FYI, I finally responded to your PM, GrantsMom! Sorry, I’ve been in the thick of college applications/planning auditions and haven’t had the time to soak up the great CC info lately.
After readingi this thread over again, I realized I think I confused you with someone else who lived nearer to Illinois. Please consider that when you read my PM response to you - you will see that didn’t realize you lived in Florida!
If you’re looking I the Northeast you might want to consider NYU. It’s an expensive program but you get 6 college credits and you get to see about 7 different performances ranging from straight plays to musical. They accept mostly rising seniors and you have to be an academically strong candidate to be accepted.
Thank you @Ducky312! I’ll look into it. 
@GrantsMom - my D did NYU summer program and loved it. Feel free to contact if you have any questions
My older daughter did the NYU Tisch program. It was about $10,000 for 4 weeks. You did get 6 credits if you go to a school that takes the credits. She was unusual that she did not want to apply to NYU ED. Almost every kid that she knew from the summer program that applied ED got in. Then, you could use those credits.
She loved the program. She saw 7 Broadway shows which thrilled her. They lived in a dorm called Weinstein right off Washington Square Park and they had a lot of freedom to check out the city on the weekends.
If NYU is a top choice (as it was for my kid) and you get in, those summer credits end up paying for themeselves (in part) by eliminating gen ed elective classes later
@GrantsMom I am a current junior at CCM and I did BUSTI when I was in high school. I thought it was a great experience. You take what would be about five weeks of the training at BU and get to experience what a BFA program is like schedule wise and what classes would consist of. It also helps that you get to audition. I learned a lot there and it totally reaffirmed that I wanted to go into a BFA program.
I also have classmates who went to the program at UNCSA and loved it! It is also structured like what the BFA training would be like and I think that is so valuable. And it’s cheaper than many of the pricier summer programs. I would highly consider it!
Feel free to message me if you have more specific questions!
Thank you @josh703 ! I am curious how you like CCM. Are you doing Acting or MT? I appreciate your feedback on BUSTI and UNCSA. I think we’ll end up applying to all 3 and see where/if he gets in. Then we’ll go from there.
I love CCM, I am in the acting program and it has provided me a ton of opportunities. I’ve gotten great training and opportunities to work professionally in the Cincinnati theatre and film scene which is small but mighty. I’ll be coming out of school in SAG-AFTRA and in the Equity Membership Candidacy program (EMC) which will be really nice moving into the industry in New York next year.
PM me if you have any specific questions about the program!
My daughter is very interested in the Stratford festival in Ontario. She is a junior interested in acting. We are looking for an affordable program. Also very interested in UNCSA. Any thoughts on which to do? She loves Shakespeare.