selective schools that will allow me to double major?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
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<p>lol, I was telling my dad about that problem just a few days ago–it’s much easier to find selective schools that you’d love to go to. :stuck_out_tongue: I know I need to start finding more lower-reach/safety schools. I’m not done researching at all.</p>

<p>EmmyBet, thanks for the reality check on money. My parents are being ambiguous about how much they’re willing to pay. We’re well-off middle classers, so I’m not banking too much on financial aid. If you have any suggestions for lower-reach schools, I’d be happy to hear them!</p>

<p>Otherwise, looks like it’s back to the drawing board and digging through Fiske’s Guide.</p>

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<p>Nice job, butterflies. I really do admire how hard you’re working on this.</p>

<p>For the record, my D doesn’t qualify for any need-based aid. But she got nice merit scholarships automatically from Montclair State (although she didn’t pass their audition for the BFA and didn’t apply to the BA, which looks very nice, too), Goucher, URI, and Adelphi (their biggest - with a 3.6 and a 31 ACT). We never got to the merit aid point at New Paltz, because she turned them down (all schools do these things differently) but I wouldn’t have been surprised if she would have been offered something. The SUNYs aren’t too expensive, anyway, even for OOS students (I think Goucher with the scholarship and New Paltz at full-pay would have been about the same for her).</p>

<p>I have heard lovely things about Alfred University and Juniata, which both have good merit aid and nice theatre departments. Neither one is in a city. </p>

<p>I don’t remember how you felt about Temple. Nice non-auditioned theatre BA, has an honors program, lower cost state school, in Philly.</p>

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<p>Wesleyan is pretty competitive, Butterflies, so, although you are an excellent student, it might qualify as somewhere between a match and a reach. It is small, also, and I don’t know how generous they are with merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>endless thanks to you emmybet. I’ve been working twice as hard on the college process so far because my parents both studied in the philippines, and they’re a bit lost when it comes to higher education/college admissions in the US (my mom didn’t understand what I meant by “merit scholarship” the other day). we’re attending an informal seminar on paying for college on sunday, though! thanks for the suggestions. my voice teacher went to Temple for vocal performance and later music ed, so I’ll definitely talk to her. And I was also considering Montclair at one point, not sure why I took it off my list. I suppose it was because I had doubts about their theater program. I’ll definitely visit, since it’s in-state. Would you mind being specific about your impressions of the theater dept. there?</p>

<p>stagemum-- thanks for the insight! I haven’t gotten a chance to look into Wesleyan–I liked what I read about it, at a glance–so now I know to place it high on my list, if it even ends up on my list. :)</p>

<p>aside from the question for emmybet, that should be it for now! although if anyone has any more suggestions for safe schools that still have excellent theater opportunities (in addition to solid theater programs), that’d be awesome.</p>

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<p>Montclair has its ups and downs - it’s a really pretty campus and the theatre program has a ton going on. It has a train to Penn station right at the corner, and the town is nice. One big downside is that it has a huge amount of commuters - very noticeable acres and acres of parking lots. But they seem to be investing in more and more dorms all the time. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, just something you have to be OK with. The theatre kids definitely are not commuter or “suitcase” types, however.</p>

<p>Read up on their theatre degrees - their BFA is very hard to get into (apparently only 16 kids per year) but they have what looks like a terrific BA that is interview-based and has wonderful things going on. That might be a great option for you, since you want more liberal arts opportunities.</p>

<p>My D only did a cursory visit, and to be honest she found the audition at Unifieds the least “friendly” to put it mildly, but again, that was for the BFA. There are more people on CC who know it more intimately, so maybe you should ask specifically. But their website is particularly rich in information, and they also have some arts open houses that look wonderful, if you could get to one.</p>

<p>From everything I’ve read here, there’s not a thing wrong with Temple, and they only audition so far for MT. You just have to be comfortable with a quite urban setting. I’m sure your teacher can give you lots of information about the school.</p>

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<p>I would be wary of adding safety schools that have BFA programs. I think what you need are more non-audition BA programs that do not coexist with a BFA program. </p>

<p>If you don’t want a conservatory, I don’t think you should consider Montclair, not with your stats!</p>

<p>Did you consider Brandeis? Or Connecticut College?</p>

<p>I don’t think Conn College has good aid, though.</p>

<p>Brandeis has some merit scholarships, but I think they were dialing these back a bit, but you still might qualify for one.</p>

<p>I am sure that you will get merit aid at Muhlenberg.</p>

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<p>I have a whole other train of thought for you to consider. </p>

<p>Why don’t you add a match BA or two that may not be as strong in theater, but offers the intellectual and social environment you seek. Make sure the school offers enough performance classes and shows to keep you busy – and chances are being a big fish in a smaller pond will be to your casting benefit (although be aware that plenty of kids who were talented actors in high school may also be at that school).</p>

<p>You can supplement your acting training in the summer or with a semester abroad or at a US school (eg., Tisch has a semester option and it also opens its study abroad programs – at least its summer ones; not sure about the semester). You can also go to a certificate program after you graduate at one of the NYC studios.</p>

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<p>That’s good advice SDonCC - from what butterflies has said, a BA would be just fine, and maybe even preferable. SO many schools have very nice theatre departments - really too many to list - and even more have great EC theatre. We found that pretty much only schools where the emphasis is primarily on science or tech with little arts programming in general truly had “unacceptable” theatre opportunities.</p>

<p>This is where spending this year exploring and experiencing and thinking a lot really helps. My D was on the BFA end of the spectrum, but closer to the middle than some kids - and she found that when all was said and done even with a great BA option she wanted the BFA. It took the whole process to know that, so we were very glad that she had applied to schools that gave her a range of options.</p>

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<p>“I would be wary of adding safety schools that have BFA programs. I think what you need are more non-audition BA programs that do not coexist with a BFA program.”</p>

<p>I’m right there with you, SDonCC! Are you saying that some of the safety schools I’ve listed/discussed have BFA programs? If so, I wasn’t aware.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, Emmybet, what schools did your D end up applying to?</p>

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<p>SDonCC, I forgot to address what you said about Brandeis. I definitely looked into it and liked what I read in FISKE’s; I just haven’t gotten to their website yet. But I don’t think it would be a safety, would it? I remember getting the impression it was selective.</p>

<p>I was just talking to my friend who goes to Tisch, and he was telling me that if you’re studying acting, conservatory-style is the way to go. I still believe there are different ways to go about it, though!</p>

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<p>I don’t know about the school’s actual curriculum, but George Washington University in DC definitely comes to mind. Great art programs and even better opportunities in the city. Wesleyan is a great school, too, but is not in a city, though NYC is probably an hour or so away from it.</p>

<p>Sent from my ADR6300 using CC App</p>

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<p>No, Brandeis would not be a safety, but it would be a slightly less selective match than what you’ve got. </p>

<p>personally, with Muhlenberg and Drew, I think you’re fine with safeties. I think you need one or two more matches. While I think you have as good a shot as anyone at getting into what you’ve listed as your non-auditioned matches, they are too selective to count on them.</p>

<p>I’d hate to see you only have your safeties as your options. That’s why more matches, not safeties.</p>

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<p>also, there is no one way to go with an acting track. You have your whole life to acquire acting skills, and plenty of people succeed without conservatory training. </p>

<p>I am saying this as the mother of a daughter who is at a conservatory…</p>

<p>You will find just as many people saying that the best undergraduate training for an actor is a good education! </p>

<p>My advice: live the life you want to live now. Let the future take care of itself. </p>

<p>How would you feel if you trained at a conservatory because you felt you were “supposed to” and then never got work when you graduated? Because that certainly can happen. The degree doesn’t get you jobs. Your auditions do…</p>

<p>Or – what if you went to a conservatory and then decided you didn’t want to pursue acting as a career… Perhaps you realized that as much as you love acting, the reality of what it takes to live as an actor is not that pretty…</p>

<p>My D also had a very balanced list of schools, as EmmyBet’s D did. She was also a high stats kid, but a BFA was her first choice. As she went through the audition process, she felt that even if she didn’t get one, she would feel better about getting a BA since she had at least given this a shot. However, she also said that she would still work to “make it” as an actor, no matter where she went. I’m saying this, just to point out that having options gave her this comfort heading into April. </p>

<p>Her criteria for schools were similar to yours – near cities, good theater programs, good academics (well, the last one was as much my criteria as hers!). The list I gave you in the beginning is based on her application list, although she had additional ones that were further away as well.</p>

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<p>oh, you should have Skidmore on your list. It is one of the better non-auditioned theater programs on the East Coast, and it would definitely be a match, bordering on safety for you.</p>

<p>It is not that close to a city, but Saratoga Springs is a nice town, and you can get to Albany (okay, not the most exciting place, but…).</p>

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<p>Are you very strong in science and / or math? Skidmore has merit aid in this area. </p>

<p>Skidmore probably would be a safety, but I’m like EmmyBet: I err on the side of caution in this regard…</p>

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<p>I also agree that Skidmore is worth investigating. My S is a rising Sophomore in a BFA acting program at a university and is attending a competitive summer theatre program with actors and acting students from across the country. Each person auditioned in front of each other (unlike the usual auditions) and he was impressed with the students from Skidmore. Also, because you are interested in acting and pursuing another major, have strong academic credentials, and prefer a city with a strong theatre and arts focus, you may want to look at Georgetown University. It offers an A.B. in theatre and performance studies (not exactly a major in acting) but its theater program is beginning to attract attention. Georgetown is in a partnership with Arena Stage, one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country, and its production of The Glass Menagerie in conjunction with The Glass Menagerie Project is being presented at Arena Stage this summer. There is info about this partnership and production on Georgetown’s website and in the Washington Post just a few days ago. I noticed a few others suggested American University and George Washington University. American University has an audition-based BA program. Just to let you know that DC has fantastic theater and arts opportunities and is a great city for college students.</p>

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<p>Yay! Great advice about the DC area. We often forget to mention those schools.</p>

<p>Love your comments SDonCC. Butterflies, you’re being very smart about this whole idea - yes, conservatory people might say it’s the only way to go. Others will say absolutely to get a liberal arts education … there are some compromises in between, but you do usually have to give up some of one for the other, and many kids do end up going completely in one direction, for a variety of reasons. </p>

<p>I agree: The only answer is to do what you WANT to do NOW. In the end, my D just had to answer the question “What do you want to do this September?” and forget all about what was “best” for her future, or any other expectations. Be happy in college. And know - like everyone - that you might want to make a chance at some point. It can happen to anyone.</p>

<p>I won’t bore everyone with my D’s list again, but like SDonCC’s D’s list it’s reflected in many of the suggestions I’ve made on this thread. But you can find it on this forum pretty easily, I think. Look on the “2011 decisions” thread; if you have trouble, let me know.</p>

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<p>SDonCC, everything you said about conservatories is great. my situation could change, I could decide I don’t want to act, or I could possibly not get work. at this point, I’m starting to feel like what you put in is what you’ll get out of it, whether you’re pursuing a BA or BFA. then again, what do I know. </p>

<p>I’m really going to have to double check each school when I’m narrowing them down to make sure they satisfy me in areas other than theater…just in case I have a revelation that I’m destined for another career path. </p>

<p>I think I only glanced at Skidmore, but you guys have convinced me to give it a better look! And nansan, thanks also for the tip on Georgetown. </p>

<p>“The only answer is to do what you WANT to do NOW.” Couldn’t agree more, emmybet. my parents agree, too, but they’re concerned that I’ll find myself postgrad, without any work and in heavy debt. frankly, I have that concern too, but I’m not afraid to work my butt off once I’m in the real world.</p>

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<p>Oh! Forgot to mention. I was poring over Brandeis’s theater dept. website last night, and when I read the “Learning Goals”, I realized it didn’t promise any preparation for screen acting at all, whereas I thought I saw another school’s website mention stage, film, and TV specificially. Guess I’m going to have to check up on that factor with all of my schools now.</p>

<p>Actually, scratch that. Temple’s website talks about alumni in all kinds of mediums. I think some (if not many) theater programs have more specialized concentrations as you get farther into the program–from looking at Temple’s undergraduate bulletin, that seems to be the case.</p>

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<p>You continue to do great work - I think you’re going to end up with a terrific list.</p>

<p>Isn’t it great to be able to read the curricula online? We were able to build hypothetical 4-year plans and get an idea of just what it would be like at these schools, before my D made her decision. </p>

<p>One thing we found to be pretty consistent is that a BA is a BA. There is nothing wrong with that, but BFAs, and the amount of credits you take in theatre, are defined that way for a reason, and while things vary a bit, you just do give up something if you go for a BA: When you can only take 12-14 courses in theatre, including all of the foundations, there isn’t a lot of time to concentrate and sub-concentrate. And some schools just can’t “go the distance” in every area of theatre. That’s just what it means to choose a BA - there is nothing wrong with that, because that’s where the time comes in to do the other work. And it’s why you really can’t double-major at practically any BFA program, or often even minor; at my D’s school it’s not impossible to minor, but at this time she’s planning to do the Honors Program, which is something of a minor in itself, and means she can’t use APs to cover Gen Eds because all of their foundation courses are required. She isn’t locked into that, though, fortunately.</p>

<p>Here are a couple of “reality checks” when we looked closely at BAs. Small schools like Bard, while having really terrific Acting classes (one measure of a great Acting program is separate classes in Voice, Acting and Movement, and many levels of each, which resembles a BFA), as well as Directing, Playwriting, and other areas, offered almost nothing in Design and Tech. Of course there would be experience to be had in D/T, since they put on lots of plays, but we saw that as a possible deficit.</p>

<p>Brandeis I believe has perhaps even more than one class on film and TV acting - that was another tidbit we looked for. They had a broad spectrum of classes available, but the sum total was what my D found limiting in the long run (because what she really wants is a BFA experience).</p>

<p>Big state schools like UMinn (and I’m guessing Temple, too) offer tons and tons of electives, which is their strength. UMinn’s BA probably came closest to the “make your BA into a BFA with electives” of any of the schools D was choosing from. Schools like this also tend to have flexible Gen Eds and lots of AP credit (with lower scores accepted) so you have more time to choose your own program. But again we just couldn’t find a sequential, full-scale set of Acting training classes that were comparable with the 3-tiered program I mentioned above that is the benchmark of an Acting BFA. D was concerned she’d have trouble organizing and making sure she got into the classes she wanted there - of course it can be done, but in the end she realized that a BFA that lays it all out for you is a great gift, plus having the “family” feeling of a BFA community really appealed to her. </p>

<p>Sometimes you do have to pick and choose the elements that appeal to you most - and know you can’t get everything. Most BAs do a lovely job of giving you breadth and some depth (I’m talking about in any subject), and they are rich and rewarding experiences. The freedom to explore whatever you might find yourself interested in as you go through college is wonderful, and valuable. As we’ve all said, there is no guarantee of what you “get” in the end, whether you have more jobs, or better jobs, with either degree. BFA students give up much of that freedom - but there is always the opportunity to study other things later, just as for BA students there is the option of getting the conservatory work in an MFA program down the line.</p>