AboutKat Expertise I can help with anything from freshman/transfer admissions to financial aid, from coursework to campus life. I'm extremely familiar with the College of Liberal Arts, but I know a fair share about other colleges as well.
Experience I'm a senior with a double major in English and Government, and I'm also completing the Liberal Arts Honors program.
Expert: Kat Date: 3/5/2008 Subject: Three quick misc questions
Question Hi Kat and thanks in advance for answering.
My daughter is a high school junior and is very interested in UT RTF. We are Texas residents. I have three quick questions. 1)I have read about AP credits on the UT website but I do not find the answer to my specific question. For each AP test with the minimum score achieved (mostly 3-5) is the student credited with one semester of credit or two semesters of credit? 2)If my daughter is not able to "AP" out of her basic ed requirements for natural science, do you have any suggestions for courses that would be more interesting for an artsy/writer type? 3)My daughter has excellent stats (4.0 gpa, 32 ACT) and a lot of high school theatre experience. However, she has very little academic or practical experience in RTF. Will she be at a huge disadvantage due to this lack of experience if she is accepted to RTF?
Thank you.
KD
Answer Hi KD,
I want to start by saying UT has an absolutely AMAZING RTF program! As I write, a major film company has taken over one of our auditoriums for the week to shoot a feature-length movie called "Will". I personally know a UT RTF graduate who has worked on music videos for the Flaming Lips, worked on the recent Rodriguez/Tarantino double-feature horror movie, and currently has a job working for a director who has made several music videos for U2. I know people who are worried that Austin wont have the opportunities that LA or NYC would, but the truth is that a lot of production companies are coming to Austin because it's so much cheaper to shoot here (particularly since Rick Perry signed a bill to give tax breaks to film companies shooting in Austin!)
Anyway, back to your actual questions. :)
1) The AP tests really depend on which courses your daughter is trying to test out of. Many times it depends on the score. There is actually a web page with information on the specific courses you receive credit for with certain grades and tests. It's very difficult to find unless you know what you're looking for! I hope it helps: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mec/cbe/cutape.html
2) The nice thing about UT science requirements is that they know non-science majors are clueless when it comes to science! So UT has developed wonderful courses "For Non-Majors". ALWAYS look for that key phrase when you're looking to fulfill that science requirement!! Otherwise you'll end up in Organic Chemistry for Nursing Majors! Other than that, I'm not sure of what else to recommend. I personally enjoyed my Astronomy classes, and I've heard other people really enjoyed their Biology courses. When your daughter comes for Orientation, they will help her register for her first semester of classes. A peer adviser should be able to help her pick something that fits her personality and attitude.
3) As far as I understand it, the VAST majority of students who enter the RTF program have barely even held a home video camera to tape a birthday party, let alone made their very own short film. When I was a freshman, there was a running joke in the RTF department that 90% percent of the new freshmen saw the movie "Garden State" and decided to become an RTF major based purely on that and nothing else! Your daughter will be in good company if she knows nothing about the film industry.
I've also heard that the second year of RTF courses is particularly rough because it is intended to "weed out" anyone who isn't serious about the program. It's a pretty intense program of learning EVERYTHING about the equipment (from camera lenses to boom mics to lighting), making your own films from start to finish, and learning about each crew member required to make a production function smoothly. As long as your daughter doesn't mind a little hard work, asking friends for a lot of favors here and there, and meeting LOTS of new people, she should be perfectly fine. :)
