<p>My 8th grade D2 would love to attend the LA County High School for the Arts in Drama. Ignoring the entire audition aspect for now, I'm trying to gather up whatever information on the program I can find. Are there any MT forum denizens who are familiar with the program, its reputation, its upsides and downsides, really anything? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I know many LACHSA kids, both current students and now alums. My kids didn’t go there, but many friends do, and I’ve seen several productions and concerts. Excellent acting, musical theater, dance, music, visual arts… the works. Academics are not nearly as strong, although if a kid is really focused and motivated, he/she can do well. But it’s also easy to coast academically. The arts classes are demanding and require a lot of time. The current college students I know who came out of there (mostly as musicians or actors) all got into good-fit colleges and are following their dreams. It’s also got a rep for a certain artsy wildness, with a lot of drugs, but I haven’t heard of any really scary problems.</p>
<p>I am very familiar with LACHSA as my daughter attended. Reaserching4emb has it right regarding all the arts programs and how important “focus” is in order to stay on top of academics, however I disagree with the somewhat negative review on the academics. They provide all the UC requirements and the AP classes necessary to apply to all the top Universities in the US. They have some more excellent teachers then not and success in that endeavor is dependent on the students desire to do what it takes (and parents expectations) along with the very demanding schedule that usually ensues with whatever art, drama, music, opera, dance they have chosen. Drugs are there, distractions are there… but I will argue that any parent who thinks the very same issues don’t exist in any high school or middle school for that matter … might, well that’s another discussion.
If your child is fortunate enough to get in to LACHSA (audition only) I would give it serious consideration.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, I attended a film festival last weekend and one of the leads in one of my favorite films is a student there. It was her first time cast in a role and she did a nice job. I don’t know, however, whether she was a student at the time of the filming or enrolled after.</p>
<p>Thanks very much! I’m going to take D2 to the evening Q&A session and the tour in a few weeks. I don’t see D2 as being a tippy-top University kid, but I would expect her to be UC eligible, and to have enough academic preparation to not be totally overwhelmed by college academics. Talking with a LACHSA staff member today, I was told the same things about focus and time management being important. Which is something of a concern, as D2 could easily slide into that “coasting along” mindset.</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted for vox music (Jazz/CHoir) for 2013/2014 and I am REALLY not looking forward to the drive 2x a day from Santa Monica. The other con is that Jq is already a working actress and a studio session singer and I only see interference with her pre-existing professional situation. I feel that she could easily (literally) go to SAMOHI, which has a FINE (vocal) music program which is a stone’s throw from our house. I already have stress and issues getting her to auditions in a timely fashion from Santa Monica … imagine what it will be like with her being 40 - 2 hours away if traffic is REALLY bad. It wouldn’t be so AWFUL if they flipped the sched ie: offer the arts training in the morning and academics in the afternoon. Jaq can make up academics but not the training. Auditions RARELY happen in the AM and ALWAYS happen between 3 - 6 PM. I keep thinking that perhaps she can pick up music theory, vocal basics and Jaz Vox @ SMC to supplement what she is not getting @ SAMOHI. What to do … feeling very crazy over it all … I don’t want to rob her of the LACHSA experience BUT she and I both have put WAY too much effort into music and theatrical/commercial to put it on hold or jeopardize it in any way. She too might very well end up being an 'academic coaster" if the school is not stringent AND I hear the AP eng teacher in 9th grade is a TERRIBLE teacher … OYE.</p>
<p>So, maybe you should do something different. ;)</p>
Any recent reviews regarding Lachsa? I’d love some current information regarding academics.