We are looking at all type of schools, but I want to make sure to include a good number of schools with high academic standards. My daughter has worked really hard in HS and it would be nice to see this help her get into a great MT program.
Here is some information:
-Seeking program where she gets to take some general studies classes (second major down the road is plan B) or even dual major concurrently
-3.9/4.0 GPA, 1360 SAT, los of AP classes
-Prefers a more liberal school and area to live (we live in Seattle)
-Best cast in contemporary musical roles
-Private voice for many years, several years of MT experience in ensemble and lead roles (currently Maureen in RENT)
Schools we are already considering:
-UCLA
-Michigan
-Northwestern
-Pace
-SUNY Buffalo
-NYU: Steinhardt
-Point Park
-University of Oklahoma
-Elon
-Emerson
-University of Washington
-Ball State
I was looking for a lot of the same criteria, so I can add a couple to your list.
-Boston University emphasizes academics - they do not have a BFA MT however, it is a BFA acting, with the option for an MT concentration. (They do produce musicals frequently from what I understood during the info session.) They have a dual-degree program wherein you can get the BFA and another degree from the college of arts and sciences that may be of interest.
-American University in DC has a BA in musical theatre with the option to double major.
-Florida State University has a great BFA program and good academics. They ended up off of my list because I wouldn’t have been able to double major, but if you are satisfied with a good liberal arts core, I would say this would be a good choice.
Just as a general note, as I’ve moved through the process and talked to school reps - don’t be afraid of looking at a few BM VP/music programs or BA acting/theatre programs at schools that have great programs for your daughter’s alternate major as well. There are surprisingly a lot of opportunities and good training that can come from those types of programs, especially if they are in an urban setting where there’s an active arts scene.
Illinois Wesleyan, Syracuse, Indiana, TCU - all have strong academics and good programs. Also, don’t discount schools whose academic ratings are not quite as strong. There are some terrific honors programs out there that some MT students feel quite challenged in.
Your list has much in common with our D’s (she recently graduated from Northwestern) but she also included Yale and Brown and probably would have considered Harvard if they’d had their new theatre program. She also looked at Penn State.
We also wanted to make sure D maintained her strong academics. She is happy as a clam at NYU Tisch. One you might want to add to your list is Syracuse.
I teach at James Madison in VA. The program here meets those criteria. We have a lot of applicant crossover with Northwestern, Michigan, Boston University, UCLA, Elon, Emerson, and NYU. You may also want to look at Penn State, American, and Muhlenburg.
I agree with not being too quick to dismiss schools without a strong academic reputation. The 2 programs with which my D thought she had the most intellectually stimulating conversations/experiences during this process were NYU (no surprise there) and UArts, which doesn’t have the reputation of being a strong academic school. A profound, insightful conversation she had with a faculty member at her UArts audition is one thing that drew D to UArts, and she, a strong and thoughtful academian, has so far been intellectually challenged and stretched just as she hoped. She loves the discussions she’s had and projects she’s done, and she’s gleaned a lot from professors’ and other students’ insights. Granted, most of her courses so far have been in her major, and all courses at UArts incorporate the arts in some way, but that does not mean that they are not intellectually stimulating or that they focus solely on theatre. I bet it is similar at many programs, especially if one is in the honors program. Plus, UArts caters to the individual student; we have been impressed by the perceptiveness of the faculty regarding what the students need and which level and type of courses would probably suit them best. Of course, if one wants to double major, that is another story…
UArts likes to produce shows that are contemporary or traditional with a twist. They also have a lot of professional original playwrights, song writers, directors, etc., work intimately on productions, which is a fantastic, stretching experience for the students.
I’m really not trying to “sell” UArts. Every student has his/her own idea of what will fit, and it is not the same for everyone. I just want to give a concrete example.
Illinois Wesleyan was another program D liked a lot. They had the same (or about the same) number of gen ed requirements as UArts, and they pride themselves on intellectual strength in all courses. I don’t believe it was possible to double major there, though, either.
Here is SAT score data for some schools with MT programs (in ascending order). I marked the BA programs, since the OP expressed interest in such. A few of these schools might not be what many would term “liberal” (such as BYU, Baylor, Belmont, and Pepperdine):
1100-1199
Nebraska Wesleyan University - 1100
University of Arizona - 1107
Oklahoma City University - 1110
University of South Dakota - 1110
Webster University - 1120
Catholic University - 1125 (BA)
The University of Alabama - 1125 (BA)
University of Utah - 1126
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus - 1130
Ohio Northern University - 1145
James Madison University - 1150 (BA)
Syracuse University - 1155
University at Buffalo - 1155
Christopher Newport University - 1160 (BA)
Wagner College - 1160 (BA)
University of Alabama at Birmingham - 1165
Belmont University - 1170
University of Colorado Boulder - 1170
Indiana University-Bloomington - 1175
Texas Christian University - 1180
University of Central Florida - 1180
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus - 1195
Florida State University - 1195
Drake University - 1195
1200-1299
Elon University - 1220
Illinois Wesleyan University - 1220
Baylor University - 1225
Emerson College - 1230
Pepperdine University - 1235 (BA)
Muhlenberg College - 1240 (BA)
American University - 1244 (BA)
Brigham Young University-Provo - 1255
University of Florida - 1265
University of Tulsa - 1265 (BA)
Boston University - 1285
1300+
University of California-Los Angeles - 1300 (BA)
Southern Methodist University - 1305
Tulane University of Louisiana - 1320
University of Miami - 1325
New York University - 1355
University of Southern California - 1380 (BA w/MT minor)
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - 1380
Carnegie Mellon University - 1435
Northwestern University - 1470 (BA w/MT certificate)
I pulled this data last year and SAT scores are updated constantly, so if you look up individual schools you will likely see some slight differences vs. what is shown. Also, this is now “old” SAT test data, not the new test.
This has been mentioned in the past, but as I understand it the SAT scores listed above for Carnegie Mellon (and possibly some others on that list) aren’t relevant for the BFA MT program. Admission is primarily based on audition and BFA students at CMU have little or no exposure to the schools’ academic programs so academic thresholds for BFA MT students are much lower than for the school as a whole. In the context of MT programs, CMU may not belong on the above list.
Even Michigan, which does care about academics more than most MT programs, has a much lower threshold for MT-- 24 on the ACT. For most other programs, it’s not uncommon for Michigan to deny admission to someone who got a 30 on the ACT. A very different standard is applied. The one thing these scores tell you is where the school as a whole stands. That might matter to someone applying. But if your child has strong numbers (our D does), I think it’s a good idea to put at least some schools on the list with lower numbers so that your S or D can get some merit aid if he or she gets in. That’s one way to leverage an asset.
I wanted to add @SeattleMom2017 that two strong BA programs on the West coast are at Pepperdine and Willamette College. Another program to consider is the BA theatre program at Barnard College.
I was really pushing for that Barnard program for my kiddo. Did not end up on our list as our daughter ended up not wanting to be in NYC for college but it looks like a great school with lots to offer if you are willing to work with them to put together your own program. We also looked at Sarah Lawrence, U of Miami, FL, also USC is a good option.There are tons out there but you might have to think outside the box and put together a MT program yourself. many of the strong academic Liberal Arts programs have strong acting, music and or dance programs or some combination that you can put together a good MT program yourself.
Regarding the question of standards within the MT world vs. the university in general as mentioned above about CMU and U Mich - who cares?
I also wanted to send my academically capable daughter to a school with high academic standards. I didn’t particularly care whether the MT program had lower standards than the rest of university. All I really cared about is that the student population, in general was comprised of very capable students who could handle and expect a rigorous curriculum no matter what their major and that the school was capable of providing it. I’m sure there are plenty of academically successful students in the MT programs at both of these schools and schools like them never mind among the friends they will make outside of their major.
I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I’d keep them on the list if they are schools and programs you like.
If she is a National Merit Finalist, OU gives her a full ride. One of the girls in this year’s freshman MT class is on a full ride due to her NM status. Smart and talented!
