Lots of Questions

stagemum
Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:42:40 +0000

If you are willing and able to do it, visit and apply to as many schools as possible, but only as many as she thinks she’d be willing to attend. They are very competitive, but will make allowances for the students they think will “fit.” If she wants financial aid, she should also cast as wide a net as possible. My son had a terrible GPA, but with decent scores and the advantage of attending a respected private school. He got into one solid, auditioned BFA program with a nice scholarship. You should start researching portfolio requirements at the schools you’re interested in, and make your summer travel plans to include as many campus visits as you can manage - they’ll give you a sense of the school’s climate (even if classes aren’t in session) and resources. Your daughter should figure out whether she wants to be in a large city (or at least a culturally-rich area) or would prefer a traditional campus atmosphere. If finances are an issue, you should keep a very open mind. If you have some financial flexibility, also consider whether her tastes and talents lead more to the artistic end, the pure theatrical part, or the technical. Most good theater schools have decent stage management and production programs, but not all have other assets that she might want (e.g. strong visual arts complement, opportunity to take film or video production classes or work with other performing artists in music or dance). If your daughter is “an arts kid,” she might prefer schools like Cornish, UArts, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Santa Fe (they’ve changed the name, and I’ve forgotten what it is now) over pure performance conservatories or large universities - they are more collaborative, with both visual and performance divisions.