Thank you . I’d love to connect . How do I Pm?
@Noreplays2018 - Thanks for sharing! I’m drawing on your strength to do the same.
@Twoboysandadog my S knows of 2 that have withdrawn their acceptance over the weekend. Of course he’s weighing options but I keep trying to remind him that he has some great options (just as great) for almost less than community college and living in a dorm if he chooses. I am determined to make sure that he is smart about this
@Twoboysandadog last year only one was accepted to Rutgers and I don’t remember any WL
@Notmommarose Hi, just FYI, I believe you need 15 Posts in order to PM someone, then it is super easy. But than person can PM you if they have enough posts. So write a bit more and message away! I have enjoyed the combination of the CC boards and some private discussions. Folks are so helpful! To PM, you can just click on their name/handle, and then you will see a Send Message button. Or you can go to the upper right hand corner next to the Star and click the little file drawer/envelope with an arrow. Maybe you only see that once you have 15. Have fun!
@frontrowmama my D is WL @Otterbein for tech. It’s been on her top choices list since she visited in the fall (we have visited 3 times). Great program, charming campus and town, very nice people and seems like a very supportive program.
@Noreplays2018 thank you so much for posting that link. Very interesting! It makes me wonder though – what then is the advantage of attending these “big name colleges”?
@jctcat, in my opinion, the advantages of the “big name colleges” are: 1) agents are more likely to attend those schools’ showcases; 2) those schools may have more connections to industry in general as well as alumni connections; 3) the training at those schools is highly regarded (NOT saying you can’t get good training other places, obviously! But if you go to Juilliard or Carnegie Mellon, you KNOW the training will be good); and 4) potentially a slight advantage in being called in (but only slight if any).
Obviously, those benefits need to be weighed against cost, personal fit, and other factors. A student who wants to explore other interests, or wants strong academics, would NOT do well at the conservatory-style schools. A student who wants to learn about stage management or marketing or playwriting etc. along with acting likewise would not like an acting-only program. Fit is the most important factor along with cost.
And of course, good acting training can be found at non-elite schools too! But you have to really look at the curriculum and the faculty to make sure the school offers what you need.
For my D, it’s all about the acting training. She wants a school with intense, challenging, respected training and a proven track record. But since she didn’t get into any of the “elite” schools, she’s going to visit and sit in on classes at the schools she did get into, and find out more about them to see if they can offer what she seeks. She’s also auditioning at Stella Adler Conservatory, which doesn’t offer a college degree, but DOES definitely have the intense acting curriculum she seeks.
@actorparent1 thank you for your reply! I agree with you on all the advantages you listed and that had always been my thinking as well, but some of these recent articles had me second guessing! Best of luck to your D!
Similar to all of the talk on CC of the high costs of colleges, I read a CC article on Syracuse that led me to their news article about how they will be one of the most expensive colleges next year. Interestingly enough, they seem to ask, "When will parents push back and say “enough is enough”? Why exactly ARE these costs so high that they are creating multi-generational debt and making it so that only the very rich or the very poor (on financial aid) are able to afford college? When are we all going to rise up and say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”?
http://dailyorange.com/2018/03/syracuse-university-will-one-expensive-colleges-us-next-year/
@actorparent1 - thanks for your well written summary, that is generally how I see it as well. Mostly, it is all about the training. Connections are really, really hard to quantify. I also agree that some of the 2-3 year conservatories like Stella Adler and Atlantic (both NYC, so ones I know) provide extremely strong training. These studios are also a part of NYU and share some faculty. We had them in mind if a good path did not emerge.
Someone needs to research how many kids get an agent from showcases. I think you would be surprised at the low number. MOST kids do not get an agent from their showcase and not every school takes every kid so you need to research that. Again, knowing people in the business they do not care what school you went to or if you even went to school. That does not get you in the door. I believe that those who go to CMU or Julliard are already ready to hit the pavement. It’s the chicken vs egg argument. It’s not the training it’s the kid.
Does anyone have a child who is thinking of going to American University for Theatre? Opinions?
Just want to throw this out there for those who really want Pace Program… Their tuition increases by 3-5K every year. By senior year, it will be $79,000.00.
And I seem to recall someone mentioning the housing costs also go up quite a bit over the years at Pace. But maybe that’s true with all NYC schools.
@Twoboysandadog all of this is truly exhausting. Sometimes things are blessings in disguise. My S jetted into school searches wanting to find a school that would provide excellent conservatory training so that he could do just about anything with it. His heart has been set on NYC forever but now that I’m showing him recent writers ( Oscar winning Moonlight writer/director), Netflix’s Stranger Things lead and quite a few others are working or were working while in school, He should rethink all of his options (especially the scholarships where he’s Really winning). He’d probably die if he had to stay home and attend college but you can’t beat an amazing program that just happens to be in our hometown (and still shocked that he was accepted). I like the NYC acceptances but it boils down to where he will get the best training for the $$ PERIOD and I do not like the yearly increase in tuition by the 1000’s. that’s a turnoff
So I’m wondering (thinking out loud I guess), if it doesn’t matter where you go to school then what makes one school land in the “top 10” and others not? How are they quantifying what makes an elite school? (I thought it must have something to do with the number of those kids getting work once they graduate and some sort of recognition by the industry, which would mean that it does matter where you go to school).
@actingdreams 4 years of college goes by so quickly and before your son knows it he will be done and ready for NYC. Take all that savings and tell him he will be able to start his journey debt free! Such an amazing way to begin life.
@jbtcat I wonder that all the time… I think those famous people who are working are walking billboards for these schools. Over time, the schools get a reputation for making them marketable. My belief is they were already marketable before going to college. That the schools are riding on the actor’s coattails. You know Meryl Streep did not become who she is because of her school. Sutton Foster didn’t even finish school, Eden Espinosa didn’t even go to college. I would love to see CMU or Julliard take a below average actor and turn out a star. Then I might change my mind. But taking the top talent just means you are polishing the silver. JMHO
@bisouu thank you! I totally agree. Debt free is a good feeling. Full Ride isn’t a true full ride even if most of it’s picked up. Right now it’s all about the training. The choice of training. I hope we have an idea on Sunday to move forward that’s my timeline at least. Although we’re waiting on NYU, about 40 of his classmates are waiting too! lol that has slimmed his chances dramatically. All of them are extremely talented. We will see how it goes. Thanks for the reassurance 