<p>idk,
Kudos to your D for her strong academic record. It will serve her well in college admissions and possible merit aid at schools that offer it. </p>
<p>Here’s my take…
First, I think your D needs to decide whether she wants to pursue a BFA in MT or to do a BA. Very strong academic students do BFAs. They are not wasting their intellect. There are a few BFA in MT programs located within more academically selective colleges…such as NYU/Tisch (or Steinhardt), U of Michigan, U of Miami, and a little less but still academically selective: Emerson, Elon. So, if your D does want a BFA in MT, she might want to go heavier on her list with programs located in academically challenging/selective colleges. As an aside, I can tell you that my own D, now in her senior year at a BFA in MT program, preferred to go to a BFA program in a more academically selective setting with some liberal arts as part of the degree. She is now at Tisch. </p>
<p>But there are many BA schools that may also be good for your D to look at where she can also do MT…such as Northwestern, USC, American, Muhlenberg, and others. Or there are great BA schools very strong in theater, with MT opportunities that are very academically selective such as Brown, Yale, Skidmore, and many others (I know some top MT kids who have opted for BA schools like these). </p>
<p>But let’s say your D definitely wants a BFA. At a lot of BFA programs, you cannot double major. If your D really wants a double major, a BA schools is more appropriate. However, you can double major at some BFA schools…such as NYU/Tisch, though it is difficult (it can be done). Your D may wish to consider a MINOR in another subject instead. That can be done at some schools, including Tisch. </p>
<p>But in my opinion, I would not view it the way you are viewing it that she needs a second major as a “back up.” My kid doesn’t have second major or even a minor as a “back up.” In my view, my kid is getting a college education. She happens to be majoring in MT/Drama. When you go to college, and graduate, it doesn’t mean that the only thing you are equipped to do is to work in what you majored in. Look at the adults you know today. Many are not working in a field that was their major. Many jobs take college educated graduates no matter their “major.” Not only that, but theater majors are well prepared to do a variety of jobs other than to perform. So, I think you need to look at it as a college education and with that education, your D will be employable no matter her major. A second major is not needed as a back up. My D has “back ups”, though she is really gonna go for it as a performer. Her back ups are in her FIELD (not to say she couldn’t be employed outside of her field…I bet she could be). In her case, her back ups are related to other skills she has in this field. I’m not saying this would be another person’s back ups but I offer this as an EXAMPLE. My D could be employed as (she already has been hired for these sorts of jobs) a musical director, a composer/arranger, an accompanist, a teacher of MT for kids, a performer in a piano bar type setting, or a writer. I am confident she will find work even if not on stage. She doesn’t need a second major. She will be employable and she’ll have a degree. So, if I were you, I would rethink the “needs a second major” idea. But if you are feeling quite strong about that notion, I urge your D to pursue a BA path where a double major is much more viable and she could still become a professional actor. </p>
<p>If your D does go down the BFA path, she ought to seek out schools that are more academically challenging. By the same token, she’ll have to realize that a lot of BFA programs are not located in the most academically selective universities even though the BFA programs themselves are highly selective. Also, I would not rule out the more expensive school price tags because your D stands to receive merit aid and so the bottom line is the real price you’ll have to pay, not the price tag. That remains to be seen. My kid goes to a very expensive university, NYU. It so happens, of all the BFAs she was accepted to, where she received scholarships at them all, the highest scholarship she won for four years was at NYU. It is substantial. Further, this year, her senior year, she has been awarded three more scholarships at NYU. So, I can’t guarantee that will happen for your D but I’m sharing it so that you can see that it is POSSIBLE and your D has a very strong academic profile. I know at NYU it is more than just academics but things like artistic talent and leadership play a part. </p>
<p>I don’t know if this helps but these are the things your D needs to weigh at this point.</p>
<p>PS…I’m just going to add that when you talk about justifying the expense given the low rate of success for an actor…I don’t see it that way. I don’t send my kid to college to simply get a job. I am sending her to get an education. Her education has been worth every dime no matter what jobs she eventually secures. That is another way to look at it. I value the education itself and not just as a step to a job. That said, I am sure she’ll be employed in some capacity in the future and having a degree will open more job opportuntiies than not having one.</p>
)</p>