GPA-3.7 (UW)(rigrourous schedule); ACT projected 32; pretty excellent ECs.
I’m looking for schools that might be able to fit all (or at least many) of the things I’m interested in.
I am an aerial artist who would really like some kind of rigorous circus training within 40 minutes of campus, I really like indie music and would be super happy about an active music scene, I also love social dancing (salsa, swing, contra, etc), and playing/singing in a salsa and/or indie group in college is kind of the dream. I want to be an art curator so being near a great museum is a must (either on campus or in a city). In terms of actual campus life I really want an intellectual community and to know my professors. In terms of college academics, I want to be able to do undergrad humanities research. Of the colleges I’ve already seen, I liked Grinnell and Carleton, but they were both too far away from circus schools. For some reason I didn’t love Macalester. I liked UW Madison but worry about having the kind of campus community I’m looking for. I’m interested in Oberlin college, but would like to know if anybody has other suggestions, particularly ones closer to a city.
UVM in Burlington vt. Well known circus smircus school and training is 30 miles away. Also ne school of circus arts in striking range also in Vermont which opens up Middlebury st mikes and Dartmouth too. Long rides but doable
Isn’t smirkus mostly for kids? And actually there aren’t great circus schools in Portland. I can make myself clearer: basically, there’s circus schools I’m definitely interested in in NYC, Philadelphia, and LA.
For LA: Occidental, the Claremont schools. If you’re interested in larger schools, UCLA and USC, though both are very difficult admits. Loyola Marymount.
Philly: too many to mention, but if you have the grades, there’s Haverford, Bryn Mawr (female), Swarthmore, and Penn. Muhlenberg is more than an hour away, but it has a thriving theatre scene, I believe.
NYC: too many to mention!
BTW, I was joking about Reed. It’s an amazing school, but it’s also, well,…Reed! You also mentioned Oberlin, which brought to mind Reed, another top-notch LACs that is sort of well-known as a very progressive environment where creative types feel at home.
Look at New College of Florida in Sarasota
It may sound a bit out of the box, but I’d definitely look into Fordham - Lincoln Center campus. Right in the heart of Manhattan with about 2,000 undergraduate students. There are excellent theater and dance programs housed there (you need to audition for) so the student body skews a bit more artistic as compared to the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx.
Another great NYC option would be Barnard. It is an all female LAC and you can take classes at Columbia. There is NYU as well but it sounds to me like you prefer smaller schools.
In Phila you could look into Haverford, Bryn Mawr and possibly Villanova which are all in the suburbs.
I don’t have any first hand information about the school but you should read up on Occidental in LA.
If cost is an issue be sure to run the net price calculators on all the schools.
Academically, the New College of Florida is an excellent suggestion, but I don’t know if there is a strong circus arts program nearby. There is, however, the Ringling Museum that has a large collection of European art and a Circus Museum.
As for circus arts/training, many programs are part of professional schools with entrance by audition.
The most important ones include:
Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts (the Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts, Ukraine)
École nationale de cirque (the Canadian National Circus School in Montreal, Canada)
Windsor Circus School (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
Here are some university programs that offer circus arts training (as per Wikipedia):
Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States. It was founded in 1929 and is part of the College of Applied Science and Technology at ISU.[18]
Florida State University Flying High Circus is a collegiate circus that was founded in 1947 as an extracurricular activity club. Members must be students who are registered and seeking degrees from FSU.
Student interest clubs that offer students the chance to train recreationally in contemporary circus arts include:
Cirque Nouveau: An Aerial Arts Club at Northwestern University, a club that offers ground skill workouts in partner balancing and tumbling to undergraduates.[20]
How about Bryn Mawr if you are female? Near Philadelphia. LAC, so if you liked Grinnell & Carleton it may appeal to you. Scripps or Pitzer near LA (not sure of distance or transport to circus school, but you could check it out).
Definitely check out Occidental… it’s not too far from the Getty Museum (well, then there’s LA traffic of course). Maybe Chapman as well… it’s in Orange county so maybe too far to commute to your circus program but have a look.
New College really hits most of your criteria in a big way. It’s a “make your own degree” type school.
Across the street and down the block is Ringling College of Art and Design.
It’s right next door to the home of Ringling and the Ringling art museum.
And there used to be the “clown college” there where aerialists and circus performers went to learn their trade.
(I knew a couple people who went there). Think that particular venue shut down,
Sarasota was home to the B&B circus for umpteen years so pretty sure there is somebody that could steer you towards instruction close by.
Sarasota has an active art scene.
Look at U of San Francisco. You could probably get pretty good merit aid with your stats. Really nice mid-sized school with good balance between undergraduate and graduate focus - I know several kids who are very happy there - and their art history/arts management program has built-in internships with San Francsico art museums, galleries, etc. https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/undergraduate-programs/art-architecture/art-history-arts-management There is at least one serious circus/aerial program in the city if not more, and plenty of music scene around SF/Oakland/Berkeley. Hard to imagine a better combination of everything you’re looking for, except perhaps in NYC.
Swarthmore has a circus club (“Swat Circus”).
Outside Philly - Haverford, Swarthmore (very, very selective) and Bryn Mawr
But it sounds like NYC might offer you more of what you’re looking for. Where exactly in NYC are the circus schools you would be looking at? If north side of the city, you could look at schools up the Hudson river valley, like Vassar. Bard would probably be too far north for you, but that was the first school that popped into my head. Definitely take a look at Sarah Lawrence. What about some CUNYs? Or SUNY New Paltz or SUNY Purchase?
Barnard is another.
Looks like there is an aerial training/circus school in Brattleboro Vt, which would be within driving distance of Dartmouth. Not sure Dartmouth ticks the other boxes, though.
Also, maybe Ithaca college would be a good fit. There’s a circus school in Ithaca - looks like primarily for recreation, but maybe you could get some training there. You’d be surprised how many talented people are lurking around in upstate NY. I wouldn’t doubt it if there is someone in Ithaca that could train you. Also, they have a credit sharing program with Cornell. And I’m sure Ithaca could provide you what you’re looking for as far as the music scene.
I’m finding this fascinating. There’s Trapeze Experience in Rhinebeck, NY, which is further up the Hudson, and they say they do professional training. That puts you very close to Bard, and within a comfortable driving distance from Vassar.
@Trixy34 the circus school in NYC I’m most interested in is technically in Long Island City. One very attractive aspect of that school/NYC is this program where I could train intensively at the circus school while also going to college (if I could afford it, of course!).
Hm - I don’t know of any small, liberals arts schools out that way. Sarah Lawrence and Barnard are probably your closest options for small LACs. But definitely look at some CUNY schools, Fordham, SUNY Purchase, and maybe SUNY stony brook?
The Fordham Lincoln Center campus looks like a straight shot on public transit from LI City, ~20 minutes. And their art history department touts internships at top museums, auction houses, etc. Fordham gives merit aid, too. Both Fordham and USF have early action, so you could have two fairly compelling offers that meet all of your parameters in hand by mid-December, and still apply to some reach schools in the RD cycle if you wanted to.
As mentioned before: USF- they have their own circus program
New College and Eckerd College, the circus program would be in Clearwater: danceandcircusarts.com Great museums and music/dance opportunities in both of these.