<p>The admission’s counselor said: “It kills me that kids like you who have grades like you have in high school want to go into acting”. AND this guy was a theatre graduate of Columbia on top of it!!!</p>
<p>I think it is highly important that prospective students go into this business with their eyes WIDE open, but I can’t understand a dis like this to performers in general. A lot of the most successful actors have very high IQs…there is so much more to acting than most people can ever imagine.</p>
<p>Ugh, Sue, worse than I thought! Someone ought to tell Columbia College’s news and info/marketing/pr office that something like this was said by a college rep. I feel very sure that that is NOT the message that the college wishes to send.
I think most people would be surprised at just how intellectual <em>good</em> actor training is.</p>
<p>Sue, that comment by an educator also floors me. It is akin to saying, “those who can’t, act.” From my own observations between numerous theater friends of my daughter’s, as well as my own clients pursuing theater in college, I keep seeing two ends of the spectrum. Numerous kids I know who go into theater are ALSO excellent students. Some of these have gone the route of BA schools, including Ivies and other highly selective colleges and some have chosen the BFA route. But this grouping of kids COULD get into highly selective academic colleges. I know a lot of kids who are equally strong academically as they are artistically. I’d say my own kid falls into this group. The other “group” that I know or counsel, tend to have sacrificed academics for their artistic interests. They have let academics slide and/or just are not very good students. Some BFA programs are out of their reach due to academic qualifications, in fact. I sometimes meet kids in the middle of this spectrum but for some reason, the majority I know going into theater seem to fall into one or the other group academically. </p>
<p>I also agree with you that acting/theater takes more than simply skills/talent. A truly good actor will draw upon a knowledge of the world and utilize thinking skills, and so on. Besides the fact, it is very hard to make it in this field on stage and it can only be beneficial to have an education and be smart in terms of any sort of future employment. I also find that there is a correlation between those who are good students with those who have the work ethic to do an intensive college program that a BFA requires. It surely is not an easy educational path!</p>
<p>My Ss were very ruffled (actually ready to lose some gaskets) by this counselor’s comments and came real close to writing letters, but didn’t. It was a very long ride home from Chicago. </p>
<p>As a side note this counselor also pelted them with questions about twins. Of course they guys are use to this. Obviously it comes up all the time…it’s normal. BUT this guy wanted to know things like “Do you feel each other’s pain?” and dumb stuff like that. Simply NOT what you would expect at a meeting with a prospective school.</p>
<p>After that we then chose to look at DePaul and this school was amazing, but was NOT considered a saftey school by any means…unless of course one decided to pursue a BA in Theatre Studies…which was another option we considered.</p>
<p>All in all there are many different combinations of pathways to look into. Advice to all, don’t be discouraged by schools that don’t live up to what you think…be sure to do your homework, visit the school, and ask lots of questions. Especially ask yourself, “Do I see myself happy and progressive at this particular school for 4 whole years?”…and think about it hard!!!</p>
<p>Soozie, as my sons always say…“As an actor, one is always learning, it’s a continous process”. AMEN!!</p>
<p>Sue, the whole experience sounds as if it were supremely disappointing and annoying! I can’t get over that he asked your sons stupid twin questions. Sheesh. Rude and ignorant.</p>
<p>In any case, that person was not a good representative for his college. Did you say he had graduated from there (Columbia College) or when you said “Columbia,” did you mean the Ivy League school? Either way, something tells me that that person was in the “not such a good student” category.</p>
<p>No, he was an alum from that very same school…Columbia College of Chicago. My guys field twin questions with great ease. I think it was this guy’s overall tone that took a toll. Suddenly they seemed to be “his” freak show.</p>
<p>A&N’s mentor of many years gave them wonderful advice that bad experiences are worth their weight in gold as much as the good ones. This particular experience gave us one end (or bottom) to our so-called spectrum graph.</p>
<p>I don’t want to seem as though I am totally bashing this school…in all fairness this was our expereince and our perception. This school may be someone’s creme de la creme. Personally speaking, we wanted a program that held the bar higher…another important consideration!!</p>
<p>Sue, don’t worry, I don’t think your posts come across as bashing a school. I think it is helpful to articulate why one has chosen to apply or not apply, as the case may be, and this can be done without putting down the school. As well, in this case, you mentioned what someone in the admissions office remarked. As most (including you) know not to do, one can’t judge an entire school based on talking to one person. Sometimes you can get a “dud” in an admissions office or on the phone or as a tour guide, etc. So, ya gotta dig deep and talk to many before coming to any conclusions about a school. Unfortunately, those in the admissions office are the “first line” and people do form impressions by those contacts, and so they do need to think about how they come across as this vignette indicates! Perhaps those students in their program tend not to have high academic stats so this person wasn’t used to seeing students like your sons, but one would think he’d be thinking, GREAT! Oh well…</p>
<p>I just read this thread and it is amazing the questions that are asked!! While I am use to the “uninformed public” asking the "with grade like that why music theater…"question, but a person from the field!! UGH! Hmmm, makes you wonder how HIS grades were! The top students at our school (for the most part) are involved in performance! I look at music as being a language that can be “spoken” around the world. It amazes me that you can have a group of musicians who cannot communicate through speach, but can play a band or orchestra piece with beauty. As soozievt said…oh well…</p>
<p>I believe that there is a study that does show that students who perform also do well in class! So there! Maybe the next pre-med (ect) student I meet I will ask “with grades like that you should go into performance!!!” :)</p>
<p>There is a correlation between academic success and the arts. I know there have been several studies on this. Certainly it has a lot to do with brain development, but I also think it has a lot to do with discipline and committment. Seems kind of sad that our government continuously cuts funding for the arts and on the other hand harp on our kids to be more advanced in math and science. Hmmm, you’d think the light bulb MIGHT go on one of these times!! That’s my political commentary for the day.</p>
<p>Sometimes it seems as if that lightbulb has simply burned out! Imagine a world where our public school arts programs were funded as well as the average public school sports programs…if only…</p>
<p>We don’t have any arts high schools in our entire state!! However, at our local rural public school, I feel that the arts are supported as much as the sports. They are valued in our community. Our little school even won a Grammy award for the music department. We don’t have drama classes or a lot of what so many of you seem to have at your schools, but I do feel the arts are supported here. My kids were in both sports and the performing arts so I have seen it on all sides.</p>
<p>Our high schools are not what they use to be. Back when I attended the drama teacher took all the kids on an annual trip to Toronto to see the plays. He was the most fantastic teacher who was always involved in Thespians and whatnot.</p>
<p>Disappointingly my Ss’ drama teacher (same high school as mine but 30 years later…different teacher) thinks slap stick and over acting is all great. I heard he is now on warning by the new principal for producing such nonsense.</p>
<p>The great twist to my story…my old drama teacher for 30 some years ago happened to see my Ss perform in St. Louis this last year…turns out he has retired to the STL area. Since then he has taken them under his wing and is sharing his incredible knowledge and passion for the arts. In a couple weeks he is taking my guys to the MUNY to see a show. How crazy is that? Serendipity I say!! :)</p>
<p>That is crazy, but what a wonderful turn of events! My d is in a performing arts high school and for her first two years there the drama teacher was an incredible man who had been there for 29 years and was extremely knowledgeable about everything from Shakespeare to contemporary pieces to fantastic one acts. He retired, and now they hired a young woman fresh out of college for his job. She is nice, the kids like her, but the knowledge base is just not at the level that he taught at. We also had a pretty poor drama teacher there (who has since found his way to the door after only a year!). His idea of Musical Theater I was to play every Musical on dvd there is, day after day in class!</p>
<p>I do think my daughter did miss out on sports by going to a performing arts high school (although I don’t know when she would have had time to do them). She loves track and volleyball and would have been great if she had the chance to compete in them.</p>
<p>At my D’s arts high school (I don’t like to say PA high school, because the school also has a tremendously well respected visual arts program, and I wouldn’t think that would be considered “performance.” :)) there are NO sports teams or even clubs, other than National Honor Society. This is an urban school that is part of a city public school system and is considered more like a “conservatory” than a regular arts high school, because kids get about four hours a day of intensive work in their particular area. (That means there is time only for the very basic academic classes, such as English, math, science and history/social studies. No electives. No classes in “The Role of Women in Chaucer” here!)
At the other local arts high school (also public, but suburban and part of a different system), there are the usual sports teams, clubs, etc. However, at this school, kids have their arts area only about 90 mins a day, so it’s more of a regular hs experience.
We are obviously fortunate to have two such schools within a short distance.</p>
<p>NMR and Kaysmom, if it makes ya feel better :), we don’t have specific types of academic electives like “Role of Women in Chaucer” either in our regular public high school. We do have sports. However, my D who is pursuing musical theater, would not have had the time to be on the sports teams. This particular child did sports very heavily growing up, alongside performing arts. She was on a soccer team for 8 years, competed in ski racing for seven years, did figure skating for 9 years, horseback riding including competing for many years, and so on. However, around seventh/eighth grades, the commitments to all her performing arts endeavors increased time wise to the extent that she gave up all her sports. For instance, rehearsals for the school shows were after school at the same time as soccer practice. Adding on more dance classes like pointe and starting voice (all of which are very far away here) took over the weekends when she would have been in her ski race program. Unlike a PA high school, almost all the training, as well as productions (except chorus/band) are outside the school day. So, this meant all afternoon, most of the evening, and weekends. Fitting all the arts stuff outside the school day, nobody could really do sports too. </p>
<p>My older D, like her sister, had done many sports and performing arts growing up. This child was not willing to give up either of her loves so all through high school, was on sports teams and in music and dance which was quite a juggle. However, she did have to give up being in the high school musicals due to overlaps with rehearsals and ski team. She rectified that by going to a performing arts summer camp where she was in two musicals every summer. So, even for those going to regular schools, if one is going to pursue musical theater, it becomes increasingly hard to continue with sports due to the commitments involved in both which are very heavy at the high school level. </p>
<p>My younger D doesn’t miss her sports at all even though they were a major part of her life for years. My older one is the epitome of the well rounded type who loves sports and the arts equally. I’m sure my younger one’s ballet teachers and theater directors are glad she is no longer a ski racer though! :D</p>
<p>Start researching private and community scholarships right now. The college itself is far from the only source of money! I have friends who these awards made all the difference for; and tons of scholarships are offered with unconventional qualifications…wearing a homemade duct-tape dress to prom, for example, or having a parent who belongs to a specific union. There is even a “tall girls” scholarship. Research–from the high school, the internet, other parents, etc. can make all the difference in expanding your child’s college options. Plus, from personal experience, submitting the FAFSA absolutely as soon as possible will also reap greater benefits.</p>
<p>Don’t rule out private schools; they can be very generous. Also, quite of few schools let you do MT auditions and then do an academic application. I would have saved a lot of money in apps with schools I had little intention to attend. Also, do unfieds!! It saves so much travel time :)</p>
