So I decided to pursue a BFA for Acting (Drama) – non MT – and I’m not sure what colleges I should look into. Although I would LOVE to go to an NYU or USC, I don’t think I would get in. I have about a 3.8 weighted and a 3.6 unweighted gpa (I have taken multiple honors and AP courses, and will be taking 3 APs to finish my senior year). For extra-curricular, I am president of my choir council, treasurer on my Tri-M music honors society executive board, and have been in every (but one) theatre production of my HS since Freshman year. I do NOT think I will be submitting an SAT - purely because I only took it once and it was an atrocious score, and because of COVID all retakes in my area are canceled.
I only explained my background to give you and idea. I am basically blind when it comes to drama programs in colleges. I would prefer a known school, but to be honest any school with great connections in the field would make me happy. Any idea of schools I could apply/audition for? Rutgers Mason-Gross is the only definite on my list. Thanks
Also for some reason this posted in the “MT Major Thread”, so please don’t think I purposely said I would not be pursuing MT but posted in it anyway :(((((
You should post in the Theatre/Drama section. But the real question is, what are you looking for in a college theater program? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Do you want an intense conservatory program with 20+hours a week of acting training and very few if any academic classes? Or do you want a BA program with a mixture of acting classes and academic classes and possibly a chance to double major? Do you want strong academics, or easy academic classes and possibly more merit scholarship money?
Do you prefer a small school, or a large university? Do you want to be involved with Greek life, clubs, sports, etc., or is that not a priority? Do you want an urban school in a city, or do you want a traditional college campus?
How about location? Do you want to be close to home, or far away? Do you like the East Coast, the Midwest, the South, the West Coast? Do you want to be in a city, a small college town, or a rural environment?
Any preference as to training? Do you love Shakespeare, or are you focused on film and TV? Do you want to make industry connections in school and audition while in school, or are you more interested in rigorous training in your craft? Is study abroad important to you, or not?
These are just a few of the questions you need to ask to start narrowing down what colleges to apply to.
But again, check out the Theatre/Drama board - there are lots of threads about how to make your list.
In addition to the great questions above, there’s a tier of schools where academics matter (mostly in that they could keep you out) but any school with an audition, the audition takes primary weight over other considerations, including previous experience, training etc. So I’d focus on the type of training that will be right for your goals and interests and build a balanced list, and on finding audition material that speaks to you. All the schools you’ve named so far are extremely competitive. Check the previous year’s acting venting and final decision threads to see more than might suit you.
Agree with the above, and I think that the schools that DO require ‘academic acceptance’ first, you can find that by reading up on their BFA admissions website info (for example, I think USC is one).
@millerm573 My D just started at Rutgers Mason Gross for Lighting Design (classes started today, in fact), so I’m glad to see it on your list! Great program.
