Advice for an Academic Thespian

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>Hi all-</p>

<p>I've found this site ridiculously useful in the harrowing college search, and would love some advice.</p>

<p>I love Musical Theatre, and really want to pursue it in college, but I have strong academic interests as well, and really don't want to limit myself to a conservatory education. In short, I'm looking for a strong, auditioned BA program in Musical Theatre (or Theatre with a musical emphasis, etc.) or a Musical Theatre BFA that has a fair amount of Liberal Arts requirements. I'm really drawn to big cities, so colleges near or in metro areas are a big plus.</p>

<p>My list so far:</p>

<p>NYU (probably CAP21 @ Tisch)
Northwestern University
Emerson College
Marymount Manhattan University
Yale University
Temple University</p>

<p>I know I'm just scratching the surface. PLEASE comment with any yay or nays for the schools listed, as well as recommendations of other schools/programs.</p>

<p>THANK YOU!</p>

2

<p>American in DC
James Madison in VA (not quite so urban :-))
Muhlenberg in PA</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>

3

<p>Check Yale out very carefully, my daughter, much to my husband’s chagrin, found their MT program lacking in so many ways she rejected their offer and has never looked back.</p>

<p>USC might be fit your requirements.</p>

4

<p>CAP21 is no longer part of NYU. Look very carefully at Emerson…they have a lot of general education requirements, but look at what the classes are like and how rigorous they are for a liberal arts education. </p>

<p>What about Tulane in New Orleans?</p>

5

<p>The MT studio at Tisch is New Studio on Broadway, I believe.</p>

<p>Yale is a liberal arts school with MT opportunities and training, but not a structured MT program. You may also want to look at Brown.</p>

<p>Penn State also requires a larger number of general education classes than some other comparable BFAs. Elon as well. Neither are in cities, however… college towns.</p>

<p>Do you have a certain part of the country you are looking at for school?</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>

6

<p>You might want to consider Wagner College, auditioned BA program on Staten Island.</p>

<p>Here is list of BA MT programs located in Large and Mid-sized cities:</p>

<p>LARGE CITIES
California State University-Northridge
University of California-Los Angeles
American University
The University of Tampa
Columbia College Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
University of Indianapolis
Friends University
Emmanuel College
Northeastern University
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Meredith College
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Marymount Manhattan College
Wagner College
University of Tulsa
Temple University
Saint Edward’s University</p>

<p>SUBURBS: LARGE
Dean College
Samford University
Rollins College
Kennesaw State University
Elmhurst College
Bethel University
Fairleigh Dickinson University-College at Florham
New Jersey City University
Manhattanville College
Nazareth College
DeSales University
Seton Hill University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>MID-SIZE CITIES
Birmingham Southern College
California Lutheran University
California State University-East Bay
California State University-San Bernardino
Santa Clara University
Vanguard University of Southern California
North Central College
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Akron Main Campus
Muhlenberg College
Rhode Island College
Christopher Newport University
Edgewood College
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay</p>

<p>This list is not all-encompassing, for instance, Northwestern is officially designated as being in a “Small City” but is actually fairly close to Chicago.</p>

<p>The following thread lists programs by type, so you can find lots of BA programs here:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1335445-big-list-mt-colleges-program-type.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1335445-big-list-mt-colleges-program-type.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Wow! Quick replies! Thank you all!</p>

<p>Definitely interested in Wagner. Anyone know much about the caliber of academics/quality of MT program there?</p>

<p>Also would love to hear from anyone that knows about the academics at Marymount Manhattan. Sounds like they have a great MT program, but maybe sub-par academics.</p>

8

<p>Also, any more info on Emerson would be fantastic. Getting very mixed reviews about their MT program.</p>

9

<p>Emerson has a very good MT program…my D saw their senior showcase and was very impressed. However, they do have a “re-audition” program after the sophomore year, and they cut the class down to a pre-determined size of 16. The freshman class is about 25 or 26, which means they either lose by attrition or cut about 10 students from each class. This is disturbing for some people, b/c if there are (for example) 19 fantastically talented and dedicated students by the end of sophomore year, 3 still have to go.</p>

10

<p>How wonderful that you are looking to combine all of your skills in your college education. Your list of schools so far includes academics of varying caliber. For example, Yale and Marymount Manhattan are on different sides of the academic spectrum – are they academic reaches, matches or safeties. If you are concerned about the level of intensity of academics at a school, compare your SAT/ACT and GPA with those stated on the school’s website.<br>
Also it’s always good to have a non-auditioned school on list – how about Brandeis in Waltham, MA.</p>

11

<p>Some things to think about in your search also are the existence of an Honors College within the University’s structure, and how well you can combine the MT requirements with those of honors.</p>

12

<p>Northwestern would certainly provide the academic rigor that you seek. Application into the school of theatre is non-audition. The audition for the MT certificate program occurrs after freshman and/or Soph year. It is a BA degree. Even if you are not accepted into the MT certificate program while at NU, it is my understanding that MT type class work is still available to you and auditions are open.</p>

13

<p>Princeton has a music theatre lab. I can’t figure out how to copy a link from this computer, but if you hunt on the website you will find it. Not a major, but a certificate program and it looks like a fabulous program.</p>

<p>When I saw jersey boys last (?) year, the lead was from Princeton and I know someone with multiple Broadway credits who picked it over Northwestern and NSB at Tisch because he had an interest in choreography and felt Princeton would help him most.</p>

14

<p>Webster in St Louis is an insanely tough program, demanding an excellence in Theatre and regular Academics. They don’t have to cut in this program, their attrition comes from kids tapping out on their own.</p>

15

<p>You have Temple on your list so you probably already know that it is a growing program. It has a strong BA MT program with liberal arts studies. Philadelphia is swimming in the arts. Also, there is an honors program which enables students to study in small classes, live in the nicest dorm, and have first pick of classes during registration.</p>

16

<p>@persevere - Yes. Temple is really interesting to me. How is the musical aspect of their MT program, though? Also, what does the breakdown of Gen. Eds vs. Arts classes look like?</p>

17

<p>University of Southern California has a very strong BA in Theatre, and you can pursue a minor in MT. The amount of MT training you can find on campus outside of your degree, however, is vast. Extra voice lessons, dance classes, TONS of student productions/mainstream productions, and many amazing theatre internships in LA are all at your disposal; so if you truly want BFA training, you can pursue it there. I was in your shoes a year ago, but I hadn’t figured out that I wanted a BA until late into the process! I’m so glad I applied to USC, because now I’m able to pursue theatre professionally, yet I’m also receiving a strong liberal arts education, internships, study abroad, and pursuing a Master’s Degree along with my BA (which you can do in 5 years at USC!). I would really suggest you check USC out. By the way, no audition is required for the BA at USC - the BFA in Acting requires an audition, but there is no MT in that program. If you have any questions about USC and its theatre program, don’t hesitate to ask me! Good luck!</p>

18

<p>My son will be a freshman Theater Performance (MT) major @ Wagner this fall. He’s 1 of about 30 accepted to the Performance Track this year. It is an audition-select BA degree. You must apply by December 1st if you’re interested in pursuing the Theater degree, as auditions are by invitation. The school vets all applicants, and based on academics (GPA, SAT, ACT), offers those students who meet the school’s entrance standards an invitation to audition. There is one-day in midwinter (early February this past year) to audition on campus. If you can’t make it to audition in person, you may submit a DVD audition. It was roughly a 5 hour process, including singing, acting, and dancing, and there were 2 groups that day (AM/PM) with approximately 90 in each group. We were told about 20 students submitted DVDs this year, so in all, 200 auditioned. I believe the # of applicants for this class for the degree program was around 500, so the school is academically select, as well as the program. Many of the theater students are in the Honors program, and the school awards sizeable scholarships, based on both a student’s academics and audition performance. The faculty boasts several Broadway veterans, and the school is currently completing long overdue renovations in Main Hall, where the theater is housed. The program offers 8 school productions a year, as well as several student-run productions, and a Senior Showcase in Manhattan (Wagner is located on Staten Island, which is 1 of the 5 boroughs that make up NYC.) A 20 minute free ferry ride drops you onto Lower Manhattan; the college provides a free continual shuttle from campus to the ferry landing.</p>

<p>The college offers the Wagner Plan, which is a strong liberal arts education that includes community involvement, and learning outside of the classroom (internships) as early as the first semester of your freshman year. It gives students an opportunity for hands-on learning and gain real-life experience while receiving their education.</p>

<p>My son did not want a BFA degree, but rather a BA degree with a conservatory-like learning experience that still provided a well-rounded education. He’s hoping to double-major in Theater Performance and Arts Administration, which is doable, but only with careful scheduling and firm conviction. A BFA program definitely would not allow him that opportunity. He also auditioned for and was accepted to James Madison (audition based MT) and to Muhlenberg (audition was for scholarship, theater is a non-audition degree program there), both fantastic programs and schools with similar opportunities. He loved all 3, but in the end, Wagner won out. He felt it was the best “fit” for him, and only you will know what that will feel like. It’s cliche, but so true…</p>

<p>Definitely check out their website at <a href=“http://www.wagner.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.wagner.edu</a>.</p>

<p>Good luck with your search and your journey to find your “fit”. It’s an exciting ride…</p>

<p>Sent from my SCH-I405 using CC</p>

19

<p>If anyone has any questions about MT or the school of theatre at USC (or the film minor in the film school, for that matter), feel free to ask me!</p>