<p>Yes, the “grass is greener” phenomenon is funny - I’m sure RIers would think she’s nuts for thinking URI would be a “whole new option.”</p>
<p>I’m a little concerned about the “party school” rep, but we’re SO used to that here in WI and know many, many kids who manage to have a great non-party life at our state Us. Somehow the smaller universities (10-20K students) appeal to her more than the LACs she’s reading about. Actually, I went to a college-within-a-university, so I understand the feeling of wanting a nice theater “family” surrounded by lots of other opportunities. </p>
<p>We’re going to spend a couple of days in Twin Cities in October, and she’ll visit a current senior in the BA Theater program whom she knows and respects. She might even have an acceptance in hand by then if she gets her act together. I’m guessing she’s going to be very happy with the school once she sees it. I’ll comment here about how that goes.</p>
<p>Having grown up in MA, I kind of understand how it’s turned out that there aren’t as many public options in the major cities there - out here the schools started as teachers’ colleges and then were absorbed by the state. Most private schools here started at the same time, or later, as opposed to so many privates in the east that were long established before state schools developed. I think that’s one reason why our public Us are in much more desirable areas, too - they got the choice spots first.</p>
<p>But all cities are different. For theater schools in Chicago, you have to be comfortable with very, very urban (Roosevelt and Columbia) or urban and Catholic (DePaul and Loyola), or have very high stats (Northwestern). Not much else without a fairly long drive in.</p>
<p>I’ll plug UW-Milwaukee again for people who want a new part of the country. Milwaukee is a great city on Lake Michigan, with dozens of theater opportunities and wonderful things going on. They have a very nice BA, a second year auditioned BFA, no MFAs in Acting to compete with, and a campus with great city access without the “downtown” feeling, in a really lovely lakefront area. Academically it’s practically a guarantee for a B student with a medium-low ACT score.</p>