[Smile_Awhile]

I decided at about 15 years old that I was going to be an actress. So, picking a degree in Acting was the natural progression for that. Six years later, I'm still happy- maybe not as driven as I could be, but I love what I get to do everyday and the classes I get to take.

I'm getting a BFA versus a BA, so I feel that I've been given enough training to actually make it in the professional acting world. There are quite a few successful graduates from my program.

But, I also am self-aware that I can't handle the instability of acting long term. I set my sights on theatre administration, without knowing much about it. I got my first internship the summer after my sophomore year, and that company has continually hired me back- I've been working with them for over a year, and no longer have the title of intern. The odds are good that I might receive a full-time position after I graduate. I also landed an internship in Chicago last summer, and felt confident in that. I also added a minor in public relations to broaden my training, so I look like a better candidate for these jobs.

So many say that it's too expensive to get a degree in something that seems "out there" and with few job prospects. I would disagree. My acting training has made me an extremely self-aware individual, and an acute analyzer of people. We know how to market ourselves better than most degrees. Most importantly, I'm passionate about it. I have learned more about myself and human behavior in the past 4 years than I ever would have in another degree program. I've been stretched on both a personal and professional level, and isn't that what college is about?

Arts administration is also a fairly "new" field. Degree programs are out there, but there are also many others who are hired into these positions with only theatre or their specialization degrees. This will probably be changing in the foreseeable future, but for now, it's perfectly possible to get hired with only a bachelor's- but I do think you need the work experience or internship to back it up.