Because I'm a type-A person, I beginning to research possible college programs for DD13. She's only going into 8th grade, but hey - it's never to early to start planning, right?

I'm wondering if anyone on the board has experience with SUNY Purchase? Thoughts?

DadinWestchester -- I know you're looking into purchase for your son. What are your impressions on the difficulty to getting in? My daughter has a LOT of community theatre experience and some regional theatre experience. She auditions well (has gotten callbacks for the 2 Broadway auditions she's done) and has very strong voice and dance skills.

BUT, she's not a 4.0 student. In middle school she's a solid A/B student, but I don't anticipate she'll be an AP student or score highly on the SATs/ACTs. (I know, that sounds harsh, but it's reality) Can very solid performing skills and experience counterbalance a less strong academic record at a place like SUNY Purchase?

Thanks in advance,
T

forgive the typos (i.e. missing "am" in first line). I'm multi-tasking on my lunch break at work!

I believe that admission to SUNY would do more with auditions than with gradepoint. However, a better gradepoint will make the difference in acceptance. Remember this is a very small program of 70 students.

Somewhere I saw a video online of the pressure of the audition process for various schools. Much more intense than a Broadway show! Several of the top schools will audition at the same time with the same people so you can spread your chances a bit. The competition is daunting. We have a director friend that coaches kids for these auditions and will go to her when the time comes. The other side of the coin is that the auditors do not like to see obviously coached kids. They like to see the natural gifts so it is a balance. I keep running into Purchase grads that can't say enough about the program, so I will be pushing it towards my son.
Their film program ain't bad too.

I worry since my 13yo does not like to sing or dance. Straight theater or film. It would help in most programs to have all abilities, but not a cut off. (Unless you are thinking of someplace like Cinncinnati I believe).
Plus SUNY is a bargain for New Yorkers. (My oldest is heading to Buffalo in the fall)
Good luck to you and your daughter.

My son is a junior BFA in acting.

From our experience visiting multiple colleges and universities with BFA acting programs, all will tell you that high school grades are important. But, from what we've heard, if you give an outstanding audition and your grades are low, they will find a way to admit you. Theater schools earn their reputations based on how well their graduates do in their careers, and they are savvy enough to know that you don't have to be a good mathematician to perform Shakespeare.

Regarding SUNY Purchase, I don't know much about it first hand, but it has an outstanding reputation. Most acting programs are extremely competitive, so investing a lot of time preparing audition monologues is highly recommended.

Good luck!

Best,

Ron

Thanks Ron. That's kind of what I figured. I used to be in higher ed myself, but in journalism, and we didn't have much wiggle room on the grade/scores thing.

Hubby was in athletics (at both high school and college level), so I know there's LOTS of wiggle room there.

I figured fine arts would be sort of in the middle. Our plan is to trudge forward, stressing the importance of good grades in school and great training for theatre.

~T

I think that is a good plan ... especially since your child is only in the 8th grade. Her interests may move away from performing towards something academic, and then the good grades will come in handy!

Enjoy your daughter! The years fly by and then they're off ...

Best,

Ron

College Confidential
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/
has loads of info!

Dadin,

somehow I missed your response when I was reading earlier, but wanted to thank you too for your input. Everything you say about auditions jives with what I read in the recent NYTimes article (at least I think it was the Times... perhaps WSJ)

I have the opposite problem from you... my kid really *only* wants to do musical theatre, at least at this point. We have a FABULOUS public high school (http://www.asfa.k12.al.us/) here in Birmingham that is a performing arts school, but also a magnet for science and math. It's consistently ranked very high academically (lots of national merit scholars) and the arts grads do well, BUT they don't offer musical theatre. Just straight theatre. Meaning DD won't even consider it!

Somuchtodo - thanks for the link. I'll check it out!

~T

Syracuse has a well-respected undergrad musical theater program and decent academics. You should look at their website.

8th grade!! wow. that leaves a LOT of time for her to change her mind.. trust me, i was sure i wanted to be a doctor when i was a freshman in high school, and turned out being a Theatre major, and getting a BFA.

if i were you, i wouldnt worry right now about college.. its definitely good to be prepared this day and age, but it does put a lot of pressure on a kid when you have to focus on college as a middle schooler. i'm sure you're very well-meaning though, so dont take that the wrong way!

every school is different.. when she's older, visit some schools and see where she fits in the best. i knew right away when i stepped on my campus that it was where i wanted to be, and i was very lucky to get in.

best of luck!

Thanks Blond. DD has a friend who starts Syracuse in the fall, though he's going Special Ed instead of theatre (despite being a really talented theatre kid).

And jenalicious, I totally get what you're saying about pressure/stress. I'm not talking with DD about college. I'm just doing my own prep work now b/c I've known too many kids that waited until Junior/Senior year to really think about college and they end up with fewer choices. Also, she's the oldest of 3 kids and financially it's helpful to know what to be budgeting fo. (especially since DD9 is convinced she wants to go to Harvard for Undergrad followed by Cornell for vet school --- yes, she's rather type A also!)

~T

quote:

Originally posted by Fluff:
Because I'm a type-A person, I beginning to research possible college programs for DD13. She's only going into 8th grade, but hey - it's never to early to start planning, right?

I'm wondering if anyone on the board has experience with SUNY Purchase? Thoughts?

DadinWestchester -- I know you're looking into purchase for your son. What are your impressions on the difficulty to getting in? My daughter has a LOT of community theatre experience and some regional theatre experience. She auditions well (has gotten callbacks for the 2 Broadway auditions she's done) and has very strong voice and dance skills.

BUT, she's not a 4.0 student. In middle school she's a solid A/B student, but I don't anticipate she'll be an AP student or score highly on the SATs/ACTs. (I know, that sounds harsh, but it's reality) Can very solid performing skills and experience counterbalance a less strong academic record at a place like SUNY Purchase?

Thanks in advance,
T

Fluff-that's what I love about this board. I find out I'm not the only one doing this stuff. My DD is the same age and I'm already checking everything out about colleges. My DD doesn't know I am already looking but just trying to get a grip on budgeting for it helps. UM has a great musical theatre and vocal programs but to get in there would be very hard. I don't know about SUNY but UM does not seem to cut any slack on grades for performing arts kids. The academics still have to be very high and an A/B with no AP would not cut it there, so I think that is out for us.

UM -- michigan? minnesota?

There are numerous schools that if you're not up to par academically, you won't be accepted to the program(Syracuse, Ithaca, UMish, Indiana, NYU to name a few.) There ARE programs though that make exceptions for very talented kids(FSU, PSU,etc.) Honestly, by the time your daughter is applying to collegem who knows how hard or easy it will be to get into schools academically. Admission into schools now is ridiculously competitive since many more kids are applying nowadays.

Also, if you're daughter doesn't get accepted into a BFA, it's not the end of the world. I wasn't accepted to any, altough I have an Off-Broadway credit, have performed solo at Carnegie Hall, and have appeared in a couple movies. Instead I'm a BA theatre student(my school requires an audition/interview for the BA program, so not just anyone can be a theatre major) and a music minor. My strongest area has always been singing, so I'm not too concerned about not having MT classes, and as a music minor I'll still get all my theory classes in, so in a way it's a win win situation.

In the end, it doesn't matter where you went to school...just matters if you're talented and look the part =) I went through the whole BFA audition process last year, so if you have any further questions, let me know!! :-)

Don't knock the possibility of transferring, either. I wish I'd gone to community college to get my general eds out of the way. I probably would have had more focus and better grades had I done that instead of prioritizing the social aspects of college life in the university where I'd first enrolled. That would have saved a lot of money, too. I mention community college because it seemed that those I knew who had transferred from CC's to four-year colleges excelled in their classes.