<p>Hi all. Just starting this journey with D. She does not want a traditional college, and is interested in either Cap 21, Circle in the Square, or New York Film Academy. Does anyone here have experience with these programs? How hard are they to get into? How is the training? Are they well thought of in the business? How do they compare. Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>I’ve researched both Circle in the Square and CAP 21’s two year conservatories. Both are fantastic programs. You should perform a search on cc as I know some students here have written about each program.</p>
<p>I work just one block from Circle in the Square and my D and I went over and visited. We also spoke for an hour with my D’s tap dance teacher from who is an alum of Circle. When we visited, classes were in session and we weren’t allowed to disturb them and observe any classes. I think this may be standard policy so be aware that it’s not an ordinary campus tour like at a 4 year college. So you could get just as much information over the phone if you call them and if you live out of town I’m sure they’ll tell you about the program and answer all your questions over the phone. Of course, you should visit at some point to see if your D would like it. I’m only going to post here what you can’t learn from their website.</p>
<p>Circle’s training is considered amazing and one boy on cc said he cried every single day in acting class - that’s how much emotion the amazing faculty was able to get out of him. He loved the program and couldn’t be any more positive about the program. I would bet some of the industry people reading this will speak to the reputation of the program in the industry. </p>
<p>However, when we visited, the admissions person told us that Circle takes very few 18 year olds and the majority of the students are older, some of who already have a 4 year degree in theatre from a college. They want to become better actors and felt their college was not heavy enough on the acting component and they want that intensive Circle acting training. So that speaks volumes about how great the acting training is if people with college degrees in theatre already are willing to pay for two more years of training. My daughter’s dance teacher said as much as he adored Circle, he would benefit even more NOW from the training (he’s around 30 years old I think). He feels he has so much more life experience now than when he was 18 and went to Circle. </p>
<p>So in summary, it’s unbelievably great training but most of the people who train there are older. You should call and ask the school if you can’t easily visit. Also, I could have sworn the admittance person (nicest guy you’d ever want to meet) said they don’t have musical theatre but I believe their website says they do. You’d have to check as we visited the school over a year ago and my memory faded. They may have musical theatre but I think the training is primarily acting and as I mentioned above, the training is world renowned from what I understand.</p>
<p>Even if they have musical theatre, I think there are very few dance classes (check their curriculum, I can’t remember) so you’d have to supplement with going to dance class at Broadway Dance Center just a few blocks away. Though one questions whether students would really have the time to take dance classes on the side. There’s no real campus and the theatre/school closes at 5:00 (I think; my memory fades) so you have to rehearse with your scene partner back at your apartment. There are no dorms - you’re right in the theatre district of Manhattan. The admissions person we spoke to spent a long time with us answering all our questions and telling us this. If your D wants musical theatre, ask a lot of questions when you visit or call the school. I believe their reputation is world famous but I think it might be better for straight acting than for MT. This is something you’d have to investigate.</p>
<p>Since this post is too long already, I’m going to cover CAP 21 in another post later.</p>
<p>Wow, what a great post. I’ll be looking forward to the CAP 21 post.</p>
<p>This is the information I’ve gathered about CAP 21: I work nearby so I’ve been there a few times and my daughter did their summer program between junior and senior year of high school. If your daughter does not want a four year degree, look on their website for the curriculum for CAP 21’s two year conservatory. All I can say is WOW! Singing, dancing, acting galore. It’s a dream curriculum for those who want musical theatre and do not want to take the general ed classes required at a 4 year program. </p>
<p>The professors are top notch - I went to parent observation day on the last day of my daughter’s summer program and was really impressed. I believe my daughter’s ballet teacher is currently on Broadway. The people who founded and run the school are warm and wonderful and truly committed to the success of every student. At the parent chat for the Parent Visitor Day, Frank Ventura, the founder told all us parents to come and talk to them anytime and discuss all our child’s acceptances to the various colleges if we wanted to. I thought that was very generous. </p>
<p>The conservatory seems to be run and taught by kind, nuturing people. That’s not to say that the program is not intense. The training is very intense. The summer program was supposed to be a typical day at CAP 21. Every night my daughter had to do either character work (where she had to write the back story for four characters in her scene); she had to work with her scene partner at night to go over the scene, memorize the lines, buy the props (the food for her scene); she had to go with a group of friends one night to The Drama Bookshop for one particular lesson; she had to attend an improv show (which my husband and I loved also) for her improv class; she had to do script analysis at night and other work. In other words, there was lot’s of homework and very intense training.</p>
<p>If you look at the website, there are an amazing number of alumni who are working in the business. </p>
<p>This post is getting way too long so I will continue it later. </p>