Follow Where Your Passion Leads You
I recently heard from a friend whose son is about to apply to colleges. As his son begins to narrow his focus on a short list of colleges, though, I sensed a bit of worry when his dad asked, “What happens if you apply as one major, say in the arts, get in, and then try to transfer to a new major in the second year?” What he really wanted to know was “will an interest in theatre help him get in and receive funding even though I think it would be a good idea for him to pursue something else in his second year?” Interestingly, my friend acknowledged his son’s demonstrated passion for theatre. He just wasn’t sure that program held much value to his son except at the point of entrance into a university.
My advice to this friend was easy and direct. “Encourage your son to follow his passion as that instinct will serve him now and in the future.” It’s hard to tell whether the theatre interest will help or hurt in the competition for admission because the competition at each school will be different. Frankly, at some places he’ll need to audition and show good grades in order to get in. At others, his talents may be sufficient to gain him admission and scholarship recognition. That is why he needs to put himself in an academic environment in which he feels most comfortable—where he fits well and can compete.
The good news for the young man in question is that theatre is the program he really wants so the question of having to change majors or programs isn’t really on his mind. Rather, it was his dad’s issue. It was his dad who was willing to humor him the interest in theatre in order to get in and receive funding as long as he would be able to switch out of theatre once enrolled.
This part of my friend’s question speaks to the natural tension that often exists between the instincts of the parents and the desires of the student (I talk about this in Chapter One, “Adjusting to Life in the Passenger Seat,” of Winning the College Admission Game.). My advice will always be to encourage the young person follow his passion. He needs to be able to make the decisions and own the outcomes. The last thing a parent should want is to be the one responsible for the success or failure his child experiences. In this instance, following dad’s script could be a recipe for disaster.
If this young man tries theatre arts, it should be because he is most comfortable with that direction and because he is most likely to invest in making good things happen in that arena. He should learn from the experience of discovery in that regard. That said, the odds are he will still change his mind on his own—or at least reshape his interests several times before he graduates. The best academic environment for him, then, will be the one that allows him the flexibility to find his way as he encounters new opportunities.
|
