Picking a college with your child is never easy but that challenge becomes slightly more difficult if your child plans to study performing arts. The reason for this is that there simply aren’t the same volume of options for this type of study as you would have if they planed to study history or journalism. Another key factor in this is that there is not to many middle-of-the-road colleges which offer performing arts, they are either outstanding, great or very poor. If this something which your child wishes to study, here are some tips on getting the choice right.
Reviews
Reviews can give you a key insight into what student life is like at each college and many collegial reviews have contributions from professors and students alike. In fact we had whittled our options down to two and it was only when we read the American Musical and Dramatic Academy reviews that we decided that AMDA would be the right fit for our child.
Realistic
It is always important to be realistic when you are planning which college your child will go to, as not all kids have the talent which will get them a place at some of the country’s most prestigious schools. In our case for example our daughter had her heart set on somewhere such as Julliard, but the truth was that in that moment, her talents would not have been considered exceptional enough to gain her entry. If you are applying for colleges which are above the standard of your child’s talents then you may very well be wasting time and applications.
Connections
Many performing arts colleges have strong links and connections to companies in the film and theater industry and that means that students who attend these colleges have a great chance of forging a career in their chosen art. Some performing sorta colleges will have links in the theater industry, others may have strong links to art galleries and museums and some have contacts across the film industry. This is a really important consideration to make because it could greatly help you child to forge a career for themselves once they have completed their education.
Student Life
Remember that your child’s college experience is not just an educational one, during their time away they will learn a lot about who they are as a person and life in general, which is why paying attention to what student life is like at a college is a very important consideration. You need to know that you are sending your child to a college which has a strong social scene and an opportunity to enjoy life to the max whilst they are studying. This is why paying attention to the social scene is going to be so important.
Take your time and consider everything before making your choice, if you get it right then your child will have the most valuable experience.
