<p>Last week I was accepted at Northwestern University! My plan is to be a theatre major in the School of Communication, but I'm kinda confused on how that works. Unlike a lot of schools I applied to, Northwestern does not require an audition for initial acceptance. Yet it has a reputation for having a great theatre program. How do they ensure that the people coming to be a theatre major are talented or even have potential? I have heard that what they do is give you training for a year and then make you audition. Is that even remotely true? I scoured their website and google but I can't seem to find a straight explanation. How does the theatre program work? If anyone could explain it to me that would be GREATLY appreciated!!!</p>
<p>You should ask this in the Theatre/Drama Majors subforum. Go to the main page where all the forums are listed and scroll down to find it.</p>
<p>erinrein18;
Me and my daughter visited Northwestern last week and I was impressed on all levels. I called the school in Feb for this March visit and the student who answered the phone was very helpful. The tour was amazing. Their were only three families touring that day and so the attention was individual and lots of questions were answered. This program as you already know is a high academic program, and my daughters teacher recommended that we take a look, and it was well worth it.</p>
<p>The tour guides were students (1 sophmore and 1 senior) and they were very informative and were great answering questions. The student who answered the phone and is in the program (Julia) would me more then happy to answer any questions you might have. I asked alot before I actually toured and since she in the program it helped. Please call the theatre department at (847) 491-3170. The tours are Monday’s at 3:30 and Friday’s at 11:15 but call ahead to make sure they are doing one that day.</p>
<p>From MY notes I provide you with the following, HOWEVER, please VERIFY all of this with the staff at Northwestern to be sure:</p>
<p>Classes are based on the 3 Quarter system.</p>
<p>Students in the Theatre Department are important.</p>
<p>Freshman year; you take theatre classes but no acting classes.</p>
<p>Sophmore year; you are grouped with classmates and stay with the same core for the next three years.</p>
<p>Over 1/2 the theatre students double major and it is very easy to do so. Some students even double major and minor or double minor. There are some restrictions on this depending on what you want to major or minor in. You cannot do this in engineering due to the time committment and you cannot double major in acting and directing for instance.</p>
<p>They offer tons of class options and you get a world class education.</p>
<p>They repeated over and over that they do not shut the door on you, that creativity is important and that exploring various classes was encouraged</p>
<p>They are NOT a conservatory, they offer a BA or a BS only.</p>
<p>All admissions goes through the admissions office NOT the Theatre Dept. Grades and application are important. Essay is the most important.</p>
<p>Well rounded education</p>
<p>Mainstage; 8 plays a year directed by faculty or outside professionals</p>
<p>Huge student theatre division:</p>
<p>Student Shows; 80 + a year, done through 9 student companies/independent projects.</p>
<p>You can get on the stage in your freshman year.</p>
<p>The community supports the theatre department.</p>
<p>Valuable learning experience</p>
<p>Supportive Environment</p>
<p>Sense of Community</p>
<p>Risky productions welcomed</p>
<p>Lots of Resume opportunities</p>
<p>My take from the tour:</p>
<p>Amazing facilities ( I think I saw at least four theatres)</p>
<p>Beautiful campus</p>
<p>Great neighborhood</p>
<p>Friendly staff (Had the pleasure of meeting one of the staff who is also a resident artistic staff at the Goodman theatre in Chicago) This staff member, bless his heart, told my daughter that a liberal arts education helps you as an actor and that a broad education makes you a better actor.</p>
<p>Great Costume shop</p>
<p>Huge stage/design/ prop facilities (sorry tech people I do not know what to call it:)</p>
<p>Loved it. If could go back in time…:)</p>
<p>Please call them and ask questions and try to go on a visit. Getting the information directly from them and also talking to current parents of students and/or the students themselves, is the best way to get answers.</p>
<p>Northwestern does not require auditions to be admitted to the theatre department. They do have auditions freshmen year for those interested in the Musical Theatre Certificate program (open to those majoring in either Theatre or Vocal Performance) which begins sophomore year. I don’t know how they get such talented students without auditions, but having seen five different productions there (both straight plays and musicals), as well as an a cappella performance, I can attest to their talent. I have a son who is a sophomore and from everything I’ve seen and heard, I can affirm all that Threed learned and experienced. It is an impressive program in a great university with incredible opportunities.</p>
<p>“Sophmore year; you are grouped with classmates and stay with the same core for the next three years.”</p>
<p>Let me qualify this statement. Towards the end of your Freshman year you visit all three Acting classes two or three times to see the different styles of each. You then fill out a form which has a few things on it but mostly you list, in your order of preference each professor. They then put the classes together based on your choices. This class stays together, becoming very close, until the Winter term Senior year when you have an option to take an acting class with one of the other profs. You then go back to your “main” class for your final term. </p>
<p>However, that does not mean that is the only acting class you can take, it’s just the only required acting class. It makes for a cohesive and “safe” environment in which to grow and develop as an actor. I love that they understand that each kid is competent and mature enough to decide on which professor’s style and philosophy matches his/her best.</p>
<p>That answers many questions. We are going out to see it next week. I think one of the reasons they produce so many talented and successful graduates even though they do not have an audition process is their “recipe”. They admit Students who have done HS or regional theatre and have a desire to pursue it professionally, who are extremely hardworking as evidenced by their outstanding HS transcripts and resumes and who are being taught by outstanding professionals. Combine those ingredients and wow!</p>
So basically unless you have the grades, there is no way to get extra consideration by this school for talent as a theatre major? And regarding MT–are those auditions before freshman year or during freshman year? I’m finding conflicting information.
Northwestern MT certificate program auditions are in the fall when students are already enrolled in the college.
My D is not MT; she is straight theatre. She’s a senior.
Just to put it out there, in addition to what people are saying:
NU offers a wide range of focuses on top of Acting or MT. These are called modules. For instance, you can focus on playwriting, devising, MT choreography, or the new Acting For Film module. Here is the link: https://www.communication.northwestern.edu/programs/major_theatre/modules.php
My D is an acting major, psych minor, and is also completing the new Acting For Film module, which involves a lot of work behind and in front of the camera (acting, improv, commercial scenes/sides, editing, screenwriting, directing, creating film with teams etc).
I don’t really know how NU gets the talent without an audition up front. In my own D’s case, she did include her artistic resume plus included a video of 4 of her monologues (which they did view). You do have to have high grades/standardized tests, however.
One great thing about NU is the ability to work with people who are interested in all aspects of performing - they may be a future casting person, or producer etc - as well as people who are not theatre at all, especially if you double major or major/minor. My D loved the one acting class that @amtc talks about–she is very close with her teacher, whom she’s worked with now for 3 years, as well as her classmates.
Please feel free to pm me with any questions.
@connections I am sorry for bothering you, but I was not able to find how to send pm to you. I was going to ask if I can get a chance talk to your daughter? I would love to get some insight from her =)
Thanks
@connections We are headed for Unified auditions in Chicago and my D applied to Northwestern and interested in theatre program. We plan to visit the campus, it says you can’t tour the theatre dept. right now. Who is the best person to talk to about admissions? I know they don’t audition, but does it help to talk to anyone there specific so we could meet them in person? D is #5 in her class, 4.83 GPA and ACT 31 composite 32 Superscore
@remartin67 Yes, NW is all about the stats, since there is no audition to even see the talent. We live in the area and visited last year, and while my acting S has good grades, they’re not at the level NW requires for admittance. Plus my son wants conservatory, so for us, not a good fit.
Yes, but I think @connections made the point that you can attach videos to your NU app as an artistic supplement. we didn’t do that and it was indeed all about the numbers for us, but maybe it would have helped.
Well, it’s too late for us to do that at this point. Would have liked to have more Chicago area schools on our list but at this moment. it’s looking like things are pointing my S to the East Coast.
@Jkellynh17 wrote:
My daughter, an ED applicant this past fall, decided not to submit an artistic supplement to NU based on the instructions set forth on NU’s website and a conversation she had with a NU admissions rep. Last summer, I mentioned to my daughter that she ought to submit a video of her monologues as part of her application (I had read posts by @connections making this point). In her review of NU’s application instructions she noted that it says pretty clearly not to submit supplemental materials:
In September, my daughter met and conversed with the NU regional admissions rep who was visiting her high school. My daughter asked several questions about submitting an artistic supplement. The rep very politely, but firmly, said that straight acting* applicants should not submit a video of monologues (or other artistic supplement). Given these instructions, she didn’t want to risk irritating the admissions folks by submitting a supplement. Her strategy was to use her theatre director’s letter of recommendation as a way of communicating her acting/artistic ability. NU requires two recommendations, one from a core subject teacher and another from a counselor. Supplemental letters are accepted if they “offer new or different” information. Her director wrote a really good letter; among other things, she incorporated a lot of my daughter’s acting resume into the letter.
I’m not trying to quibble with the advice of other posters – I’m simply sharing, for future reference, what my daughter learned.
Note that NU music theatre applicants *are encouraged to submit a supplement.
@foulandpestilent,This is a good example of why it’s really important here in CC to do your own research for cases just like these. I gave this advice in good faith since this is what my D experienced, but in the intervening time, I see the policy has changed. This request was not there when my D applied in 2011-2012. I do know they viewed her videos at the time, because they referred to it (positively) when she was starting in the fall.
If she were applying now, considering they have a post that asks for unsolicited items not to be submitted, then I would certainly listen to them.
@kaf011, my D didn’t visit beforehand, as we live too far and finances are tight. We did visit after she was admitted, and at that point she sat in on two acting classes, and loved them. In fact, that was what sealed the deal for her. As far as who to talk to, I wonder if your D can email the head of the program and say you’re visiting, and ask if there is anyone to talk to? Have a terrific trip!