You need a budget. Is that $60k a year or $40k a year ?
Then you need a forensics school. Most will have theater although what if they require auditions? What kind of forensics ? Chem or computer based or another like psych ?
if don’t want religious, why Loyola ? And which Loyola?
George Mason, WVU, Towson, Middle Tennessee, Hofstra….are possibilities. Budget matters.
What kind of involvement do you want to have in theatre in college? Do you want to perform, design or direct/choreograph, play in the orchestra for productions, or get involved in technical theatre and stage management? Are you comfortable with being involved in student-run theatre exclusively or are you looking for an opportunity to be involved in mainstage productions put on by the theatre department? Pace and Ithaca both have highly competitive BFA programs in theatre (across a variety of disciplines) and it will be incredibly difficult to be cast in a mainstage production at Pace or Ithaca if you are not in one of their BFA programs. It does not have as much of a student theatre culture as some other institutions. Pace also only has a minor in Theatre for Social Justice - is that of interest to you? Ithaca has a more traditional theatre minor, but again, not as much of a student theatre culture as some other institutions.
Look into Purchase College for its excellent theatre program. Courses pertaining to forensic science appear in the curriculum, such as through its psychology department.
How far are you willing to go? Would you like to be for example within a three or four hour drive of Maryland?
Do you know what your budget is?
With your weighted GPA being lower than unweighted, I am just figuring that you switched the two. To me it looks like you are talking about roughly half A’s and half B’s. Is this roughly correct?
Loyola Maryland, sorry, I should have specified. It is nearby, and has good programs for both of my preferred majors/minors, even is it is Jesuit. I have done research, and plenty of non-religious students attend, and religion isn’t forced. I don’t necessarily have a budget because I’m just starting at looking into colleges and have a plan to have it all paid for without loans. I think I’m looking into chem or psych based forensic.
I am aiming for performance, because I act with my HS, but costume design is of interest to me. I could perform in an orchestra, but not my top choice. I am comfortable with student run, but I would love to be in productions in the theater department as well. I just want to minor in acting as a possible career due to it’s being so competitive, with forensic science being my focus due to its pay and accessibility.
Budget is the absolute first thing you need to do. Discuss with your parents and run net price calculators for colleges of interest.
Do you want a BA or BFA in theater? Often performance majors are very time intensive so it may be difficult to add in minors (particularly ones with lab components).
Also be aware that Jesuit schools typically have an extensive core that includes (among other things) taking theology and philosophy. Review the core curriculum to: 1) be sure you are OK with the requirements; and 2) determine if the core will preclude you from completing minors.
I currently have a plan in which college would be completely paid for for me, and have done research into just what Loyola specifically does with their religious studies. While they do have theology classes, they are purely academic, and you have a choice on which ones you take. Quotes from the Loyola website, “There are a variety of places of worship near Loyola for students with diverse faith traditions, including Baptist, Buddhist, Orthodox traditions, Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Presbyterian, and Methodist. Loyola recognizes that not all students identify as Catholic, and honors the faith of all community members on campus by providing resources about where they can worship as they are accustomed.” Where would I find the curriculum?
Yes, classes are academic but if they are extensive, you may not be able to do two majors.
I assume you have some sort of scholarship that will help - no matter if the school costs under $30K (UMBC) or $82K (Loyola).
The theater aspect is very important - because if you do a non audition program, you want to ensure there are student led or community aspects for you.
Loyola is not impossible but is a reach. It looks like 20% of enrollees had below a 3.5. But again, with an extensive core, it could take away flexibility was the point being made above. They do have a theatre minor and it doesn’t appear audition based but you should ask.
Hofstra might be a better choice or safer choice admission wise - it appears to have both.
As long as your plan includes expensive and inexpensive schools budget wise (like whoever is paying will cover $30K or $95K), then you’d be ok. Most don’t have that.
btw - as a public, Salisbury has forensics, UMBC has forensics, Towson too.
If you google Frostburg (the ultimate safety) and forensics, they don’t have the major but a curriculum pops up from it’s crime and legal studies. It’s a word doc. Out of state but an easy admission is WVU.
Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA has a strong forensic science program as well as a vibrant theater program. It’s all women’s on the undergraduate level.
In that case, you will want to stay away from schools with highly competitive audition-based BFA programs. Additionally, most minors in theatre are more about theatre studies and have limited opportunities for acting classes.
However, here are some thoughts:
Fairleigh Dickinson in NJ has both a minor in acting (where you will get actual acting training) and a minors in both forensics and clinical forensics, so take a look around and see if there’s a major that’s of interest to you
Depending on how far you’re willing to go, Arizona State has a minor in theatre where you can concentrate in acting and has a whole school of interdisciplinary forensics—your GPA may be a little low here, but worth a look
Coastal Carolina has a psychology BS with a concentration in forensics and a theatre minor where you can take acting classes—worth an ask to the theatre department how far a theatre minor can progress in the levelled acting classes, as Coastal has a variety of competitive BFA performance programs
Illinois State has a Criminal Justice Sciences major and a theatre minor where you can take acting classes, as well as a minor in stage combat (by audition)
Ohio State has a really flexible theatre BA where you can concentrate on acting, as well as a minor in voice acting, as well as a BS in Forensic Anthropology and a minor in Forensic Science, although this will be a reach for you with your GPA
The most important thing is for you to talk to your parents about your budget. Take it from a professional actor: if you want to pursue acting in any way after college, it is so much easier to do so if you do not have student debt.
Your budget will be the most important thing - so you need to track that down.
You said your scholarship will cover - or as you say - “I currently have a plan in which college would be completely paid for for me” but it sounds like it might not be the case.
Then you mentioned Loyola, Pace and Ithaca - none on the West Coast.
Many are forced to go local due to cost.
Your GPA - and it doesn’t sound like you have a test - might be a hinderance.
But West Coast - for example - I’m looking at Forensics on the WUE exchange - you don’t qualify but for a list of schools:
ASU West - which isn’t the main campus
Southern Oregon - and it’s artsy. They have a theater arts program and a BFA so looks like you can do the former. It’s where the Shakespeare Festival is - Oregon version. It’s about $48K I believe - you might get $0K or $8K a year depending on how your GPA shakes out.
CSU Stanislaus (very regional)
Utah Tech
Utah Valley
There’s really no point in looking until you have an exact budget figure and that may determine where you can go because you have to find opportunities to hit the budget - which are often in state only, especially with a low GPA.