So, I am an out-of-stater who also happens to be a Junior Musical Theatre major at Ball State, and I am among MANY. We have students from California, Texas, Missouri, Ohio (like myself), and a variety of other states. Being from another state does not at all hinder anyone's acceptance into the program (as some have asked before) - in fact, as a whole the department is very diverse.
Moving on - I'd like to talk a little bit about my experiences here in the department, and perhaps spark some questions from interested prospective highschoolers and transfers and others. Let's see...all in all I feel that I have had an EXTREMELY detailed and (to use the word again) diverse experience here. I came in as a double major in musical theatre AND dance, and therefore feel that I have a pretty good idea of the department as a whole, and can honestly say that I made the best possible choice for me. When auditioning for schools, I had three in mind: CCM (of the University of Cincinnati), Otterbein, and here. I had heard of BSU through some performer friends of mine, and had also caught wind of it through the show choir circuit. In the end, after my auditions and offers, I decided that this department had the most welcoming and supportive environment, and was the place I thought that I would be able to grow the most. And, not to sound cheesy, I was right. In a competitive world, such as is the performing one, it is virtually impossible to find a talented and prestigious theatre department that isn't also accompanied by a hostile environment, where friends are set against friends and fun is replaced by extreme pressure. Here I found friends who both cared about me as much as I cared for them, and helped to promote a competitive setting in a healthy and fun way. Don't get me wrong - I do feel very challenged in my abilities in acting, singing, and dancing, but at the same time I feel that it is in the faculty's concern to push each student to his or her own personal best. I feel confident in this department’s talents and in its sincere want for me to succeed in this tough, harsh business. I have grown exponentially as a performer and a person here and look forward to the next year and a half (is it really only that much longer?!) here at BSU.
If you have some questions about what it's like as a student here or anything else you can ask me here or through my email:
mjwarrell@bsu.edu
...break legs!