ElatHa

Hi, I have a specific question-I'm gonna be an international student and I'm currently looking at the big named schools-Julliard, Boston, Carnegie Mellon etc. BUT- of course they are very all expensive, most of them do not give financial aid to internationals, and they are very selective. I'm planning on applying to some of them anyway, but I'd still like to have some safety schools- some that are not so expensive- or that do provide financial aid (need-based) to internationals,and have a good acting program.
I saw some posts here about SUNY and Purchase but I didn't really understand if they are considered good acting schools.
thanks for the help :]

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"Purchase" is the State University of New York (SUNY) in Purchase; it is a division of the huge state system dedicated to arts training. Its theater program is generally considered one of the best in the country, and is extremely selective. Like University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers (New Jersey's principal state university), it is less expensive than most private colleges. As an international student, you will be ineligible for the best rates at those schools, but will probably find them competitively priced. They are all extremely difficult to get into. Do you want to confine your search to East Coast cities? There are many excellent programs throughout the country, with varying levels of selectivity. Are you exclusively interested in auditioned B.F.A. programs?

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Many applicants (including my son) have found Columbia College Chicago to be an excellent "safety" school. It has strong performing arts programs, with opportunities for involvement in Chicago's thriving theater community. Its location is terrific, it offers some of the most attractive student housing I've seen, and the price-tag isn't too bad for a private college. It's probably less expensive than some state schools are for non-residents. It has "rolling admissions" (if you aren't sure about what that means, anyone here will gladly explain), with a very high acceptance rate. They do not require an audition for admission, but will at the end of freshman year if you want to major in Acting.

ElatHa

thanks for the information :]
I am interested in any degree program, not exclusively B.F.A, since I'm almost 23 and I want to have a degree (late decision. :]).
I have no Idea what rolling admissions mean, I'd love an explanation for that.
so Purchase is relatively not expensive but selective, ok.
I'm more interested in schools around NY, and in the west coast overall and the financial aid (for internationals) is a critical subject for me (or the relatively low tuition cost.)

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ElatHa - rolling admissions means that a college does not wait until a specified date to notify applicants of their admissions decision. They will begin notifying as early as October or November, once they have had a chance to review the application materials. Many large universities, especially state schools, operate on some form of rolling admissions (this does not include specialized programs like SUNY Purchase, et al). Not many auditioned programs use rolling admissions - University of the Arts in Philadelphia is one exception. My son was accepted at UArts within 5 days of his audition. Some universities have rolling admissions for general applications, but not for admission into their auditioned B.F.A. program. I believe that is the case with Pace University, Roosevelt University (affiliated with Chicago College of Performing Arts), and possibly with Point Park University in Pittsburgh (also a highly-regarded, but slightly less competitive, theater school). In those cases, you have be accepted into the universities (none of which are terribly selective) before you can audition.

ElatHa

sorry I meant east coast :] my mistake

LeftofPisa

ElatHa- Temple University in Philadelphia may be a good option for you. Its tuition is relatively low since it's a state school. Philadelphia is a great city and it's easy to get to New York from there. It is a BA degree, not BFA, but has a great reputation. And it has rolling admissions so you could receive an acceptance very quickly. You do not have to audition to get into the acting program but you do have to audition to get into the higher level courses. ACADEMICS : THEATER : SCT : TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Good luck!

glassharmonica

About Temple: they also have a scholarship audition for admitted students, in late spring.

Oh yes, and Temple has rolling admissions. My daughter applied there as soon as their applications opened, so she had that acceptance early. Also, scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis, so her early application helped her to get a large grant. That, and the additional theater scholarship she received later in the spring kept her "safety" school on the table up until the final decision.

I wish someone would fix the spelling in the title for this thread because as it stands it won't be searchable.

CollegeMom

I fixed the spelling in the thread title.