<p>Let me preface my question with:this is in NO WAY to insult the MANY academic scholars that are also MT majors. I know how brilliant, intelligent, AND talented the MT community is...I am in awe. Now, to be practical. My D is a sophomore in HS and only wants to consider MT as a major. She's def a stand out around here, is getting top notch conservatory training, dancing, and acting. She understands about being a BIG FISH in a small pond. This summer she is attending a top quality performing arts camp...where she can probably assess herself once she gets around all the "Big Fish" from all over the world. She is also top academically in her class taking the most challenging courses she can find (honors & AP). She currently has a 4.3 GPA and is really strong in science, math, and english. I can't remember her PSAT score, but started getting letters and e-mails from top schools congratulating her on her scoresand sending apps to their summer programs. I want to support her in her dreams in everyway, but I want to make sure she can support herself if she concentrates solely on MT. I'm curious how many other parents are in this position. I don't want her to have any regrets that she didn't "go for it".
How different is this from little boys thinking they are going to be professional athletes? Also, how much do academics matter to MT schools? I am so new to this. Any feedback is so appreciated.</p>
<p>Wow...lots of questions....My d is not in your position, nor is she applying for MT, but is in a similar position in another area.....</p>
<p>Concentrate on top schools that also have drama, MT, theatre etc....The ones that come to mind are Yale, Northwestern and USC for examples, but I believe there are alot more....UMich as well....In those cases, her strength in other areas will be able to be explored at the same time.....</p>
<p>As a sophomore in HS, she may also not realize that she can thoroughly explore performance without necessarily majoring in it...there are some very successful actresses who have majored in other areas rather than theatre......Hope this helps!!</p>
<p>There is another poster, I think soozieVT who may be very helpful to you as you go through this process...Look on the Syracuse MT thread for many of her posts.....</p>
<p>There are all sorts of kids who go into MT. From my personal experience, I know a LOT of ACADEMICALLY talented students who have chosen to go into MT. They are high achievers scholastically. My own daughter, in fact, fits this description. The salutatorian of her class entered the BFA in MT at Emerson (though has switched out of the BFA subsequently). I know a whole lot of academically talented students who are now attending (or who have graduated) well known BFA in MT programs, and I know some other top talented MT performers who have chosen a BA path at schools like Northwestern, Yale, Brown, and so forth. </p>
<p>As a parent, I have NO qualms at all about my child pursuing MT. We never even discussed it because this had been her life and we knew she was going on with it in college. We are happy about it because this is where her passion and talents lie, even if she is an excellent academic student who could do other things. We fully support this choice. As a matter of fact, I truly am confident that my D will have a career of some sort or another in the field of performing arts. She has skills as a performer but also in other aspects of the field. I do believe she'll get work. For those who define success narrowly as "to be on Broadway," well then, the odds are not good. But I know my D will have a college education and degree that will bode well in her future no matter what she does (and you can go into anything not related to your major....happens all the time), but I do think she will work in some capacity in the arts. Lots of very bright kids are in these BFA programs. I don't see it as "lesser" than having gone for an academic type major. We are behind this path all the way and I can't imagine her having chosen any other path, even though she is academically talented. </p>
<p>As far as how much academics matter to MT schools......they matter. However, every college has different levels of selectivity and so some of the BFA in MT programs are within colleges and universities that are not too competitive academically speaking (even though the BFA part is very hard to get into). The academic bar to get in at some of the BFA schools is not too high, in other words, due to the "level" of that college. Even at those schools, however, when they can take so few into the BFA, sometimes having a strong academic record could make the difference between some artistically talented candidates. After all, these students are still applying to college and the colleges want to know they can handle the work of college. </p>
<p>That said, some students, like my own kid, who are academically strong students, may wish to seek BFA programs that are in more academically selective and challenging university settings. For instance, NYU itself (without the BFA component) is a school that accepts approx. 28% of applicants and so it is pretty selective and the academic standards to get in are higher than at some other BFA colleges. As well, for Tisch, 50% of the admissions decision is based on academics which is not necessarily the case at many other BFA programs. Since my D preferred a more challenging and selective academic environment, she preferred NYU and UMich over some other BFA programs (though she liked those too) for this reason. Your child may care about the level of academic challenge and if pursuing a BFA, may wish to look at those in more academically selective universities...such as NYU, UMich, UMiami, Elon, and so forth. Or she may wish to pursue theater/MT in a BA school such as Northwestern, Yale, Brown, or others of that sort.</p>
<p>EDIT, cross posted with rodney.</p>
<p>SRluvsMT,</p>
<p>I am a senior going through the MT college audition process, and I'm quite similar to your daughter. I'm also quite bright and have a very strong performing arts background. Like your daughter, I had the choice to pursue either academics or MT. I chose to pursue MT. We only live once, and I felt it was important for me to follow my dreams now so I will never have any regrets. </p>
<p>Being academically talented along with having a talent in the performing arts is GREAT. A lot of schools for MT aren't necessarily top academically. This means that your D could get hefty academic scholarships to schools to study MT. There are a lot of perks to being a academically talented MT student. Also, a lot of schools can accept you academically (with scholarship), but reject you for MT (this has happened to me A LOT). This could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.</p>
<p>The way I like to think is that if I pursue a career in the performing arts for 10 years and then decide to call it quits, I'm academically talented enough to go back to graduate school and pursue something completely different. I feel your D is probably in the same boat.</p>
<p>Academic importance varies at MT schools, and each schools views them differently. It seems like kids who want to do MT are a lot like professional athletes. However, there are so many different outlets to explore in the arts that I personally think it's easier to have a professional performing arts career than a career in professional athletics.</p>
<p>Hope I could help!</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't want her to have any regrets that she didn't "go for it".
[/quote]
This says it all. What if she completes a MT program & can't get meaningful work for years? She can go back to school for something else. Maybe she'd start career #2 at age 30. It still sounds pretty young from where I'm sitting!</p>
<p>It's exactly like sports dreams. But as long as our little jocks & performers have not dropped the ball on their academics, they will be in good shape for a second chance if needed. Or they can find related careers that keep their interests alive without being in the spotlight.</p>
<p>What a wealth of information you all are. I hope I didn't give the impression that I am the only one with a MT talented child and strong academics...I know this all too well from years in community theatre. MT has been her love and her life since she was 5 and in "Chicken Little". Thank you all for your perspective, it is truly appreciated. I'm afraid I'll have so many questions as we start this adventure. I want to enjoy this special time with her. Best wishes to all.</p>
<p>My d has done well--3.6 GPA, 2100 SAT, AP, Honors,etc. Could not see denying her the chance to go for that thing that ignites her, MT. Every successful person I know has a passion for what they do and you cannot allow them to ignore that passion. True, employment may be spotty and they may change careers down the road, but I would never want her to look at me years later and ask what might have been.</p>
<p>Forgive me if this is blunt, but whose life is it anyway? :) I had several friends who wanted to major in the arts or journalism in college whose parents refused to pay for college if they persisted in these "unrealistic notions." They were/still are the most unhappy people I knew. Their lives are filled with "If only I could have at least tried to be a musician, then I would have known if I was good enough. Now I will never know."
I simply cannot imagine telling my D (who, like many MT kids, is also a straight A student and "good at school") that she cannot pursue the study of what she loves. It's not my life to live. It's hers. The way I see it, as parents, it's our job not to choose our kids' path in life, but to do our best to give them the tools/compass they need to navigate that path and reach their destination.</p>
<p>It was my D who chose to come down this path. Did it take some adjusting on my part? Absolutely! However, I am also a firm believer of avoiding "I wish I would have...", and so we support her 100%. When you start looking at things a bit, there are many, many jobs in this field, unless of course you limit yourself to "performing on Broadway" :). Whenever at our family gathering a discussion comes up about who truly loves their job, my D will say "I know I will :D".</p>
<p>NMR, I completely agree. WE never even discussed whether she'd apply to BFA in MT programs or did any adjusting to the idea or anything of the sort. We have known a long time that our younger child would go into MT (no discussion....SHE knew, therefore, we knew!) What our kids wanted to major in and where they wanted to go to college was (and still is) totally up to them and we are here for the ride and support whatever they choose (let alone pay for it, LOL). I truly do not care what my kids major in or where they go to college. I could not be more thrilled that my kids are pursuing what they love, have had the great fortune to have many acceptances including a first choice, and absolutely are having the bestest time at college and making the most of it. What more could a parent want?? Everything else will follow.</p>
<p>Here is a true story. Several years ago I knew a guy whose high school senior lived for his rock band. His band had the typical local community "gigs" - no recognition. His father came to me very upset that his son didn't want to go to college and wanted to pursue his band. I agreed with him about the odds of success. I also pointed out that his heart wouldn't be anywhere else until he got this out of his system and who knows.</p>
<p>Shortly after going to Los Angeles his band signed with an agent and soon after one of their songs was in the Top 10. Last I heard the kid had his own recording studio and was producing.</p>
<p>Great story, MOAP! Just goes to show, someone has to "make it," right? I also want to point out that, at least in my opinion, college is about way, way more than just "job training." It's about meeting new people, having new experiences, being exposed to new (and often uncomfortable) things and learning to adjust. It's about being challenged and growing up. Yes, what they study is important, but it's not the only thing. I was, for instance, an English major -- a major so impractical that a song in the Tony winning musical, Avenue Q, is dedicated to it. Yet I have never (uh, I am superstitous about saying this! :)) had trouble finding employment that put the skills I learned as an English major to work.</p>
<p>I agree with NMR. My parents have never questioned what I wanted to do. I would consider myself rather academic as my SAT score was a 2200 (after 3 tries) and my GPA is a 4.9. There is so much more to me beyond all of that and my love for musical theater is a passion that I have to pursue. My mother has always said to follow your dreams and to live life as if every day was your last. I have always tried to do just that. Pursuing MT is part of the master plan for me! Gotta do it!</p>
<p>I think musical theater programs and acting programs are brimming with smart kids. No, not every single one of them has a sterling academic record, though many do. But these kids are smart.</p>
<p>That's a great story, MomofAPrincess.</p>
<p>It does differ somewhat from what we are talking about insofar as going to college and majoring in the arts. If you major in the arts, you still obtain a college degree and with a college degree, you have a better chance of gaining meaningful employment, generally speaking. People get so tied to what the major is in but the fact of the matter is, adults hold jobs that are not necessarily connected to their college major. But the job did require a degree. Many also believe that a degree in the arts is actually welcomed in other fields. </p>
<p>So, there is the issue like your example, of not going to college at all and making it. There are many who have that happen.</p>
<p>Then there is the issue of which major and my belief is that the major is not the end all and be all as to what you can do when you graduate. A college degree can take you places.</p>
<p>My D has loved performing all her life and "thinks " she wants to major in MT. This is quite different than some of the others here that seem to "know"! She loves all her AP academic courses, english, creative writing, and is enthralled with biology etc.. She also loves the idea of law..(our Mock trial team is great) and International Relations as a major! She has applied to several MT Programs, got into Tisch, but has also applied to strong academic schools in other majors and has gotten in. So now.....she doesn't know for sure! So will a BFA program give her enough of a base to go on to law school possibly.</p>
<p>This thread has been helpful! Thanks!</p>
<p>The best actors I've had the privilege of working with are extremely intelligent. In fact, I've never met a successful actor/actress who didn't have serious intellectual curiosity and serious discipline. The same things that make many students, good students.</p>
<p>But please, please, please remember. The VAST MAJORITY of college graduates never work in their chosen major. This is true of all majors. College is not about job training, it is about becoming a life long learner who has developed advanced skills in critical thinking, communication, etc. Also please remember that statistics show students will change majors at least two times in their college career. </p>
<p>If what she wants to do is go to school for MT, she will most likely get great lessons in being a confident self starter, who has business savvy and the ability to sell oneself. These skills will last a lifetime and be valuable in any field.</p>
<p>I can't think of a business harder than theatre. If someone is prepared to work there, they are prepared to work anywhere.</p>
<p>Good luck, take heart, it sounds like you have a great kid.</p>
<p>And yes, I've had several students who took the LSAT and did well enough to get into top Law Schools. It seems to have prepared them for the rigors of another really difficult field.</p>
<p>Megnut- we have heard many times - if you can see yourself doing something else, DO IT. MT is difficult and takes passion, talent and PERSERVERENCE. ( personal disclaimer - my D has switched to VP but still wishes to work at MT in the future)</p>
<p>As with the OP, my D fits this bill of academically gifted student. We, as parents, justified MT several ways:
1. It's her life
and
2. SHe is not going to lose her intellectual curiosity which made her a star student to begin with. With that in mind, why not study deeply what you love? </p>
<p>Good luck!
MikksMom</p>
<p>From the Student's Perspective:</p>
<p>My parents had a very hard time making the decision to let me continue in Theatre in college. They know it's the only thing I really love to do, but they want me to have a stable career. They were very insistent that I study something more "practical" as well if Theatre was what I chose. My options were either to find a great BA in Theatre with a concentration in MT that would allow me to study other topics or audition for BFAs at schools that would give me large enough academic scholarships so that it would be financially feasible to go to school for more time to get a double major. I know there are other more flexible options available because there's a student on another board I know of who is getting a BM in vocal Music Performance and a BA in Theatre but that kind of situation is rare. Fortunately, I got in to Northwestern ED this year, so my fate's been sealed for quite a while. They have a MT certificate program that I can audition for after freshman or sophomore year. I had to make the personal decision when I applied that I would be okay not getting into the program at that point. My parents still aren't 100% behind me, but I know I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't persue Theatre. I'm definately not advising that parents put the kind of stipulation that mine have on their child's education, however it worked out well for me. I haven't gotten a lot of training in MT despite my passion for it because I wasn't able to start unitl high school and I've been so focused on academics, so for me the fact that I didn't have to audition to get in was a big relief. I'm excited to finally be able to focus on Theatre and see where it takes me. If for some reason it doesn't work out, I'll have my parent's back-up plan.</p>