<p>UWM and CCC have been added to the list, after much debate. I think the one that you were referring to as having been mentioned by snapdragonfly is St. Edward’s in Austin, which I gave a look, but am not too interested in at this point. I understand that it’s incredibly risky to play percentages when applying to only auditioned schools, but so far I haven’t found a non-audition that seizes my fancy.</p>
<p>Also, AMDA has (probably) been stricken from the list because of what I’ve started to read about its unsavory reputation… “ScAMDA”, a factory school, etc.</p>
<p>We looked at UNH, too. As has been mentioned, their physical theatre and also youth theatre programs look excellent. My D decided based on location to have URI as her “safety” instead, but there was nothing wrong with UNH.</p>
<p>There are lots of wonderful things said about UVT in general on CC, but I don’t know about theatre. New Englanders would laugh at your “in the same neighborhood” expression - UNH is an hour or so from Boston, but UVT, while in a wonderful area, is WAAY up there. </p>
<p>I’m glad you’re interested in UW-Milwaukee. Theatre in Milwaukee is terrific, and UWM recently started a Master’s (not MFA but similar) in Direction and Design that looks fantastic. The great thing about being an undergrad where there is a Master’s in Theatre that is NOT Acting is that they need actors for their projects, and the undergrads get great opportunities. I also know that Film at UWM is huge, and they, too, are always looking for actors. The connections with strong professional theatre groups at UWM, and at CCC are really great. My D chose not to apply to UWM only because it was just too familiar, even though she knew the program was very cool.</p>
<p>One thing about CCC that a lot of kids really like is that even in the BA the liberal arts is not heavy - it’s very much a “conservatory-style” safety, and people who thrive on a “big city downtown” atmosphere love it, too.</p>
<p>Wow, they really are at opposite corners, aren’t they. Heh, I guess small states do not necessarily make for a short commute.</p>
<p>I’ve whittled down my list somewhat in the last few weeks:</p>
<p>Bennington
BU
CSU Long Beach
Chapman
Columbia College Chicago** (B.A. track<em>)
DePaul
Emerson
FSU
Fordham
NYU
Ohio U.</em>*
Texas Christian**
UNC Greensboro**
UNC School of the Arts
University of San Diego*</p>
<p><em>Non-audition
*</em>Audition-in from BA track at end of freshman year</p>
<p>So I know what you’re all thinking-- I have an unhealthy proportion of schools that are at the top tier of selectivity. This is true, but then again I’ve got confidence in my own abilities to do well at the audition. That being said, I’d like to return this thread to its initial purpose and ask: Does anyone out there have any advice for those students who are currently at the end of their junior year, and will soon be auditioning for programs across the country? Anything to say about your experiences, horror stories, tips so that we may go in better-prepared?</p>
<p>I’m not thinking that - I think you have great choices if the auditions don’t work out. Great job!</p>
<p>I wish my D had had more coaching - she had a wonderful mentor, but her mentor, while very respectable in theatre experience admittedly did not have experience in college theatre admissions. I think that would have helped my D a lot. You’re already ahead of her in thinking about all of these things. I hope you can find someone where you live who can guide you through this process and give you solid feedback on your monologues.</p>
<p>I wish my D had enjoyed the audition process more, but that was hard to control. For a long time she was really looking forward to it, and then got some major jitters around January that she couldn’t shake (which also very likely could have been helped by a more savvy coach). We tried to find a coach, but had a hard time in our area, and D decided too early to give up searching, unfortunately.</p>
<p>On the other hand, she didn’t want to give up all of her usual life activities, and she had good enough results, so maybe the trade-off was OK, although the stress she went through was pretty intense.</p>
<p>My D’s mentor is a person who is president of a community theatre, acts locally, contracts as a director and costume designer for schools, universities, and other groups, is very connected with a lot of actors, designers and directors. She has a degree from an excellent theatre program in WI. She coaches and judges Forensics as well. She’s smart and savvy and a great teacher - honest, constructive and caring. </p>
<p>But she’s not “in the business” the way other coaches often are. She wasn’t up on the literature in the most optimal way for monologue hunting, the way a private acting teacher might. She didn’t have a long line of kids she’d helped prepare for BFA auditions, although she had many contacts and friends who are quite solid in that (including some who are directors of training programs) and got a lot of advice for us.</p>
<p>We contacted many local theatres, universities, and arts groups and did not find anyone who was interested in private coaching. We probably started too late, too. My D is very involved in lots of activities at school and she didn’t have time for a lot of traveling, so we kept our net small. She’s had a long journey through the arts and didn’t have years of acting experience, camps, etc., although she did have some wonderful directors and adult actors she’d worked with who also gave her excellent advice.</p>
<p>I hope you live in more fertile territory for Acting coaches. Our mentor was lovely, and I can’t say things would have gone differently for my D with a different coach. Who knows? It also was important that they had a great relationship, and this person really knew her. But I know many people would say you need someone who really “gets” this process, and I can imagine how that could have changed our experience immensely.</p>
<p>Thank you for the info! I haven’t looked, but given the scope of the San Diego arts scene I’m sure there’s someone out there who would be willing to serve as a mentor. </p>
<p>You mentioned that you feel you started too late-- when exactly did you start? Should I jump on the wagon now or can it wait until summer?</p>
<p>My main tip is to pick monologues that showcase who you are: pick a character that is close to your age and expresses emotions and ideas that you can relate to.</p>
<p>LOOK FOR SOMEONE NOW. If you are motivated to look for monologues over the summer, you will be very glad you did. My D found the audition prep and all of her usual work, shows, music, etc. very hard to juggle. She had been very busy during the summer building her resume, but I think she would have had a much easier time if she’d fit in more prep then.</p>
<p>Another tip: My D didn’t have a super long list of monologues, but even with only 6 auditions she did arrive at one school to find they were opening a play the following weekend that she had a monologue from. It is considered a BIG mistake to do a monologue from a play that the dept is doing, or has very recently done. They’re only human, and it’s hard for them to take you at face value. It also shows whether or not you’ve done your homework on them. They liked it that she knew a lot about the play - but they would not have liked hearing a piece from it.</p>
<p>This monologue fortunately was her back-up, not her standard, but if the situation had been reversed, she would have had to have her back-up ready. She was glad she had more than the bare bones in her repertoire.</p>
<p>How do the colleges feel about monologues that are from lesser known plays? I feel like it probably gets boring to hear the same monologue over and over again but others say the schools like it because they can see how people make the monologue their own. What’s the opinions of people who have done it before… Thanks!</p>
<p>My D got into Tisch and I don’t have a clue what plays her monologues were from. She picked two that really were age appropriate and that showcased her ability to portray the emotions of that character. Both monologues were people in situations which she could relate to in some way.</p>
<p>Okay thanks! I have another question, anyone know the weight of the audition compared to academics at ucla and USC? If you audition is awesome can your scores be lower than the average for the school? I know at certain schools the audition is everything and at some schools you have to academically accepted first. I was just curious if anyone knee about ucla and USC because their my two dream schools (I know their hard to get in to, but a girl can dream and work hard right? if anyone has any info or can direct me to a post that has info it would be so helpful. Thanks.</p>
<p>Wow. That’s really interesting. Good to know. My gpa is pretty high. But my sat scores are right on the edge currently (still have to take it again) but it’s good to know that a good audition can help a lot. Thanks for the info.</p>
if anyone has any info or can direct me to a post that has info it would be so helpful. Thanks.</p>