My Journey to Getting Accepted into a Theatre PhD Program
When I was a college student, I admired my design professor and thought he had the coolest job. Despite the massive amount of work both of our full-time professors had to cover, I envisioned doing the same. I thought, spend a couple of decades in the sector, then switch to teaching.
Fast forwarding a bit, from 2005 to 2020, I did several things to help me get into my current program. I earned my BA in Theatre Production and Literature and an MA in Theatre and Performance Studies. I gained a strong background in stage management, taught college classes, and saved a decent amount of money. My journey wasn’t without stumbling blocks though, as I applied for PhD programs in the US twice and was rejected both times.
In February 2021, I took some time for deep reflection at a beach-based AirBnB. I examined my life, my aspirations, and decided to give grad school one last try. I reviewed the costs of pursuing a degree in experimental theatre; the UK seemed cheaper. I had savings and a flexible job that allowed me to work part-time while studying.
But I had to select a research topic. As an early idea, I was interested in improving safety guidelines in university plays involving the audience. The topic evolved into ethical standards in performance, choice architecture applications, and safer risk management practices for audience members. I read lots of journal articles to ensure my topic could contribute something new to knowledge.
In April and May 2021, I shortlisted potential schools and reached out to teachers I hoped to study under. Post-discussion, I decided on three schools I had a genuine interest in.
In June, I sorted out how to apply to each of the shortlisted schools. This was incredibly time-consuming and extended into July.
By August, I had fully tried all but one application and had begun confirming my references. One was a former professor who had been mentoring me throughout my career, but finding a second reference took a bit longer.
By September, I had submitted the final application and confirmed that all of my references were also submitted.
Through the remainder of the year, I went through various stages of interviews with all chosen schools, and by the end of November, I was officially accepted into two programs. Yet, I was still waiting to hear back from the school I wanted to attend the most.
Finally, in December, I received unofficial confirmation of my acceptance along with an unofficial offer from my top school of choice. After weeks of back-and-forths, sending transcripts, and waiting for the official word, I got my formal acceptance letter in January 2022, with a February start date specified.
I paid my tuition deposit in February, submitted my visa application, and paid my visa one-time health surcharge (covering my entire course). However, scheduling my biometrics appointment proved to be tricky.
Despite starting remotely and not being able to access some orientation activities of the program, by mid-February, everything was officially sorted and my journey as a PhD student had begun!