Where should I go/consider?

dividerofzero
Sun, 01 Jun 2014 18:26:44 +0000

I’d trim down the Ivies to begin with. Though the press likes to glorify the kids who get into all 8, it’s almost never a good idea to apply to so many Ivies. Each of them has a distinct approach + a set of strengths/weaknesses + a way of combining things. I’m not a theater person myself, so I can’t really speak much about the theater program at these colleges + Stanford.

For a match, I’m not sure exactly how selective Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama is but they are the first-ever partner of the Tony Awards and have been ranked #1 quite often. Overall, CMU has a 30% acceptance rate but it varies between departments (for example, the School of Computer Science has a really low acceptance rate). CMU also has a low yield and not as many applicants (not that well known due to the lack of a Division I sports program) so I’d put them on the list as a higher match that’s worth going to if you get in. Only issue is the lack of merit aid if you qualify for substantial need-based aid (CMU has a relatively small endowment compared to its peers). It does have an interdisciplinary culture that enables academic mobility and, while CFA kids tend to be the most isolated from the rest of the school, there’s a ton of opportunity to engage in the other incredible programs- especially the ones involving technology, a field in which CMU stands out.