<p>Hey guys, I know this is an unusual question but I would love to hear some differing opinions on this topic.
I'm 17, about to start my senior year in high school. I have loved stand-up comedy more than anything my entire life, and I've been really getting into performing lately. I realized that I don't believe any job will make me happier than being successful with stand-up, and writing. I've spent hundreds of hours researching and learning about the business.
I am currently thinking about taking a year off after graduating high school, possibly a semester early, to move to New York City, where I can live with my grandmother for free. During this time I want to try to break into stand-up, work during the day, and try to really make this dream happen for a year.
If after a year I have nothing, I would like to get back into college for a business degree. I however am not sure if I can, because my grades aren't great, 3.2 GPA weighted in North Carolina. 1770 SAT. What's the process like after taking a year off?</p>
<p>I'm thinking that if I can do well in comedy, I shouldn't spend 4 years and a ton of money on a college degree. What do you guys think? All advice welcome. Please have reasoning behind it though.</p>
<p>Gap years are becoming more and more common. For a large variety of reasons. Some people want to pursue a passion, a business, performing. Some just want to travel and mature. Some need to earn money to afford college. You will be an interesting candidate having had that experience and I’m sure it would make a compelling essay.</p>
<p>Applying is the same process as usual. You’d want to talk to your hs about how to order transcripts. You’d want to talk to your teachers about preparing your recommendation letters and calling for them later. Otherwise I can’t think of anything different.</p>
<p>Some colleges will accept you now and allow you to defer your enrollment for a year. </p>
<p>There are literally a couple of thousand colleges that accept students with your above average stats, so I don’t know what to make of you wondering if you can get into college. It is funny that you’d want a boring college major rather than one that might hone you critical thinking skills for the thing you are interested in. </p>
<p>Interesting that a lot of funny people are well educated, but I suppose there are plenty that aren’t too (like Adam Devine, I read an interview where he says got for the big move to NY or LA) College won’t stop you from being successful. There was a thread about what colleges funny people went to but I can’t find it.</p>
<p>Amy Poehler - Boston College
John Krasinski - Brown University
Steven Colbert - Northwestern
Conan O’Brian - Harvard
Ken Jeong - Duke and UNC Med School, started as a stand up
Carter Bays - Wesleyan U, 1st job was writer on Letterman before co-creating How I Met your Mother
Mindy Kaling - Dartmouth
Matt Parker & Trey Stone - Univ of Colorado at Boulder
Mitch Hurwitz - Georgetown (Arrested Development)
Tina Fey - UVA</p>
<p>My daughter got her four year degree in MT and then decided to pursue improv and comedy once she graduated and here are my thoughts. Go to college. Comedy is an older persons profession, you need life experience and connection with your audience which you won’t have at the ripe old age of 18. My daughter is generally the youngest in every troupe she’s in and she’s 22. </p>
<p>It’s also, like so many other professions, a profession of contacts and so much occurs after shows and at bars, and you can’t even get into bars yet. My daughter tells stories of her friends sneaking her in using various methods until she turned 21 (she’s a fall baby so was under age for a while). She didn’t even realize how much she was missing while in college because she was under age. </p>
<p>What I might suggest to you is to go to college, major in theatre or comedy or screen writing or some related field and find an improv or sketch writing or stand up comedy class - either professional (most major cities have them now) or on campus. Get a start in the field this way, play to your peers, hone your skills a bit, etc. Then move into the professional world. Improv and comedy are brutal and very competitive, although they do have a great comraderie if you “fit in.” </p>
<p>So my final advice is - go to college. Oh, and your grades are not bad at all, only on CC would you be concerned with your grades. Find a school that has what you are looking for and not a standard business degree, learn some of the logistics of comedy and what it takes, you’ll be surprised just how hard it is. Good luck!</p>
<p>George Carlin was kept out of the best schools but still managed a major in Misanthropy. </p>
<p>I love the part where you’re planning to take shelter with Gran Gran in NYC, for free. That’s funny. Anyone who’s lived with an old person knows all about the corn treatments, the daily wax removal, the midnight runs for prune juice. Those digs won’t be “for free”. </p>
<p>I say take the gap year. Pursue your passion (just don’t impregnate anyone or become pregnant). Maybe you won’t break in to comedy straight away, but you can make contacts (or maybe you discover that stand-up isn’t for you), and you can always go to college later. In fact, Columbia has an undergraduate school for people like that (though with no fin aid, so keep that in mind).</p>
<p>As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that there are few times you can really be irresponsible without hurting other people or yourself. I say apply to college and get a deferment for a year. Go check it out and find your focus.</p>
<p>I suspect that much of what amtc says will ring true after your year, but you’ll know what you need to do to be successful, or you’ll realize that your talents can take you in another direction.</p>
<p>this is a really knowledgable response, thank you. I know that I can get into college but the schools I can get into aren’t amazing. I also was thinking a business major for a fall back because everyone seems to tell me art degrees and writing degrees are useless.</p>
<p>What do you think? Do you think a B.A. degree with a major in English is useless? If Stand-Up falls through, why can’t you try to write comedy? </p>
<p>@dunboyne my brother graduated with a business degree, and he tells me that people who get english majors all end up becoming substitute teachers. how accurate is this?</p>
<p>Conan O’Brien studied Literature. Funny guy. Lots of money. Lots of business leaders, journalists, politicians. Hank Paulson, former Secretary of the Treasury. It’s true that many of these “famous” people went to top schools, but an Arts degree isn’t going to kill your chances at having a good career.</p>
<p>What is your interest level in studying Business, on a scale from 1 to 5? </p>
<p>@Anon53 As someone who graduated with an English degree, I can say that not all English majors become substitute teachers. I work full time at a start up company as a web content writer. So the OP should not be discouraged by pursuing a major in the arts. Granted, it doesn’t pay as well as other fields at first, but I make a livable wage (I live in New England so rent is expensive). Personally, I think that no matter which major you choose it is all about the connections you make and the experiences you have during college that will help you find a career after graduation.</p>
<p>There does seem to be a bigger premium for “name” colleges over run-of-the-mill ones for lib arts majors, however (compared to a field like engineering).</p>
<p>Note those schools that all those listed funny people (besides Parker and Stone) went to.</p>
<p>I just think you’re too young. There is HUGE growth in maturity between the ages of 18-22 .I don’t say that as a discouragement or a put down–it’s the simple truth. Go to school and hone your brain as well as your talent. Just those few years will put new perspectives on your humor. </p>
<p>I agree with Sakacar3.
Apply for F2015, accept a spot (even if it’s not a big name school) then defer for a year.
This way you can keep your fall-back path open; not having to worry or even think about applications for F2016, which could impact pursuing your dream.</p>
<p>Well, for starters, have you looked into what clubs will allow you to try out your material being a minor? Most are 21 and over not only for the guests but for the performers as well. Do you have the life experience for this yet? It’s not enough to be funny… people need to relate to what you are saying… people who are old enough to hang out at comedy clubs. Personally, as a parent, I say it’s not a wise move. I’d encourage you to go to college and learn how to write… at a college with a great improv team.</p>
<p>That said, I suppose it’s better to give this a try while you have a place to stay and no student debt. I would encourage you to give yourself a firm deadline… one gap year, save money, don’t use and college savings that might exist for you. Apply to a few schools during that gap year. You might learn something even if it’s that you could really benefit from an education. You might realize that to really make it, you need to make your own opportunities and that will include knowledge of show production and business.</p>
<p>Again, not what I’d be encouraging if you were my kid and I highly recommend you discuss this with your family early… don’t spring it on them in May. </p>
<p>It is very hard to break into comedy, especially at age 18, and it is not likely that one year is enough time. My advice would be, as others have said, go to college and get involved in comedy through your school - improv, open mike nights, maybe even a radio show. Work on your skills and take classes. You can go to school and still try out material at open mike nights or other places on campus. You can always take a year off or pursue this after college, when you will be old enough to get into clubs. Keep your college borrowing low so you will have the money to pursue your dream when you are finished. Not against a gap year, but given what you want to do it seems better to go to school first and take the time later. Good luck!</p>
<p>Why don’t you do both? Most work and do whole tons of various EC’s while at college anyway. I guarantee that you will have plenty of time while pursuing your dream. Why not having colleg education, no matter what you are purusing. Frankly many have several minors at college that are totally unrelated to their majors. And believe it or not, those minors sometime become their proffessional career after graduation. I do not see why such a young person would limit their future and throw away whole year. My D. and most of her pre-med frineds had minors in Music, Art, Spanish, whatever, some had combo of them. </p>
<p>On the upside, living with granny in New York should provide for some new comedy material along the lines of those midnight prune juice runs and - something about waxing (what is granny waxing, exactly? her bikini line or her chinny chin chin?)</p>