We’re starting to plan our first college tour trip, spring break, 2015. Our D who is a HS Jr. is interested in MT, BA or BFA but also wants a good academic school, NY, PA, east coast (we’re in Michigan.) D’s stats so far:
GPA unweighted: 3.7
ACT: 29 (taking again in March and hopes to push to 31, 32)
PSAT: 193 (taking SAT in March)
AP: Language, Science, Psychology
EC: heavily involved in anything performance related. Jr. Director in our high school’s Forensic’s Multiple group (top award-winners every year in the state), Elementary, MS and HS musical performances as well as summer MT camps at Cranbrook for the past 5 years) HS top Choir group. Other interests: Natural interest and excels in psychology-related classes, history, english, writing. Weaker in math and science. D is liberal, doesn’t want to join a sorority.
Please feel free to comment on, suggest, critique, schools we have so far and other we should consider. In the summer, we will take a trip through MA, VT, NH, CT to check out choices there:
SUNY Purchase College! About 1 hour from New York City; well-reputed BFA programs; and SUNY is pretty affordable for OOS students (relatively, anyway).
If you’re going to Vassar you might want to check out Marist - it’s in the same town. It’s selective, but not as selective as Vassar. The theater major is in the English department with a theater concentration, though.
If you’re driving from Michigan you’ll pass Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon has a good musical theater program. If your D pushes her ACT to a 31-32 she’d have a decent shot. If D is interested in being in NYC, Marymount Manhattan has a good school of performing arts.
Our D had very similar interests as a junior. Our college list included some of yours (Vassar, Skidmore). I went to Colgate myself and did NOT recommend it for her since I transferred out because I found it too preppy, sporty and non-artsy, although the theatre program was good at that time.
Another possibility between Vassar and Skidmore is Bard College. We also visited some women’s colleges, which (surprisingly, since I had not considered them at all to begin with) ended up being my D’s top 3 schools by senior year. She really loved the supportive, liberal, and very intellectual vibe she found there. I’d recommend not ruling them out. There is so much to recommend them
Our second-round list (when D thought she wanted to study psychology and fine art) included:
Skidmore
Vassar
Bard
Barnard
Connecticut College
Bennington
Mount Holyoke
Smith
Hampshire College
Emerson
Bates
Wellesley
I will also throw out there that interests can change! My personal opinion is that the undergraduate college should be mostly chosen for fit, unless there is a definite, narrow field of study needed. By the time she matriculated, my D realized her real passion was biology from a naturalist/evolutionary viewpoint. She’s still taking a few art and psych classes, and glad the theatre department is good, but I’m very glad she did not choose a more specialized school!
staceyneil, thanks, that’s very helpful! Although our D is very into theatre, she has also said she’s not 100% sure that’s what she wants to do and she wants a good LA school all the way around. I would really like her to visit Mount Holyoke. They visited our school and the woman was very helpful but my D has said she is sure she doesn’t want a women’s college. I think she might change her mind once there
I think almost everyone at MHC initially said they didn’t want a women’s college
The advantages are terrific, and the minuses are not as bad as most people imagine. Many of my D’s friends are straight and have boyfriends at the surrounding colleges. They go to parties at Amherst (mainly, but sometimes UMass and Hampshire.) But they all LOVE that after socializing in that testosterone-laden environment, they can come home to their relatively peaceful, gorgeous, supportive campus and not have to worry about drunken freshmen boys vomiting in the hall outside their dorm room or peeing on the toilet seats! Plus, milk-and-cookies for study break every night! Mainly, though, she loves the level of passion and engagement and the incredible, accessible professors and the collaborative environment.
I hope she will be able to visit MHC when school is in session and do an overnight and sit in on a class. If she wants to ask any questions, I know my D would be happy to chat with her. She’s done so for several other high school students and has hosted a “prospie” for a visit, too. PM me if your D wants to contact her.
I hope that if you do visit Muhlenberg you take the time to do the official tour and admissions talk. Muhlenberg, more that most LAC’s, loves to get to know potential students. If your daughter is truly interested after the talk and tour she should consider doing the interview, attending a class, and auditioning before applying next year. My senior will be graduating in May and I am sure we are all going to miss Muhlenberg! Best of luck to you!
Our D has very similar stats and interests. We looked at Union (loved it), Skidmore (D didn’t really connect, but their arts facilities are amazing), and Ithaca (liked it a lot and received a great aid package; cross-registration with Cornell is a plus; tons of theater). On your way through Ohio you might consider Oberlin and College of Wooster. The latter was just named to a 10-best list for merit aid, if that is a factor.
@igitur, we completed a search for similar type schools with our daughter last year.
We emailed or called the theatre departments well in advance of our visits to set up department tours, classes and meetings; and I was amazed how friendly and generous most colleges were. We actually had one theatre prof who remained in touch with my D and put in a good word for her to admissions. We had another dept head who candidly shared with our daughter that his school was probably not the best fit for her - which I really appreciated. So, I felt she gained a lot from the tours. Also, we tried to attend student productions whenever possible.
My D also took notes after each visit, which really helped her when it came time to write essays.
For BFAs…UCONN, Syracuse, Hartt (Univ Hartford–University not great, but tops MT training), Fordham (BA, but like a BFA), Boston University, Penn State. If you can get to Philly, Temple and UArts.
Also, scope out the Musical Theater board under College Majors here. A wealth of information, including a big list of MT colleges.
Regarding the comments on MHC, I think that having one’s contact with men limited to the kind of drunken weekend socializing that the women are happy to escape by Sunday night is the best argument for avoiding an all-female college. Having men as friends and classroom colleagues, in other words the kind of normal relationships women will be faced with for the rest of their lives, is an invaluable part of the coeducational college experience. Some of my best friends in college were male, and the ability I developed to relate to a variety of people, regardless of gender, served me well in my career.
^^^ Carnegie Mellon may not be the best all around Liberal Arts type school the OP is seeking. It is hardcore conservatory training with very little time for outside academic work.
There are only 12 spots in the MT program and about 1,000 applicants each season.
If she is willing to audition, perhaps Fordham-Lincoln Center.
Also Bard, Sarah Lawrence and SUNY Purchase might work.
You may also want to look at Lafayette while you are at Muhlenberg (schools are physically very close)
Fordham-Lincoln Center has a great Theater Performance major, and a good all-around liberal arts curriculum, but it does not have a Musical Theater concentration. American University is pretty strong in that area.
Hmm, parent of 11th grade boy, who is interested in music and studio art – our list for spring travel overlaps with yours – have you considered Connecticut College, Bates (a reach for my son), Dickinson or Denison?
