When looking at a school to choose, how much should weight should I put on the Notable Alumni section. I have one school that I prefer over the other as of now, but the other has a better Notable Alumni list. Should I ditch this ideal or continue to give it merit in calculating my best options?
Any answer helps!
Thanks
It matters, but it doesn’t matter that much. I’d look more at what kids 3-5 years out are doing than how many movie stars the school has graduated.
I agree with Jkelynh17. To me it isn’t how many famous people a school has graduated but how many alum are working in the field in one way or another that matters. And are they still doing so several years post graduation?
One thing that CAN be cool is if notable alumni maintain a close connection to the school. For example- Syracuse has Sorkin week- where every year a group of seniors are chosen to go to LA as guests of Aaron Sorkin- where they get a TON of opportunities for connections. And Paul Newman went a back to Kenyon (his alma mater) and directed plays for years.
Yes, one thing I’ve discovered in my daughter’s journey of becoming an actor is that there are a lot of working actors who are not famous. They still make a decent living as actors. Many also turn to directing, producing, technical stuff and play or screenwriting after acting awhile. In my opinion, it’s the connections that you make and the discipline you acquire in college or conservatory that ensures your success (plus talent of course). I have looked at all of the colleges that we have applied to and every one of them has a star or a bunch of them. It did not necessarily correlate with the reputation of the school (either + or -). A beloved college professor could have tons of connections that you would not know about unless you went to that college. Learn the business also and realize that professional acting is a business. This will help ensure success too. I’m sure many of you already know this…