Are any parents on this board planning to attend the orientation on June 26? Sounds like we will be free for dinner that evening, and that our kids will be pretty booked on the 27th. So, if you want to buddy up and explore with me, let me know!!
@CentralOHmomof4 - I will be there for orientation. Will you be staying in NYC on the 26th after the CAP21 tour?
Two Molloy/CAP21 rising sophomores will be performing tonight on the Tony Awards with the Cast of The Great Comet.
How exciting for them!!!
Wow! Thatās an impressive gig! Howād they get it?
Think it was a drawing type thing for students? Or a contest? Im not sureā¦ but it doesnāt matter how they go onā¦ What an amazing experience.
@waitingforlife Iāll be staying in a hotel in Rockville centre the night of the 26th while the kids stay overnight at dorms, and we will both be staying in the hotel the night of the 27th before we drive back to ohio. I canāt dm you for some reason but can you message me?
OK, Class of 2021 - orientation is long done and I bet your packing has already begun! Iām looking forward to hearing about your kidsā experiences as they enter their freshman year.
D is winding up the busiest summer of her life. In addition to the touring company of Hairspray and the childrenās production of Cinderella, D was cast as the Gingerbread Man in Shrek: The Musical. Well, thatās what she told me. Of course I took the day off to hike out to see the show, and discovered that she was also playing The Wicked Witch and one of the Dulocs. It was one show only, and D had a great time doing it. In addition, she worked shifts at the Madison Theatre and got a dog-walking job to make a few bucks, since as we all know, summer theatre often does NOT pay well! The last performance of Hairspray is August 5ā¦the end of a whirlwind ten weeks that taught her a lot. Sheāll take the rest of the time to relax until classes start next month.
Be well, everyone, and get ready for the start of something wonderful!
Hi @EastchesterMom
My daughter is the rising Sophomore that was in the Great Cometās Tony Award performance along with another classmate from the class of 2020. My daughter responded to a casting call for local NYC talent.
It was an incredible opportunity for the two, a whirlwind of a weekend, and a fantastic experience for their first paid professional gig.
@āmyhopes&dreams4uā - what a wonderful opportunity for your D! Now that sheās a sophomore, there will be many more, right at the Madison. Bet she canāt wait to get back to campus!
26 days until September 6, 2017
This is the rehearsal schedule for āInto the Woodsā: Mondays 6:30 - 9:25 p.m.; Tuesdays 6:00 - 9:00; Wednesdays 6:30 - 9:25; Thursdays 6:30 - 9:30; Fridays 5:00 - 10:00; Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.! Starts September 6 and continues until October 27. This in addition to CAP 21 classes and gen eds. Anybody besides me getting tired just reading this?
@StageDad311 you were asking some questions about Cap21/Molloy on another thread so I am responding here for the sake of future readers.
Degree requirements: It is a BFA program, so the classes and hours are extensive, and cover an array of dance styles, acting styles, vocal performance, voice and speech, and music theory. There are weekly private voice lessons all 8 semesters. This is in addition to some light gen ed classes (my D is taking a 1 credit freshman experience and a theology class this semester). Sheās got a busy schedule, but she has been able to pick up an on-campus job in Madison theatre, spend time with her friends (who are also theatre students), and study/keep up with homework and practice. Iām sending you the link from last year (it hasnāt changed much) via private message.
Style/fit: my D auditioned/toured a bunch of schools, and sat in on classes and workshops as she was able. She finds the faculty to be very interactive in that they are giving feedback and notes throughout classes to continue to refine/tweak performances. She did not see that level of interaction at every school. Some schools talk about how they break kids down to build them up, or that they are weeding kids out, but at Cap21/Molloy itās supportive emotionally while still holding high standards from both a technique and effort standpoint, and a personal behavior standpoint. They do not tolerate drama (the negative kind) from the students. Meaning, if a student is being a āmean girlā (or boy) they give them a chance to correct their behavior, and if they donāt, they ask them to leave. Those are the only ācutsā I have heard of occurring. The program is intense from a time and effort standpoint, but yes, every single person in the program or on the campus genuinely care about the kids. They will not get lost in the shuffle, with 5,000 students and I think less than 300 living on campus. She has many people she can turn to for help, including her big, the RAs, the residence life staff (which is present and involved), safety officers, and campus counselors. She has not needed anything serious, but her roommate experienced an issue with a male student harassing her, and the school took it seriously and responded swiftly - as in, he was kicked out of the dorms and is now only able to attend class while being escorted by a safety officer. I canāt imagine a safer environment. There are campus activities such as parties and charity activities every Thursday evening, and many weekends too. There are frequent shuttles to the train station (which theatre students will use several times/week, in large groups) as well as local stores. The food is good, and my vegetarian D has not eaten the same meal twice, and sheās over a month in. Additionally, my D is getting a lot of value from being in the city (she will be an old hat at getting around by the time she graduates). She loves working with the faculty, many of whom are in the industry now, and bring real-life, real-time perspective. And the other students are lovely. They recruited a great bunch of kids.
Attrition: My D is a freshman, and as far as I know her class has not lost anyone, which is what Iād expect for this point in the year anywhere. @EastchesterMom may be able to better weigh in on that element since her D is a senior.
All the best to you and your D in her search!!
@CentralOHmomof4 - So happy to hear that your D is enjoying her freshman year! It looks like you are more than capable of taking over this thread for me once my D is graduated and gone in 7 short months. Keep the news coming!
@StageDad311 - I did not see your questions on whatever other thread you were posting in. If the question is attrition, please know that it is a fact of life in most programs, for a variety of reasons. I have friends with kids in quite a few programs (all are now seniors - three guesses how we moms all met!) and they all remarked at how low Molloy/CAP 21ās attrition rate is for Class One (the Class of 2018). Over the last 3/12 years, we lost 7 ā some couldnāt hack the work load, one opted for a professional singing career, and one, sadly, who couldnāt afford it anymore. I am unaware of anyone being asked to leave because they were a āmeanā kid, but it would not surprise me in the least - part of this programās training is to always support the members of your cohort, no matter what. There has been some drama over the years, and I was always impressed about how the kids stuck up for each other.
A huge plus of this program is how inclusive it is. I know kids in other programs who have not had a single performance opportunity in any college production, ever - itās all done by audition, and if you donāt get a part, too bad. Molloy/CAP 21 does not believe in that - witness Class Oneās upcoming main stage show, āInto the Woodsā - an ensemble show in which everyone auditioned and everyone was cast. The āProjectsā in the sophomore and junior years are the same - everybody gets a chance to perform and to shine. The most amazing of all of them was the Creative Ensemble Project (canāt believe itās been a year already) in which the class writes an original play, writes the song lyrics and music, choreographs, acts and directs it allā¦in 6 short weeks. A shout-out to the Class of 2019 - BREAK LEGS on your CEP!! Then, of course, there are the shows at the Madison Theatre that are outside of the program. The sophomores and juniors take advantage of that! Freshmen are not permitted; seniors are, but my D, for one, doesnāt have the time - rehearsals for main stage are six days a week, until 10 p.m.
@CentralOHmomof4 thank you so much for describing your Dās awesome experience at Molloy/CAP21! It sounds exactly like what weāre looking for in a program. Demonstrated care and concern for all aspects of the students is the key ingredient for me, and itās great to hear that itās a high priority in this program. Knowing that the administrators took the harassment complaint seriously and implemented a stringent solution is a big plus on my spreadsheet. That is certainly demonstrated care and concern. Professors who are actively engaged in classes, providing regular feedback, is a sign of dedication and investment. My D lived this during her 3 weeks at OCU this past summer. Dr. Herendeen (Dr. H) and the rest of the faculty were intensely focused on the students, providing wonderful direction. Itās great, too, that they donāt tolerate negative behavior. I have no doubt that the atmosphere of inclusion thatās been fostered there is due to that policy. As Dr. H put it when asked for audition advice, āDonāt be a jerk.ā He has no tolerance for bad attitudes and the behaviors that follow, which no doubt helped create a safe environment and a very tight-knit group of students in her program. My D had such an incredible experience at OCU, and Dr. H gave a college audition Q&A for parents, which really helped me see why she was so positively changed by the experience. Your description of your Dās experience at Molloy is very similar, and thatās VERY encouraging! Thank you!
Thanks also for sending me the 4-year Studio Courses Curriculum: http://www.cap21.org/cap21/conservatory/programs/molloy-college-bfa-program/Studio-Curriculum-Breakdown:en-us.pdf. I was able to find the overall program requirements in the 2017-2019 Molloy undergraduate catalog: https://www.molloy.edu/about-molloy-college/offices-and-services/office-of-academic-affairs/molloy-college-catalogs. The Gen Ed requirements are on pp. 92-94, the Molloy/CAP21 Theatre Arts program requirements are on pp. 199-201, and the Theatre Arts course descriptions are on pp. 408-410. The Theatre Arts Studio courses listed in the undergraduate catalog combine all aspects of musical theatre, but by looking at the 4-year Studio Courses Curriculum you can see see a breakdown of the amount of time spent in each area. I will say that the number of Gen Ed hours is a little concerning, considering how intense a BFA program is. There are 44 credit hours required, but 7 overlap with the BFA curriculm. 37 hours is still on the high end of the programs Iāve looked at. Trying to get all that in over 4 years might be a challenge. @EastchesterMom can you speak to that?
I did get a reply from the new Theatre Arts Recruitment Coordinator, Rebecca Overton, regarding the attrition rate. She was very friendly and is getting numbers for me. However, she did say the the retention was very good, because they ādo not ācutā students throughout the programā¦ most BFA students will successfully graduate.ā She further stated that occasionally a student will leave for personal reasons, but thatās āthe exception and not the rule.ā This is consistent with the post from @EastchesterMom
Thank you again for taking the time to share your Dās college search and Molloy/CAP21 experiences! I wish you and your D the best!
@StageDad311 - my D has not had a problem with the gen eds. I remember fall semester of sophomore year when she and several of her Class One buds took Spanish to fulfill the foreign language requirement- mayhem ensued as a bunch of actors basically took over the class, accents and all. There are other gen ed classes that work nicely with a theater major, such as accounting and other business courses. My D does have AP credits, which help a lot!
@EastchesterMom congrats!! What an exciting time for you and your D on the eve of her graduation from Molloy/CAP21!! Is she doing the senior showcase or the project?
My original post asked @CentralOHmomof4 about how her D determined that Molloy was a good fit, and also its retention policies. How many students were originally enrolled in your Dās class? Were the ones that couldnāt handle the workload asked to leave the program, or just choose to on their own? I noticed in the undergraduate catalog that all studio courses require a grade of at least a C+, or you have to withdraw from the program until you have achieved that grade during the following year. Do you know of any students that experienced that?
Itās great to hear that thereās a lot of performance experience offered through the program. In addition to not tolerating negative behavior, ensuring everyone has ample opportunity to perform surely reduces the competitiveness, helping to promote even more unity among the students. Although I know my D prefers to be able to audition for main stage shows as a freshman, I think sheād be fine with a program that will most likely cast you in all the main stage shows, and definitely all the projects, after freshman year. Iāve got to a ācasting procedureā column to my spreadsheet to make sure I find out the performance realities of each programā¦ thanks for bringing this up!
Overall, it sounds like Molloy/CAP21 is a safe, caring, inclusive, quality musical theatre program. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions, and I hope your D has a magical year!
@StageDad311 - The senior class will have a showcase in the spring. Exciting, but scary, too!
Re the attrition rate: the entering Class One cohort was 24, if I remember correctly. I stand corrected on the number of drop-outs; it was 8. I donāt have details on those who were asked to leave vs. voluntary quits, but this much is clear: if you canāt get yourself to class, donāt want to do the work (which is intense), or you demonstrate your resentment when you are given constructive criticism and insist on doing it āyour way,ā you are punching your ticket out of this program - and that did happen to several members of Class One. Those who left voluntarily did not do so for academic reasons. I know it sounds bad - 1/3 of the class is gone - but my pals with kids in other programs said our retention rate was great. Go figure- it appears to be the norm in this major.
@StageDad311 - just thought of something else. Last year, one of the Class One cohort had a very bad time in the fall semester - two pretty severe personal problems that adversely affected her course work. There was talk that this student might have to repeat junior year, but the program acknowledged the studentās issues and allowed her to remain with her cohort. I tell you this to illustrate how this program supports the kids. This student is talented, and deserved a break. I must also add that her classmates rallied around and supported her utterly. Molloy/CAP21 is a very special place.
@EastchesterMom - Thanks for the details, especially the last post about the student who had some personal issues affect her ability to keep up. I certainly understand that poor work ethic and attitude wouldnāt be tolerated in a BFA program. Iām just trying to ensure that as long as my D is putting her best foot forward, the faculty and staff will do everything they can to help her succeed, and it truly appears thatās the case here. Itās hard to discern this without personal accounts like your Dās, so thank you again for your help!
Enjoy this amazing time in your Dās life; musical theatre is an incredible journey! Take care!
@StageDad311 - and BAL to your D on the arduous and life-changing journey that is audition season! Never give up, never surrender! She will wind up where she is meant to be; I guarantee it!