<p>Hey everybody, I'm a high school senior and I REALLY need as much help and advice as you can possibly give me with this, so here it goes:</p>
<p>I was accepted into the BFA Acting program for Marymount Manhattan College. I was ALSO accepted into the BFA Acting program for Boston University (Both for the upcoming fall semester - class of 2013, of course). I'm having a very very difficult time with my decision!
I think part of the issue is that they're so similar. I love them both, but beyond that they're the same style of program, about the same # of kids, etc, etc...
The fact that Marymount is in New York City is also making my decision harder. I live very close to NYC and I'm there often enough now. Even then, I STILL imagine myself in New York City...But then I look at how good Boston U is and I want to go there! But then I REALLY WORRY about leaving NYC behind and all of that - and the cycle of my fretting over this decision continues.</p>
<p>I was also accepted into two normal schools where I could get a BA in Theater. They're good in the sense that I could dual/triple major, but then again, they aren't BFA. The problem is I know the theater program at the one BA school is excellent - I've seen what they do - and I'm absolutely certain I would get A LOT of stage time. There are probably less than 20 kids that are Theater majors there...</p>
<p>So what do you all think? I need AS MUCH INFO AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY GIVE ME on Boston U and Marymount. What do you think about their programs? Is one better than the other? Is the fact that Marymount is in NYC really THAT important? Please, give me all you've got! I need all the help I can get!</p>
<p>Hi there. The NYU vs BU thread on this forum has a whole lot of info about BU. There is tons about Marymount if you search under the school’s name and read all the posts. Search on the Musical Theatre forum as well as this one. It has a lot of info about acting programs as well as MT.</p>
<p>You have surely visited Marymount. Have you spent much time at BU? They allow accepted students to shadow a freshman and attend classes. My son did it and absolutely loved his experience there.</p>
<p>Coming from my performing arts high school with kids having gone to both MMC and BU, the experience from the kids at BU have been better than the ones at MMC. Having done the summer program last summer at BU, I know the training it offers rivals some of the top conservatory acting programs in the country, and the flexibility the theatre arts major can give you in a BFA is very unique and not found in a whole lot of schools. Boston is a beautiful, clean, vibrant city with a lovely arts community that would be an absolute joy to live in. (in fact, I’d be at BU quicker than you could say banana if I had gotten a cent of financial aid). There’s a thriving regional theatre district with the Huntington, which BU has a special partnership with, being one of the top regional theatres in New England. Students in the program often are invited to audition for understudies in mainstages which I think is pretty cool. The program is a very much conservatory type training, meaning you will be taking like 80-90% theatre related courses and 10-20% academics. It seems to be an extremely nurturing program, and it’s not a cut program at all which means they are committed to you until you graduate. The training is toolbox in style, and you learn a variety of acting/voice techniques, and Alexander training is a huge proponent. </p>
<p>The two girls who were in the BFA Acting program at Marymount have both transferred out to different majors because they felt they weren’t learning as much in their acting classes. They felt a some of their classmates were juvenile and not serious about the craft of acting in the freshman year, although they said a good portion of those people left before sophomore year. They felt some of the work was just a repeat of stuff we had done in high school. However, there’s a girl who is a freshman there who last I heard was really happy. The school places a much greater emphasis on liberal arts, so you’ll be taking more academic classes. The city is the city. For me, it’s where I believe I’ll be spending a good portion of my adult life, so it’s not important for me to spend the next four years there. Some people simply can’t wait for it. </p>
<p>For me, it wouldn’t be a difficult choice at all, especially if money weren’t an issue, but I’m obviously a little biased as I spent an incredible summer at BU so perhaps I’m not the best person to be talking to at all.</p>