<p>NU is definitely one of the best theater programs in the nation! But, you have to declare this major on your application, so it is probably even more competitive to get into than other programs, I would suspect. Absolutely keep it on your list!</p>
<p>I love that you are emailing the professors. That is a great way for you to get your questions addressed, and i’d have to believe that they would be honest in their replies. I can’t imagine they’d want to encourage a student to apply who they think might be unhappy in their classroom.</p>
<p>I have to confess that we did not do nearly the exhaustive examination of the departments that you did. At WashU, the list of courses was great (it does have an acting track within the theater major) and the professor we met was wonderful – to have someone that kind, engaging and insightful as a teacher and mentor was a good prospect for my D! Wash U does have a Freshman Focus program, a freshmen only seminar program, and theater is one offering. The student i spoke to talked about what a bonding experience it was. </p>
<p>Look, I’m not saying that Wash U is the perfect theater program or school for you; and frankly, I really don’t know enough about the production opportunities or how vigorous the student-initiated activity is. I 'm just trying to give some different options, especially since you can compete for merit aid there; it’s one of the few top stats schools that offers it.</p>
<p>A question to ask the professor, particularly at a place like Wash U, is what kind of resources and guidance it offers for a student who is interested in pursuing acting professionally. </p>
<p>I don’t know about the professional aspirations of the Wash U student I talked to; as I said, I don’t know whether she had applied to NU for theater. I just want to clear up what I think might have been a sense that I was saying Wash U is a better school for a serious theater student. NU rivals any of the BFAs for theater, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>In the final analysis, I guess what I’m trying to say is that there is no one right path to success in the theater world. Actors come from all different backgrounds, education (and lack thereof). </p>
<p>I think that being able to get as much acting experience wherever you go is what you’re really looking for, and I guess I was trying to say above that sometimes the schools that attract so many theater kids might actually limit the opportunities to perform – unless these schools offer such a compensating number of productions that all the students really get their moment!</p>