<p>I love cc and the parents here on the theatre forum are especially amazing. I also, by nature, don’t believe in sugar-coating the sometimes harsher side of making a life in films/theatre. When a parent considers the cost of college and then realistically looks towards their student’s ultimate career earnings in the theatre/film, it’s not a predictable path. Since you mention the fact your daughter is turned off of programs with heavier academic requirements, her certainty she wants to act in film, and your/her reluctance to spend money to go to a less desired program that doesn’t fit her should her top choices prove out of reach, you may want to consider if college is the right path for her at this point. This is not a comment you will often read on CC–because we are here to support students who want a college education as well as great training in theatre arts. But each person has different goals/needs.</p>
<p>Pros for college:
One reason to get a 4-year degree is to have a strong liberal arts education beyond acting so that she will have broader professional options later in her life. Most theatre BFAs and BAs include classes in tech and theatre history as well as performance-oriented training. Most universities also have core GE requirements. And most of the major courses required involve stage theatre, not film, as you noted. But speaking up for a solid education in theatre, some might suggest that after receiving an undergrad BA in theatre from and LAC followed by an MFA in Theatre Meryl Streep made quite a successful transition to acting in films with perhaps only a few Acting for the Screen courses in her curriculum. The point: studying theatre is a solid basis for anyone interested in pursuing acting in all forms. However, even if you can find a school that focuses mostly on film acting and avoids many of the GEs, NO degree in any way advantages a young graduate when it comes to getting cast and working as an actress in professional feature films. </p>
<p>Pros for no college:
Those few young actors who do break out and win top roles often have not had any schooling past high school. Since you are in research mode, take a look at the paths of Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Collins, and other current young leading ladies in film. No college. An actor’s ability to get cast and excel in film / tv acting seems less dependent on years of rigorous training than on other ephemeral aspects such as innate talent, emotional transparency, beauty, body type, marketability, screen presence, the right connections, the “it” factor, and luck. There is a premium on young and beautiful ingenues and postponing moving to Hollywood for 4-5 young years for college delays testing the waters. </p>
<p>Honestly, any young woman who passionately wants to act in film/tv only (and is not at all interested in getting a full college education) might be better served to move to Los Angeles, get a day job, find training or workshops, and most important, land an agent and start going on auditions. This might even be done during a gap year, to see if this field really appeals. OTOH, if she is not ready to move out on her own, starting any good college program will help her find her housing and peers her age to live with and begin to act with. But that college experience comes with a heftier price tag, a commitment to doing well in all academic classes, and only a tangential relevance to starting a career in film.</p>
<p>There is a lot to think about and getting a teenager to be realistic about her education/future in film acting can be challenging. Good luck to OP!!</p>