Hi everyone. I’m currently a high school senior living in Texas, and I’m looking to major in musical theatre next year in college. I’ve applied to my top schools in LA and NY (including UCLA, USC, AMDA, etc.). I have the grades and test scores to get into these colleges, but my parents don’t want me to go out of state (for several reasons, including health problems in the family that I’d need to stay close for in case they progress). Ultimately, we agreed that they’d help pay for my tuition if I stayed in-state my freshman year of college and then transferred somewhere else the next year.
With that being said- do you think that this plan is reasonable and achievable? It has always been a big goal of mine to attend one of these colleges in LA or NY, and I’m willing to put the work in to get there. How common is it for people to enroll at a university with plans to leave the next year?
Second, I was wondering what peoples’ opinion on the general reputation of these Texas schools are (even if you don’t know much, anything you’ve heard about them would be greatly appreciated):
UT Austin: To be honest, I visited the campus, and it didn’t feel like the best fit (don't get me wrong- it was still nice). Plus, they just cut their performing arts budget and got rid of their musical theatre degree. I could still take classes there that transfer to another college though. Everyone tells me that I should go to UT because it has a good reputation. I don't think that I'd necessarily be unhappy there, and I know it's a great college, but it just doesn't feel "right," you know? But then again, Austin is a pretty big city with some good opportunities.
Texas State University: This would be my #1 Texas school choice. They have such an amazing MT program with lots of alumni on Broadway and in the film industry. As soon as I set foot on campus, I felt immediately at home. However, I know it has kind of a bad reputation for being a party school and having students with lower GPA's. One of my teachers told me that I "could do so much better" and that I should go to a school with a better reputation, but I really liked Texas State.
This question is kind of a mess but any advice would be greatly appreciated from anyone. Thank you!!!
Well Scrappy, I think you’ve already answered your own question. You’ve also found out that ignorant people offer ignorant answers. Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up, beginning with the “Party School” thing. Do some research. Google the Playboy and Princeton Review “party school” ranking for the last, say, 30 years. Note which Texas university is consistently listed in the top 10: Hint, it’s not the one in San Marcos, it’s that school in Austin with the “great reputation.” Texas State’s reputation as a party school is a legacy of the 1970s when it was a small commuter school. It has evolved significantly since then. If someone tells you that you can do better, ask for specifics, and justification.
Secondly, “great reputation” is a sweeping generalization that can trap you. If you’re talking overall academics, then Rice is the top school in Texas–it compares favorable with Vanderbilt, Stanford and the Ivy League schools. But you’re interested in performing arts, so you’d be wise to prefer Juilliard over any of them, even though, broadly speaking, those other universities have better reputations. But Juilliard has a much stronger reputation specifically in performing arts, which is the only thing of relevance to you. Focus on what matters.
There are a number of disciplines at Texas State ranked among the best in the nation, and Musical Theatre is one of them. So much so that the question isn’t “Should you go there?” but rather “Can you get in?” The program, although based at a public university, is run as if it is a conservatory. You have to audition to win admission, and the competition is fierce. Those program alumni you noted with Hollywood and Broadway careers? That’s not an accident. Don’t take my word for it: https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20170212/Kaitlin-Hopkins-takes-Texas-State-to-the-top-in-musical-theater
Finally, don’t go anywhere that doesn’t offer the kind of degree you want. You’ll be wasting their time as well as your own. It’s easy to say you’ll just attend for a year or two then transfer out, but if that’s your plan, go the juco route. There are community colleges with reputable theatre programs, and the cost will be less of a burden.
Musical theatre is a specialized area that is highly competitive. Look at some of the musical theatre threads on College Confidential to get a flavor of the difficulty to get into these programs. It is harder for females than males. If you can get into Texas State musical theatre, go for it. Rice is known for its general academic rigor and selectivity, but musical theatre is not one of its hallmarks. You should not enter a school with a plan to transfer. Entry into the musical theatre slots will be even more difficult as a sophomore transfer. Here is one thread and there are many more of this type on CC. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/2107383-more-data-on-musical-theatre-acceptances-applications-etc.html
I will also add that “just transferring after a year” is not as easy as it sounds. Many selective programs have transfer course sheets that have minimums that must be complete before your application would even be considered for transfer and they vary by college/university and by department.
I see a plethora of students on CC for Texas colleges who went Community College with no plan in mind in the courses they have taken and now wanting to transfer to a competitive school/major and for many, it just won’t happen because the courses they have taken do not satisfy any of the requirements towards a degree plan at the institution where they would like to transfer.
If your guidance counselor thinks you could do better than one of the top programs in the country, then I seriously doubt his/her judgement, especially if he/she is advising that a school without your degree would be a better choice because it is one of the state flagships.
@youngscrappyandalwayshungry transferring into a Musical Theatre program is possible, but make sure that your family is aware that many schools will have the student track through the program starting from the beginning, so it could take 4 years to complete the degree at the transfer school (for a total of 5 years).
If your parents will consider you going to a college out of state, but a little closer to home, there are also programs in OK, LA, AR.
Instead of focusing in transferring after a year you may want to focus on schools in (and close to) Texas where you can study musical theatre with the intention of staying for 4 years.
In terms of advice from teachers (and others) there are many highly selective Musical Theatre programs at schools that may be a little less academically selective. So, feedback from people not familiar with the Musical Theatre admissions process may not be super helpful or on point.
Finally, you may want to consider a gap year if your parents are willing for you to go out of state after a year. Musical Theatre admissions and scholarship opportunities are often the best for those applying as freshmen. If you have already attended school for a year (or even a semester at some schools) you will be considered a transfer student for admissions and scholarships, even if you are required to start as a freshman in the program.
I’ve heard very similar things…Texas State has one of the top musical theatre programs, but the academics of the school may not be up to par. But is it another rumor?? I dismiss the tag of party school because any where you go will have partier vs non partiers. UT and Texas STate are my daughter’s top choices too (not for theatre), and so far, I have to say that Texas State has been impressive in recruitment and their merit based scholarships. They really seem dedicated to attract high performing students where as UT, no scholarships or recruitment. The dean’s we have encountered At Texas state also seem very in tune with their students. Austin seems to have a better market for all things acting so the 2 schools are so close to each other, if you’re focused on acfing, you can’t go wrong. UT does also have the UTLA semester program too. Anyone that can chime in on academics at Texas state!? Maybe they are trying to turn a leaf with their merit based aid???
Texas State will never be on par with UT when you compare academics. UT is the flagship school of Texas while Texas State is a regional university. Having said this Texas State has one of the best musical theatre programs in the country. There is fierce competition for the 22 spots open every year. You have to audition for those spots and you have to be dam good to get a spot. UT musical theatre dept is not on the same level as Texas State. UT certainly has the better academics so it really boils down to what she wants to study. My son was a good but not great student and has enjoyed his senior year at Texas State.
My daughter is an MT major at TCU. It’s a fantastic program if it’s what you are looking for. It’s really all about program/school fit. This is a very specialized major and you can’t really take anyone’s general advice about schools unless they know this major. Texas State gets about 1500 auditioned applicants for about 15 spots. Similar numbers for other top schools. Most females (especially Caucasian) audition/apply for 15-20 programs due to the fact that it is the most common “type” and they want diversity in their program. Head on over to the MT major page and read (for several hours!) for more info. If you want to know the pros/cons of the TCU MT program, feel free to PM me. There are no real cons, but if any school doesn’t fit your expectations, you won’t be happy. TCU gets about 800 applicants and takes about 12-15 per class each year. Lots of outside performing opportunities, which can be really important to building your resume and helping you make the bridge between college and the professional world. “Party” school doesn’t really matter if you find your circle of friends for any school. For the industry, strong school academics/reputation don’t really matter in this industry for getting a job, but it may be important to you, or if you decide to pursue a job outside the major. Depends on your long term goals. I highly discourage transferring, for many reasons, in this major, including the ones mentioned above. UT Austin is not considered an MT school. TCU, Texas State, OCU, OU and maybe Sam Houston are schools you should look at in the region. But, go to the MT major forum here on CC for more details. Again, PM me for more specific questions. The audition pre-screen process has already started for most of these schools.