Come to the University of Iowa. It’s a happening place. It’s got the major, it’s in the Midwest, it’s cheep (for in-starters) and it’s got me! 
It’s not highly selective, though, but most of the theatre majors think it is. (Well, they’re dead set that they’re highly special. I used to be a TM, but got tired of the attitude.)
Oh yeah–and Gene Wilder is an Alum. How cool is that?
I visited Grinnell, Carleton, and Macalester oh… 2 years ago. Carleton is cold. People that go there work hard. And there’s no theatre major. But they drink a lot. So that’s a plus.
Grinnell is small. But they are real big on the Merit Scholarship. I got one there. Nearly full ride. I almost went. It’s small – ~1200 students IIRC. Good theatre program. But small. Small town, too. Seemed like good people though. But small.
Macalester I didn’t have much impression of. Seemed like mini-Carleton from what I remember. No offense to any Macalesterites around these parts. I didn’t spend much time there.
I liked Grinnell a lot. Everyone I met there seemed really interesting, and the campus is nice. I was really close to going there. You should definitely at least apply there, IMHO; another upside is that they keep your admission files open forever, so if you ever decide later on to transfer there or something, they make it real easy.
All colleges and universities mentioned are good institutions. But remember, a great deal of theater depends on contacts. If you are considering a career in the theater, (from my experience in that profession) I would echo two that have been recommended: Northwestern and the University of Texas at Austin.
TV
Our esteemed alma mater has alumni like Tenessee Williams and you decided to cite Gene Wilder?!?
Really? You thought Carleton and Macalester were similar? I visited both about a year abd half-ish ago (Carleton was my frist choice, but, alas, I got wait-listed) and I noticed huge differences in the school, even just on the surface.
My biggest complaint about Macalester I actually noticed during my visit. It’s really clique-y. Not as in rigidly defined “Geeks, Jocks, Gamers, Art Nerds, and Hippies” like in high school, but more as in everyone belongs to one small social group. They overlap and you can go to a party with other groups and whatever, but you generally don’t “hang out” with someone unless they’re in your group. I love the people I hang out with, but it gets old fast, sorta being not allowed in other groups. Especially if you got drunk and hooked up with a boy in one of those groups; yer kinda shunned for good from them.
But I noticed at Carleton that the social scene seemed alot more open. I can’t really explain it. A friend who goes there says it is kinda cold, because of the competitive nature, but it’s not so clique-y.
Of course, there is also loads of drinking at Macalester, too, so maybe that’s the similarity you noticed.
Webster Univeristy in St. Louis has an excellent theater program in their Conservancy of Theatre Arts. The campus theatre houses the Reperatory Theatre of St. Louis and the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. I took an informal tour there (looking for a good communications/journalism school, and it’s still an option) and their arts department was highly recommended by the student who showed me around.
And in case you were wondering, I can spell “University.”
I’ll suggest Ohio State (don’t stop reading!), for the following reasons:
It is most definitely co-ed.
It has a good theatre department.
It is non-religious.
It is in the Midwest.
It is not highly selective. However, you can get a “selective college” experience at Ohio State if you play your cards right. The way colleges like OSU are set up is to admit large numbers of marginally qualified applicants (lured by the beer-and-circus of big-time college sports). These folks are herded into enormous lecture halls where they are talked at by bored and annoyed assistant professors. They frequently do not graduate. This pays the college’s bills. But to keep the faculty happy, they set up an Honors program. At no extra cost, you get a special dorm, small classes and seminars with very competent and highly motivated professors, scheduling privileges, and all kinds of other perks. You can do research, a thesis, whatever you want, under the supervision of a real scholar. It’s one of the few true bargains left in the world. All you have to do to get these things is qualify for the Honors program, and that should be no problem if you have a shot at a Merit.
You said cost is an issue. If you get your Merit, then Ohio State is free. If not, it’s not that expensive anyway.
Another thing: your interests and ambitions will probably change sometime during college. A big school with lots of majors will allow you to shift gears without having to transfer.
I mention Ohio State because I have three degrees from there and also taught there. It’s in an urban area and attracts a very diverse student body once you pry back the surface of cornfed business majors. But I imagine any large public university will offer the same kinds of opportunities.
That’s something that I’m worried about - for any school. So, theatre majors, do you find a great deal of better-than-thou snoots in your department? My second choice for a major is English, so, while I’d LIKE there to be a theatre major at the college I attend, it is not really a necessity (I mentioned Carleton).
I think I am going to set up a time to visit Grinnell in the very near future. I read through the material again, and I was amazed. They do not have a required core curriculum. What I’m dreading most about college is having to take science classes, so this would be great for me. However, how does that look when applying for jobs or graduate school? It seems to me that it wouldn’t be as impressive as having a “well-rounded” education, but it is most definitely what I would prefer.
I have heard that the University of Iowa gives away a ton of money, so that’s a plus.
Has anyone gone to Coe College? I hadn’t heard of it until a girl from the school called me. I was crabby and really snooty to her because I couldn’t understand anything she was saying. Anyway, I think it sounds pretty good.
I don’t like what’s been said about the clique-y-ness of Macalester. That, to me, would be a huge problem because I like to befriend all sorts of people. I also don’t like what’s been said about Carleton’s coldness. I’m not a hyper-competitive person, and I think that being around a bunch of people who are would get on my nerves.
Philbuck, sorry about making assumptions. Thanks for calling me on that.
Keep your suggestions coming! This has already been quite helpful.
I have a few friends who went to Lawrence University and loved it. Small, pretty selective, and a fantastic conservancy. It is in Appleton, Wisconsin, which may or may not be a drawback to you. I’ve been there a few times, sat in a few art-history classes and liked the campus and the students. Give it a look. –good luck!
Rhythmdvl
Let me give a second to Webster University. The eldest Kunilou kid picked it after a long and exhausting period of indecision. She’s an English major and my hope is that their English department is as good as their performing arts.
Oooh! I love giving college advice! You’ve eliminated my alma mater in one fell swoop, with the elimination of a religious school, so Notre Dame is out. But that’s not a problem.
Since no one has spoken up for Butler University, I’ll give it a resounding, completely uninformed approval. Since I didn’t go there, I can’t REALLY give you a good impression. But my girlfriend did go there, and she loved it. Maybe Myrtle will come by and slip a word in edge-wise, but don’t hold your breath.
She wasn’t a theatre major per se, but was extensively involved in several productions. They have a great facility on campus, as well as access to Indianapolis, which has a wonderful fine arts tradition, as far as a small midwestern city can have. Butler may be pretty small, but there are a few other colleges in town that it draws from for its theatre program. I’d definitely recommend at least giving it a look-see.
As for the other elements of Butler, I can speak a bit. The campus itself is absolutely beautiful. They have a good deal of land, and there is a lot of housing nearby that is reasonable, and in safe neighborhoods. Having just recently moved to Indianapolis, I can unbiasedly say that its a great city to live in - lots to do, not too big at all. There are tons of college areas, tons of arts, many many museums, etc. And you can’t beat the 500 for Memorial Day plans!
Regardless of your choice, enjoy your decision process, and enjoy your college experience when it comes. I’m sure you’ll still be around to share it with us. Good luck!
I have to speak up for my alma mater, Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. It’s not midwestern, but
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It’s co-ed. I think they all are here.
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It’s not religious. It was certainly a place of great debauchery when Mrs. RickJay and I went there.
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It’s an outstanding, highly regarded and very selective university with the highest admission standards in Canada, or close to it (except maybe for the Royal Military College.)
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The drama program is very good, according to my sister (Drama '01)
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The cost for a foreign student is not prohibitive for you given the exchange rate. Tuition will run you $10,000 (all US dollars) per year INCLUDING books and materials; room and board is $5000, maybe. The cost of living in Kingston is very low.
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The city itself is utterly magnificent, the perfect town for a college student. Queen’s is right downtown with walking distance of basically everything. It’s right on Lake Ontario. The city panders to university students, they being a major source of income. It’s pretty, not too big but with all the amenities, safe, and very fun. The social scene is very active.
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The university is a nice size, about 10,000 students, so it’s nice a big and diverse but not humongous. The campus is gorgeous.
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The LEGAL drinking age here is 19.
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Perhaps most importantly, I think Kingston would suit you. It’s a very artsy town with a remarkably active literary, drama, live music and arts scene. Local theatre groups are numerous, so you’ll have no shortage of chances to practice your craft; my sister’s an actress and she couldn’t keep up with all the opportunities. And if you like English, Kingston is an absolute hotbed of writing.
…gotta get a vote in for my UG alma mater and current MBA program…
University of Michigan Ann Arbor:
-Co-ed: Check (I attended w/ my now-wife)
-Non religious: Check
-Highly selective: Check, but without small/private-school snoot (good or bad, depending on your perspective!!)
-In the midwest: Check
-Theatre major: Check. Check http://www.umich.edu/~umfvpgm for the Film & Video Studies Program and http://www.theatre.music.umich.edu/degree.html for the Theatre Program
-Cost: Yeah, about the cost…well, good luck with the National Merit Scholarship…
Anyway, Ann Arbor is a great place to live, and the school is doing really well: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/natu_pub.htm
Alums in your field of interest include Arthur Miller, David Allen Greer, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Kasdan, Christine Lahti, Harry Winer, and Robert Shaye (CEO, New Line Cinema), or so claims the website. There, I did my alumnus duty…
the Stretch
Ok, ok, yeah. My bad. But I just saw The Silver Streak and he was on my brain!
Forgive me!
Forgiven. I like Gene Wilder too, but he’s no Tennesee Williams. You know that TW said the only time he ever slept with a woman was when he was at the U of I? On the other hand, Vonnegut said his whole stay here was a struggle against boredom and suicide. There must be something weird going on here…
Yeah, I thought they were similar. As I said, though, I spent very little time at Macalester. The thing about cliquey-ness sseems pretty universal to me. I went to Wesleyan University, in CT, and the story was exactly the same. My Carleton friend says the same thing as yours, that it’s ‘cold’ in the figurative as well as literal sense. Just my two cents.
Thanks, all, for your advice. I appreciate it. I’ll be sure to keep you informed about my college plans and such. God, I love the SDMB!
Since my alumna duty has already been done, I’ll just give the old thumbs-up to Silver Stretch’s post! I just graduated from Michigan in April (with a BA in English) – it was a wonderful experience. (And I wasn’t directly involved with the Theater and Drama department, for the most part, but the productions are certainly top-quality… :D)
Good luck in your college search!