For theatre students, where you attend can certainly have an impact on your career with the type of training you receive. It's also important to note that while each school listed here is excellent, a college degree doesn't guarantee success nor is one required to become successful in this industry.
3 comments:
First of all, I love the beginning of the article. It addresses so many assumed aspects of lists like these. I really like how it mentioned that while going to a good school is important, it doesn't guarantee success. I think that is important for everyone to remember when applying for college. I also really like how they explained how they come to these conclusions. The beginning of the article also points out a truth that maybe hard to admit at times, that in theater especially, where you go to college can get you very far in the industry. Before I get to the actual list, the last thing that I want to mention is that I like how they make separate lists for each discipline. As far as the list goes, I like how they focus on the advantages of the school itself and not what it is lacking.
It is always cool seeing your school in the number one spot for BFA undergrad programs in the country. I am a junior at Carnegie Mellon University and although there are many things I would probably change about the program I can honestly say that I don’t regret my decision. I think one of the best things about this school is the opportunities that you get from being a student here. This past summer I was an intern at UMPC working on a piece of tech that would help with making discoveries in neurodegenerative diseases. You might be wondering how a Technical Directions student was given a job in the medical field (don’t worry I wonder the same thing) but the reality is that so many of the skills and techniques that are taught at the school of drama can pretty much be transferred to any number of other industries. I'm not saying that a theatrical degree is for everyone, but there is so much more to get out of this program than just theatre and I won't bore you with that list but it is definitely something to think about.
I’ve always liked looking at these lists of undergrad rankings. Not that it affects me anymore, but seeing what schools are the best of the best is at the least, an interesting read. usually there is at least one school on the best BFAs in the country that surprise me. This year, that school is University of North Carolina School of the Arts over in Winston, North Carolina. When I think of North Carolina theatre, I immediately jump to Chapel-Hill. To be fair, I don’t spend a lot of my time researching North Carolinian BFA theatre schools, but still. Reading through the quick blurb what struck me the most was this fact: “Offers rare program in Wig & Makeup Design. Students will have the opportunity to learn all areas of this field including: design, wig making, period hairstyling, makeup techniques, mold making and prosthetic arts.” Not many schools off wig making, less even who give degrees for it, so University of North Carolina School of the Arts is pretty unique.
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