So, you think you have what it takes to get into one of the top acting colleges? Cool. It is a fun and exciting business to get into, but do not take it lightly. Sure, it is a lot of fun, but it is also one of the toughest businesses to get into.
How to you get into an acting college?
Typically you have to audition to get in to a drama school. For example, if you want to be an actor, they may require you to prepare a monologue or a scene for the board that is making the decision. If you are singer, you could expect to prepare a song and if you are a dancer you should be prepared to put together some kind of dance routine.
How much do acting colleges cost?
Typically they cost just as much as any other college. If you decide to go to a smaller independent school that is not affiliated with a university or college, you will probably pay a little bit less.
What type of degree can I expect to get?
Most acting colleges offer both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in theater, dance, film studies, and many other types of media arts. It will just depend on the school you choose to go to, but they typically will all offer something similar.
What can you expect to learn at an acting college?
The idea of going to an acting college is to get gain first hand, practical knowledge in the field that you want to study. For instance, if you choose to be a film actor, you want to make sure you choose a school that is going to offer you the chance to work in front of the camera as much as possible. This might be in student films or in the regular classroom environment. Either way, you want to get as much practical training as you possibly can.
What are some of the best schools to attend?
The ‘best’ is always a tough thing to say for sure. What is good for one person is not always good for another. Any school that offers some type of program can be a good place to get started. You can always start at a community college near you to get your feet wet. When you learn the basics you can then decide to try and get into one of the more advanced or big colleges.
What are the most well-known acting colleges?
Here are 3 of the more well know acting colleges. They are pretty hard to get into, but if you really want to be an actor, go for it. A diploma from one of these could really open up some doors for you.
Julliard – Most people have heard of Julliard. It is based in New York City and is known as one of the best performing arts schools in the nation. In fact the TV show Fame is a based on Julliard. Acting, dancing, musical theater, it doesn’t matter what you want to get into, they have some of the top programs you can get into. Christopher Reeves and Robin Williams are two of the well-known graduates. As you can imagine, it is also one of the toughest schools to gain admission to.
UCLA – If you want to go straight into where the action is, UCLA is the place to be. Being in the heart of Los Angeles, they have access to some of the top instructors in the business. The fact that it is in LA and your instructors are working in the business makes UCLA an outstanding choice when it comes to choose an acting college.
NYU Film School – Known as the Tisch School, NYU is right on par with Julliard. NYU is driven more by film and TV, so if you are more interested in those areas as opposed to theater, consider NYU over Julliard. As an actor, you will get the chance to work with a lot of future directors that are taking classes in the film directing school.
Remember, you do not have to go to one of these top acting schools in order to make in the entertainment business. In fact, the college that is nearest to you is a great place to start. The key is to just get started. Do not quit if you don’t get into one of these colleges rejects you. They are very competitive and by no means are they for everybody.
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