My daughter goes to a performing arts high school and is passionate about the arts. We are unsure about a BFA program but want to find a school that is strong in the performing arts, both in terms of classes and performance opportunities. She may apply to University of Michigan’s BFA program but that is highly competitive and also may be too restrictive in terms of academic studies. However we recently heard about the Resident College program at Michigan which sounds like a great marriage between the arts and academics. Does anyone know anything about the theater opportunities open to the RC students? Or anything at all about RC? We can’t believe we have never heard of it.
The RC is a small liberal arts program (college) within LSA with its own advisers. Students also spend their freshman year living in East Quad, which is the home of the RC. The RC has an outstanding language program and a strong drama and art one too. It isn’t the same as the school of music but RC is a very “artsy” community. You can transfer out if it isn’t for you. In my opinion, the RC makes UM a much more intimate experience.
http://www.livingarts.umich.edu/
@nycmod - you may also want to check out the living arts residential learning community .
Many large universities have an artsy/theatrical living community. For example, Cornell has Risley.
Most Michigan courses have fewer students than Cornell.
I would recommend looking more into the Residential College more so than Living Arts just because the RC’s theatre program is quite a bit larger and stronger than LA’s. The head of the drama program is very “well-seasoned”, she has directed across the globe. She also teaches advanced classes for students interested in acting and directing.
Also, the requirements of the RC include:
Living in the RC for the first two years
RC First Year Writing Seminar (this req overlaps with LSA req)
Proficiency in a language (overlaps with LSA to an extent)
Creative Expression (theatre would fulfill this, but also this req overlaps with LSA)
But if your daughter finds that the program isn’t for her, it is possible to still take the RC drama classes.
So if you are majoring in music, that in itself doesn’t qualify you for the RC, correct? You have to have a major in LSA?
Just thinking about RC again. If my D commits to Michigan, would it still be possible for her to apply for a degree in LSA and the RC for fall, or is it too late? She has been accepted in SMTD, not LSA.
She must be an LSA student to be in RC. Is she also waiting on here LSA application and did she submit for EC? That would be the only hope.
Yeah, you have to be in LSA to be in the RC. However, if she were to become dual-enrolled in LSA and SMTD she could join the RC her second year. She could still take RC classes if she wants to though.
Thanks for the info! She wasn’t too interested in adding on a liberal arts major when I mentioned it…lol. She is already doing a double major in music so it wouldn’t be feasible unless she dropped one of those. I think I will look into some of the other learning communities.