<p>WOuld the top three be…
Michigan
CCM
CMU?</p>
<p>We actually try to avoid these "which programs are the top 3" discussions, for a few reasons. One is that people get very upset and emotional about their schools, and another is that there is really no way to accurately ascertain which are the "best." We can discuss which schools have the reputation of being "musical theater Ivies," but in the end, everyone will agree to disagree. The "best" programs are the ones you can get into and where you are challenged and nurtured and get the "best" training for you.</p>
<p>Okay. re-worded. What schools are -well-known- for there Musical Theatre programs? (woot!)</p>
<p>Mr. Ave. Q.......I think most people in the know would agree that the 3 schools you've listed are, at the very least, near the top of MT schools. If you're looking for other highly regarded MT programs to research, [here's[/url</a>] an e-article that I found very helpful when we began our MT college search.</p>
<p>Also, if you haven't already checked out the College Confidential [url=<a href="http://www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/%5DMT">http://www.geocities.com/musicaltheatercolleges/]MT</a> FAQ page](<a href="http://www.seasidemusictheater.org/2302_Content.html%5Dhere's%5B/url">http://www.seasidemusictheater.org/2302_Content.html), the Big</a> List is a fairly comprehensive list of schools that offer musical theatre BA or BFA majors.</p>
<p>Thanks SrMoment for that link to the e-article.</p>
<p>That article was fantastic! Very informative and pretty broad in its subject matter. Thanks!</p>
<p>this is random to comment, but i gre up in Daytona Beach, and the guy who wrote that article, Gary Cadwallader, was my drama teacher at one time.
in high school, i was also fortunate enough to be a member of the Seaside Music Theater student advisory board, and he was the head of that..so this guy definitely knows what he's tlaking about and he's awesome :)</p>
<p>and by the way, SMT is an incredible theatre...their shows are wonderful...i saw Singin' in the Rain there in August this year, and it was GREAT!</p>
<p>To answer your question, CCM, CMU and UMich are probably by far the 3 top MT schools in the country at the moment. They have yielded the most success as far as working alumni.. probably between 85-90%... and are the most competitive and sought after programs. It is true that those schools may not be the best for a particular person based on what they want, but I highly doubt that ANYONE here would turn down admission to one of those schools to attend a second tier university. That's just the plain truth. If people want to get all sensitive about it, whatever. The numbers don't lie, and those are the 3 hot schools in the entertainment business right now.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it's hard for anyone to speak their mind openly here when theres hurdles of moms ready to jump you. But yes, you'd be correct in assuming those are the 3 best programs right now</p>
<p>Just to let you know, I know of someone who walked away from one of these schools to go to what you would consider a "second tier" school. It happens more than you would think, but the people who do walk away are afraid to post because of the backlash!!! So, just a note to let those of you who are auditioning this year....go with the program that YOU are most comfortable with....it will be the right decision for you and that is what is important.</p>
<p>Yes, but that was not the question Tom asked. He wanted to know if the 3 highly regarded schools for mt were cmu, ccm and Umich, and they are. There are, of course, exceptions to any rule, and the person u know obviously is one of them. There's still no denying that cmu, umich and ccm are probably, in general, the 3 best schools for mt at the moment-- both based on their reputation, training and alumni. Also, I dont know this anonymous students' circrumstance, so its hard to judge whether or not it was because they were not satisfied with the training or for personal reasons. The fact that you have to pick a school thats right for you is a given.</p>
<p>You are correct, and I did not mean to offend you. It all boils down to the school that is a fit for you....It was personal, of course, how this person felt. This "anonymous" person actually left the audition stating that they would not go there even if accepted!! (I remember thinking, yeah, right!) But, they did turn it down. My point was that in this field, there really is not a clear cut ranking.....the three schools listed are highly regarded, absolutely! Nobody will argue with that, at least I don't believe they will. But, "by far" well, I would imagine there is where the challenges would come! I am just saying that there are many top notch schools with top training and great reputations. Most everyone would have a different top three. Although, I will say that these schools would show up on the lists often. Once again, sorry if I offended you...I did not mean to. I respect these three schools tremendously...one of them was my d's top pick, by far!! :)</p>
<p>Do you really think it matters if you get into the top 3, isn't like everything else in life that in the long run it will matter more about who you know and the connections you make, don't you think that any good school can shape you and train you but in the end it will be luck and who you know, so doesn't it just pay to go to the school that seems to be the best fit for now?</p>
<p>BRAVO!!! My thoughts exactly. :)</p>
<p>Notfromme-- You absolutely did not offend me! You'd have to do alot more than state your own personal opinion to offend me. No worries! :)</p>
<p>Me personally... I'm auditioning at ccm and cmu this year mainly because they are just great programs. But.. as far as a personal fit... my dream school is Boston Conservatory right now. Maybe not as highly regarded as the 3 schools mentioned above... but it has what I personally am looking for. So believe me.. I know the importance of attending an institution that has what you, as a STUDENT, require.</p>
<p>But like I said before, I was merely answering the question, which I believe many people on this board seem too afraid to do. No, there is no official "ranking" of the school, so you should never audition for a school solely based on a good reputation. But in this business, right now.. if you look at the amount of performers on Broadway or national tours right now who have BFA degrees.. it is more than obvious that UMich, CCM and CMU grads are quite present in the pool of today's working performers. THAT was what I was merely stating.</p>
<p>Shellipearl- you are absolutely correct. It really IS about who you know. Again.. that was not the question at hand</p>
<p>MTGeek,
Best of luck with your auditions! D felt the same way about BoCo....loved it and that was one of her top three schools last year. We all loved Boston...so hope all goes well for you. It is a very demanding year, both physically and emotionally. Hope your ( and everyone else's!) dreams come true....</p>
<p>Thank you! I am VERY excited for audition season... but very nervous as well. I have about 7 auditions set up for unifieds in NY so I'm hoping that I can hold up vocally and physically for that weekend. That is really going to be my biggest challenge... once I get past that weekend, I think I should be home free home. I'm hoping each audition goes well. After unifieds I have a couple more auditions spread out through some of February and March, but I should be alright for them because they are 2 weeks from eachother so I will be very well rested.</p>
<p>MTGeek... I'm a freshman at BoCo. PM me if you have any questions about the school.</p>
<p>My D is auditioning at U Mich. Jan.12 and my H will be taking her. Can someone who has been there already give us some insight about what to expect? We're not sure about return flights etc. because we're not sure how long it will take etc. Any inside info. about hotel, what the dance was like would also be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Sarahsmom42</p>
<p>My daughter is a sophomore MT student at UMich, and I accompanied her to the audition 2 years ago. </p>
<p>UMich's MT facilities are located on both Central Campus and North Campus. The day began with an orientation meeting for candidates and parents in the Medelsohn Theater, located on Central Campus. The dance audition followed for all candidates at the Power Center (a large theater located across the street on Central Campus). After the dance audition, my daughter and I had lunch on Central Campus before taking the (free) bus to the School of Music (SoM), located on the North Campus. (We had previously parked our car at the SoM on North Campus and taken the UMich bus to Central Campus.) The monologue and voice auditions are scheduled individually, and there can be lots of waiting time. It's impossible to tell you when your daughter's audition will be over, so best to schedule flights to depart no earlier than 7pm (allowing for drive time to Detroit Airport).</p>
<p>As far as hotels are concerned, we elected to stay near North Campus. There are several reasonably-priced hotels near North Campus, including the Red Roof Inn and Microtel Inn & Suites.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Sorry for the typo above: it's the Mendelssohn Theater.</p>