What schools would fit me?

Hatsukoi · June 15, 2012, 6:52am

<h2>First let me say thank you if you want to take the time to help me and my dilemma. I greatly appreciate it!</h2>

I’m so confused. x___x Don’t know what I should consider for a safety or a target or a reach, really… (Except for UH as a safety since that is probably the easiest college to get accepted to.)
I want to major with a BFA in Acting, or at least a BFA/BA in Theater.

I want to attend a college or university (public or private, really no preference) that would consider my horrible grades.
Public school education in Hawaii is so gimped in academics. ):

*I’m in the graduating class of 2013 so I still have 1 more year, well 1 more semester to make things count.

Public school
Weighted GPA: 3.51 (yep, go figure. Not sure of my unweighted, I have yet to get my transcript)
Top 10% of my school (Another go figure.)
Chinese Asian (If that matters)

I am quite the teacher’s pet, too. I hope that would help my Letters of Recommendations from them.

Planning 4 AP Total
So far: AP Chemistry
AP English Language & Composition
Scores are not out yet.

Taking in Senior year: AP Art History
AP Biology (Most likely switching to AP Literature)

Never took SAT yet. (Don’t kill me because I forgot. T.T)
I’m going to apply for SAT and ACT’s first registration date at the start of the '12 school year.

Took SAT II for Chemistry.

EC (Don’t look if it hurts your eyes T.T):
9th grade:
Physics and Astronomy Club
Student Government Class Treasurer
10th grade:
Speech and Debate Team (did Storytelling)
11th grade:
Varsity Soft Tennis
Varsity Boys Tennis
AKAMAI Finance Academy
(What I plan for) 12th grade:
Art & Crafts Club
And probably just a member of other random clubs.

If it helps, I am making the Arts & Crafts club for next year/President. o-o

Even though I am going in acting, productions before High School do not count, right? I was in two productions in Middle School, that’s why. .__.

I am also applying for the Hawaii Theater Young Actors Ensemble. It is pretty selective in my state and runs for the entire year next year.

No scholarships gotten yet. Working hard to get the few ones currently out, no response yet.
I did try to get an essay scholarship last last year, but to no avail.

Volunteer:
Volunteering this summer at my Local Library, around 35 hours total.
Going to volunteer during the school year as well.
I will try go for the most hours I can per week at the library to catch up on what I did not do before (around 5 months/20 weeks until December when school starts, so hopefully if do 5~10 hours a week I can go past 100 hours and possibly past 200).

If you have any other questions for me, I would be happy to answer them.
Also, if you have any tips for my next school year, I would greatly take them in consideration!

Thank you!
Anthony

P.S. I am posting in this section, to remind you, because I am going for a major in BFA Acting or if that is too hard, at least BFA/BA Theater.
I understand there is an audition process and I am okay with that.

I know the top schools in these programs, but that is it. I am not sure if I will get accepted into them either (I cannot really keep my hopes up, considering how good the scores are on the generic CC member).
I guess I also want to know average schools that have decent Acting programs, as well.

I also want the school to be financially decent. My family does apply for financial aid and from past members of my family that went to college (my brother and sister both attend college), they get a little more than the average financial aid.
I understand my scores are not good enough for a full scholarship, but when school comes around, I will try my very best to get the most scholarship I can to afford mainland US schools.

MOMMY5 · June 15, 2012, 8:18am

I don’t think your grades will hurt entrance to any BFA program. What are your test scores? That is just, if not more important than your GPA.

Being from Hawaii will give you an edge. As well as being male.

It will all depend on your audition.

TheRealKEVP · June 15, 2012, 9:29am

Your academic qualifications are not horrible, your academic qualifications are incredible. You could get into just about any academic program in the U.S. with those qualifications. Many schools would also give you a scholarship.

(I remember my Dad, who back in his day had very good grades and qualifications from high school, but knew that his parents could not help out with ANY of the financials, so he HAD to go to a school that gave him a full scholarship. Many schools offered him partial scholarships, but only two schools offered him full scholarships. Those two were MIT and Harvard . . .)

Do at least MENTION the theatre work you did before high school, it won’t hurt. Also try to make the “storytelling” (I am not quite sure what that is) sound like it is theatrical experience. But also in your personal statement/essay you probably should address why it is you haven’t been doing any theatre in high school, or taking any theatre classes, and why now all of a sudden you want to go major in theatre.

In the meantime, try to get as much theatre or acting experience or training as possible.

It sounds like you don’t have any actual training or classes in theatre, and your experience only comes from middle school productions. I’m afraid you may not have a realistic understanding of how difficult the auditions for these BFA programs will be. You will be competing against people who went to Performing Arts schools where they did little more than just theatre all the time.

I’m sure you can do this, but it will take a lot of work. Start working on your auditions RIGHT NOW. Get some audition information from schools you think you might be interested in, so you know what some typical audition requirements are. Find the monologues you are going to use. Get someone to help you with your monologues.

I think the Hawaii Theater Young Actors Ensemble sounds like a good thing for your resume.

Overall, remember that the places you are looking at may be more interested in your audition, interview, and resume than in your academic qualifications. You may want to also look at BA programs that will be interested in your academic qualifications.

KEVP

abtsmom · June 15, 2012, 9:37am

I’m assuming you want to stay on the West Coast since its closer to home although the competition with other Asian students might be higher there. Schools you might want to take a look at: Cornish College, Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma, Sante Fe, U Utah, maybe USC or UCLA depending on test scores. Also, consider Texas schools–UT Austin, TCU.

If you are considering BA theater, there are lots of programs–just decide what type of school you WANT to go to (size, urban/town/ state, etc)

Good Luck!

Hatsukoi · June 15, 2012, 8:32pm

@MOMMY5: Taking the SAT this Fall (I know it is late. ><) and receiving my SAT II and AP scores next month. I am curious, how will being from Hawaii give me an edge?

@TheRealKEVP: I will be sure to mention it to them. In my school’s speech team, there are also “Duo”, “Dramatic Interpretation”, and “Humorous Interpretation” categories. Other schools may not call it a speech team, so hopefully that might ring a few bells. You can also find performances on YouTube.

^ ^ I agree, I do not have real actor training, but the Hawaii Theater Young Actors Ensemble also functions as a tutoring program to help those that want to major in Acting/Theater as well.

I understand so I will start looking and practicing. I hope I can list the schools I want to audition for already by next Month.

@abtsmom: I do not mind staying far from home, actually. I think it will give me a good independent experience, since I have preliminary experience without my parents in China during the summer of my 9th grade by myself for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

Thanks for the college recommendations!

[and] Thank you to everybody that helped me so far. I really appreciate it.
I really did think my grades were that bad. o__o
My school does not offer any theater courses though. ><""

MOMMY5 · June 15, 2012, 10:55pm

Schools like to have a diverse population, including diversity in geography. You being from Hawaii, at least on the east coast, would make you interesting, and students would learn about a new culture from you. If everyone was from New York and New Jersey it wouldn’t be very interesting. Again, it will depend on your audition. BUT, if you nailed your audition, and they had to pick between Asian guy #1 from New Jersey or Asian guy #2 from Hawaii, my bet would be on guy #2.

Hatsukoi · June 16, 2012, 9:18am

@abtsmomabtsmom: I have researched the colleges you have recommended to me for acting. They all look like commendable colleges, some concerns though:
(cost being one of the BIGGEST factors for me, although I tend to get a little more than average for the “average given” financial aid, it is not enough with most colleges)

*Taking the price in account w/ the average given Financial aid found on websites

<hr>

Cornish College: BFA Acting Program. EXPENSIVE!!! Does not seem that hard to get in to.

CalState Fullerton: BFA Theater (no auditions…? I can’t seem to find their audition webpage.) cost doesn’t look that bad compared to other colleges, still kind of pricey for me. I’m not against that, just curious. Seems pretty hard to get in to.

Oklahoma City University (I’m assuming): BFA Acting. From looks of it, the cost seems to be around the same as CalState Fullerton… Does not seem that hard to get in to.

Oklahoma State University (another possible assumption): Doesn’t look that interesting to be honest… from the looks of it they have some BFA in Theater/Acting or something…
and it seems to be a bit more expensive than Oklahoma State because it does not give as much financial aid. Also so much State Universities for Oklahoma, confusing!

Santa Fe: BFA in Acting w/ specialization in Theatre. Seems around the same price. Maybe cheaper, according to some websites. Does not seem that hard to get in to.

UUtah: BFA Acting. Seems the least expensive out of all of the above with financial aid. Doesn’t look that hard to get in.

USC and USCLA I know for sure are way too out of reach for me. They are also extremely expensive without a ton of scholarships or a full ride backing you up. >.<;;

UTexas Austin: Looks really expensive, I mean just look at that out-of-state Tuition and that low financial aid to back it up. Aighhhh yaa
Not sure what is good about that University in Theater/Acting at all… lol.

TCU: BFA Theater. Looks just as (maybe even more…!) expensive than UTexas Austin.

<hr>

Any big differences between the above college’s BFA Acting programs?
From my current knowledge, I am learning toward:

UUTah tied with CalState Fullerton
^ tied
Santa Fe

P.S. Sorry for my long walls of text!

Hatsukoi · June 16, 2012, 9:01pm

Some farther schools but still look interesting, also seeming a lot more expensive:

Pace University (BFA Acting)
Otterbein University (BFA Acting)
Emerson College (BFA Acting)
Adelphi University (BFA Acting)

And sorry about being such a big hardhead about costs, it is just that if I do not fulfill a certain amount of the price cost, my parents will not let me attend. I understand that, too, though.

I’m probably going to only apply to like at most 7 >.< or less

EmmyBet · June 16, 2012, 10:19pm

Don’t be apologetic about cost - college costs a lot, and you are wise both to respect your parents’ opinion and not to saddle yourself with debt.

I can give you information about Adelphi, if you would like. My D just finished her freshman year there. Adelphi is significantly less expensive than many private universities, and it has quite a lot of merit aid. Depending on your test scores and audition, you could receive up to essentially a full-tuition scholarship, or more.

They do not travel to Unified Auditions, but they are very open to video audition submission. You should probably be considering preparing a good quality video, because of your geographic limitations. Many schools do accept them.

If you have questions beyond the Adelphi website information, feel free to PM me. My D has found the program to be excellent, and she loves the proximity to NYC. She found lots of discount tickets and went to literally dozens of plays last year, which contributed hugely to her education. Adelphi is also very successful in working with students to make sure they are employable; she told me she saw statistics that indicate they have one of the highest percentages of alumni working in the field (performance and otherwise) of theatre schools.

Bsosa45 · June 16, 2012, 10:47pm

@Hatsukoi I don’t know how competitive your high school is but, top 10% is great. However, if your weighted GPA is a 3.5, and your in the top 10%, it is not that competitive;no offense. UCLA, NYU, Yale, Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of the Arts, and The Julliard School are some of the best schools for Theatre.

P.S: You can’t always just think about the price of a school. Remember, the school is not the only place to get a scholarship, there is always outside sources. In fact, many people get alot of their money from outside sources.

StrangeBro · June 17, 2012, 3:34am

I looked long and hard at Southern Utah before I made my choice. Not too expensive, I got great aid with comparable GPA to yours, it’s in a nice town and has quietly stellar academics as well as a great theater program (three words: Utah Shakespeare Festival). Students start in the BA and have a chance to audition into the BFA in their second semester of freshman year. I also think you have a great chance of benefiting from the diversity you bring at both SUU and UUtah. Give it a look!

Hatsukoi · June 17, 2012, 8:02am

I read about the Utah Shakespeare Festival. It sounds great, but also selective.

One thing I am worried about when becoming an actor is whether or not my Chinese features will deter me from being a part of shows/plays, since being anything other than East Asian apparently has a higher chance of winning you a spot in the play (well how I see it).

I’m also not completely fluent in a language other than English so being a Chinese actor wouldn’t really be my thing.
I am not extremely extremely skinny like most Asian FOBs (sorry I’m kind of stereotyping here. xP), but it is just noticeable from my facial features that I am Asian.

I still have the goals and motives of everyone else.

EasternActress · June 17, 2012, 8:39am

You can try Marymount Manhattan. They offer scholarships and have a higher acceptance rate than the top conservatories.

EmmyBet · June 17, 2012, 9:58am

I understand that you are nervous about the audition odds. That is very understandable, and maybe healthier than someone who assumes they’ll get in. You are being realistic. But do not let it scare you completely. Try to have the attitude that you deserve a chance just like anyone, that no one really knows what they are looking for, so it might as well be you! Work really hard on your audition, do your best on your applications, and make sure you have some very satisfactory back-up plans. That’s all anyone can do, in this process, and many, many people here have had excellent results.

As for the diversity issue: I understand you have a particular “type,” and you are concerned that it will overly identify you, or perhaps exclude you from parts, maybe even from admission. There have been many discussions here (and everywhere) about “type” - whether it is ethnic, gender, body shape, personality or performing style. I guess for anyone, the only answer is that you can’t change who you are, and again you just have to give this your best shot and see what happens. We all have seen, in college and in the profession, that determination and talent have overcome any “type” issues, over and over again.

I won’t deny that it is hard to break racial stereotypes in the performing arts, and while great strides have occurred in theatre, much more work needs to be done. I do believe that many schools want diversity in their students, not only because it enriches their theatre “company,” but also because this is a common goal for higher education in general. So I wouldn’t be quite as fearful as you are - theatre programs really are not just full of beautiful, thin, white, mainstream-style students, and they don’t want to be.

You said it all when you said “I still have the goals and motives of everyone else.” That’s going to take you a long way! Do well as well as you can in school, nail those standardized tests (both for scholarship money and to increase your chances at non-auditioned options) and work really hard on your monologues. Ask questions here, and read what people answer, read the stories from previous years and find what is relevant to you. Think hard and write in your essays about what theatre means to you, and be sincere. You and the right school will find each other.

austinmtmom · June 17, 2012, 12:08pm

University of Texas has an outstanding theatre department. They also offer an MFA in Acting. It is the state flagship and extremely competitive. The Austin theatre and film scene is thriving, so there are many opportunities to be cast outside of the university. Only 8% of incoming freshmen last year were from out of state. Not at all easy to get in to UT if you are in-state and even more difficult if you are OOS.

stagemum · June 17, 2012, 1:00pm

SMU is also supposed to have an excellent Theatre department, although we never explored it during our search. I don’t know what the scholarship picture is there, either.

uniguy84 · June 17, 2012, 3:04pm

You don’t need to audition at CalState Fullerton as a freshman. It is a cut program, so basically anyone can get accepted their freshman year, but as you go you have to audition every semester and they cut it down from about 400 to 20 and under… crazy. But it is a good program.

uniguy84 · June 17, 2012, 3:13pm

It looks like you are planning on going into BFA Acting not BFA MT?
Some less expensive options that I think have yet to be mentioned: U of Minnesota/Guthrie, U of Cincinnati-Ccm, Webster U, Northern Illinois, U of NC School of the Arts. 
Schools that are more pricey but give lots of fin aid: Pace U, Wagner College, Carnegie Mellon (if they want you, the give lots of $… also because you are from Hawaii/have less experience, that will actually give you an edge! They like interesting ppl and often times if you have less experience, but audition well they will see you as someone they can “create from scratch”)

Hatsukoi · June 17, 2012, 4:36pm

Thanks so much, everybody!

@everyone that posted school information: Thanks. :)

@Emmybet: That was very encouraging. I will try my best to accomplish the most I can. ^ ^
I just hope I make it in a university/college with a BFA Acting Program that I am financially capable of.

@uniguy84: Yes, I plan to go into BFA Acting. I wish I could sing, haha. (Well I can hit notes in songs, I just don’t think have that singing talent to go anywhere with it.)

Thanks for suggestions on additional schools, I’ll check them out.

Curious, if you do not make the cut for a school that does not do auditions the first year, can you still transfer those credits you took to another school?
And if I do not cut the BFA Acting auditions knocks on wood, should I just go for a BA in Theater? or something else?

P.S. If the information helps, my parents told me that they would only pay for up to 10~15k per year. o:

Hatsukoi · June 17, 2012, 6:20pm

@uniguy84: Did a brief check-up of those schools you listed, what I think:

U of Minnesota/Guthrie and U of Cincinnati-Ccm: Looks interesting. Can’t find much information on these universities, to be honest. ):
Prices do not look horrendous, but I am not sure what test scores/GPA would get me in.

Webster U and Wagner College: Does not look that interesting to me, honestly. :o

Northern Illinois: Looks like something I can possibly afford and has a BFA in Acting. The thing I do not get is how good is their BFA Acting program? I’m looking at the curriculum and it looks so empty compared to other states curriculum. I mean I was never in one of the programs to get real hands-on experience with it, but will Northern Illinois fully prepare me? o.o

U of NC School of the Arts: Oh yeah, completely forgot about this school. xD Looks like a great school and looks like a bit of a challenge for me to get in, so I hope I do. According to their website, they only offer a BFA in Theater right?

Pace U: already looked at it. :o Looks great if I get in and get offered a good financial bundle.

Carnegie Mellon: I am interested about this school, but my scores/curriculum does not look like I get in the school. Getting in the program is a whole new deal, too. Cost seemed like a big factor, but I guess financial aid (like you said) and other factors would cut it down.

right now what I think I am 99% surely applying to (no particular order):
University of Utah
Adelphi College
California State University - Fullerton
University of Hawaii - Manoa (my auto-admit 100% safe school)
University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Schools that I might consider (maybe a little more than 50%) (no particular order):
Southern Utah University
Carnegie Mellon University
Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Northern Illinois University

Another big thing I’m worried about applying to really expensive colleges is that if I do get in and miraculously get in their BFA Acting/Theater program, but do not get enough financial aid/scholarships, that would be a big bummer for me. ._.

What schools would fit me?

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