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How important is it to have professional theatre before college on your resume?

BeccaW444BeccaW444 Registered User Posts: 89 Junior Member
in Musical Theater Major
I have a lot of friends who are applying to colleges for a musical theatre major who have done professional theatre in the city (regional). I live far away from the city and it is difficult to drive down there for rehearsals so i mainly do theatre at my school. My school has a brilliant theatre program and we go to state every year, but will colleges look down upon that? Will it affect admissions if I don't do professional theatre? SHould i try harder to invest time into that? Thanks!
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Replies to: How important is it to have professional theatre before college on your resume?

  • CallieneCalliene Registered User Posts: 856 Member
    Not at all. I think most kids DON'T have professional experience. We live in the middle of nowhere, and my daughter did just fine. College trains you to become a professional; they don't expect you to be one beforehand. They are looking for potential. If I were you I would focus on voice lessons, dance classes, and acting classes if there are any in your area, and enjoy whatever performance opportunities you have access to. Consider some of the summer programs pinned on the main MT page here if you can afford any of them, and also an audition coach if finances allow it. All of those would would prepare you more for the college audition process than anything else IMHO.
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  • HannahMTheatreHannahMTheatre Registered User Posts: 116 Junior Member
    I agree with having a college audition coach! I could not have navigated this process without mine. I would have been so lost.
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  • kategrizzkategrizz Registered User Posts: 790 Member
    My D had no professional credits prior to college. She had a successful audition season and is finishing her freshman year at BW. She is doing her first professional show his summer! So, no worries. In our experience the resume was a conversation starter in the audition room... But specific credits didn't seem to influence admissions decisions. The audition is the key.
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  • Notmath1Notmath1 Registered User Posts: 537 Member
    Agree with @kategrizz, the audition is key,more than resume credits. Also agree that the right college audition coach can be a God send
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  • jeffandannjeffandann Registered User Posts: 671 Member
    My D had no professional credits, never even auditioned for a professional theater group before colelge. And got three acceptances. So it's nothing to worry about.
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  • vocal1046vocal1046 Registered User Posts: 583 Member
    In a word, not.
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This discussion has been closed.