Where to Apply for a Technical Theatre Major?

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>(Note: I originally posted this in the College Search/Selection forum, but realized it may be more appropriate here? I apologize if this breaks some form of CC etiquette.)</p>

<p>I'm desperately trying to find a list of reasonable schools to apply for. It seems that each school I find that I truly want to attend is unrealistic in terms of finances, and the ones that are feasible just aren't appealing to me/don't have my desired major. </p>

<p>For reference, here are my stats.
GPA: 3.610 UW, 4.000 W.
SAT: 2180, CR/M/W - 710/780/690 (CR+M = 1490)
SAT IIs: US History (700) and Math II (710)
APs: World History (4), Psychology (expecting 4 or 5), and US History (expecting anywhere from 3-5; score will really depend on my essays). Next year (senior year) I'll be taking US Government, English Literature and Composition, Statistics, and Environmental Science, and I expect 4's or 5's on those.
Class Rank: 7 of 109. </p>

<p>Freshman Year:
French I - A/A
Honors Social Studies B/B+
Biology - A/A
Geometry - A/A
Phys Ed - A/A
Honors English I - B/A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
TA'd for my Honors Chem teacher in order to get extra help in his class - P
Honors English II - B+/A
Algebra II - C+/B
Computers/Health (required to graduate) - A/A
Honors Chemistry B+/B+
AP World History - A/A</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Pre-Calculus - B/B+
AP Psychology -A/A
Dance - A/A
French II - A/B
APUSH - B+/B+
Honors English III - A-/A
Physics - B/B</p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP Literature and Composition
AP Government/Economics
AP Environmental Science
AP Statistics
French III
Photo I</p>

<p>Note that this is the most rigorous schedule my school offers. Upon graduation, I will have taken every AP my school offers aside from AP Calc. </p>

<p>Extracurriculars: I've been working/volunteering as a stage technician for the last five years with a local theatre company. My time there has included running lights, sound, spotlights, training new crew members, working as assistant stage manager/deck captain, changing sets, helping with hanging lights, setting up headset systems, etc. Since it's a nonprofit, I get community service hours here whenever I don't receive a gas stipend - I have ~1,200 hours logged. </p>

<p>I've designed lights for two shows at my high school in addition to running lights and sound for the same productions. I've taken on a role as our school's go-to technician for drama related things - no one else, including the drama teacher, understands how to operate the equipment (our school puts little focus on the arts, sadly). </p>

<p>I've held a part time job (working at a small local coffee shop) since my freshman year. So essentially, I've held two jobs for all of high school, and been working with the theatre since the seventh grade. </p>

<p>Here's the tricky part for me - my intended major is Theatre, with an emphasis in Design and Production (or) Stage Management (or) Lighting Design, depending on which school I choose. I'm having a hard time finding schools with strong tech programs as well as solid academics and decent aid. </p>

<p>As far as money goes, my father is very hot and cold as far as helping me with money. He makes quite a bit ($300k+/year). He won't give me any information or solid numbers as far as how much he is willing to contribute, and has said before he will not be contributing at all. Again, however, he seems to change his mind frequently on this...so essentially, I'm hoping to get as much merit based aid as possible, since I have no idea how much money I can put towards college. I probably won't have more than $2k or so saved up myself by the time I attend college, seeing as I do pay for nearly everything but rent. </p>

<p>So factors I'm looking for: definitely a lot of merit aid, strong technical theatre program, strong academics, co-ed. As far as size goes, I'm not picky, but I don't want an extremely small school. I'm living in California, but would love to go out of state. I'd rather not attend school in extremely hot climates (I live on the coast where it's rarely outside of 55-68 degrees). Honestly, though, I think I can handle a little discomfort for a quality college experience. I'd love to attend a school with a lot of school pride - I want to feel like I'm attending that specific college and loving its unique environment, not just going to school. Not sure if that makes sense, but hopefully I've made my point. </p>

<p>So far I'm looking at:
University of Alabama (only factor keeping me from choosing it as my #1 is location)
University of Oregon
University of Washington
Boston University (the dream, but expensive)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Cincinnati
Oregon State University
Ohio State University</p>

<p>I know this is terribly long, but I'd love to hear anyone's input.</p>

2

<p>Don’t worry about location of a school, you are only there 8 semesters and you won’t have time to do anything but theatre if the school has a strong undergrad program. </p>

<p>Be careful of undergrad programs with strong and thriving grad programs. The grad students will get the design opportunities. This isn’t absolutely true, but it is most often the case. As I look at your list you have several of those types of programs. Not to say they are bad, but you will likely not get the opportunity to design in your first three years for sure, and likely only once in the 8 semesters. </p>

<p>Please don’t let weather be the deciding factor in choosing a school.</p>

3

<p>You may have to rank what is most important for you. You say you are looking for:</p>

<p>“definitely a lot of merit aid, strong technical theatre program, strong academics, co-ed. As far as size goes, I’m not picky, but I don’t want an extremely small school. I’m living in California, but would love to go out of state. I’d rather not attend school in extremely hot climates (I live on the coast where it’s rarely outside of 55-68 degrees). Honestly, though, I think I can handle a little discomfort for a quality college experience. I’d love to attend a school with a lot of school pride - I want to feel like I’m attending that specific college and loving its unique environment, not just going to school.”</p>

<p>You may simply not be able to find such a school that meets all these criteria. You may have to decide which of these you are willing to give up. It sounds to me like you will need the merit aid, so you can’t give that up. Then what is most important–maybe the strong technical theatre program? If you can find a program that has those two, you can consider the others “bonuses”. You may not be able to find the perfect school, so be prepared to settle for the “least imperfect” school.</p>

<p>KEVP</p>

4

<p>Your academic credentials should qualify you academically almost anywhere. Do you want to focus on a particular aspect of tech, or do you have a broader interest in production? I’m curious that Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and Syracuse aren’t on your list. Although they are expensive, I think they have pretty generous scholarship programs, and are all strong academic universities. Fordham-Lincoln Center would be impossible without a merit scholarship, but they can be generous if they want a candidate. Emerson offers the opportunity to work at two of Boston’s most historic, spectacular, theaters, but they are notoriously stingy with aid. UArts, in Philadelphia, isn’t as strong academically, but owns the historic Merriam Theatre and stages a production there every year. They are a little less expensive than other conservatories, and offer merit scholarships. When looking at colleges, you should see what internships are available locally, and what sort of productions and facilities you’ll be working with.</p>

5

<p>@kjgc - I’m not letting weather affect my college decisions. The cool weather factor would be nice, but it’s definitely not a must. </p>

<p>@TheRealKEVP - I didn’t mean that each of those factors were musts - just trying to be helpful in narrowing things down. My only two must-haves are generous merit aid and a strong tech program. I do consider location, size, etc. to be bonus factors. </p>

<p>@stagemum - I haven’t decided yet, but I’d like to focus on either Stage Management or Lighting Design - ideally, both. I have zero interest in Costume or Set Design. I had looked at Carnegie Mellon (will look at Northwestern and Syracuse) but had been put off by the price tag…I’ll look into their scholarship programs. I just worry that my stats aren’t strong enough to earn me enough money. Emerson would be ideal, but again, the price tag (and notorious lack of aid). I’ll take a look at UArts as well - thank you so much for your input.</p>

6

<p>Look into the Honors program at Emerson which does require a separate application and essay but offers a large tuition scholarship for those accepted.</p>

<p>And while Fordham LC may be pricey and too small for you, the program is excellent. There are plenty of opportunities to work on main stage and studio productions. It is a BA program though so there is also a very large core curriculum which you may or may not like.</p>

7

<p>Two schools with a lower tuition than most theater schools are SUNY Purchase and UNCSA. Neither is particularly strong in academics but both are well respected in theater with strong tech components. </p>

<p>BU has a scholarship program that is directly tied to your GPA and test scores. However, they are so expensive that you will need your dad even if they make a generous offer.</p>

<p>The same is true of Carnegie, of course, but did you know that Carnegie matches good offers from competing schools. If you are interested in Carnegie, consider applying to one or two theater schools with less than stellar academics. They will make you a better offer because you would be a real asset to their program–and you might actually want to go there. It’s a win-win option.</p>

<p>Carnegie will also give weight to your strong math SATs in making a grant offer. They especially like theater kids with strong math and science abilities.</p>

<p>If all else fails, how about the University of Southern Oregon. They cost almost nothing and offer reciprocity for California residents. Although I suspect the academics are a joke, they are allied to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and you can internship with the festival as a Sophomore.</p>

8

<p>University of Cincinnati - CCM has an amazing theatre tech program. I went to see a friend in a musical at Ccm and (despite how amazing those actors were) their tech stole everything. When my friend was showing me around Ccm they had tech designs displayed everywhere and they were all INCREDIBLE. Keep that one on your list.</p>

9

<p>I really appreciate all the feedback I’ve gotten. I’ve re-evaluated my list and found that several of the schools suggested were a lot more appealing that those I had been looking at before. </p>

<p>This is my new list:
Boston University - Reach
Carnegie Mellon University - Reach
Emerson College - Match
Fordham University - Lincoln Center - Match
Oregon State University - Match
Southern Oregon University - Safety
SUNY Purchase College - Safety
University of Alabama - Safety
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor - Reach
University of Oregon - Match</p>

<p>Do you think I have them correctly categorized (as far as safety/reach/match goes)?</p>

10

<p>It looks like a good list if you are happy with the safeties. The only thing I would add is to clarify the match thing. It’s pretty much meaningless in audition programs except that you might be accepted academically to the school but not the program. Lots and lots and lots of matches on paper are rejected.</p>

11

<p>Also, I don’t know much about Purchase but don’t think it can be called a safety.</p>

<p>Oops, just saw you were tech. That different. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>I’m satisfied with my safeties - Southern Oregon University is actually one of my tops, given its connections to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I know very little about Purchase as well - I might end up taking it off my list.</p>

13

<p>I’m not familiar with all the schools on your list but in general I agree with stagemum that you are likely to be accepted at most schools. The question is how much you can afford and how much help you will get. If I read your list correctly, your categories match to tuition. I think this is a good way to look at it.</p>

<p>At some point, your dad will have to give a firm answer–possibly when you fill out the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms. It’s important to submit these early when you’re applying for the first time. This means you will need to report his financial information for 2012 in January of 2013–a bit of a shock if he, like most people, puts off taxes until April. Does he know this? </p>

<p>If there is a good chance he really will not give you anything, you’re not going to school on 2K. Be realistic about how much money you should borrow and how much you can work.</p>

14

<p>DON’T TAKE PURCHASE OFF YOUR LIST! My daughter is going for acting but we were simply blown away by the tech facilities at purchase. The theatres were amazing. The prop room – or whatever you call it – was the size of football field. Plus cost is very reasonable.</p>

15

<p>I did a bit more research last night after checking this thread - absolutely love Purchase. It will definitely be staying on my list and is one of my top choices.</p>

16

<p>I know that Webster University in Webster Groves (St. Louis) Missouri has numerous theater programs. I haven’t compared COA with any other schools, but perhaps it’s at least worth looking at online to see what it has:</p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.webster.edu/depts/finearts/theatre/Assets/Conservatory/Conservatory/Programs.html]Programs[/url”&gt;http://www.webster.edu/depts/finearts/theatre/Assets/Conservatory/Conservatory/Programs.html]Programs[/url</a>]</p>

17

<p>Em, if you have any questions about UMich, shoot me a PM. I’ll be a senior in the BFA Design & Production program concentrating in stage management in the fall, and I can field any questions you may have :slight_smile: I’ve loved my time here so far!</p>

18

<p>Just a note about CMU. A wonderful program! THey do not, however, offer to match merit awards from other schools. They offer to look at FA awards (need based) from “peer” universities. In other words, if you are admitted to a school they consider a peer (and CMU is currently ranked 23 on USNWR) and if you are offered a larger need based award than you get from CMU, they will take another look. They no longer guarantee to meet it, I hear. That said, they do have a MFA in design, so you will not be able to design university productions until later. My son loved this program and I think it is amazing, just pricey for those whose dads make over $300K.</p>

<p>In fact, sadly, your dad’s high income will likely eliminate the chance for you to receive need-based aid at any school. With that in mind, you will need to ask your father how much he is willing to spend on college for you. If he says zero, and means it, I’m not sure how you will afford more than a community college without big big debt. This is the right time to tackle this question.</p>

<p>When it comes to receiving very large merit aid, you can get a full tuition scholarship at U Alabama (I don’t know anything about their theatre program) if you are a NMF. USC has a wonderful theatre school and the undergrads do all designing. My son is there now and was offered a show his first semester (asst set designer)! They automatically give 1/2 tuition scholarships to all NMFs who are admitted, and with your great stats and terrific theatre design background, you would look awfully good to them. You can choose a BFA or BA in design or stage management, btw. And yet, even with 1/2 tuition, USC will cost your family about $38K per year, including room & board. College can be very expensive and you fall into a difficult spot vis a vis financial aid.</p>

<p>What about UCLA? In-state tuition plus r&b is about $34K/year. It’s a great BA, with lots of school spirit too. However, UGs do not get to design productions.</p>

<p>I agree with posters who have recommended Purchase and CCM, but I am not sure how out of state tuition, travel, plus r&b measure up.</p>

19

<p>About CMU financial aid: For us, the offer to “look at FA awards from ‘peer’ universities” was, in fact, a matching program. Moreover, “peer school” was a flexible concept. We submitted financial aid offers from schools that were competitive in theater but not in the same universe academically, and CMU treated them as peer schools.</p>

<p>About CMU grad school: Although the school does offer MFA degrees in design and management, undergrads work on fully realized productions and also get off-campus professional opportunities.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, about the problems posed by emtrippedagain’s father’s income: I’m sorry I didn’t take that into account or I never would have recommended CMU in the first place. Although totally unfair IMO, it’s really non-negotiable.</p>

<p>About UCLA: The theater department at UCLA has curtailed its program at the same time that the system has dramatically escalated tuition and fees with no end in sight. There is no management specialization and the design program is “pre-professional.”</p>

20

<p>This year, theatre mom, CMU is not offering to “match” Financial Aid, but say in their admissions presentations (when asked) that they will instead “look at,” so this may be a very recent change?</p>

<p>Last year, when my S2 went through this process, they also would not guarantee to match, fwiw. He was admitted on the spot at his portfolio review/interview after being asked directly if he understood there were no guarantees on financial aid, which was both wonderful (he couldn’t believe he was so lucky to be admitted) and confusing to him since he knew we wouldn’t hear about FinAid for a while. I know your D is a few years ahead so could things be changing or maybe we have been confused. Again, sorry if so.</p>

<p>I am glad to learn they consider the top theatre schools as peers, as well, and sorry I didn’t have that info to share.</p>