Son wants a BFA in acting and a degree in math

College Search & Selection
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Hi. Looking for college options for my son that will be a freshman in college the fall of 2024. I am looking yo help make a list of colleges. I would like him to stay on the south or east coast.
He wants a BFA in acting and a degree in math. What are good options? He has a 35 ACT and 4.6 GPA. He really enjoys getting into his characters and in depth character work.
This is all new yo me. Would love recommendations for our college search and more input.
Thank you

(edited by moderator to accurately reflect that student is a current HS junior).

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You can certainly go to Yale

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Tufts would be another school to consider.

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You probably should consider some Acting BA programs. BFAs are VERY demanding and leave little time for other interests. Possible minors but dual majors are VERY challenging. Add to the list that the second major would be a difficult one like math and it further complicates things. Yes it’s possible but very hard to manage.

BA programs are far more flexible and there are good ones out there. He’ll be an interesting candidate as he’ll appear quite atypical than the average math student. Finding a school with a good acting BA and math department may be a challenge (or not - don’t know). Yale would be awesome but it’s Yale. You need far more realistic options. Perhaps someone with knowledge of students who do both can provide some suggestions.

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If open to a BA and outside the location parameters, Northwestern would also be worth exploring.

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It is almost impossible to do a BFA acting and a second degree, the only place it may be possible is Northwestern. If he is interested in an intensive, audition based BA then Fordham has a good program but he will be traveling between campuses for the acting and math programs. I do beleive that some people double major at NYU but it is very difficult, their acting requirements are 72 credits. Most BFA programs have classwork that is even more intense.

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Unweighted GPA? Cost constraints (as the parent, that is the big item on your list to do)? How advanced in math at high school graduation?

BFA + another major would be difficult to do, because of the volume of course work in a BFA program. However, two BA/BS majors are much more doable, and not just at super-selective colleges like Yale, Northwestern, or MIT. For likely or safety colleges, would the state universities in your state of residency be suitable?

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Look at Carnegie Mellon U.

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His ideas could certainly change by 2026 too. My DD’19 changed a lot by senior year. But when she started college she still had the idea of a theater double major. To fit in a Theatre BA + another major, she needed to her schedule to work out perfectly and only had room for required courses- even coming in with 22 DE credits towards her gen eds.

After first semester she decided to drop to a Theatre minor, after first year decided to take only theatre classes that interested her. Rehearsals and shop took up a LOT of time!

All that to say, if he stays on this plan, check course catalogs carefully to see what’s even possible, schedule carefully to begin with, and he can always back off later.

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Not possible to do a bfa and another major at Carnegie Mellon, extremely intensive bfa program (and one of the most competitive in the country)

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Hello @Ltkruger! (sorry @bjscheel I accidentally replied to your post rather than the OP)

You mention that your son will be a freshman in college fall 2026. That means that he is currently a freshman in high school, correct?

If that is the case, a lot can change in terms of what he wants between now and junior/senior year. If your son still wants to pursue this double major/dual degree option once he is a junior, a consultation with an independent college counselor who has knowledge of auditioned college theatre programs and a wide range of academic schools like @soozievt or with one of the performings arts college coaching organizations might be helpful in crafting a list of schools that would allow for this double major/dual degree.

Gathering information about the landscape now is a great place to start –

You may find the Theatre and Drama majors – Theater/Drama Majors - College Confidential Forums – and the Musical Theatre majors – Musical Theater Major - College Confidential Forums – forums great places to go through older threads to see what schools have been mentioned as double major “friendly”

I am not sure if @skieurope or another moderator might think it useful to move this thread to the Theatre and Drama majors forum?

In terms of some of the schools mentioned above, most are either highly competitive artistic admits and/or academic admits. Many are not BFA programs.

Yale is a BA program (The Yale Drama School is the graduate school). It is possible to be actively involved in theatre and another major. The undergraduate Theatre major at Yale is a BA in Theatre and Performance Studies. I believe that it is possible to double major at Yale.

Tufts is also a BA program with a major in Theatre and Performance Studies. I believe it is possible to double major at Tufts.

Northwestern is also a BA program, but students have the option to focus in Acting (as well as other areas), so it is a BA program that may share similar attributes with BFA programs in terms of training opportunities. It appears that it is possible to double major across schools at Northwestern with careful planning.

Fordham is another BA program that shares similar attributes with BFA programs in terms of training opportunities.

NYU is a BFA program. I know a number of people who have successfully completed a double major at NYU with careful planning. All of the students I know who have done this started college with AP, IB, or dual enrollment credit.

Carnegie Mellon does offer a dual degree option across the College of Fine Arts and Mellon College of Sciences – BSA Program - BXA Intercollege Degree Programs - Carnegie Mellon University – However, it appears that “Acting” is not one of the concentration options in the School of Drama.

As others have mentioned a double major (BA Theatre/ BA Math) or dual degree with a BA (BA Theatre/BS Math) is likely more doable than a dual degree with a BFA (BFA Acting/BS or BA Math).

I believe that a dual degree is possible at University of Michigan between the Theatre program in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and Math in the College of Literature, Science, and Art – Dual Degrees - University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance – UMich is a competitive artistic and academic admit.

I teach at James Madison University in VA which is an auditioned BA in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. We have had students double major and/or dual degree with Math, Chemistry, Health Sciences, Economics, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, etc… About The JMU Theatre Program - JMU – JMU is a selective academic and artistic (Theatre) admit, but less than many of the schools listed above.

What is possible at each college/university and with which degrees will vary at each institution. Looking at catalogs and websites is a great start. Also, talking with faculty, current students, and recent alumni. Sometimes what seems possible on paper may be more difficult to accomplish because of class conflicts, program culture, etc…

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I am confused. Per the OP, son will be a freshman in college in the fall of 2026? How does he already have an ACT and GPA?

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If you are willing to go outside your stated geography, you might want to seriously consider the University of Minnesota. They offer both an audition-only acting BFA in conjunction with the prestigious Guthrie Theater, and a non-audition BA in Theater. UMN’s math department is also excellent. I know of a student who is double-majoring in the BFA Guthrie program along with a B.S. in a STEM field. But this student came in with extensive dual-enrollment credits (perhaps as many as 2 years of college credits…)

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This is a good point. As many posters have mentioned, BFAs are demanding, so if one wants to double major it might require more than 4 years of undergrad.

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The real issue is why? If your son is interested in acting professionally then he should get a BFA, if he just wants to be part of a community of actors and enjoy it isn college he should go somewhere for a math degree that has a strong theater program and enjoy it on the side. My S is getting a BFA acting and it is a full course load plus many hours outside of the classroom rehearsing, working out and yes, even for acting, singing and dancing.

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His unweighted gpa is 4.0

We heard BFA, but honestly I am just trying to understand it all. His first love is acting, second math.

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He already took ACT and his current GPA at the beginning of his junior year is 4.6
He will have an associates degree in science from the local community college by the end of summer.

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So, he will graduate next spring, '24? Is he planning on a gap year and starting college in '26 or was that an error in the original post? (If so, I can edit it for you).

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He will be through Calc 3 and another advanced Calculus class by graduation.

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An error - he graduates spring 2026