good BA theatre schools with full ride academic scholarships?

College Majors Musical Theater Majors
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<p>(I don’t really know whether my post should go here or in the college admissions forum, sorry.)</p>

<p>It has suddenly occurred to me that my calling may be to act. I don’t really know yet, but I have become delirious with visions of performance as of late (much to the demise of some of my school work). Until now, I had completed rejected the notion of theatre as a career. However, after completing my first two productions with leading roles this semester, I suddenly have a new found love for it.</p>

<p>I was late to theatre; I began at the start of my junior year, just a year and a half ago. But since then, I have been in every productions my thespian troupe’s program has held, as well as a community theatre production. I have always enjoyed art, be it visual or musical or performance, but I have become entranced by the theatre’s spell. On top of my six or so academic schools I am applying to, I would like to apply to one or two good theatre schools that I have a good chance of getting a full ride academic too, just in case.</p>

<p>As for my talent, I feel I am relatively talented, considering I have been in theatre for only a year and a half. Certainly many are much more talented out there, but I have the capacity to learn. I feel I could do decently in a BFA audition, just not phenomenally. Nor do I think I would be able to get a theatre scholarship; I don’t feel my theatrical talent is ready for that. My strength is certainly acting, not musical theatre. I am going to begin vocal training soon, but I have little to no understanding of music and I am not a very good dancer at all.</p>

<p>As for my portfolio, I have been in five shows as an ensemble member, one as a minor character, two a lead character, one a director, and two with technical roles, in musicals, comedies, tragedies, and even theatre of the absurd. I have also helped build sets for all of my thespian troupe’s productions. One of the productions I was an ensemble members in was screened and performed for the Georgia Thespian Conference and one of the productions I am a member of the tech crew in will hopefully go to state in AAA this year (knock on wood!). Is this considered a skimpy portfolio by any means?</p>

<p>I am well off academically. I currently have a 34 ACT, expecting a 35 or 36 from October ACT. I am top 5% of my class, and my GPA is 3.92, unweighted. I will have taken 9 AP courses by the time I graduate.</p>

<p>Time will tell my fate in theatre, but I’d like to prepare just in case. My question is: what schools have good BA theatre programs (preferably with focuses on straight theatre over musical theatre) and have a high likelihood of offering someone with my stats a full ride? Also, any advice as far as my inhibitions towards BFA programs and my portfolio woes would be much appreciated.</p>

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<p>Northwestern University is a top notch school with a fantastic theatre department. It is not a BFA program and a non-audition school. (Although you need to audition after your Freshman year -I think- to participate in a musical theatre concentration.) Your academic stats should make this a match school and one I would highly recommend looking into. Also, if you are thinking Ivies, Yale is one to look at.</p>

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<p>One BA school I am personally familiar with is Muhlenberg in Allentown, PA. Their theater department is excellent and well-regarded, and with your high stats I’m sure there’s a strong possibility of scholarship money for you.</p>

<p>You may also want to look at Sarah Lawrence and Vassar; I am not as familiar with the availability of financial aid at those schools, however.</p>

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<p>Pohsmom…Yale is great for theater, I agree. Just to mention, however, the Ivy League has NO merit aid. They have need based aid.</p>

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<p>Temple University. Strong Theater Department with a BA in Theater. Solid Honors program that gives out lots of money. I am currently on a full tuition academic scholarship myself.</p>

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<p>Yeah, you’d absolutely get a full-ride here at Temple, and I think we have/or are starting to get a decent GA contingent.</p>

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<p>I’m throwing my school out here as well, Marymount Manhattan College. Yes, its a private school and is a bit expensive but for a private school, especially located in NYC, they are very generous with aid and scholarships. There are a bunch of scholarships just for academics and there are some for the theatre programs as well. So you may not get a full ride here however with your stats you may end up paying half the cost of tuition or less.</p>

<p>Our school has a BFA in Acting, and a BA in Theatre with a focus on acting, directing, management/production, writing for the stage, theatre studies or technical/design. We’re getting more well known for our musical theatre minor as well. Since its a liberal arts school the theatre program does require a good amount of gen-eds for the BA degree because they want us to be well-rounded. And the great thing is that if you’re a Theatre major you can take any theatre classes offered except for the performance classes (unless your a performance major) since they need to be restricted in class size. But the department wants you to be well rounded so if you want to dabble in directing or tech you’re free to add that on as another concentration to your current major. </p>

<p>There are actually VERY few BA Theatre students who aren’t in MT. I’m one of I think 4 in this year’s class who is ONLY a BA Theatre Performance student and not in MT. So if you’d be interested in other areas of Theatre you’d have lots of opportunities because the department has a huge amount of acting and MT students. The best thing about the school is that you have many opportunities for internships/networking that you can only get in NYC. So its definitely a school I think to look into!</p>

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<p>Merit scholarships available as well as all forms of financial aid. They are looking for students from different regions. [Lawrence</a> Theatre Arts](<a href=“http://www.lawrence.edu/academics/thar/]Lawrence”>http://www.lawrence.edu/academics/thar/)</p>