We’re going to a college fair tonight at our school. My son has grades in the 80s and good extra currics. Hasn’t taken any standardized tests yet (he’s a sophomore). Besides the appropriate SUNY schools, can anyone suggest appropriate east coast colleges, that are smallish but not tiny, good theater department? He is interested in technical theater (e.g., set design, lighting) but also interested in math and science. I’d be grateful.
Is money an issue?
We can pay for private. Looking for a good fit.
You need to look at your own HS’s results. At some HS’s, your son could be looking at Muhlenberg, Brandeis, Fordham, Goucher… at others, those schools would be impossible reaches depending on grading policies, academic rigor, etc.
Any college with a theater program (even if it’s just a lot of student performances) is going to have opportunities to do and learn set design and lighting. So if this were my kid- I’d get a handle on possible admits based on my own HS’s results, and then figure out what his interests in math/science would mean… and then check out the theater offerings.
I’ve heard only good things about Muhlenberg’s theater department, though with a 46% acceptance rate and some higher-end SAT and ACT scores (1240/1600 average) it comes in as more of a high match for your child. What about Ithaca College? Emerson College is another great choice for your child. Try looking a bit more into these three schools and see if any of them fit the bill.
Bard used to be a match for B to B+ kids from our high school. I don’t know if you’d consider it tiny though.
American? Pace? Eugene Lang/New School? Drew? Clark? Skidmore? Connecticut College?
Drew
Clark
SUNY Purchase
Ithaca College
Emerson
UMass-Amherst
Lawrence in Wisconsin, College of Wooster, Goucher
If he is serious about tech/design, it is all about his work ethic. Right now he can look wherever he feels like, but ultimately, he wants a place that will insert him into a solid professional network. Google for “university/college X summer theater” and find which of the places on his list have their own summer theater programs. He will want at least one summer internship in tech/design, and it will be easier to land that at his home institution.
If he likes tech/design and is interested in the heavier aspects of theater tech (mechanics of design, etc.) he might want to check out the entertainment engineering program at U Nevada at Las Vegas.
Did you look at Adelphi University on Long Island? Big Theater program…
If he wants to major in technical theater…look at University of North Caorlina School of the Arts in Winston Salem.
These are all great suggestions - gives us a start for research. We really haven’t looked anywhere - just starting the process. Thanks so much.
Ithaca college has a great theater department, I believe.
Well, I was going to say Muhlenberg, Ithaca, and colleges in NYC (plus Purchase and New Paltz which you must have already included)… but everyone beat me to it 
Ithaca
Drew
Have you looked at the Colleges That Change Lives schools? A lot of wonderful schools that really care about their kids, and grades in the 80’s are not a problem in and of themselves.
Here’s a map of the CTCL schools: http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/map
And make sure you go to the home page to see what these schools are all about.
How about Elon University, in North Carolina? Strong theater program.
We were impressed by Ithaca College. How far away from home is he willing to look?
(Ooops–sorry. Last year’s thread!)