Emerson, Boston U (Harvard, Princeton, Huntington: how much, neighborhood, theater)

[londonbarcelona]

My daughter is interested in attending one of the two above mentioned universities for broadcast journalism. However, what she'd really like is to be an "actress" but not in the theater - film only. *sigh*

She's smart, so far so good as far as grades, SAT scores, class ranking, etc. She's Student Body President of a 3000 student Scottsdale, Arizona high school and she will have no trouble getting great letters of recommendation.

Also, we will be relocating to Pittsburgh, PA because that is where dad/my husband lives/works.

Which school do you prefer and why?

Thank you in advance!

[cubiclegirl]

Bu has a well respected Communications School which has film and journalism. It also has many other options if she changes her mind in the future as so many do. Emerson is more specialized, however it seems like many of the local broadcasters went there.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by cubiclegirl

Bu has a well respected Communications School which has film and journalism. It also has many other options if she changes her mind in the future as so many do. Emerson is more specialized, however it seems like many of the local broadcasters went there.

I don't know a lot about the details of what either school offers in this field, so I can't make suggestions about what either school's particular strengths are in the general area your daughter is interested in. Since I don't know whether you've been through the college selection process with any other children, I can suggest the website of the Princeton Review as a starting point for homing in on schools that are strong in particular fields. The web address is princetonreview.com. They have search aids that let you enter info on areas of interest, then suggest schools. Also, the websites of the two schools are: Boston University and Emerson College - Bringing Innovation to Communication and the Arts. For most colleges you have to include the www for it to go through to the website. Enter www dot emerson dot edu or www dot bu dot edu. They will have details on what each school offers, major requirements (and how much flexibility a student has), etc. Also, they should have e-mail addresses of faculty members to contact with questions about programs of interest. I'm currently going through the grad school selection process, and I can tell you that it's very useful to ask questions of faculty contacts in your department of interest. It really helps get a feel for what the school offers.

Regarding Emerson and BU as schools, they are very different schools, so part of this may depend on what your daughter wants in the way of the overall college experience. As cubiclegirl points out, Emerson is very specialized. I believe the only majors they offer are in the areas of communication, journalism, writing, theater, etc., while BU offers a full range of majors, a possible consideration should your daughter change her mind. BU also offers a much larger range of student activities, though these are not completely non-existent at Emerson.

Both schools are in urban settings, but BU has some areas that feel a bit more like a self-contained campus, while Emerson is just a few buildings along city streets. I'm not sure, but I think the buildings are not even next to each other, but are scattered around the neighborhood where the school is located. And one more big difference: the size of the schools; Emerson is small, with something like 3,000-4,000 students, while BU is a large university with 25,000-plus students.

Best of luck. Your daughter sounds very talented, and I'm sure she'll do well with whatever she chooses, though I do understand why a parent would let out that -sigh- over the thought of her wanting to be an actress. Of course, no matter how slim the chances, no one who has ever made it in that field has done so without giving it a shot. Best of luck to you and your daughter both, as this adventure unfolds.

[litlux]

I am sure you will visit both schools before deciding, since they each have their own personality and focus. To tell you the truth, I also wanted to attend both when I was younger, but ended up at a community college, and then night school.

But I lived quite near both schools - BU is along the Charles towards Brighton, while Emerson is smack dab in the middle of the Theater District and downtown. Emerson is a smaller school and that has big advantages in terms of personal attention and specialization. I have known professors at both institutions, and even worked at BU for a period of time, and worked with Emerson as they moved their campus into the Midtown Cultural District as it is sometimes called.

BU has the Huntington Theater but students rarely get to use it; Emerson has the Culter Majestic which students get to use part time, and it hosts a variety of other shows most of the year.

I don't think your daughter would regret either choice, Boston is a very good city for communications people, and there are lots of interesting places to work part time, or intern as well.

While film may be her main focus, she will be delighted to find that there is plenty of opportunity to cross over from one specialty to another without losing sight of her personal priorities. Going to either school will present her with a banquet of possibilities that few other areas can match.

I am even a little jealous of the fact she has such supportive parents.

[smarty]

Neither school is right for her if she wants to be an actress. They are not known to be training in front of screen (mostly behind the screen). She should consider Yale or NYU instead.

Many BU's graduates work in the tv/news as reporters/Journalist or as film directors.

Many Emerson's graduates work in radio/tv broadcasting.

[findingmesomeday]

I went to BU and graduated from the school of Communications. I wouldn't say BU has any sort of campus but there is a sense of "campus life" that is successfully fostered there. The most campus-y I felt was sitting on the hill above Storrow Drive out in back of the student union and watching the cars wizz by. I'm not familiar with Emerson's campus but I know of someone who is very well respected in the advertising/marketing field who is being wooed for a faculty position there.

BU does have a drama/theater school but it's not housed in the College of Communications. It's housed in the College of Fine Arts. And I agree with the previous poster who said BU provides many more options should your daughter change her mind (I changed my major about 4 times before the end of sophomore year!

I'm very happy with the education I got at BU. In fact, I wish I had taken advantage for more of the opportunties BU offers its studetns. While living in Boston, I wasn't impressed with the academic reputation, but that was because we sat right across the river from MIT and Harvard. When I graduated, I moved to the West Coast and when potential employers saw my resume, they *always* remarked that they were impressed I'd graduated from BU.

[halfandhalf]

I got in to both and chose Emerson because the classes and "campus" (they're both integrated into the city) were smaller. (I didn't study acting/theater.) Emerson's changed a lot since I went there ('96) and they've really stepped up their facilities. Several of my classmates show up in commercials and films as extras every now and then, but I don't know of anyone who's made it big. I'm under the impression there's more name-recognition w/ Emerson's drama/theater program than BU's. They also have really popular programs in the Netherlands and L.A.