<p>Which school has the best Drama/Theater Program: Yale, Georgetown, USC, Brown, NYU, Columbia, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Northeastern, or Harvard? I know it's a lot of schools, but if you could, can you rate them 1-10?</p>
<p>I think it really depends on what you’re looking for. Are you looking to study theater in general, like history in addition to practical training? Are you looking for schools that are stronger in practical training? Acting, tech theatre, directing, educator, etc.?</p>
<p>Im looking for a school that socializes I’m training. Thanks.</p>
<p>Hello all! I am interested to read the responses to this thread as I am also looking for schools with excellent drama programs.</p>
<p>Related question: I know Yale has an incredible graduate program, but is undergraduate theatre on par with, say, Northwestern?</p>
<p>1) Northwestern
2) Everyone else</p>
<p>Related question answer: No</p>
<p>I think NYU is just as good as Northwestern if not better!</p>
<p>USC is too!</p>
<p>I’m going to USC next year to major in theatre, so I’m a tad biased but from what I’ve heard it’s an EXCELLENT program.</p>
<p>You should also check out Carnegie-Mellon, Syracuse, and NCSA.</p>
<p>ajrover, that is actually quite an unusual list of schools. Is there some reason that you wanted that list ranked 1-10? </p>
<p>The reality is that there is no “best” program. There are many excellent drama programs, and many more good ones. You’ve included some of them on your list but have neglected even more. Reading this forum as well as the MT forum should give you an abundance of information about many of the programs that are considered ‘top of the heap’. 
After the extensive research that any applicant for this type of program should be doing, you will be at the point to determine which schools should be on your list.</p>
<p>From your list, I am assuming that you are looking for a BA Theatre/Drama program. If so, that would rule out some of the schools that only have BFA/Conservatory type programs. Of the list you presented, I would agree that Northwestern has an extraordinarily strong BA program – well rounded and with a great reputation. My D seriously considered USC as well. Their BA also looked very strong and it ended up her second choice. But she ultimately decided that she wanted to take the BFA acting route. My niece went to Harvard in theatre and loved it – and we checked out Yale and Brown – both of which semed to have very good BA programs. So, as said above, it depends upon what you are looking for – BA or BFA? If BA, do you want a school that only has BA (like Northwestern, Yale, Brown), or does it matter that the school also has a BFA program (some feel that at certain schools the BAs are then second class citizens). Any particular theatre discipline, or do you want a well-rounded general theatre education? It appears from your list that academics are very important, so that will narrow your list as well.</p>
<p>We are also looking at drama programs. The college counselor has recommended several schools with well-rounded liberal arts (at our request) and theatre programs: Pomona, Bard, Connecticut College, The New School, Skidmore. Friends also suggest: Muhlenberg and Hamilton. I would be interested in the reputation of the theatre programs at these schools for acting. We are not interested in the BFA. Thanks!</p>
<p>UCLA. BA Theater program with a nice conservatory touch. Requires an audition for entrance, unlike Northwestern. Very competitive to get into (1100 auditioned this year, only 100 got in.)</p>
<p>of the schools you listed, NYU, USC, Yale (better MFA than BFA) and northwestern would be top four. In my opinion and the opinion of many I know in the NYC theatre community, including my aunt who is a prof at NYU, their MFA program is also much more worthwhile than their BFA. from my knowledge, the other schools you listed, although most of them are top academic schools, aren’t really top drama schools. (see other posts for suggestions.) By looking at the schools you listed, it looks like you’re looking at more academically-based BA schools than actually intensive BFA acting (or tech) programs. as most of these schools aren’t really top drama (or at least acting, which is my area of expertise) schools.</p>
<p>to be more succinct, if you’re really serious about studying drama I’d read this and the MT board extensively for more additions to your list as your missing most of the top programs. </p>
<p>If academics are more important to you, which is totally understandable, if i had the grades/scores to get into harvard i would go, but definitely not for the theatre program. </p>
<p>I just say this, because I think it’s a reality you need to face and a choice you need to make early on in the process</p>
<p>NYU is a BFA. Northwestern is a BA. USC is both a BA and a BFA. Yale is a BA. Another you haven’t mentioned is Emerson, which has both a BA and a BFA. </p>
<p>And UCLA, which you are not mentioning, has the number one BA Theatre program in the country according to the Princeton Review/Gourman report with an MFA that is in the top three according to the US News and World Report, so I disagree with burningbright811’s analysis of the top four… as would many others. But this shows that these things cannot be ranked. Its personal.</p>
<p>I guess the point is, you are all over the map… Do you want a BFA? Do you want a BA? Do you not know yet? If you don’t, that’s okay. Visit. Read. </p>
<p>I read a very excellent analysis of the BFA vs. BA issue that someone posted when my D was debating. It is somewhere on these links. Those who are planning to obtain a MFA tend to do the BA followed by MFA. But that’s a seven year committment. If you don’t want to do that, you can still do outstanding BA programs if you want an academic program. Or you can do BFA programs, but those greatly vary in value. Some BFA programs really are no more work than a good BA program at a school like Northwestern or UCLA or USC. I think ultimately, what is most important is that you like the school, and like what you will learn.</p>
<p>Can you describe more thoroughly the difference between BA and BFA? or at least link the thread?
Thank You Very Much!</p>
<p>Sure. Here is the link. </p>
<p>[Acting</a> in Plays, Singing: b.a ?bfa?, mfa programs, bachelors of arts](<a href=“http://en.allexperts.com/q/Acting-Plays-Singing-695/2008/11/b-bfa.htm]Acting”>http://en.allexperts.com/q/Acting-Plays-Singing-695/2008/11/b-bfa.htm)</p>
<p>And since this comes up so much, I’ll take a few quotes in case this article disappears from the net someday.</p>
<p>A BA (Bachelor of Arts) is a general undergraduate degree. “*f you major in Theatre and get a BA, you will have a concentration in theatre arts classes which may include such classes as Acting (beginning, intermediate, advanced), voice, dance, technical theatre, directing, and more, but you will also have studied a broad range of subjects outside your major. This will give you a very good general education (and believe me, an actor needs one), as well as the opportunity to study in areas (such as business, English, psychology, sciences, etc.) which can give you the skills to find a good day job while pursuing an acting career (something that EVERY actor needs).”</p>
<p>A BA is not a professional degree. “Ideally, if you intend to pursue a professional acting career, you will follow up your BA with graduate school and get an MFA in Acting (or directing or film or music, or stage management, or playwriting, or whatever your area of interest is). An MFA is the ‘terminal’ or ‘professional’ degree for the theatre/film. It is a full professional program with intensive studies in acting and its related areas. Most good MFA programs are affiliated with a professional theatre, and students have the opportunity to work at a professional level as well as make many professional contacts that will benefit them in their careers. This is the degree that is also the requirement for most high school or college teaching, so if you have any intention in the future to teach acting, this is the degree you will need.”</p>
<p>A BFA, while considered a professional degree, is not a terminal degree. It is usually a conservatory program (although some conservatories like UCLA and some of the USC program give you a BA.) Although intensive, a BFA will not give you the same amount of education as a BA/MFA combination. But it will pack into your four years the same professional training as your MFA, leaving out the more traditional studies. </p>
<p>“**ecause it is so intensive, an BFA does not give you the general education that a BA does. And, believe it or not, that can be really important to an actor. As an actor, you need to be able to connect to plays and people from every walk of life, from different countries, different historical periods. The more you know about just about everything, the better you will be able to portray the characters you will be asked to. And a knowledge of history, psychology, sociology and more, will enable you to understand the minds of those characters and the cultures they inhabit. A broad based liberal arts education can give you a really strong foundation in all of these.”</p>
<p>But I am told that a BFA can get you directly into the professional unions upon graduation…</p>
<p>So, there you have it.</p>
<p>If you go the BA route, most of the time you won’t audition, unless it is for the more prestigious programs. You will have more classes outside of your major and a more generalized degree. Typically you chose this is you are planning on pursuing an MFA.</p>
<p>If you go the BFA route, you will audition. You will have far fewer classes outside your major.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you don’t put much stock in any rankings you find either with Princeton Review or U.S. News & World Report. There are no official/conclusive/definitive rankings of theatre programs. What prospective students need to do is to do their own research for schools which will fit most appropriately to what they are looking for in a program. Some things to be considered: urban setting or not? size of school v. size of program? program within a large university? conservatory with no outside academics? conservatory with academics? ability to double major? This should help you develop your initial list, which for most, would probably be about 20 schools, and there is almost always overlap on some of the initial screening issues. Not many kids end up with ALL urban schools or ALL non-conservatory programs, etc. </p>
<p>Once you feel that you have a good list, that’s a place to start exploring further, although I should point out that there are likely to be schools which will crop up occasionally in your further research which you may not have thought of before, or even have heard mentioned initially. When you have your list, now is the time to delve deeper into each school. Look at curriculum, which in my opinion, is one of the most important parts of your research. What classes are taught? Class size? Are there any issues with getting the classes you want, for all four years? Who’s teaching? Look at faculty bios. Are you going to be taught by the same two or three people for four years? What methods are taught? </p>
<p>How many productions are done each year? What type? What size? Are there student run productions where students can get the experience of actually putting up a show entirely? What tech experience is required or possible? What type of shows are chosen? Are there only traditional type shows done or is it possible to do more challenging/experimental/contemporary/classical works? Is there opportunity for film work, is there a film school also? Are student composers and writers a part of the program? Is there a showcase? What kind of master classes and professional guest visitors do they have? Is it once in an entire year that this type of thing occurs or is it on a weekly or regular basis?</p>
<p>Talk to current students, as many as possible, about their experiences. Talk to alumni. See where they’re working, and the type of jobs they’re booking. This is really so much easier to do these days with sources like Facebook. Ask them what they liked and didn’t like, what the training was like, was it sequential, were voice and dance available, were the classes levelled, how many hours of each area of study, how casting was done, outside opportunities, what types of work did they do in summers, what valuable contacts and connections were made, etc. What was a typical week’s schedule like? Ask about dorms, mealplans, rehearsal spaces, overall facilities.</p>
<p>Ideally, you should visit all the schools to which you’re going to apply. Go to an info session, take a tour, speak to students and faculty if possible, see facilities, visit classes, see a show if possible, eat in one of the dining halls. Go, armed with a list of questions, and after the visit, write down your impressions and anything you may have learned. If you’re visiting several schools, it will be difficult to separate details after a while. Two other important things which will/should influence where you apply are your academic stats and your financial situation. A good gpa is always an asset, even at schools which place more importance on an audition. Do well in your academics.</p>
<p>Don’t make the mistake of allowing yourself to be put off by one individual who may have annoyed you on a visit, whether it’s a tourguide or a person in the admissions office. If the program is one that would be good for you, it would be silly to discount it because of a person you will likely never see again.</p>
<p>One general piece of advice during this process is to see as much theatre as is humanly possible. This is something that all kids who are interested in acting as a career, have probably, and hopefully, been doing for years and it is an important part of their theatre education. If they’re not doing it, they’re missing out on a valuable resource. See all kinds of theatre - h/s, college, summer stock, community, regional, national tours. If it means a bit of travel, do it. If you’re going to be auditioning in NYC or Chicago at Unifieds, include a show or two in your time there. Hand in hand with seeing lots of theatre, is reading plays. Ideally, by the time kids audition, they should have a good collection of plays with which they’re familiar, and which they have copies of for their personal use. Read theatre sites like playbill.com, papers like Variety and the NY Times Arts section and become familiar with what is going on in the theatre world.</p>
<p>One last comment, re: the BA v. BFA. Don’t listen to generalizations. Have a look at some of each and make the decision based on the program itself, because they vary. Chances are good that you might have some of each on your final list. This isn’t unusual. Some BFA programs have a good number of credits outside your major, some allow for a double major, some don’t. Some BA programs have a limited offering of types of theatre classes, some don’t. That’s why it’s important to research each program so that you’re well-informed.</p>
<p>I wasn’t aware that Harvard has a BA in theatre - they do not list theatre as a major. Could you say more? Is it a concentration?</p>
<p>Which schools are conservatory type and which are less traditional?</p>