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Hey everyone!

So I'll be a senior this coming year. I'm planning to apply as either an educational theatre and (choral) music education major, or (choral) music education major and theatre minor, or theatre and (choral) music education double major...whatever combination works best at each college, but I basically want an education in both vocal performance\education and theatre arts--however, I do NOT want to major in Musical Theatre. Here are the schools I'm applying to so far, but I need more matches and safeties. What do you think my chances are for getting into these schools?

+1st choice: NYU - Steinhardt, Educational Theatre major, Music Education minor (If I make it in that will change to a double major)
+2nd choice: Boston University - CFA, Theatre Arts and Music Education double major
Fordham - Theatre and Music double major (I'd get a master's in Music Education) but I don't think I'd prefer this, because the music program seems kinda weak)
+Penn State - University Park, Music Education and Theatre double major
+Emerson - Musical Theatre major (and possibly educational Theatre double major?)(This is the only school with which I'd make an exception for my no musical theatre major rule)
+SUNY Purchase - Theatre and Vocal Performance major (and then I'd go for a Master's in Music Education)
+SUNY Potsdam - If there's a way I could double major in Music Education and Theatre I'd apply to Potsdam, but because Crane's a conservatory I don't know if that's possible. It's further than I'd like to go from home (Eight hours!) also.

Schools I don't want to apply to (for various reasons), but probably have programs that match what I'm looking for are JMU, CCM, and Syracuse; if anyone has fantastic arguments for why I should consider these schools, though, I'll be glad to listen. So I need ideas for other schools I can apply to where I'd get a good education in both music education and theatre, or theatre education and vocal performance, or music education and theatre education. I want to go to school in or near an urban area, and I don't really care about the size. Cost is not a concern, I just want the best education I can get. Now, here are the stats...

First of all, GPA is about an 89 or 90 unweighted, but weighted it won't be that much more, maybe a 91 or 92, since I only took four AP\IB's this year. What does that translate to? I thought it was about a 3.5, but someone please set me straight if I'm wrong.

The honors\AP\IB courses I took are as follows (everything else is regular, or accelerated, but not weighted):

Freshman year: Honors Math, Honors English
Sophomore Year: Honors English
Junior year: AP\IB US History, IB English, IB Spanish, IB Theatre
Senior year (next year): IB English, AP Statistics, IB Spanish, IB Music Theory

Test scores:
PSAT: 57 verbal, 67 math, 74 writing
SAT I: 1260, 650 Math/610 Verbal (will be taking these again in October)
SAT II's: Literature 610, Math IC 690, Writing 750

Extracurricular activities, in order of importance to me. This is also what I'm most likely to participate in next year, in my senior year, but the only guarantees are the presidencies and the things I've already been a part of. Also, please tell me what's worth mentioning from this list and what isn't...:

1 Comedy Troupe – Member 9th, Assistant Director 10th, President 11th and 12th (performance, writing and improv troupe)
2 GSA – Member 9th-11th, President 12th
3 Tri-M – 11th-12th
4 Chamber Choir – 11th-12th
5 ITS – 10th Grade Rep, 11th-12th (hopefully VP next year)
6 District Human Development Committee – 10th-12th (I was the student representative, by invitation)
7 Spanish Honor Society – 11th-12th
8 Musical, ensemble – 11th-12th
9 Vocal Jazz Ensemble – 12th
10 Buddy Program – 10th-12th
11 Peer Mediation – 10th-12th
12 Women’s Choir – 12th
13 Drama, props – 11th-12th
14 Musical, props – 11th-12th
15 Book Club – 10th, President 11th, 12th
16 Leadership Group – 11th-12th
17 SADA – 10th
18 Art Club – 9th
19 Pathways – 9th
20 Pay It Forward

Community Service (Same deal...in order of importance, and please tell me what's worth mentioning and what isn't):

1 Kings Park and East Northport Days – Eleven years, two days per year, four hours per day (I help take pictures and hand out papers. I might write an essay about these experiences, as merely listing this doesn't explain what I do here and how important this is to me)
2 Community Theatre – Ensemble 9th-10th, lights 11th-12th, about 75 hours so far
3 Library Acting Workshop – 11th (self started, directed, produced, etc. at a local library. I might hold another one this year), 15 hours so far
4 Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center – 10th-11th, 30 hours
5 Breast Cancer Walk participant – 10th-12th


Awards and Achievements

1 If I made it, which I am 99.99999% sure I did (as are my music teachers, who are discussing it with me as if I were already there), New York All-State Choir 2004 (determined by NYSSMA scores--100s and a few 99s are accepted)
1 NYSSMA: 24/28 Level IV, 9th grade; 96/100 Level VI, 10th grade; 100/100 Level VI, 11th grade
2 NYSCAME All-County Ensemble, 12th grade (guaranteed from my NYSSMA grade)
3 2nd place at Nassau Community College’s Annual Monologue Competition, 11th grade
4 1st place at Hofstra’s Annual Spanish Poetry Contest, 11th grade
5 Included in Who’s Who Among American High School Students, 11th grade

Some interesting quirks and random talents I have...I have perfect pitch (can say the name of a note upon hearing it); I catch on very quickly to playing various instruments (in part because of the perfect pitch), I'm outgoing to the extent where I've ended up, unplanned, playing on stages with musicians at parties and restaurants and clubs (usually the harmonica); by the end of the summer I'll have finished War and Peace, and I can play the harmonica with my nose. With my mouth, too, but people seem to get a kick out of the nose thing. Would colleges care about any of this, though? How can I show it, besides in the essay?


So that's about it. PLEASE help me...I'm getting a bit frazzled. Thanks a lot!

(Yes, this is the same post I put in the What Are My Chances forum, but I figured different people read different forums, so, why not?)

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 12:31 am: Edit

It's not urban, but you might be able to put a nice program together at Ithaca College.

By Cangel (Cangel) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 10:49 am: Edit

What about Westiminster Choir College in Princeton, or St. Olaf's in Minn.? - I don't know how theatre is at either of those, but I know the choir programs are fantastic. Also the music school at SMU - it's urban, which the other 2 are not.

By Blinkeve1826 (Blinkeve1826) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 01:51 pm: Edit

Cangel, the only thing that I feel a buit uneasy about the schools you mentioned is the religious affiliation...I'm Jewish, and I wouldn't mind going to a school that leans toward one religion more than another, but going to a school with a name like St. Olaf's or Southern Methodist would make me feel really uncomfortable. That's the problem I had with Fordham--I couldn't decide if I wanted to apply there or not because it's a Jesuit school. And Reidmc, a LOT of people have recommended Ithaca to me, so I am looking into it.

You see why I'm having trouble finding schools though? It's always something...

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 04:03 pm: Edit

Three suggestions: Oberlin in Ohio, Lawrence in Wisconsin and the College of Wooster in Ohio. Oberlin will be a reach for you but its conservatory is excellent. Lawrence is a probably match with wonderful music and theater programs. The College of Wooster is also a match and has a good music education program.

By Cangel (Cangel) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 06:00 pm: Edit

Ouch! Sorry! I had a senior moment and didn't read your profile carefully - well I wondered why you left those guys out. How about Indiana Univ or Rochester and Eastman? Carolyn always gives good suggestions. What do your voice teachers recommend? Most of the pros I know (I've been involved in amateur choral groups for years), have to do church music on the side or teach school - they trained at large state unis, then did master's work at a conservatory - several at Westminster - it is, I believe, the most secular of the 3 I mentioned. Good luck, you sound like a very talented young lady.

By Alexandre (Alexandre) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 06:13 pm: Edit

Indiana is a great selection. There is no better place to study music or theater. Not only that, but the campus is one of the most beautiful campuses I have seen (and I have visited many great campuses) and the town of Bloomington is also quite charming.

One of the reaches I would recommend is Northwestern (tops in Music and in theater), but that would be a big stretch.

Given Blinkeve's scores and GPA, I would say Indiana is also quite realistic.

By Blinkeve1826 (Blinkeve1826) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 02:34 am: Edit

Cangel, Indiana looks like it's right for me, although a little farther than I would like to travel, but it seems to have wonderful opportunities.

How difficult would it be to double major at these schools? That's one of the most important factors in my decision. I wouldn't even mind going to a school that's a bit lower than my standards and pursuing a triple major (people have done it!) Places like Oberlin and Potsdam and Eastman are great schools with wonderful programs, but would I be able to further my studies in both of my passions at these schools?

(And thanks for the help so far, everyone.)

By Cangel (Cangel) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 09:56 am: Edit

You need to talk seriously to some music and theatre majors to answer that question, preferably from the schools you're interested in. I know from my friends a million years ago (I had a lot of music and music ed major friends) that very few double majored, because music ed, at least, was almost a double major in and of itself. The performance majors definitely didn't double major, some of them barely passed their non-music classes (it's hard to go to class when you're working a gig until 2am, then eat breakfast with your friends and get to bed at 4am). But the school I went to was very different than the kind of places you are talking about - much higher caliber of student at the schools you are looking at. What hasn't changed is the necessity to rehearse for hours and the number of hours in a day.
You need more expert info than I can supply - good luck.

By Blinkeve1826 (Blinkeve1826) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 12:31 am: Edit

I have been talking to people that tell me names of great schools I should check out, and they would be a lot of help, were I only looking for one program of study. The fact that I am looking for a good program in theatre arts\education AND music education makes it harder. For example, GWU has a great theatre program, but they don't have a fantastic music department. I don't even think they have a music education major. I do have a few more options but I still feel kinda stuck.