In other words, for a school like Brown, you should be taking four years of the five core academic subjects and ideally at the most rigorous levels your HS offers. Then, if you have passions in certain areas, explore those further…be it through electives, activities outside of school, summers, college courses, long distance courses, acceleration, etc. But there is a minimum of expectation across the board in the core subjects no matter your intended major. If you want to go into theater, surely get training in theater and be in plays and so on. If you like humanities, take the highest level of courses offered and perhaps extra electives in those areas. But you should still be taking math and science. For example, my own kid who sought a BFA (not a BA) even took AP Calculus in her junior year and never intended to take math again in her life and never did (she graduated after junior year of HS). But she presented a demanding curriculum with very good grades. She ALSO pursued theater to the max. But her pursuit of theater (or even humanities) was not INSTEAD of a rigorous curriculum in all five academic core subjects. It was in ADDITION TO.</p>
<p>By the way, I also have a daughter who graduated from Brown and also have worked with two students pursuing theater who were admitted to Brown and they ALL took the most demanding curriculum available in every core subject area.</p>
<p>My D specifically asked the Adcom at Northwestern about her Senior year course selection which included rigorous courses but not Math and he made it clear that if she had not already indicated she would be taking a math course this summer at a community college he would encourage her to take Math during the school year in order to have a more rigorous course load. The Adcom at Vassar made it very clear that they expect 4 years of Math and 4 years of Science.</p>
<p>Believe me I empathize with the kid whose passion lays in the humanities. It may be comforting to think of the math/science kid who is lamenting having to take English Lit their Senior year.</p>
<p>ETA: Both Northwestern and Vassar are reaches for my D but she is willing to put in the extra effort to have a shot at them (and strengthen her application at other rigorous schools such as NYU). I am actually pretty awestruck by her self-discipline in that regard.</p>
<p>In spite of my, let’s say, ‘inadequacies’ at science and math, I will be taking Chem next year and I’m also thinking of switching into Data (I think I might after all of these tips you guys have given!), so I will have 4 years of science and math. I just know a lot of people that are taking multiple courses in those areas next year and I’m not prepared to put myself (or my average) through that. </p>
<p>Thank you all for the insightful responses by the way, they are quite helpful.</p>
<p>What if the situation was the other way around, meaning I’m more of a math/science guy than a humanities guy. Is that less favorable than if I was a humanities guy?</p>