Yesterday I got off the wait-list at Smith College. I now have 5 days to decide if I’ll accept my offer of admission…Up until now I was planning on attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, to major in theater. But this has completely changed my potential future- and I cannot decide which one will be better for me!!
I’ll be paying roughly the same at both schools, so that’s not part of the decision-making.
Smith has great academics, and quality of courses. Their theater is small and personal, so I would be able to take advantage of that. It’s also got name recognition and a great network for careers after graduation. However, it’s an all-women’s college, so I do feel like the theater will be lacking, sort of. The biggest theater scenes nearby is Boston, and that’s 2 hours away!
UMN has the twin cities theater scene in and around it. It’s a big school, so it’s got a lot of resources, but the amount of people involved in the theater department is small, which is good. However, it’s not as personal as Smith will be, and academics could potentially be of less quality.
Anyone have any insight on how I should make my decision?? Or know anything about Smith/UMN theater that would help me choose?
@jaquenetta - can you tell us if you’re accepted to UMN Guthrie for the BFA program or as a BA to the College of Liberal Arts? Smith is primarily an academic college and all-women so the college experience there will be very different. What do you want out of your college experience, other than the degree?
Theater & Drama at Smith is part of the 5 college consortium, so there are opportunities at nearby coed colleges in addition to what is available at Smith. I suggest that you contact Smith through their Asmissions Office for more information. Ask them to put you in touch with current students who are studying performing arts. They are the best source to answer your qustions.with specifics.
There is a live theater scene in Hartford just an hour away and accessible by both train and bus. Numerous Broadway hits have road performances at Bushnell Auditorium every year. Regardless of what Minneapolis or Boston have, nothing compares with Broadway and off-Broadway. NYC is a 3 hour drive from Northampton, which makes it reachable for a day trip and easily accessible for a weekend trip.
As a college student, your time will be spent on your campus with little time for the professional theater scene regardless of where your college is located. Accessing that scene would best be accomplished by summer internships. There are many summer stock venues in western Massachusetts and nearby Connecticut. This would also be a good question to pose to representatives of Smith. Ask them how Smith facilitates connection for students to intern opportunities in New England and elsewhere.
To me, the choice here seems simple because it’s an apples and oranges conversation. Do you prefer a LAC or a mega research university? These are both high quality institutions for what they do - especially Smith and I assume you factored in the single sex component when you applied there. These 2 are so different that it’s not about which one is better, but about which experience you want. Only you can decide that.
Best of luck with your decision.
@CaMom13 The BA program at UMN. I should have included that in my post!
I think one of the things that’s making it hard to decide is that the UMN BA program is small- so the school itself has big school experiences (big 10 games, etc) but the thing I really care about, my major, isn’t going to have a lot of people in it…which is a good thing!
There’s also a very supportive and open lbgtq culture in both Northampton and at Smith, if this important to you. Im sure UMN is too.
Pioneer Valley is also a very lovely area between Northhampton, Hadley and Amherst and north of the town.
I don’t know anything about the theater schools.
Both are great schools with the obvious size and single sex differences. Smith does have a very strong reputation.
@jacquetta - I don’t know UMN very well but I do know their BFA Acting major is popular and competitive. My concern (and this is true at any school that offers a BFA) would be that the BA students were considered second class and the best opportunities for training, performance and connections would be reserved for the BFAs. There was an article posted a few years back by a Elon grad saying her experience as a BA in a BFA-focused school was depressing and frustrating, even though she loved the school itself. Have you connected with any current BA students at UMN? Can you ask them about their experience?
A small department is a good thing if the teachers take you seriously and the department isn’t short-shrifted because of its size. Since the chances are that Smith would also have a small group of Drama majors, I don’t know that this is much of an argument for either school.
Since imo there’s no clear winner in the Theatre major category I would make the decision based upon non-Theatre criteria - size of school, student population, location, dorms, food, campus. other classes, extracurriculars, “feel”. They really are in very different categories, which do you feel will give you the college experience you want?
I’m a Smithie and was a theatre minor there. I agree with everything Bill Marsh mentioned. Also, obviously I’m pro-Smith for every reason described in every comment. I was/am straight and the lbtq atmosphere such that it is there did not bother me in the least. I personally don’t think that should be the final deciding factor unless that’s truly bothersome to you. I think the major factor should be small, elite LAC vs a large university. Hit me up with any questions. Good luck with your decision.