Which one has a better acting program??? Which one should I choose to attend???
I am deciding between Uarts and CCPA and would like informed opinions if possible. Any help is appreciated.
Which school prepares students to act in front of cameras more? Because I would like to be a film actor in the future. Thank you :)))
You should post this on the acting major thread
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21348898
They’re both good programs, but not top tier and both located outside the major film centers of NY and LA. I’ve posted about my kids’ experience at CCPA – three semesters of acting for camera, lots of student films, couple of extra and stand-in opportunities. It’s a solid place to get experience, though you do better if you make your own opportunities. No idea about U Arts.
I vote Chicago as the better city 
@Yuhu459, here’s a link to a thread about my D’s experience at UArts:
Philly has been a great city for theatre education and a great one for a college experience in general! D has even had a paid outside film experience there (along with student films); other students have, too, as well as theatre experiences. It’s also pretty close to NYC, which many students take advantage of, and some professionals, including ones who work with or at UArts, work both cities. Plus, it’s a great city to get an education outside of the arts. So much history and culture is there that learning takes place even just strolling around! D has seen so much—from the Pope’s parade on Broad (the street where UArts is centered) to the crazy Eagles celebrations largely on the same street. The fact that UArts is in the Arts District means fabulous productions are at their fingertips. D and her friends get to see so many professional shows, most often at a deep discount, even if that discount is just a rush student ticket, which is so easy for them to do because they are right there.
Both are quality programs with working alumni. I encourage you to visit both, compare the programs on a spreadsheet, and to connect with faculty and current (and maybe incoming) students at both places. It’s all about personal fit at this point; they are both good choices! (I hope you find that freeing and stress-relieving. 
)
We were in the same boat last year, deciding between CCPA, UArts and Marymount Manhattan. Did a last visit over spring break to UArts and ruled it right out. Felt the Acting majors were really low on the totem pole there. Class size was too large at Marymount. We love CCPA because of the city, the small class size plus great training. My S is able to keep his foot in the door for MT there. They have great Shakespeare training as well. And I can’t say enough about Chicago. Chicago seems to be rapidly becoming the test market for straight shows that get moved to Broadway. There’s a lot of opportunity to audition in the city outside of school at CCPA. Living in Chicago after school is so much more affordable and there are more jobs to go around as opposed to NYC. I truly feel like Chicago is becoming an amazing place for acting majors to begin while MT students are better off in NYC.
I hate to say it, but I’m getting the same vibe about UArts that @remartin67 had. We’re at the accepted students event at UArts right now. While the kids are attending workshops in their major, there’s a panel of alumni discussing their careers after graduating. There are 10 alumni, and NONE are acting majors. It’s visual artists, graphic design, music business, one jazz musician, and one dancer.
Likewise, back when my D auditioned on campus, they played a short film about UArts, profiling former students, and again, there were NO actors in the film. There was one MT guy who’s now touring in “Paw Patrol,” but no acting majors.
While the students were auditioning, there was a panel of three current students to answer parent questions, but again, none were acting majors.
So that’s THREE separate situations where they were presenting their students and alumni of different majors to prospective students, yet did not include any acting majors.
It’s definitely giving me a vibe that acting isn’t focused on here. I don’t know if that’s true, but they definitely don’t highlight acting in their presentations to prospective students (although there IS an acting workshop for prospective students along wirh the other workshops at least).
I did point this out to one of the admissions people and she was apologetic about it and saud she would pass the comment along to the higher ups.
So, after posting that negative impression, I now have to add a very positive impression of UArts.
My D came out of the workshop and said it was great, and that she was also impressed with the caliber of the accepted students who participated - they were extremely talented and she could see they were serious about acting and ready to work. She said she could totally envision herself working with these kids for the next four years.
We also talked with @myloves’ D, who was so nice and answered a lot of questions, and we took a theater tour given by an acting major and got more info from her. What struck D and me most was the amount of opportunities. They out on 12 to 14 plays a year, and it’s a mixture of faculty-run and student work. There are a ton of student playwrights, directors, filmmakers., etc. at the school, so there are endless opportunities to act, and when these students graduate and start their careers, they continue to cast UArts students. In addition, the faculty are all working theater professionals, and they too cast students regularly.
We were both impressed and found it to be a very creative and energy-filled place with a lot of opportunities, as well as very warm, friendly and collaborative.
I’m glad for actorparent1, however I will say my S didn’t feel the same. He did the workshops but wasn’t impressed. That being said, everyone is different and what works for one doesn’t always work for another. I’m definitely not here to put any program down—I can only share our experience.
CCPA also does 12-14 shows, some main stage; some smaller black box. Again, lots of opportunity to audition for professional and Equity work in Chicago. There are also student films, etc. The cities are quite different— my advice is to visit both schools and see where your student feels they fit.
@actorparent1 thanks for the post. We could not attend Admit One day today and are deciding between Wagner and UArts. My D will attend a shadow day for both next week.
Oh, another thing about UArts: you are allowed and even encouraged to take classes outside your major. So an acting major can do a musical theater minor, and take classes in creative writing or painting or computer animation, etc. They have a large number of elective credits built into the curriculum, which can be used to explore other interests OR take even more classes in your major. It’s a very flexible program.
FYI - my S wanted to major in Acting but keep his foot in MT as well. As a freshman, he had ballet at CCPA and was able to take tap as an elective (and some jazz) at Lou Conte dance studio, which is part of Hubbard Street Dance (one of the best dance companies in the country) AT NO EXTRA COST TO US! He also will get some voice thru CCPA but he is also able to train with his long time voice coach, who is a Certified Estill Master.
It’s interesting to hear people’s perspectives!
Acting is definitely looked up to and emphasized at UArts. As majors, acting, MT, and DPP (Directing, Producing, Performing) are highly respected by everyone there and strongly supported by faculty and administration. And, you just have to go to one performance to see how supportive the students of other majors are; it’s incredible, actually. Plus, the 3 majors enmesh so much in studios and casting that D, a junior, still is sometimes unsure if who is in what major, and she definitely didn’t know in which everyone was the first couple years.
Think of how other universities are, though; they have a number of programs of all different types, and they try to address as many as possible during days such as Accepted Students Day. At UArts, they just happen to all be arts related. Perhaps it would’ve seemed less like they weren’t focused on acting if there were also business, engineering, psychology, etc., majors addressed.
As far as being impressed with a workshop or not, this happened to D her auditioning year. Some places wowed her, a few left her absolutely unimpressed or simply just like they wouldn’t fit her. But, that’s what this process is all about. The places that fit one person will not fit another, and that’s great! That means there are diverse programs, and that our students can try to find where they fit best.
As far as UArts not saying much about alumni… Ugh! Marketing by talking about alumni is one area that the theatre department needs to improve, IMO. Just at this moment, D knows several alumni on Broadway, National Tours, and on TV or in movies, and many others who are working, yet they never say anything! Maybe they’re concentrating so much on the training that they don’t want that to be the focus? Idk. It’s a puzzle to me, but if that’s the biggest complaint I have about UArts (and it is—we’ve been super happy with it otherwise), I’ll take it.
@actorparent1, I’m glad you got to meet with my D! She enjoyed it. 
Your description in your last paragraph of post 9 fits exactly what we’ve found UArts to be!
@jeanetteschneider, feel free to PM me if you’d like to talk about UArts or to get connected to my D!
thank you @myloves I don’t think I can PM yet since I don’t have enough posts, but am curious to what a weekly schedule is for your D. Also, do they offer any kind of stage or special effects makeup classes? Last ?, the other school we are considering is a ferry ride to nyc, definitely an interest to proximity to auditions and opportunities, how do you think UArts compares in location. I think the best choice would be the best training, always time for auditions after but would like to know your thoughts. Sorry for all public ? I can give you my email address if cc allows
I think Uarts is unique in that it is a total arts school. There are glass blowing majors, drummers, music producers, etc. you are constantly surrounded by kids who are creating. It is very inspiring. Acting and MT are mixed into the acting studios. The classes are very small, around 10. As far as promoting working actors, they were all over it when my D appeared in OITHB. They pulled clips and tweeted it everywhere. My own child has been in Uarts productions as well as union projects. There are sooooo many professional theaters in Philly. The bonus is that you can audition without the endless lines in NY. But if you want to go to NY, it is an hour away by train. We will encourage our D to stay in Philly after she graduates because it is so cheap to live there. She can build her career there and move to LA or NY when her career requires it (and we live in NY!). For those asking about the curriculum, I can tell you that my D is in class most days from 8-5. She is currently taking 8 dance classes a week (it is a top three dance school in the country). The actors take stage combat, movement, etc. if you have specific questions, please feel free to PM me.
@jeanetteschneider, I’m going to PM you, but I’ll also answer your questions here in case others want to know the answers.
As @BeBop1 said, NYC is not that far from Philly. D goes at least a couple times a semester. Next year, her senior year, she could graduate early, but she loves her college experience and doesn’t want to, so she’s planning on taking a lighter 2nd semester and start auditioning in NY also. (That could change—who knows!) That’s the advice she received from the actor who played a major role in Wicked on Broadway and is playing it on the National tour she saw in Philly; it’s what he did. (We talked to him for about a 1/2 hour afterwards. Two days later, she met another alumni in NYC after watching him star in a Broadway show.) D knows many professionals—alumni, faculty members, and other professionals who UArts brings in—who work both markets.
Stage makeup is not a requirement for MTs. (Idk about Acting.) It has been offered as an elective or a workshop.
As has been said, in addition to not being far from New York, Philly itself is a big theater town, and UArts is located on a street called “The Avenue of the Arts” which has numerous professional theaters. So if you’re looking to audition professionally, there are a number of theaters right by the school.
thanks for all the info! I love to hear that about the dance classes available! something my D is very interested in. Has either of your children participated in the study abroad program?