<p>Temple recently made our radar as a contender for a solid non-audition BA to add to my daughter's mix of audition BFA Acting programs.</p>
<p>Can anybody tell me about their BA Acting program? The facilities? The opportunities? The campus? The student body? The surrounding area? The safety of campus? The reputation? How about merit aid for high stats kids? Everything I've learned on their website is very encouraging (except for mediocre merit aid). Most importantly, what are the negatives?</p>
<p>NOTE: DD prefers a larger university in/near a theatre town that has strong academics. She has eliminated small LACs as well as anything west of the Mississippi. Indiana is an option, but not close enough to a theatre town. Minnesota fits the bill, but the BA program may be overshadowed by the BFA. Temple seems to fit the bill!</p>
<p>While my daughter does not attend Temple, it was a solid contender because of the strength of its program and the merit aid she was offered. The merit award she was offered would have made her tuition the same as an in-state student. One thing I have heard about Temple is that housing is in short supply so being accepted into the Honors program is a big plus because there is special housing. Or you have to put in your housing deposit early.</p>
<p>And Philly is a fantastic city with a lot of theater.</p>
<p>That’s fantastic news. I think DD would want to apply for the Honors College. Also, I heard that they are currently building a new dorm which will open Fall 2013. (Don’t quote me on that!) Do you know how kids would get to/from NYC for weekend adventures?</p>
<p>While my daughter obtained her BFA in MT from another school in Philadelphia, my wife and son attended Temple undergrad (not theatre majors), he currently attends Temple Law School (as did my wife and I) and we work 15 minutes driving from Temple’s main campus. I offer all of that as the basis for my comments.</p>
<p>Temple’s theatre program has a strong reputation in the Philadelphia region and beyond. While its MFA programs in acting and directing have a national reputation, its BA program offers excellent training and opportunities. A couple of years ago, the undergrad theatre department mounted a production involving the experiences of war veterans that got picked up and taken to NYC with the student cast. While the BA program is non-audition, instructor/department permission is required to take advanced acting studio classes after the sophomore year.</p>
<p>Liberals arts opportunities are excellent and form a large segment of the curriculum for theatre students. The honors program attracts students who are as strong academically as you would find at any top shelf LAC but who have elected to attend Temple for financial or other reasons. The student body is a real mixed bag from a broad variety of socioeconomic backgrounds with lots of cultural, racial and religious diversity. There are students who come in straight from high school, older students who are returning to school after being in the work force, full time college students and part time students who are holding down jobs and getting a college education part time. There is a real mix of students who live in on campus housing, off campus housing and who commute.</p>
<p>While the areas surrounding the campus historically have been economically depressed, there has been a lot of development over the last 10 years. The campus has expanded greatly, has a load of park like spaces and plazas for a “city campus” and is generally a safe place for students provided some normal common sense is used. There are still areas off campus that students should avoid but those areas have become further out as development has continued. We know many families with male and female students that have lived on campus and in off campus housing without ever experiencing any problems over the 4 years they were there. If common sense is used - i.e don’t go wandering through some of the surrounding neighborhoods at 2 a.m., don’t walk alone in unlit areas at night, don’t seek out housing beyond the developed areas that are really dedicated to off campus student housing, lock your door, etc, the likelihood of being a victim of crime is no greater than any other city.</p>
<p>Access to center city Philly is about 10 minutes by public transportation. Getting to NYC is easy too. Take a short local train ride into center city Philly, jump on a train to NYC or grab a bus, depending on your budget.</p>
<p>Lots of people on these boards have happily had Temple as a likely/BA backup, although I’m not sure we’ve had any regulars attend there. Wonderful things are said about it and Philadelphia, and I would bet it would fit your D’s needs very well and be a good addition to her list.</p>
<p>Since we are from the Midwest and have reciprocal in-state tuition in Minn, my D had UMinn’s BA as a similar BA backup. Her criteria for admission were extremely similar to yours - academics, location, etc. We researched the school extensively and visited, saw a BA and a BFA production, and talked at length with a recent BA grad whom we know well. </p>
<p>UMinn stands out in that the BFA and BA programs are entirely separate - different departments, different profs, different productions. There is some collaboration (the BFA play we saw did have a couple of BA students in small roles), but we are firmly convinced that a BA experience there is by no means overshadowed nor limited because of the BFA program. To be honest, my D preferred their BA program and had little interest in the BFA. The BA at Minn was on her list until the very end. She was fortunate to be accepted into a BFA near NYC that offered her enough merit aid to make the costs equivalent; otherwise she would likely be at Minn today.</p>
<p>We live in Philadelphia and until recently did not have much interaction with Temple (we went to Penn) except occasional visits to WRTI (the local NPR classical music station affiliate is run by Temple) and the Esther Boyer School (our kids were involved with Temple Music Prep when younger.) </p>
<p>Last year D2 transferred to Tyler School of Art (which is across the street from Temple’s theater department buildings.) She is commuting by car and has many friends living nearby and on campus. I would concur with what MichaelNKat says below about safety. My daughter often leaves her studio in the wee hours-- the campus is well-lit and patrolled by safety officers. She absolutely loves Temple.</p>
<p>As for our experiences with Temple theater: D4, who is the theater kid, won a playwriting competition last year, when she was in 12th grade. Her play was performed at Temple’s mainstage theater, directed by a Temple faculty director. The actors were Temple undergrads. My daughter went to most rehearsals and had an intimate glimpse into the program and also talked to the acting majors extensively. Our overall impression was very positive. The physical condition of the theater classrooms is a bit run-down; not so the performance spaces. </p>
<p>Because we are in-state, Temple was the perfect non-audition safety for my daughter. She applied in October and was accepted soon after with an attractive scholarship. Later, she also auditioned for and received another theater scholarship. Her main reasons for not choosing Temple (which would have been the best school for her financially) were that 1) it was a high priority for her to leave Philadelphia; and 2) she wanted to double-major in playwrighting, and after meeting with the playwrighting faculty it was clear that she would not be able, as an undergrad, to study playwrighting in the focused way she was looking for – most of their classes are only open to MFA students. </p>
<p>Having this early acceptance to Temple made the year much easier for her. She was also able to limit the number of college applications in general because she could eliminate any school that was less attractive to her than Temple. If she had gone to Temple, I think she would be happy and satisfied. I also spoke to numerous theater professionals who had only good things to say about Temple’s program.</p>
<p>[EDIT] One more thing: Temple gives excellent merit aid to high-stat kids. But get the application in early, as the money seems to go out on a first-come first-served basis.</p>
<p>My son chose not to apply to Temple for a variety of reasons, but I still think it is an attractive school for many students. It offers a very solid liberal arts curriculum, for those who want more than theater training, at a competitive price. It is technically a public university, and so its price-tag is attractive even for out-of-staters. I understand that, unlike many state colleges, it is also quite generous with merit scholarships for out-of-state students. Temple also offers more traditional diversions, like Division I football and basketball, which are not available at other places that artistic students might consider. Philly is a wonderful, affordable, accessible city.</p>
<p>Thank you, everyone, for sharing your knowledge of Temple and Philly. Temple may find a place not just as a “safety BA” but as a contender for one of my daughter’s top destination schools! And I agree, glassharmonica, that an early acceptance from a fine (and affordable!) program would put an entirely different spin on auditions. One thing I also love is that with her AP credits and some summer classes she may even be able to pull off a double major! (Granted, that is not even remotely on her radar right now; only on mine!)</p>
<p>I think many (certainly not all) urban schools draw a mixed-age crowd just because of the proximity to business. I once heard that the average age at Columbia College Chicago is 26!</p>