"Let's start at the very beginning . . ."

yorkside
Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:48:05 +0000

My daughter is a rising junior who wants to study theater (acting+) in college. She has done a lot of school and community/semi-professional theater and attended Stagedoor for the last three summers. She is a serious voice student but not interested in a dedicated musical theater track. We are at the beginning of our college process, and while I find reading the various threads and posts helpful, there are some basics I don’t really understand. I would appreciate the wisdom of this group, and am grateful for your patience with these beginner questions. I know a lot about a more conventional search (we have an older daughter already out of college and I’ve taught at both university and HS levels). But so much about this is very new and unfamiliar.

Most importantly, we’d like help understanding fundamental differences and pros and cons between majoring in theater at a LA college or university and attending a conservatory style program. Do some students apply to both? (I do understand the significant difference in the application/audition process).

Is there a trustworthy source that lists strong programs in both categories?

BA vs BFA? (This doesn’t seem to depend on the kind of institution).

How can one judge real opportunities for performing at an institution? (a recent issue of “Thespian” magazine raised questions about this).

My daughter plans to apply to an intensive summer program next year. We have started research and learned about Northwestern’s Cherubs, NYU Tisch, Emerson, Interlochen, Michigan MPulse, UNCSA, Yale, BUSTI. Others we should check out?

If there is an earlier discussion thread that answers these questions please alert me to it. Thank you!