<p>soozievt’s daughter is phenomenally talented! (I’m bragging for her!)
halfokum, we all post things from time to time that are not quite what we mean. Your posts are always so gracious and thoughtful. That is kind of you to apologize 
Eastchester, I’m really excited and intrigued by the new CAP/Malloy program and though my own kids are not MT, I’m very interested in hearing about this journey. </p>
<p>Wanted to mention that I just watched 2 CAP21 grads as leads in the Newsies Tour (jack and crutchie) both were very strong performers</p>
<p>By any chance does anyone with a child in the program think they may be open to answering some questions. My daughter was accepted into the program but its nerve wracking being so new and not really having a lot of information to make a decision with. Would love to know how those in the program are feeling about it and how they feel about the future of the program. Thanks, Debra</p>
<p>Private message me; my D is willing to help. FYI, it’s not new…CAP 21 has been churning out successful performers for a long time (Lady Gaga and Anne Hathaway ring a bell?)</p>
<p>Just want to add that the Holiday Concert at the fabulous Madison Theater on the Molloy campus on December 6 was a delight… My D and the Class of 2018 shared the stage with seasoned Broadway performers. What an incredible opportunity for the kids…and guess what, the kids were paid! (It was an Equity show).</p>
<p>@eastchestermom, how cool is that!</p>
Well…the kids are through the first inaugural semester - is the program still great? My D is auditioning in a few weeks! I’m formerly from LI (I used to live in Merrick, 5 miles from Molloy), and it would be great for her to have an opportunity to live on LI and also take classes in NYC!
I can’t say enough wonderful things about the program. CAP21 works the kids hard, but my D is still loving it. It really is the best of both worlds…great MT training in NYC, plus a suburban college that is pouring money into new facilities, especially this program. BAL to your D!
Hi everyone. I’m a long time CC reader and this is my first post. My D is a first year at Molloy/CAP21. She also attended the 5 week CAP21 MT summer program in between her Junior and Senior year in college. We were in the thick of things at this time last year with the audition process, so I understand the value of people’s opinions and information. I devoured every morsel, sometimes until the sun was rising.
I cannot say enough about the program that has been put together between Molloy and CAP21. We were familiar with the training at CAP21. My D wanted to be in a larger geographic area, and had other choices, but found this combination of urban and suburban to be ideal. It was a little leap of faith for us, we had every confidence in the training at CAP, but we weren’t sure about all of the commuting, the costs and the newness of the program. We are from the very center of the United States, and although my D and I have traveled extensively in and around NYC, my husband was more than a little concerned about the transition. After we attended the parent orientation, where we actually traveled the route, met faculty and other parents and toured the facilities, he was satisfied. (He’s an engineer so he has different standards than most). As we’ve progressed through this year, everything has been better than we could have anticipated. The faculty, staff and facilities on both campuses are amazing. This group of kids hit the ground running. For the most part, they seem to be fully supportive of each other and feel supported by their peers and those who are training them. The campus at Molloy is physically growing, and with that came some challenges with the dining arrangements. That has been resolved.
We have enjoyed our visits greatly to the area. I was able to attend the Holiday program at the beautiful Madison theatre. It was an amazing experience for the kids.
I believe in time this will become one of the most sought after reasons. As a parent, I feel secure with the safety of the college (Rockville Centre, I believe was rated the safest community on Long Island), the solidity of the training and the college experience of living on a regular campus. It is a fun place to visit and live. The students are quickly forced to learn to navigate the commute and manage their energy and time. I have witnessed them in action as the make that trip…they certainly light up the LI railroad cars!
I’m new so I can’t PM yet, however, please post any questions and I will try to answer them.
It sounds wonderful! I just thought of a question: is the cost of commuting included in the tuition? I know there’s an extra $6,000 cost for musical theatre kids for the CAP21 training in addition to the regular Molloy tuition, but do you also have to buy monthly LIRR passes on top of that?
The cost of commuting is not included. The kids learn quickly which combination of ticket to buy. They don’t get a monthly because they aren’t travelling enough to make that worth it. I would guess that, at most, we’ve spent $200 a month. They also often walk from Penn Station to CAP21, saving the cost of the subway. We figure it’s another cost similar to what our other 2 college kids have in driving and parking fees at their University. My D occasionally takes a cab on LI to the grocery store if she doesn’t want to take the school shuttle. The shuttle drop off for the LIRR is within walking distance to a bunch of restaurants, drug store and grocery store. The MTA website is very useful and user friendly if you want to see more specifically the costs and travel times. The kids usually are peak coming and going to NYC unless they go in early or stay late. They leave from Rockville Centre and go to Penn Station. The subway trip is from Penn (32nd/34th) to 18th. If they walk, it’s about 15 minutes or so.
Hope I didn’t overwhelm you with too much info! The commute is actually used in a variety of ways by the kids. I’ve seen them reading, studying lines, sleeping and consuming food and caffeine. They have lively discussions and some of them do what most locals do…put in the ear buds and zone out. The energy is something you either love, hate or tolerate. What I love is the flavor and texture it gives to my D’s college experience. As an actress someday, she’ll have a lot of material to pull from. And she will know how to navigate public transportation!
The other cost, which can be managed in a variety of ways, is food on their NYC days. My D eats breakfast and dinner on campus and eats at one of the many close places for lunch. Some students take their lunches. There are some very affordable options. Just another cost to know about. Molloy has created a lower food plan $ amount for these students that takes into account that they travel in on those days. The meal plans are declining balance where you pay for each item.
One of the costs you won’t have…laundry in the two residence halls is free of charge!
We found the overall cost, including travel and meals, was equal to and in many cases way less than the other programs we considered. Always make sure you’re comparing apples to apples!
Thanks! We live in Brooklyn, so I’m thinking that if my daughter ended up going there, it might be worth it to commute from home rather than live on campus. I know she would LIKE the dorm experience, so it’s something we’d have to really consider and think about. But if she’s going to be in the city 3 days a week, it would make more sense for her to just take the subway from home, which is only a 30 minute ride, rather than living on campus and paying for the LIRR three days a week.
Of course, it doesn’t come into play unless she gets in and decides to go there! But definitely something we would have to think about and weigh the pros and cons.
Thanks for the info!
@actorparent … They’re at the CAP21 studios two days a week during the freshman year. It’s 3 days a week for the other years.
@actorparent…there are a handful of kids in the program who are local and live at home. They are just as involved as the on campus kids. They hang out in the dorms all of the time! It’s definitely a viable option. Best of luck!
That’s definitely good to know, HuskerMom! Thanks!
Maybe she would live on campus freshman year, since they’re only in the city two days a week that year, and she could get the “dorm life” experience…then live at home the other years (which would save money for sure!).
A couple of other thoughts. Quite a few of the students have work study on campus. Some work in the Madison Theatre. Others have jobs off campus. They don’t have too much on weekends so they can work. I like that this gives them the opportunity to make some cash and allows them the lesson of balancing the program with outside responsibilities, much like they’ll have to do if they choose to choose a performing career…or anything else honestly.
My D enjoyed her philosophy class she had the first semester. She’s now taking an ethics class. She has made friends with students outide of her program. This combination seems to be right for her…very busy, packed and intense days but some opportunity for outside interests and work. The students are able to tailor their experience around their priorities to a certain extent. This flexibility was lacking in some of the programs and may be a deterrent to some.
Oh, just thought of another question! How much dance do they get (how many dance classes a week, and what styles)? Thanks!
I don’t have the 4-year curriculum handy, but I believe it’s on the CAP21 website. Ricky Oliver at CAP21 can certainly answer this one, too… roliver@cap21.org.
Hi again! I found the four-year CAP21 curriculum - it looks great! But one more question: what classes do they take on the Molloy campus on the other days? Thanks!