That’s a very personal choice. D was not 100% sure that she would want to commit to being a performer after graduation. She was 100% committed to music musical theatre, acappella and choir in high school and was the “star” at high school. But she had reservations as to how that would translate into life after college and whether that would be the lifestyle that she wanted. She knew she wanted to continue studying musical theatre or voice in college, but wanted a school where she could pursue other things as well. She was top 5% of her HS and president of the school, so she wanted the opportunity to challenge herself academically as well.
She ended up at NYU getting a BM in VP with a concentration in musical theatre. She also had a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology and another minor in English literature.
She probably decided by junior year that she did not want to pursue theatre full time. Instead of trying for summer stock, her summers were spent interning for producers, casting agencies and doing marketing at DreamWorks and Sony.
she is happy with her choice, performs occasionally, and is working at a top talent agency in their theatre dept. Going to a top school that allowed her to go in various directions in terms of music and theatre ended up the right fit for her.