Bachelor's degree, but still minimal experience! How will I ever get into a grad school?

Question

I am getting my bachelor's degree at a liberal arts school, because I wasn't sure what area of theatre I wanted to work in. After three years, I have learned that performance and possibly directing are my strong points (I'm a terrible designer and an awful seamstress). BUT, because this is a liberal arts school, I will only be graduating with 2 acting classes, 2 directing classes, a voice and diction class, and a handfull of useless design classes under my belt. I am taking an internship this summer, but I feel incredibly ill-prepared and doubtful about my chances at getting into a good grad school with such minimal specialization on my resume. What can I do?

Answer 1

Why, oh why would you go to grad school unless your goal is to teach?

And if you think design classes are useless then you are missing the big picture entirely. If you think you are going to be a director, those scene, costume and lighting designers are going to walk all over you the first time you say, "that thingy over there."

My guess is that you are a little too passive to make it in the real world or even the the college world -- why you have not been involved in the local theater scene, readers theater, radio dramas, post-modern improvisation work and all the rest just tells me you do not have a passion for what you think you might want to do.

Answer 2

You have two options:

1) Audition/Interview for grad schools now, and take your chances; or

2) Get out in the "real world" for awhile, and try to upgrade your resume with significant credits in your areas of interest.

There are a great many MFA programs out there who strongly favor incoming students with some real-world experience. So far as these schools are concerned, you'll lose nothing by taking the time off. And, because graduate training is so much more accellerated than even a strong BA (or BFA) program, it might behoove you to wait a year or so, just to see if your enthusiasm for grad school holds at its current level.

Regardless of your current level of experience, the people who represent graduate training programs at auditions want to see your WORK. If you have the requisite skills, they might very well take a chance on you. It's like any other audition; you give it your best shot, and the chips fall where they will.

Answer 3

You have a lot of experience in different classes. Do you have some profs who would be willing to write good letters of reference for you?

Do you have to take the GRE, too?
I am asking because besides the GRE results, Grad Schools look for a variety of experience- you have the classes and you are doing an internship. That sounds very promising.

Grad school is hard work. The expectations are higher. Do you think you can handle the workload? If so, go for it! You never know unless you try!

Answer 4

Don't worry about it. It must be apparent to someone that you have some talent if they have given you a internship.
My suggestion to you is, do not be overly nervous. Its ok to be somewhat nervous though. And take all the knowledge and experience that you can get while there and add it to your resume. If you do well at this internship, you may even make some contacts and get the ball rolling elsewhere for someone else. Just relax you should do just fine.
Good Luck

Answer 5

You need to take some more acting classes. If your schol doesn't have it, look into other schools. You can even take a leave and attand anopther school for a semester, ad transfer your credits. My school offers many such classes, if you are in New York State.

Answer 6

Have you asked others who are in grad school or who have graduated...or an admissions office of a grad school...visit the website and it might give you some tips!

Answer 7

Try to get on board with some community theatre. You gain tons of skills and it shows that you are really into your field. That will give you more experience.