@EMVP66 and @Twoboysandadog my son was accepted early action into Emerson and received a grant money offer along with student loans and work study offers. THere are no artistic scholarships that I am aware of and he didn’t qualify for the merit awards. I would guess that since the BFA acting studio is around 16 students that the former BA Performance Major turned BFA is now about 16 students larger but I don’t know how large the BA program has been so that probably won’t help much. I have a son graduating in May from the BFA acting program at Emerson if anyone has any questions.
@marg928 Directed my S there. I would love for him to have someone to compare notes with.
Thanks so much @ANJALU - my S is going to go to the “Picture Yourself at Emerson” admitted student event on April 8 with his Dad. Is your son happy went there?
My D got her official acceptance letter today for PACE FTVC and a scholarship award from Point Park 
Congrats @marg928! The Pace admissions info in the mail is nonstop…so frustrating! D got another “skinny letter” from Pace today and we assumed the worst, only to open it and find another “congratulations on your university admission, please come to Pace” letter. Geez! Looks like they could screen out the kids waiting on audition results and not stuff our mailboxes with that junk…save some money, too! Ok…rant over… 
I’ve been a donor to Pace for a good 15 years…it’s good to see my money is going to a good cause! 
Pace is by far the worst (or perhaps the best?) in terms of calling/emailing/sending letters about the school during the time we were either awaiting the BFA decisions or had turned down the program. The admissions office would call my kids cell phones during the day (phone call from NY - GOTTA RUN INTO THE HALL AND TAKE THIS CALL - only to be a call from the school, not the program). They are responsible for spilled coffee and skipping hearts!
Hello everyone, my D (going for costume design fall 2017) has a VERY low gpa… she was unexpectedly accepted into Mason Gross School of the Arts because of her portfolio… She just interviewed at UNCSA (fell in love with the school but doesn’t meet gpa requirement) they explained to her in interview that because of her “outstanding” portfolio they were going to attempt to override the gpa. Though its not official yet I’m trying to go at this as if she has been accepted so that it’ll make the decision easy when the decision letter arrives. Massart also accepted her for portfolio but asked she raise gpa for admittance during fall 2018… She never thought any of this would happen, she thought her portfolio was behind everyone else’s… totally the opposite. Is this a common occurrence or does she really have something special?
What are your thoughts on both of these schools costume design programs? I can see pros and cons of both schools but it’s hard for me to know what really matters at a conservatory program. for example, supposedly MGSA dorms are better than UNCSA, MGSA has the program in London and is close to NYC but UNCSA seems to have more successful alumni and opportunity available. The facilities are also much more advanced at UNCSA than at MGSA but when we toured I felt a real sense of care from the faculty for the students at MGSA where as UNCSA it seemed like an employer/employee relationship. MGSA is more expensive than UNCSA (haven’t received the financial aid packets yet) This whole college process is new to me and even more alien because I don’t know where to start with the arts. She believes that no matter where she goes it’ll be up to her to receive success… I think while that may be true, its good to go to a school that will provide you with the best resources and connections so transition into the industry will be easier.
I know that Community College is very stigmatized but, she recently brought the idea up (she hates the thought of being in debt) and then going into a well known costume design program for her BFA in costume design… I am nervous about this because I don’t know how the conservatory system would then work. If she had known about how advanced her portfolio was she would have applied to more costume design programs. Would going to a CC help her apply to an even “better” costume program in the future like Carnegie Mellon? I’m very worried and confused about all this as I don’t want her talent to go unused for 2 years… please help.
They’re both excellent programs. Less debt is obviously better. Essentially you’re trading off the possibility of industry connections and opportunities against the certainty of higher debt, and there are no guarantees anywhere, even at CMU. Still, if I were going to place a bet on training being worth it, those are two very good schools.
@kittenbat13 I can’t be of much help. I was in a different arts field for 20 years in NYC and my D is preparing for the acting and MT craziness. I did not go to college. My first thought reading your post was great parent and great kid!! These are very good decision problems to have. Congratulations to your talented daughter. One of Malcolm Gladwell’s wonderful books came to mind (The Tipping Point…maybe??.. can’t remember) spoke eloquently about the non-thinking part of the brain when making an important decision like this one. In pragmatic terms… something might make sense intellectually but trust your gut. Also your D’s gut. In life sometimes the gut senses things that our thinking brain is missing. Sorry to get all philosophical when you need answer - answers but it’s important to remember throughout this nutty process. There is no wrong answer. Bright Future : ) ! Trust instincts and gut.
My only input is about UNCSA as my daughter goes there for drama. At least in that dept the faculty treat the students like family. It is a very caring and supportive environment. She knows many kids in the production and design major and they all seem to love it.
As said above both schools are wonderful options. Can’t go wrong!
There have been parents here with kids at UNCSA in that major -maybe they can chime in.
Both Rutgers and UNCSA are excellent programs and I don’t think you could go wrong either way. Go with the more affordable one, assuming she gets in UNCSA.
Any word from Western Michigan? MT board shows three MT students were waitlisted Sunday night via email and then nothing else. We are watching out for Acting. D has some nice options but this is the last piece of the puzzle. More waiting…
@kittenbat13 Congrats! Two wonderful options! I would be hesitant to have her attend a CC if she wants to attend a conservatory program, though I totally get that less debt is ideal. The possible problems are that even if she attends CC, she may still have to start over as a freshman (many conservatories require this no matter how many college credits you have-check with the schools), and frequently going in as a transfer means you may not have access to any financial aid as it usually goes to the freshman. Both of these scenarios could then actually cost you more money in the end. Just something to think about! Best of luck in your choice!
Circling back to the discussion about Mason Gross and UNCSA - I too can only speak to UNCSA. The Design and Production School places well over 90 percent of its students in jobs after graduation. This, to me, is a mind-blowing statistic that as a parent would make me feel a whole lot better about my child’s future.
Mason Gross may well have similar stats; I don’t know.
As for whether it’s an employee-employer relationship, I don’t have that vibe at all, and I’ve met many kids in D&P - they are very much students of an arts school, immersed in the arts and supportive of one another.
If it’s costume design she really wants, it seems to me that she should pursue it and not spend time at a CC, unless she feels that she’s not mature enough to leave home yet. As stagedoormama said, i"m not sure it saves you money in the long run.
Is there a page for Theatre Drama/Acting Acceptances by College?
@daughtersdreams
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/1962795-theater-drama-acceptances-class-of-2017-by-college-name.html#latest
@Wickersham2365 Thank you - found it! It was that “Class of 2017” that threw me. The MT board uses the college class year (2021).
@kittenbat13 Both great schools, great options! Congrats to your D! One anecdote here: I have a family member who attended MGSA for stage management and then left after one year due to finding that graduate students in that department consistently got priority (more hands on experience, more work in general) over the undergraduates. This family member transferred to UNCSA the following year (also for stage management), LOVED it, has only great things to say about the entire experience there, has now graduated, and has been steadily working off Broadway and elsewhere ever since.
@kittenbat13, my D is in the D/T BFA at Otterbein, and I would echo what others have said. Your D is in at least one great school, and if she’s ready for college I would probably not go the CC route. In the D/T BFA programs the kids usually only take one non theater class per semester, and sometimes they are specific classes, so taking a lot of gen ed is not going to help much, unless it’s to get her gpa up. She will also probably still have to complete four full years in a BFA program, so it won’t save you money. You already have great schools where she can get excellent training, and where the faculty really think she is ready to succeed. If she likes the schools, I wouldn’t think it’s worth risking those acceptances just to have a chance at CMU where she may not even be happy. One thing to consider is that CMU has a MFA program in costuming, so it can be more difficult for undergrads to get the jobs. That said, there was a girl on here last year that started at another school in costuming (I think DePaul, but I’m not positive) who transferred into CMU after her freshman year, so, that is also an option. I’m sure she could give you lots of information if you can find that thread.
As an aside, I knew nothing about this process and we did a lot wrong, and missed a lot of schools where my D should have applied. At the last minute she applied to Otterbein, and it was the perfect fit, and she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, and she is employed for two shows this summer. Sometimes it just all works out. You might also get more information if your D can attend the accepted students events. Wishing you both the best of luck!