USC, Northwestern, Occidental, Muhlenberg, Elon - Five great schools which could be a fit
Since visiting colleges is tough this year I wanted to introduce you to five different schools that might be a good fit, two different large private universities, two small liberal arts colleges, and one small university that straddles between the two. You can read more about the overall differences between types of schools here.
Northwestern University (NU) with about 8,000 undergraduates is located north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, it even has its own beach, though you have to love the cold to love Northwestern (the coldest I've ever been is visiting Northwestern in winter). NU operates on the quarter system (vs the semester system common at most schools), a difference I describe in this blog post. Most people know NU is a world class research university but it also has a very well regarded School of Communications which houses performing arts (acting, dance, musical theatre, comedic arts) as well as film, media arts/game design, and several creative writing programs, in addition to concentrations in the management of these arts. Notably, the acting program offers a BA (vs a BFA) (I describe the differences here), and does NOT require an audition for acceptance, though the musical theatre program does. Don't be deceived though, NU theatre program is highly selective. In addition to the School of Communication, NU also has schools of Arts and Sciences, Education and Social Policy, Engineering, Journalism and Marketing, and Music as well as most social and cultural components of a large university.
University of Southern California (USC) is also located near a beach but their beach is in warm and sunny Los Angeles. While USC has about 20,000 undergraduate, the School of Cinematic Arts which offers a BFA in film is only about 850 undergraduates. The School of Dramatic Arts, which is really a conservatory program within a very large university offers a BFA in acting with a class of about 18 students, and a BFA in musical theatre with a class of about 14 students. USC also offers a BA in acting which allows students to combine a major in acting with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences. For students interested in other creative pursuits USC also has schools of Architecture, Art and Design, Dance, and Music. Unlike NU which requires only an application to the university, USC requires significant supplemental materials for submission to all its creative BFA programs. If you're applying to USC start early as the applications are due early so they can review their extensive supplemental materials. The main USC application requires three supplemental essays plus about 10 short answer responses. Each BFA program has extensive additional requirements as well. For example, Acting requires a creative resume, head shot, three personal pictures with descriptions, two additional supplemental essays, two monologues and an additional video showing a creative talent; Film requires a short story about you, a response to a supplemental prompt, a creative writing sample, and creative portfolio list. As you can see, applying to these programs is not a last minute decision as they are small and highly competitive.
In contrast to these two large private universities, I'll introduce you to two liberal arts colleges (LAC) also with well respected creative programs. You can read more about what makes liberal arts colleges a great option here. In general, liberal arts colleges will not require, though they are often very happy to receive, supplemental materials with your application.
Occidental College outside Los Angeles has a student body of about 2,000 in a beautiful California style campus. Like many LACs Occidental offers many opportunities for creatives to weave their interests into academic subjects. Oxy has a department of Media Arts and Culture which allows students to study both the theory and production of media, perfect for film students and game design students as the approach can be from the storytelling side or the technology side. Occidental also has a Theatre department where students can either approach their studies from the performance side or the theory side. Neither of these programs require you to submit supplemental materials, though if you can provide them I always advise students to augment their applications by doing so.
Muhlenberg College is located in rural Pennsylvania, close to Philadelphia and New York City, but just far enough away to remove the distractions of a big city and enjoy a beautiful college campus. About 35% of Muhlenberg's student body of 2,200 participates in the arts. Muhlenberg has majors and minors to satisfy a wide range of creatives such as Documentary Storytelling, Studio Art, Dance, Theatre, and Music. The wonderful aspect of a school such as Muhlenberg is that courses in these majors are open to all students so creative students majoring outside the arts are free, and often encouraged, to participate. These are serious programs though and may require auditioning into the major at the end of either freshman or sophomore years.
A fifth school which combines the best of both worlds for many students is a small university, such as Elon University in North Carolina. Elon, with about 6,200 undergraduate students offers rigorous BFA programs in the arts: Studio Art, Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre as well as both BFA and BA programs in Cinematic Arts (including TV) through the School of Communications. Elon also offers minors in some of these departments as well enabling creatively oriented humanities and STEM students to continue their artistic studies in college. Each program has their own admissions requirements and the BFA performing arts programs all require submission of supplemental materials. Elon has the feel and components of a larger university with a beautiful sprawling campus, greek life, many sports teams and facilities, and a robust study abroad program.
I'd love to hear your impressions of these school and others as your knowledge helps me build my knowledge.