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Creative Colleges: a Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers PDF

323 Pages·2008·14.867 MB·English
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Praise for Creative Colleges by Elaina Loveland “Put aside the rankings, the phone book-size guides and the glossy ads. Creative Colleges is the resource with the right approach to the college search for the creative student. This book will help you know yourself, know what’s out there and fi nd the right match where you will cultivate your talents, grow and prosper.” —Bradford R. MacGowan, Ed.D. College/Career Counselor Newton North High School, Massachusetts “Navigating the college search and admissions process just got easier for talented artists. Creative Colleges answers those frequently asked questions: What is the difference between a liberal arts and a professional degree? How can I make my audition or portfolio stand out in the admissions process? How can I creatively fi nance an undergraduate education? A must read for students committed to the arts or writing and seeking the best fi t in their college choice.” —Jenifer L. Blair, Ed.D. Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management University of Baltimore “Students who want to pursue the creative arts face all the usual challenges of the col- lege search process, plus additional stresses, requirements and questions specifi c to their artistic goals. Elaina Loveland, with her expertise both in college admission issues and arts education, brings together excellent advice for ‘creative applicants’ bewildered by all the college options they face. Her view of this area of the college-transition world is clear-eyed and very helpful.” —Keith Todd Director of Admission Rice University “Elaina Loveland has crafted a book that takes seriously the way creativity fl ows through the lives of college-seeking students who are interested in the arts. Loveland offers a wealth of guidelines and resources for these students, bolstered by a multitude of quoted ‘takes’ on art schools and education. Readers hear from college and arts academy ad- ministrators, faculty and students who describe how they decide to admit students, how they teach their classes and how they fi nally chose which school to attend. The message throughout is, ‘Know yourself, love your art and fi nd the school that will support your growth.’ Refreshingly, what we don’t get is any sense that some art practices and life- paths are superior to others. Loveland includes information for music students, drama- tists, dancers, writers and artists who want to teach. And in my favorite section, she re- minds creative students who decide not to major in art that, at their core, they will ‘always be an artist’ and stresses that this quality can be nourished forever and will enhance their lives. This is a helpful and generous book that will be useful to any imaginative student who is considering post-secondary education in the arts. I recommend it.” —Therese Quinn Director of the BFA with Emphasis in Art Education Program The School of the Art Institute of Chicago “This is a guide that has been long overdue. The information is solid and presented in a way that is easy to understand. I think this will be a valuable resource, especially to those counselors and parents who may not have personal experience in the arts. The inclusion of interviews with students who are visual and performing arts majors provides a very personal insight that is often hard to fi nd. It’s wonderful to have a guidebook that is more than facts and fi gures and rankings. This gets to the heart of the issues faced by creative students as they try to fi nd that special place that will help them realize their potential.” —Barbara Elliott Dean of Enrollment Management The University of the Arts Creative Colleges A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers Second Edition By Elaina Loveland Author of “Creative Careers” Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers (2nd Edition) By Elaina Loveland Published by SuperCollege, LLC 3286 Oak Court Belmont, CA 94002 www.supercollege.com Copyright © 2008 by SuperCollege, LLC Previous edition © 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of SuperCollege. This book is protected under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Credits: Cover design TLC Graphics, www.TLCGraphics.com. Design: Monica Thomas. All essays in this book are used by permission of their authors. Trademarks: All brand names, product names and services used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks or tradenames of their respective holders. SuperCollege is not associated with any college, university, product or vendor. Disclaimers: The author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter. Some narratives and names have been modifi ed for illustrative purposes. SuperCollege and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. There are no warranties which extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results. SuperCollege and the author specifi cally disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. ISBN: 9781932662238 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Cataloging-in-Publication Data Elaina Loveland Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers 2nd Edition p. cm. Includes appendices and index. ISBN 9781932662238 1. College Admission I. Title 2. Reference 3. Education To my family—you are the closest to my heart. 6 Creative Colleges Table of Contents Introduction / 9 Chapter 1: The Creative Student’s College Search / 11 Chapter 2: Frequently Asked Questions / 21 Chapter 3: Colleges for Actors / 33 Types of Drama Programs / 33 How to Decide Between a Conservatory or a Traditional Program / 35 Concentrations in a Drama Major / 36 For Aspiring Musical Theater Majors / 36 Film, Television and Cinema / 39 Drama Auditions / 40 Portfolios for Design and Production Majors / 41 Drama Program Philosophy / 41 Evaluating Drama Programs / 43 Actors’ Essays and Resume / 47 Sample Drama Curriculum / 53 Profi les of Selected Drama Programs / 55 Comprehensive List of Colleges with Drama Programs / 77 Chapter 4: Colleges for Artists / 89 Identifying the Type of Art Student You Are / 89 Types of Art Programs / 91 Art Program Philosophy / 91 Concentrations in Art Degrees / 92 The Freshman “Foundation” Year / 92 The Artistic Portfolio / 94 National Portfolio Days / 96 Evaluating Art Programs / 96 Artists’ Essays and Resume / 100 Sample Art Curriculum / 106 Profi les of Selected Art Programs / 107 Comprehensive List of Colleges with Art Programs / 134 Chapter 5: Colleges for Dancers / 149 Types of Dance Programs / 149 College Options: Dancing Without a Dance Major / 152 Table of Contents 7 Dance Auditions / 152 Dancers’ Essays and Resumes / 159 Sample Dance Curriculum / 168 How They Stack Up: Learn to Compare College Dance Programs / 170 Profi les of Selected Dance Programs / 173 Comprehensive List of Colleges with Dance Programs / 195 Chapter 6: Colleges for Musicians / 199 Types of College Music Programs / 199 Types of Music Degrees / 201 Music Specialties / 202 Music Auditions / 202 Evaluating College Music Programs / 205 Preparing for Your Audition / 210 Musicians’ Essays and Resumes / 217 Sample Music Curriculum / 224 Profi les of Selected Music Programs / 227 Comprehensive List of Colleges with Music Programs / 255 Chapter 7: Colleges for Writers / 269 Types of Creative Writing Programs / 269 Writing Portfolios / 271 What to Expect in a Creative Writing Workshop / 272 Finding a Writing Community / 273 Evaluating Creative Writing Programs / 273 Creative Writing and the “Real World” / 275 Writers’ Essays and Resumes / 279 Sample Creative Writing Curriculum / 284 Profi les of Selected Writing Programs / 285 Comprehensive List of Colleges with Writing Programs / 303 Chapter 8: The Next Step / 309 Making the Most of Your Creative College Experience / 309 Exploring the Local Arts Community / 309 Study Abroad Opportunities and Internships / 310 Exploring Career Choices after Graduation /311 Appendix / 314 About the Author / 320 8 Creative Colleges Acknowledgements This book would not have been possible without the love and support of many people who are very dear to me. I want to thank them: ■ My mother, Christina Loveland, for driving me to ballet throughout my childhood. ■ My father, Dr. Fred Loveland, for being the fi rst to encourage me to write a book at age 13. ■ My brother, Marcus Loveland, for showing me infi nite support and encouragement in all of my endeavors—you are the best brother a person could have. ■ Robert Liddy, who ignited my passion for writing and who graciously read my very fi rst writings. ■ Jari Poulin, my fi rst serious ballet teacher, who taught me the joy of dance. ■ The faculty of the Goucher College dance department. ■ Madison Smartt Bell, who gave me my fi rst glimpse of the writing life. ■ Susan Gossling Walters, for hiring me for my fi rst writing “gig.” ■ Shanda Ivory, for giving me a chance to merge my interests in higher education and writing at the National Association for College Admission Counseling. ■ My colleagues and friends at the National Association for College Admission Counseling. ■ Sharon Ritchey, who assisted me with the inordinate amount of research that this project required—I could not have done it without you! ■ Molly Farrell, who also stepped in to help with research. ■ My readers Julie Bogart, Christine Graziano, Shanda Ivory and Dani Kehoe, who provided valuable suggestions on drafts of this manuscript. ■ Jenifer Blair, Barbara Elliott, Bradford MacGowan, Keith Todd and Therese Quinn, who kindly read this book in advance and provided me with beautifully written praise. ■ All the students, faculty members and admission professionals who took the time to speak to me about their experiences for this book. ■ And to all of my friends not mentioned here by name who have shared wonderful memories with me over the years—you know who you are. Introduction 9 Introduction If you are reading this book, then you know your search for the perfect college is unique. Additionally, the application process for enrollment in a creative fi eld of study is deci- sively different from that of other students. It is not only your academic grades, teacher recommendations and SAT scores that are important, but it is also the artistic part of your application that can determine your admittance to a particular school or department dedicated to a specifi c art. If you are an actor, artist, dancer, musician or writer, your artistic talent—whether presented as an audition or artistic portfolio—probably counts as much, if not more, than the rest of your application. Because you are an artist, you need a better-than-average college guide—a book that will allow you to fi nd the school of your dreams and help you prepare for the artistic com- ponent of your college application as well as for your career. You might also have other special needs, such as pursuing academic interests outside your artistic talent. In this case, you need to fi nd a college that has both an excellent department that will help you master your craft and more traditional academic courses that will broaden your horizons. This college guide is your answer. It has separate sections for each fi eld of artistry and it lists the programs that are available to you. Using this book will help you fi nd the school and degree plan that are right for you. You’ll fi nd stories of real students just like you throughout the book whose experiences you can learn from. Why did they choose their colleges? Did they stay with their in- tended majors? Were they satisfi ed with their college choices? Answers to these questions and more lie ahead. Choosing the Right College for You Why is choosing the right college such a big decision? The truth is that it’s the fi rst major decision you make that will impact the rest of your life. Where you go to school, whom you meet, how much you pay for your degree and what you study will likely infl uence other choices you will make down the road. Graduation from college—as opposed to high school graduation—is the start of the rest of your life. Choosing the college you will attend is the beginning of a journey to becoming the person you will be. Perhaps more important than choosing the right college is choosing the right college for you. Not for your parents. Not for your friends. Not because you think it’s more “practi- cal” to go to one college over another. You have to live in your own shoes after college, and when you make your monthly student loan payment (which you may not be thinking about now, but you will probably have one), you want it to be for an experience you’ll remember fondly and not one you might regret.

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