Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers, Second Edition

322 Pages·2008·4.22 MB·English

by  Elaina Loveland

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.