Chance Me / Match Me - Theater Tech major from MA [4.0 UW, 35 ACT, <$20k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Guidelines

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Demographics

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident) or international student: Permanent resident
  • State/Location of residency: Massachusetts
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Suburban public high school, Ivy feeder
  • Other special factors: None

Cost Constraints / Budget
Around 20k out of pocket from parents, family able to contribute more if necessary (I am only child in extended family going to school in US)

Intended Major(s)

Theater Design/Production BFA, also applying to a few schools w/ strong liberal arts programs if I change my mind in the next few months

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA: School does not weight
  • Class Rank: School does not rank
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 35 ACT

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: Honors all 4 years, in a specialized program taking unique semester long English classes - Short Story, Semiotics, Poetry, Cultural Criticism
  • Math: Honors all 4 years, ending with AP Calculus AB
  • Science: Physics Honors, Chem Honors, Bio Honors, AP Enviromental Sceince
  • History and social studies: Unleveled World History freshman year (all freshmen take same history), in specialized program with altered curriculum of Modern World History Honors + US History Honors, did not take senior year
  • Language other than English: Spanish 2 Adv, Latin 1-3 Honors, did not take senior year
  • Visual or performing arts: 4 years orchestra, social justice theater, improv comedy (audition based theater courses)
  • Other academic courses:

College Coursework (Transfer Applicants)
(Include college courses taken while in high school if not included above. N/A

Awards

National Latin Exam Intermediate Reading Comprehension Silver Medal

AP Scholar w/Honors

National Merit Commended

9th Grade Reading Award

Extracurriculars
(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)

4 yrs of participation in school theater starting as crew (~1600 hours total)

  • Stage manager sophomore-senior yrs
  • Student director last yr
  • participates in 6-8 school productions each yr

2 yrs of volunteer work at neighboring professional theater

  • intern doing sound and scenic work

3 yrs of volunteer work at middle school community theater

2 yrs of freelance a/v work through my high school

  • work is invoiced through school, but all completed independently (ie I work with outside groups, no adult supervision)

Essays/LORs/Other

Essays - pretty good, but not perfect or super strong

LORs

History teacher who has had me all three years + supported me outside of class, mentored me in our program, knows me very well, likely very strong

Bio teacher who liked me, was a good student, likely average to strong

Drama teacher who worked closely with me all four years, has me in auditioned theater classes this year, was my mentor last year as a director, likely strong

OTHER

Participate in a democratic program within my high school - students participate in town meeting each week, where we create the rules that govern us, are expected to be responsible to run class in case of teacher absence, and do the day to day work of running the program - this program offers specialized English classes based on the interests of the teachers, voted on by the students

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if unsure, leave them unclassified)

If a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below; also, for colleges that admit by major or division, consider that in chance estimate.

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): Wilkes U (Admitted academically, not for BFA yet), Hofstra (Admitted for BFA, not academically yet), UMass Boston
  • Extremely Likely: Muhlenburg
  • Likely: Skidmore
  • Toss-up: DePaul, Syracuse, William & Mary
  • Lower Probability: Ithaca, Rutgers, UMich, Pace
  • Low Probability: Carnegie Mellon, NYU (ED)
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Do the Net Price Calculators at NYU and CMU show that you’d get enough aid? It’s hard to see how Rutgers and especially UMich wouldn’t be way over budget (are you sufficiently low-income to qualify for OOS aid at UMich?). Why not UMass-Amherst and BU? You just really don’t want to stay in MA? (Yet you have UMass-Boston…)

It’s impossible to chance you, tbh. Your academic record is excellent, obviously. For a BFA program, though, it will depend both on their assessment of your potential in that particular area, and also on what particular strengths their program needs at this time. No one here can guess at any of that. I hope the decisions go your way, though - best of luck!

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When you say they can spend more, you may be a family who can afford more. Meets need schools don’t care what you want to pay. They care what they think you can afford to pay. They decide, not you.

So short of the privates meeting need - and that’s Skidmore, CMU and NYU, I don’t see any you can afford and that’s especially the publics except UMASS-B if you live at home.

So room and board alone at most places will be $15-20K.

So an admission is irrelevant if it’s $80k plus and your budget is $20k - hello U Michigan.

BU meets need (if you have it) as does USC, Denison. I can’t imagine the others, which are need aware, accepting a student at $20k.

I’ve attached two NPCs for your folks to fill out and you can add more.

Salem State is another in-state option beyond UMass-B if you qualify for resident tuition. It’s about $27k and they have some undefined level of merit so it might be less.

I suspect you need to redo your list though - or rather much of it is unattainable from a budget POV.

Good luck.

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I was surprised not to see Emerson on your list. SUNY Purchase has good technical theater as well (or at least they used to).

Also…a huge reach, but Yale has many theater options.

You need to go somewhere where you will be able to get a LOT of training and experiences in the technical theater area. That experience is really the key element (disclaimer, in the 70’s and 80’s my DH was a freelance theater technician in NYC specializing in lights and sound…he had no college degree, but tons of experience, and got all of his work via word of mouth recommendations at the time). It’s the experience you need to look for!

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If you are interested in theater tech BFA why didnt you apply to UNCSA? Probably the strongest conservatory based program for theater tech in the country, very high placement rates for graduates and incredible opportunities. Probably will not get into your budget but if there is flexibility it is definitely worth the extra expense versus some of your non BFA options

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THis is not as much the case anymore for BFA theater tech students. Schools have excellent internship and placement rates since this is an uncommon major and there is a lot of need. My S21s classmates who majored in theater tech have amazing placements right out of school and breaking in without the degree is very very hard.

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My DH has always said that theater majors should get a lot of technical theater experience. If they have that, they will get jobs…as you noted.

@HawkSpider it sounds like you are a senior who has already applied. If you are looking for an additional college, and want a conservatory type environment, I would suggest University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Strong technical theater program.

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As a potential addition to your list, look into Purchase College.

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Yes…I suggested SUNY Purchase above. Agree…another good option if this student is looking to add to their list.

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Unfortunately, I’m trans and not willing to apply to colleges in states passing hostile laws.

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I ran the NPCs for Syracuse, Ithaca, DePaul, NYU, and CMU which all showed prices around 20k. I’m actually still undecided on applying to UMich for that reason, but otherwise it looks like I could get the aid I would need, assuming I’d be accepted.

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A lot of kids from my school (probably 30-40 a year) go to UMass Amherst, so I don’t really want to go somewhere so many of my classmates are going. BU similarly has a lot of people who go from my school, while UMass Boston doesn’t.

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Please pm me if you have any interest in uncsa, it is very trans friendly.

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Or me. I have a kid who got a graduate music performance degree at UNCSA in 2009. He knew a lot of tech majors.

I’d be glad to answer any of your questions too.

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This should not be a concern for you. These two colleges have very large undergrad numbers. You don’t need to see the kids from your high school unless you want to. There will be LOTS more students from places that were not your high school.

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I totally get that, unfortunately the state of North Carolina is much less trans friendly. In a better world, I’d absolutely be looking to apply there, but it’s just not a safe option.

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Okay, that makes sense. I’ll definitely take another look at them.

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I have personal experience that I would happily discuss with you over pm

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Good to know - I’d still have that assured admit - a Salem or UMass B because need aware privates could turn you down for needing too much. And you are applying to need aware schools. Also, just in case you filled out the NPCs incorrectly or they are wrong - it happens. And hopefully you did the NPCs and not the My Intuition.

Good luck.

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Yes, that makes sense, thanks. I’ve been filling out NPCs by linking them to my CollegeBoard account, where I think it just takes all the data from my CSS Profile.

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