American Academy of Dramatic Arts vs. Neighborhood Playhouse

Hello! I’m in a dilemma. I’ve recently been accepted to both The Neighborhood Playhouse Theatre and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts for their 2 year full time acting program. I’ve heard positives and negatives on both. Has anyone attended or know someone who’s attending either of these schools? The Neighborhood Playhouse seemed to be oddly lax in their admissions and I’ve heard AADA is a scam/overrated. Has anyone experienced or heard the same? I’ve toured both schools and originally LOVED AADA but now I’m having second thoughts. Ahhhhh Opinions? THANKS!

Not trying to dissuade you from either but have you looked into the Esper’s Studio?

My S has also been accepted to both programs. The general opinion is that Neighborhood Playhouse is the stronger training program. That being said, there are no dorms there and no degree at NP–only a certificate. At AADA, they have dorms and you graduate with an Associates Degree. The class is much larger at AADA, and yearly tuition is much higher. We loved NP however we are also looking at several BFA programs.

@TheatrePls I am a current 2nd year student at AADA, graduating exactly a week from today. Feel free to message me and barrage me with questions if you still have them.

Hi There! I’ve been accepted to the school and I’m hearing mixed reviews! I’ve also been accepted to AMDA . My major is acting and I hear AMDA is better for musical theatre. I would love to hear about your experience with the school. It is a lot of money! Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

The key question to ask is faculty to student ratio in classes. What value in terms of training do you get for your money? If you’re relatively new to acting both programs can be good. If you have quite a bit of experience William Esper or another studio experience may be more challenging, and you may learn more.

I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California about 28 years ago. I dropped out after the first year and transferred to a 4-year university. The quality of education was not that great. Maybe it has changed since then.

I am a counselor somewhat out of my league with a high school student with an impressive professional portfolio on stage with a major company and now wanting training in film acting at college… Can you advise on opportunities he would have at AADA Los Angeles currently? Reviews are a little mixed as to whether the school is as good as it used to be or really able to get its students real acting jobs especially in film. Many thanx.

It is not what it used to be. There are many other and more reputable programs. If interested in LA and screen acting consider Chapman, USC, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Cal Arts, etc.

There are strong programs on both coasts and many more in between. Pace has an acting for film major. NYU has a studio focused on that too. UNCSA grads are routinely cast in films and tv (4 who graduated this past May are already cast and filming in “real” productions -large scale).

Many schools in the U.K. as well have strong reputations.

There are national coaches who specialize in drama college auditions. Many talked about on here. This student may find it helpful to consult with someone who has a lot of recent experience with the BFA audition process (to help build a list of schools among other things).
It is wonderful you are researching all of this.