<p>New thread for this year's Acceptances to BU. (courtesy NJTheatreMOM).</p>
<p>actingmom D
he-art4272
JimT D
Mother of GG D
Nickeatworld
NJTheatreMOM S</p>
<p>Congratulations to all.</p>
<p>Congratulations, JimT. Actually, actingmom’s daughter was accepted last year (I got mixed up!), and I believe she is attending a different school. </p>
<p>So for now the list is:</p>
<p>he-art4272
JimT’s D
Mother of GG’s D
Nickeatworld
NJTheatreMOM’s S</p>
<p>I am wondering how many of you have visited the school? We haven’t, because we couldn’t afford to visit distant schools prior to acceptances. We are planning to go up there on April 9 (can’t make the April 18 open house).</p>
<p>I visited BU actually. The only school I visited pre-getting accepted because I couldn’t afford to go on the trips when there was such a low acceptance rate. Seemed cheaper to just apply.</p>
<p>BU is a nice school, its a City Campus. Their quad is pathetically small but the buildings are beautiful. There are a lot of them, and they are very tall. Boston is an awesome city. </p>
<p>The Fine arts building is a bit old. Its covered in ivy and such but certain rooms look a little ragged. But they seem to have decently nice facilities. </p>
<p>It was my top choice for a long time because of the location and the good sense I got from my Visit.</p>
<p>The whole top choice thing tends to change periodically though.
It’s incredibly diverse. You can tell by just walking down the street and gazing at the students attending. That was a plus for me, because I enjoy the company of an array of different kinds of people.
Its Cheaper than NYC. There’s a delicious burger place in the square.</p>
<p>If you go there I’d recommend buying a bike because the campus is LONG… not wide. </p>
<p>There’s a sporadic description of my visit. It’s a great school.</p>
<p>I have no idea where I wanna go.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments, Nick. Perhaps you will know more about what you want to do once you have visited NCSA.</p>
<p>For my son, it’s between BU and Tisch (he was denied at CMU as expected). Aside from the visit to BU, the decision will depend primarily on what financial aid we get from Tisch, if any…and to a certain extent what his studio assignment is.</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>We have now been twice. It is easy for us as my brother lives there and we stay with him.</p>
<p>First time: The grand tour of campus, and found out that the Theater school info talk was taking place 10 minutes following. We got there and we were greeted by a friendly student who led us to the info session.
Very informative, about ten sets of parents and kids.
Yes the building was ragged but in a good way, felt used but not abused, comfortable.
And we returned that night for a performance of Minotaur, exciting performance, creative.
My daughter loved the visit!</p>
<p>Second time: Audition, Paolo, gave a 45 minute talk in auditorium, to both the parents and students very friendly , informative, and non threatening. They want you to do well, and he added that if you mess up, say so, and get to start again…They said the numbers of auditioners were up this year, and that they would take 100 for a class of about 45.
Then kids were brought up to the floor for auditions and the current students were supposed to take them to warm up place. I would say this was one of the weaker areas, the current students stayed together and it felt clickish, and they said nasty things about NYU Tisch, which I found off putting. My daughter, did not notice this, and was concentrating on getting herself to walk into the audition room. She was thrilled walking out of there, felt it had gone well, ( it looks like she was right) Others have quoted Paolo before saying, the audition was the main thing, and if you had less than a 2.00 average he would not be able to get you in there, no matter how great the audition went.
He was also very upbeat/ realistic about a life in the theater. He is a great role model, and I felt as a role model I was comfortable with him playing an important place in my daughter’s life.</p>
<p>The sense of the school is that you are living and breathing theater but you are in a place where there are many other things going on, so it is a rich life…
Yes it is cheaper than NYC, and many of the kids in the theater school have moved out of campus housing and so it is even less expensive.</p>
<p>NJ theater Mom, how did you pick APril 9th? That sounds doable as APril 18 is also DePauls open house?</p>
<p>My daughter is in similar spot, no financial package from NYU yet , and no studio…
Are you going to the open house on April 4? Not heard from CMU…</p>
<p>Mother of GG and the rest of BU appliciants. We did not go to see the school but heard that it is basically for acting not for musical theatre. Do they do musicals at all and how many a year?</p>
<p>Mother of GG…we checked the CMU website today and my son’s denial was there. If your daughter don’t have one, it could possibly be a waitlist situation…??</p>
<p>Yes, we will be at Tisch on the 4th. Are you attending? If so, we will have to figure out a way to recognize each other and meet up. That would be cool. :-)</p>
<p>When my son auditioned for BU in New York, Paolo himself dissed Tisch! I didn’t like it too much, but I guess Tisch is their greatest competitor because there are similarities (larger number admitted than at some schools, not being a pure conservatory, etc) and Tisch has the advantage of being in NYC and the bigger name.</p>
<p>These are the things my son likes about BU over Tisch: “toolbox approach” to acting instruction as opposed to what might be a narrower focus at some of the Tisch studios, a semester in London that is integrated into the program with everyone attending so you don’t miss part of an important instructional sequence, and the choices the kids get to make within the curriculum after the first year. </p>
<p>I like what you said about the BU theatre building being ragged in a good way…used but not abused, comfortable. Sounds like our house, lol.</p>
<p>Re April 9…we picked that date because it is the only one that is relatively soon that does not conflict too much with a play my son is rehearsing for. He sent a little e-mail to Paolo saying he hoped we would be able to talk to somebody when we come that day, but he hasn’t heard back yet, probably because he sent the e-mail late in the day on Friday.</p>
<p>Just kidding, my daughter is not a singer… We love musicals by the way.
I don’t know if they do any. call them and ask. Or got to Musical theater college confidential the families there will know, or NOTMAMAROSE, she is encyclopedic…and her daughter is in Cap21 Tisch</p>
<p>Oops, there’s a goof in my last post that makes it look like I can’t “rite good.” :-(</p>
<p>Musicalthetremom – It is my understanding that BU, like a number of other BFA Acting programs, has essentially no musical theatre. MT is not a priority for my son, so we didn’t even ask.</p>
<p>But given that BU has relationships with a number of Boston area theatres, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a certain number of opportunities for the students to audition for musicals.</p>
<p>Hopefully somebody who knows more about this will post.</p>
<p>When my D went for her audition, we were told that they do some musicals, but they tend to be Sondheim rather than Rogers & Hammerstein. For my D, that fit perfectly. She is a singer, but wants an acting-based program. What she prefers over Tisch (and did not apply to Tisch because of it) is that Tisch, from her understanding, places you in a specific school. She wanted to be in a program that allows you to experience different acting techniques. I keep reading on CC that what is most important is to find the program that is the best fit for you. That’s what she tried to do.
She loved BU when she visited and felt she had a rapport with her auditioner when she left. It will likely be where she ends up.</p>
<p>Just stepping in here to say that I think it is bad form for someone from ANY school or program to openly diss, especially by name, another program. One thing that my D and I liked about the presentation at NYU Tisch was that NO ONE did that. In fact, they were very clear that they don’t think their program or its setting (New York!) is right for every student. I am truly sorry to hear that Paolo felt compelled to put NYU down, and all I can conclude about that was that, yes, there is some professional jealousy there. That’s too bad, because it’s unprofessional and it’s also not necessary. BU has a wonderful BFA program which can stand on its own merits. Disclaimer in the name of ethics: my D is at NYU Tisch and loves it. She was fortunate enough to have multiple acceptances (to both MT and acting programs) and chose NYU and it turned out to be the right decision for her. But I am proud of her in that she has never, to my knowledge, put down other schools or their programs. She knows, I think, that there are many fabulous programs out there and tons and tons of talented kids at each one.</p>
<p>Re: different acting techniques and Tisch. My D is in the musical theater studio called CAP21 (Collaborative Arts Project for the 21st Century.) The acting teachers there use a variety of approaches and techniques so that kids have multiple tools in their acting toolbox. However, yes, there are studios such as Meisner who use certain techniques. Kids usually are asked at their audition what studio they are most interested in and suited for and why. The auditors often spend a lot of time with them (my kid was in her NYU audition close to 20 minutes, which was the longest except Minnesota/Guthrie at the callback weekend!) talking about how the kid learns, his or her personality, etc so that the auditors can help fit the kid to the right approach.</p>
<p>Re: whether BU does musicals. Hmmm, I used to know this. Let me find out and get back to you all. :)</p>
<p>He was wonderful, it was the students there that were speaking, he was busy at that point running the auditions. sorry if you read my post that way.</p>
<p>Actually, Mother of GG, another poster said </p>
<p><<when my=“” son=“” auditioned=“” for=“” bu=“” in=“” new=“” york,=“” paolo=“” himself=“” dissed=“” tisch!=“” i=“” didn’t=“” like=“” it=“” too=“” much,=“” but=“” guess=“” tisch=“” is=“” their=“” greatest=“” competitor=“” because=“” there=“” are=“” similarities=“” (larger=“” number=“” admitted=“” than=“” at=“” some=“” schools,=“” not=“” being=“” a=“” pure=“” conservatory,=“” etc)=“” and=“” has=“” the=“” advantage=“” of=“” nyc=“” bigger=“” name.=“”>></when></p>
<p>So apparently the kids get their negative and competitive attitude toward NYU from the top, sadly. I am honestly sad to hear this, because my D liked Paolo a lot at her audition and she also has several friends who go to that program and so we know it’s good. </p>
<p>Oh, well … to each his or her own. I do have to say that when I was on the audition circuit with my daughter, we would both look at each other in dismay when someone representing a school would feel it necessary to diss other programs. We both put it down to jealousy.</p>
<p>Okay, now that I think about it, I believe Paolo (whom we really liked otherwise), did not say “Tisch” or “NYU.” What I think he did say was something like, “I don’t know how a school can tell what acting studio is best for a student after 5 minutes with them”…and I’m certain most everybody knew what he meant.</p>
<p>It was not the best thing, I admit, but I don’t want to give the wrongful impression that he dissed Tisch by name.</p>
<p>In a way, he had a point. This year, so far as I know, the auditioners at Tisch did not ask students their studio preferences. In the case of my son, they certainly did not ask him, and they did not spend anything like 20 minutes with him, though they might have spent 10.</p>
<p>They did ask him where he envisioned himself in ten years and I think he said something looking forward to being able to act professionally but that he was also interested in directing and teaching. When he came out he said, “Oops, maybe now they will put me in Playwrights if I get in, and I’m not sure that would be my first choice of studio.”</p>
<p>If my son does attend BU and is asked to help with auditions, I will tell him about what has been discussed here about the students dissing other schools so that he can maybe warn them against it. I doubt the program “put them up to it,” though perhaps such things happen some places.</p>
<p>None of the three general info sessions we attended in New York seemed 100% “professional,” I’d say. There was considerably more casualness than we expected. Paolo transgressed slightly as above. The CMU people went on and on about the MT program, leaving the acting applicants, who were sitting right there in the same room, squirming slightly and feeling a little like second class citizens…and the NYU guy was surprisingly young and bouncy and almost clownish in a way.</p>
<p>It didn’t make us think any less of the schools, really, it was just…interesting.</p>
<p>At my audition in New York, Paolo actually spent a while bashing Tisch.</p>
<p>Mainly he just spoke about NYU deciding what training would be best for you after 5 minutes and how BU on the contrary used multiple approaches. </p>
<p>I think maybe though, I caught him on a bad day because he didn’t seem as bright and like-able as many people posting on CC regard him. At first my mother and I were very turned off BU because of our experience. But it seems like I must of caught him on a bad day because people love him. </p>
<p>But I don’t want to just single out BU because I remember getting anti-nyu vibes from a lot of the schools I auditioned for. </p>
<p>NYU just gets the reputation for the college to go to when you want to study acting. </p>
<p>My opinion is that all these BFA programs are great. There aren’t any miracle schools. And I’m sure anyone with talent and the proper drive could thrive and find success after attending any of these programs discussed on CC.</p>
<p>The competition is silly…</p>
<p>NJTheatreMom, I think your observations are right on the money and I agree wholeheartedly with you about not forming an impression of a school based on something less-than-great that one person representing a school said. My D went on one audition at a BA program where the representative spent a lot of time dissing BFA programs in general and so forth, but she just brushed it aside because she knew that this person had an excellent BA program and likely is just sick of losing talented kids to the BFAs. I work at a university pr office so I am always tempted to send these people friendly emails suggesting that they would look far better, and make their programs look far better, if they would concentrate solely on what is best in their own program and not make snide remarks about others.</p>
<p>Re: how can an auditor tell what studio a kid belongs in in five minutes. Well, I don’t know any kid whose NYU audition lasted five minutes. My D was far from first to go at her session, and so I was watching the clock. Her 20 min audition was admittedly longer than some, but every kid before her was in there for between 10 and 13 minutes. </p>
<p>And the auditors at NYU Tisch drama seem to do pretty well: most kids we have talked to who were not placed in their first choice studios end up thinking they are in the right place. And at BU and other places there is only ONE studio, so to speak, so … </p>
<p>Sorry to be so touchy, but I have to tell you: I have never seen a school provoke the kind of negative comments/reaction/jealousy that NYU does, and yet many kids want to go there. The Princeton Review just put out a survey of kids’ and parents’ dream schools and NYU is on both lists in the top 10. Go figure! I am befuddled as to why people have such a negative and huffy attitude about NYU, because the people who auditioned my kid there were among the nicest people she worked with (especially in contrast to the head of a very well known program that is oft discussed here, who insulted one of her friends outright – kid is now at another top program – and seemed to feel it was OK to do so) and they certainly spent a lot of time with her. She came out of that audition knowing that if she got in, that is where she wanted to go. And I cannot tell you the hurrahs and congratulations (LOUD) that went up at my D’s arts high school when she and one classmate found out that they had been accepted: no other school outcome elicited that kind of jubilation. So I would say that Tisch is doing something right.</p>
<p>I can’t help but think competition and jealous (NYU is a big name and it’s in New York, which is the center of the acting world) and people’s negative attitudes toward New York itself are at play here.</p>
<p>Perhaps the Purchase and Rutgers BFA Acting programs are smart to “hide” themselves inside state universities, lol. When my son first became interested in college acting programs, he heard about CMU and NYU right away, and at the same time people started trying to tell him that those schools were maybe not all they were cracked up to be. </p>
<p>Yeah, right!!!</p>
<p>Whereas people seemed not to know much about Rutgers and not even to have heard of Purchase. Later, of course, we found out that those are two of the most highly regarded and hard-to-get-into programs in the country!</p>
<p>I truly think that some of the jealously has to do with the aura of wealth and privilege that surrounds the big private universities.</p>
<p>NJTheatreMom, I think that the people who know about acting and acting programs have certainly heard of Purchase and of Mason Gross. Each year, a good many kids from my D’s high school (a well regarded public arts school) audition for Purchase and Rutgers and the teachers encourage them to do so. Of course, if you are the parent of an actor and people ask you “Where is your kid applying to college?” and you say “SUNY Purchase,” then, yes, many won’t have heard of it, while they have heard of NYU, for sure. But within the acting community, people know both of those schools. </p>
<p>You may definitely be onto something with the comment about people resenting the fact that schools like NYU are so expensive and seemingly out of reach. But one thing to consider about private universities and colleges is that they sometimes are able to award better financial aid/grants, etc. than do some public universities. For instance, my D got talent scholarships at both Penn State (for musical theater) and NYU (for the combo in academics and talent that NYU uses as a yardstick) and the offer from NYU was much more generous (proportionately) than the one at PSU. Of course, the overall tuition and fees at PSU is far less, so we are paying about the same as had she gone to PSU.</p>
<p>NotMamaRose, regarding people “who know about acting and acting programs” and can give good advice about schools to theatre kids… </p>
<p>Like many teenagers, my son does not attend a performing arts high school. In fact, his public high school has basically no drama program at all. He has “pulled himself up by his bootstraps” by working very, very hard using the resources available…a couple of inexpensive local summer youth theatre programs, one of them run by a community theatre…acting classes at a regional theatre where the teacher did not have a degree in acting and had acted professionally only briefly…a summer teenage MT workshop that he got a scholarship for, in the city near us…that sort of thing.</p>
<p>He has milked each of these opportunities for all they are worth, and he has auditioned for play after play in community theatres, slowly getting better and better roles and more and more experience. </p>
<p>The people he has met along this path have not been knowledgeable enough to give him excellent advice about BFA acting programs. Most of what he and I know about college acting programs has come from these forums right here. </p>
<p>I have gone into this amount of detail about my son’s limited past resources because I believe there are many, many students like my son. He has come as far as he has only because of his incredibly fierce dedication and monumental effort over the past several years, combined with lots of family support.</p>
<p>In talking to other kids at auditions, we have met some who are clearly prepared and “in the know” about college acting programs and the whole auditioning process. We have met far more who have seemed confused and overwhelmed and are just trying to hang on and do their best. We really feel for the many who are struggling, because my son is just barely over the line from being one of those under-prepared and marginally informed kids himself.</p>