BFA Theatre Programs and Conservatories (long)

[zurgswife]

Just wanted to say when I saw your title I thought she should go to College Confidential. I then read your post and then realized I saw your posts on CC. I think your getting good advice.

As a parent with a son with severe learning disabilities who is succeeding in college I want to say it can be done. He is also at a public state university with great support.....Good luck with your dd.

 

[shamrock30]

Point Park may not be as fussy about admission requirements, but find out if there is still a big drop out rate after the first year. The less motivated students used to weed themselves out.

 

[Becky2005]

I haven't read through everything yet but have you looked into Dean college in Franklin, MA?

I don't have one attending there yet but I think it is a perfect college for these type of students at least from what I can tell.

We are still crossing our fingers that my DD will graduate and she was accepted there. It wasn't her first choice but she didn't get in her first choice due to academics (I knew she wouldn't) but when we went to visit, I loved it.

I really think she is going to find her niche here, it isn't a school most people hear of (you should see the looks we get when we tell them she is going to Dean college in MA).

I found it via a search because I was looking for something simlar although my DD is a performer, she also does tech and when we went to visit, we had an unexpected tour of the light booth and her and one of the advisors was talking tech stuff while my sister & I were over there going "have no clue what the jargon is but they are enjoying it"...I know they have a tech side and they also have a Theatre Management program which I don't think many schools have.

I wanted something that focused more on theatre than schooling per se because yes, my DD goes to school so she can perform & unfortunately the town we are in is very little emphasis on the arts in school.

You know the school is more arts than anything when asked on the tour (it was a dance major taking us through) about sports and the answer was "our golf team is pretty good".... They do have a football team but apparently it is more for the dancers to perform than the football players is the impression I got.

 

[erincon23]

My youngest brother just graduated from Columbia College in Chicago majoring in film. Their theater/film/acting programs are strong. Have a look at this:

http://cccjbar.colum.edu:9040/cgi-b...THEA&incat=UG12&insubaud=TTECBA12&inprog=UNDG

Chicago has a vibrant theater and movie scene so there are lots of opportunities for work. During his college career, my brother was a PA for two films, including Transformers 3. He is a director/editor/producer and is very "behind the scenes" also. Columbia is very good with financial aid also. Additionally, DBro has academic issues also and was still successful at Columbia.

DS19 went to Columbia for fall semester last year. They have a very liberal admission policy -- they take the vast majority of students who apply. That can be great for the student who has had trouble getting through high school, because entrance is not based on grades. But DS found that it had its drawbacks -- the school's reputation is such that it attracts a lot of bright, talented kids -- but because of the easy entrance, it also attracts a lot of kids who don't really have the talent to get into more competitive programs.

But as a parent, I will say that I was impressed with what I saw and heard of the school. Housing is a little different -- the main housing building has students not only from Columbia but from three other "downtown" schools (and Columbia is in downtown Chicago), as well as housing in apartment-style buildings spread around a few blocks in the city. It's actually very nice.

I have several friends with kids in stage management and technical theater (either still in college or already working professionally) and can really see the difference in what they're doing based on whether they actively looked for summer internships and opportunities in school and out. Columbia encourages their students to work in the professional theatre community during the school year, and will be flexible in classes if a student has a professional opportunity. I own a website for parents of performing kids, and in looking through tech theatre opportunities (and the site is fairly new, so I haven't explored everything out there yet), it looks like not a lot of schools are this flexible (or are able to encourage this kind of professional work during undergrad because the area the school's located in doesn't have non-university professional theatre available). Sorry for the long post! but this is an area that I've been fairly involved in as a parent.

 

[Texa]

Texas State University - San Marcos.

 

[RitaE]

My youngest brother just graduated from Columbia College in Chicago majoring in film. Their theater/film/acting programs are strong. Have a look at this:

http://cccjbar.colum.edu:9040/cgi-b...THEA&incat=UG12&insubaud=TTECBA12&inprog=UNDG

Chicago has a vibrant theater and movie scene so there are lots of opportunities for work. During his college career, my brother was a PA for two films, including Transformers 3. He is a director/editor/producer and is very "behind the scenes" also. Columbia is very good with financial aid also. Additionally, DBro has academic issues also and was still successful at Columbia.

Columbia is what came to my mind too. I also know a kid who has gone through the Roosevelt Fine Arts program and is working in the Chicago Theaters.

 

[cotomom]

I hope it's ok to revive this thread. I'm in EXACTLY the same situation and wondering what the outcome was for the OP?

We are currently looking at:
Pace
Wagner
Marymount Manhattan
Montclair State
Point Park
Univ of the Arts
USC
Columbia (Chicago)
BoCo
Boston U

 

[npierce25]

Point park is a great school. My daughter works with a lot of the students from there and they all seam so happy. Dd is 7 and the ones we have had the privilege to work with have been so kind and level headed. If you need any info about pittsburgh please she dime a message!

 

[Handbag Lady]

My best piece of advice is to pick a school in an area with a VERY active theater community---LA, Chicagco and New York. Also possibly a school near or with strong connections to places like Disney and Universal. This way you become a paort of the active community and begin to network. Also, it is important in this day and age not to pigeon hole yourself into one particular field, where a skill set is usable in one very small area. Also it would be important that she train in just not stage management, but perhaps avail herself to also learning another skill set--perhaps film editing, CGI, marketing. But go to school in an area where the action is happening. Virginia and the Carolina's may have good programs, but who you know, and being in the know can only be achieved by being in area's where there is a strong and active theatrical community!!!

Cal State Long Beach has a great theatre program. And I'm not just saying that because it is my alma mater. I work for a major studio so it did me some good. For a super long shot, USC Film School is very good as is CalArts. Look at those to see if they have any interest for your daughter.

 

[SydSim]

Unfortunately, the OP passed away last year, but I do believe that her DD ended up at Point Park.

 

[cotomom]

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear of her passing. That's terrible.

I hope her daughter is thriving and loving her college experience.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Unfortunately, the OP passed away last year, but I do believe that her DD ended up at Point Park.

I didn't even notice the OP nor the date. I hope this thread's info helps out cotomom.

 

[cotomom]

Thank you! The information on this thread has been very helpful to me! My DD is completely set on living in a big city - with an urban feel. So CSULB, CSUF, CalArts are not going to be her tops.

She's thinking she wants to live in NY so the schools in NY would be her best opportunity for making those connections that are so important! But it's so hard to find one that 'ticks' all the boxes!

 

[Handbag Lady]

Thank you! The information on this thread has been very helpful to me! My DD is completely set on living in a big city - with an urban feel. So CSULB, CSUF, CalArts are not going to be her tops.

She's thinking she wants to live in NY so the schools in NY would be her best opportunity for making those connections that are so important! But it's so hard to find one that 'ticks' all the boxes!

I totally get that. Although, a friend of mine is in housing at CalArts and the stories I hear are pretty urban.

But, she probably needs to spread her wings and go. Can't blame that thinking at all.

 

[cotomom]

Although, a friend of mine is in housing at CalArts and the stories I hear are pretty urban.

This makes me

I admire her drive, even though it me a little bit to want to go so far away!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank you! The information on this thread has been very helpful to me! My DD is completely set on living in a big city - with an urban feel. So CSULB, CSUF, CalArts are not going to be her tops.

She's thinking she wants to live in NY so the schools in NY would be her best opportunity for making those connections that are so important! But it's so hard to find one that 'ticks' all the boxes!

My dd wanted to be in a city. She wanted either NYC or Boston. She was accepted at schools in Boston and outside NYC. We decided against NYC because I figured she wouldn't be very disciplined there. Too much theatre to see! She saw a school in coastal RI and fell in love. Decided against Boston...and is incredibly happy in little Bristol RI!
You just never know how things will work out.

 

[Robinrs]

My dd wanted to be in a city. She wanted either NYC or Boston. She was accepted at schools in Boston and outside NYC. We decided against NYC because I figured she wouldn't be very disciplined there. Too much theatre to see! She saw a school in coastal RI and fell in love. Decided against Boston...and is incredibly happy in little Bristol RI!
You just never know how things will work out.

Please consider NY! Don't worry about her seeing too much theatre, first because they're mostly too expensive and every performance she does see is like a class. She'll be up close and personal with people deep in the business (they literally walk up and down the street) and what she learns outside of the school will be priceless.

 

[zurgswife]

My son is a BFA theatre major at Fordham and is absolutely loving the program. He also applied and was accepted to Pace, Mary Mount Manhattan, NYU. Living in NYC is an amazing experience. This is the second time a child has gone to school in NYC and the connection the first child made (TV and Film major at Tisch, NYU) got her foot in the door with a fabulous job right out of college. Now I'm not expecting a fabulous acting gig right out of college but the college connection he has made in2 year is huge.

 

[goofy4tink]

Please consider NY! Don't worry about her seeing too much theatre, first because they're mostly too expensive and every performance she does see is like a class. She'll be up close and personal with people deep in the business (they literally walk up and down the street) and what she learns outside of the school will be priceless.

While I understand what you're saying, I know my dd. she will do student rush for every possible show. She will start going to auditions sooner than she should. She isn't disciplined enough to be there. She is getting a wonderful grounding where she is. There are many graduates from her school that have gone on to work in the business. She has goals set.....very attainable goals. There is t a huge need to be in NYC anymore in order to work in theatre...it helps, but it's not the only thing to think about when choosing a school.
A smaller school may very well allow a child to gain more experience on stage than at other larger,more theatre based schools. My dd is extremely realistic about what is in her future. While she would love to make a living in NYC, in theatre, she realizes it probably isn't in the cards. But for someone that has what it takes to work in NYC, then sure, to to school in the city. Just don't shortchange smaller schools in other places. There are working actors all over the country. Same for production people and tech people.

 

[SydSim]

While I understand what you're saying, I know my dd. she will do student rush for every possible show. She will start going to auditions sooner than she should. She isn't disciplined enough to be there. She is getting a wonderful grounding where she is. There are many graduates from her school that have gone on to work in the business. She has goals set.....very attainable goals. There is t a huge need to be in NYC anymore in order to work in theatre...it helps, but it's not the only thing to think about when choosing a school. A smaller school may very well allow a child to gain more experience on stage than at other larger,more theatre based schools. My dd is extremely realistic about what is in her future. While she would love to make a living in NYC, in theatre, she realizes it probably isn't in the cards. But for someone that has what it takes to work in NYC, then sure, to to school in the city. Just don't shortchange smaller schools in other places. There are working actors all over the country. Same for production people and tech people.

I agree. NYC is fabulous, yet there are many, many success stories coming from other areas (Playbills are littered with bios that include training in Michigan, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philly). We know our kids and what they can handle. Being in the "best" place to make connections doesn't mean that being in other places won't allow you to succeed as well.

I knew a BFA Dance major who started at Fordham/Ailey but chose to transfer to a small, private school in PA because he said there were too many "distractions" in the city. Go figure.