Thoughts on my college list?

milkshakespeare · 06-02-2012, 10:13 PM

Hello,

I have made an extensive research on CC and other sources and I have come to a first list of twelve colleges. I considereded mainly: colleges that don't take grades much into account (I'm an international student with weak grades), colleges that have experimental/unusual theater programs and/or some famous colleges. I prefer a BFA, but I would also do a BA if the school offered a strong acting program as a major.

I do not care about location, but I would like to live in a big city, or close to one.

Please comment on my choices.

U.S.A.:
1. California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) - BFA Acting
2. Juilliard - BFA Acting
3. Boston University (BU) - BFA Acting
4. Cornish College of the Arts - BFA Acting
5. Sarah Lawrence - BA
6. University of the Arts (UArts) - BFA Acting
7. Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts - BA

U.K.:
1. Central School of Speech and Drama - BA (Honours) Acting - Collaborative and Devised Theater
2. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) - BA (Honours) Acting
3. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) - BA (Honours) in Professional Acting
4. University of the Arts Central Saint Martins - BA (Honours) Acting
5. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - BA Acting

Thanks for the help!

dreambelle13 · 06-02-2012, 10:41 PM

BU cares about grades I would say it's like NYU 50/50, Sarah Lawrence is a VERY good school so if your grades are weak its a high reach

milkshakespeare · 06-02-2012, 10:43 PM

I do know that, but I adore the program of both schools, so I guess I'll try anyway. The worst it can happen is a rejection.

atopthefence · 06-10-2012, 11:41 AM

I'm kinda confused as to why SUNY Purchase isn't on the list... Also I've heard Royal Scottish Academy is very good as well.

And i can tell you for a fact that Purchase doesn't care too much about grades... As long as your work ethic is there, your high school grades won't matter as much.

milkshakespeare · 06-10-2012, 12:17 PM

I read a lot about Purchase and considered it for a while, but I did not care about their program. And the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama is indeed on my list! They changed their name to Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, though.

londondad · 06-10-2012, 01:17 PM

You will not be able to get into RADA or Lamda with "weak grades"!

milkshakespeare · 06-10-2012, 03:39 PM

Actually, as far as I know from their websites they don't even look at grades.
In the LAMDA FAQ page there is a question about what grades are required for entry and the answer is "None. The training at LAMDA is vocational." Also, they have answered my e-mail saying that even international students don't require English proficiency tests.
As far as I know, RADA applications work pretty much the same way.

StrangeBro · 06-10-2012, 08:38 PM

I see a lot of eggs in a very small basket. Which schools, if any, would you consider to be your "safety" schools?

milkshakespeare · 06-10-2012, 11:03 PM

I don't have any safeties, mainly because my grades would never guarantee me an acceptance in a non-audition college. I've heard Cornish and Saint Martins are easier to get in, even though they are audition-based, and UArts has rolling admissions.

I'm open to suggestions, though.

TheRealKEVP · 06-11-2012, 08:53 AM

Columbia College Chicago often comes up as the "complete and utter safety school". Unless their admissions policies have changed, they will take any high school graduate or GED. Their theatre program is pretty good, actually.

KEVP

stagemum · 06-11-2012, 11:23 AM

I was going to weigh in for Columbia College Chicago, also. It is less expensive than many private schools (under $40k), has a solid program, and some of the nicest student housing I've seen. It's in a great location, within a great city. If you can get to an on-campus audition at UArts, the rolling admissions is a great feature. I don't know whether you plan to visit the States for auditions, or whether you plan to submit a video audition, and how they time notifications for video submissions (they might want to review them in groups). If you plan to audition at one of the "Unified" locations, your notification probably won't come much earlier than for other schools. Also, consider Pace - where you have to be admitted academically first, but they have a pretty high general acceptance rate (very competitive for auditioned BFA, though); Marymount Manhattan; and Montclair State University (in suburban NJ, close to NYC)- also requires academic admission first, but not terribly selective for general admission (selective BFA program).

uniguy84 · 06-11-2012, 09:50 PM

Sarah Lawrence, Eugene Lang and Boston U all take grades into account. SLC and Eugene Lang grades are entirely the decision, BU it is 50/50 along with your audition. However, all three are fantastic schools with strong acting/theatre programs.
Some US Schools not on your list that have strong acting programs that do not weigh grades as heavily (or at all!): Rutgers University, CCM Drama, UNCSA, Columbia College-Chicago, CSU-Fullerton, Northern Illinois, Minnesota/Guthrie... Research some of those and see what you find! None weigh heavily on academics.
Also, not that this is really my place, but only from what I've heard, I do not think Cornish has a very strong program. However, that may be a good back up option for you. Another back up to look into possibly is Pace University... Easy to get into academically and they give lots of scholarship. Their acting program isn't amazing, but not terrible either. I think it's a stronger back up than Cornish, but again only from what I've heard from friends, etc.
Best of luck!

milkshakespeare · 06-12-2012, 01:29 AM

Thank you for the tips. I must admit I didn't care much about Columbia College Chicago at first, but I'll reconsider it. The program has no differential that I could notice, though. I seems pretty plain.

Stagemum: I'll submit video auditions only to those I won't be able to attend the live audition. And I'm only going to Unifieds if there are 3+ colleges from my list, though. I looked at Montclair State University's and Marymount Manhattan's websites and read a few things on CC and did not feel excited at all about them (they seem a bit common). And Pace struck me as being more interested in the business side of acting than actually creating and innovating (besides, I really dislike Strasberg's Method, so I'm trying to avoid it), but do correct me if I'm wrong.

uniguy84: Yes, that's why I chose to apply for those three. Like I said above, "the worst it can happen is a rejection".
I have looked at some of the colleges you have mentioned and have crossed them off my list due to my desire to study experimental/creative theater (I've been told Rutgers Mason Gross is all Meisner and that UNCSA has also a strong focus on musical theater) and I couldn't find enough info on Fullerton (except that it is very renowed and you only audition as a sophomore) and Northern Illinois (but it has a musical theater component, which doesn't please me very much).
Can you tell me a bit more about what you've heard about Cornish? I looked at their website and the program seems nice and very "liberal", but I have no first-hand info.

Minnesota/Guthrie seems pretty amazing (both the BFA and the BA)! I don't remember what I read that made me not include it on my list, but it's been added.

P.S.: CalArts is definitely my top choice, so if anyone knows more colleges like CalArts, please tell me!

chrissyblu · 06-12-2012, 02:52 AM

What about Chapman?

uniguy84 · 06-12-2012, 03:05 AM

CalArts is a great choice for you because of their heavy component of experimental theatre... Minnesota/Guthrie has quite a bit of that as well, so definitely audition.
On Cornish, I do not have any specific reasons as to why, I don't even know if that is actually true. But just from around the grapevine, I have not heard the best things. Who knows though? Safety schools are never bad to have.