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soozievt · 04-30-2008, 08:14 AM

Crossroadsmom,
The one thing that pops out at me about the two options your D has.....IF she really wants to do theater......is that at Fordham, she did not get into the theater performance program and so it is not the same choice as if she was choosing between Fordham and Skidmore for theater. In my view, for a kid who was hoping to major in theater, I would be hesitant to go to a school that had an audition based major/program that I was not admitted to but to attend the school for theater anyway. While not that familiar with Fordham admittedly, I would say this about any school where there was an audition based program and a student attended for theater outside of being in the program. I feel the student who is in the non-audition major or in this case, I guess it is a minor, will be second fiddle to the main theater degree program at the school. In such a scenario, your D has the option to attend a school, Skidmore, where she would be in the theater program where that is the ONLY theater program and the one that has the focus of theater at the school. Skidmore, in fact, has an excellent theater program that is very well regarded. While I realize the locations differ and location does matter, it should be a secondary aspect to choosing a college. If your D REALLY wants to major in theater, on that one thing alone, I would have chosen Skidmore (but it is really about her opinion, of course, and not mine). I'm pretty familiar with Skidmore. I know kids who go. My husband grew up in Saratoga Springs and I go there several times per year. My in laws take classes every semester at Skidmore and my hubby did while in high school. My in laws have seen countless productions at Skidmore. I think Fordham would be great too but I don't think you are comparing apples to apples when in one option your D can be in the MAIN theater program and in the other, she will not be. lt would be more apples to apples had she been considering the BA by audition program at Fordham vs. Skidmore. Now, if majoring in theater is not that important to her, Fordham may be OK. Also, knowing that your D was interested in Emory and Tufts, makes me think that Skidmore may fit her better than Fordham (but I don't really know your D). I am a Tufts alum though. I realize Fordham has NYC but the other schools were not in NYC either, albeit they are in cities. Saratoga can be a fun place for a college kid and it is close to a bigger city, Albany. And it is not far fetched to go into NYC for the day or weekend since it is 3 hours away. I think your D should go with her gut....as well as compare the very different options she'd have at either school and they are truly different since at one school she can be IN the main theater program and at the other, she cannot (at least for now).

04-30-2008, 08:14 AM	#13
soozievt CC College Counselor/Musical Theater Counselor Join Date: Aug 2004 Threads: 136 Posts: 10,510	Crossroadsmom, The one thing that pops out at me about the two options your D has.....IF she really wants to do theater......is that at Fordham, she did not get into the theater performance program and so it is not the same choice as if she was choosing between Fordham and Skidmore for theater. In my view, for a kid who was hoping to major in theater, I would be hesitant to go to a school that had an audition based major/program that I was not admitted to but to attend the school for theater anyway. While not that familiar with Fordham admittedly, I would say this about any school where there was an audition based program and a student attended for theater outside of being in the program. I feel the student who is in the non-audition major or in this case, I guess it is a minor, will be second fiddle to the main theater degree program at the school. In such a scenario, your D has the option to attend a school, Skidmore, where she would be in the theater program where that is the ONLY theater program and the one that has the focus of theater at the school. Skidmore, in fact, has an excellent theater program that is very well regarded. While I realize the locations differ and location does matter, it should be a secondary aspect to choosing a college. If your D REALLY wants to major in theater, on that one thing alone, I would have chosen Skidmore (but it is really about her opinion, of course, and not mine). I'm pretty familiar with Skidmore. I know kids who go. My husband grew up in Saratoga Springs and I go there several times per year. My in laws take classes every semester at Skidmore and my hubby did while in high school. My in laws have seen countless productions at Skidmore. I think Fordham would be great too but I don't think you are comparing apples to apples when in one option your D can be in the MAIN theater program and in the other, she will not be. lt would be more apples to apples had she been considering the BA by audition program at Fordham vs. Skidmore. Now, if majoring in theater is not that important to her, Fordham may be OK. Also, knowing that your D was interested in Emory and Tufts, makes me think that Skidmore may fit her better than Fordham (but I don't really know your D). I am a Tufts alum though. I realize Fordham has NYC but the other schools were not in NYC either, albeit they are in cities. Saratoga can be a fun place for a college kid and it is close to a bigger city, Albany. And it is not far fetched to go into NYC for the day or weekend since it is 3 hours away. I think your D should go with her gut....as well as compare the very different options she'd have at either school and they are truly different since at one school she can be IN the main theater program and at the other, she cannot (at least for now).