MReader, love your post. So interesting. Acting is so important for MT that if you know you have a voice and the ability to move and are open to doing both straight plays and MT I can see the acting route as being a really good one. This is also the dilemma with VP and MT choices. Or dance majors and MT. We have discussed with our kiddo which of these areas should get the most attention for a long career as a performer, dance, voice or acting…
I’m kind of late to the CC party, only discovered this after unifieds were over. But in reading the many posts, I don’t see much being written about Indiana university. When my S did an on campus audition. I was blown away by the overview of the program. The small class size…12-14, the individual attention the kids get from the director, the myriad of opportunities, and their significant NYC connections.i don’t think they are a Michigan yet, but wow,with all the schools we have visited, this one really was impressive. They do have prescreens,and not at unifieds, but well worth the trip. Would appreciate any insights.
@Alcoka1 Assume you have seen this but if not http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington-mt/
Good things talked about in this thread.
It is a newer program - but does anyone have any information about Texas Tech. MT notifications? My D is down to waiting on her last two answers…
@theaterwork I think that their reputations are built on years of churning out successful actors.
Which gets easier as their reputation builds as @bisouu stated now they are getting the best of the best, and they can continue to educate young actors who are bound to be successful.
I think in this competitive and relatively small community if they did not provide a fantastic education and training, the word would (eventually) get out.
I think what us mere mortals need to remember is just because they are the tippy top, does not mean they are the very best for everyone or that there are not excellent and perhaps even programs out there that do more for the young actors in terms of growth and development.
@Alcoka1 … I think Indiana is spoken about on here - you just have to dig.
One of Ds friends is a current sophomore there and @Wozmom has a son there. Maybe she’ll pop on in and give you some details.
Here’s another perspective on the Mt/Acting question. My D studies with and is mentored by a legendary Broadway actor and actress. They advised D to pursue a “serious” acting program rather than MT. They said a) she’d be bored by the dance classes, b) everybody can sing and dance, but it’s the acting training that sets them apart; and c) She can continue her voice and dance training on the side. (We HAVE seen at some of the college musicals that they could sing their faces off, but the acting (and dancing) was lacking. She did audition for one Acting program, but otherwise pursued MT in spite of their advice. We reasoned that any college program (even Gen Ed) is not a part-time gig, leaving lots of extra time for dance classes. And she does not want to stop dancing everyday. Likewise she has studied private voice for years, but continuing the musicianship of theory, ensemble singing, and sight reading are important. Further, college is too expensive to then have to go out and find 2/3 of your training in the side! All that being said, the advice did change her approach to reviewing the programs.
Can anyone share thoughts on Rider? Montclair? Hartt? Is one program better than another?
Our D approached her college list the same way-heavy on acting @freddieggirl. The topics of whether to pursue MT vs Acting and BFA vs. BA were heavily explored at the Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory. This experience really got her thinking about the importance of acting in the MT world. With help from her audition coach, she crafted a list where she felt the acting was strong, including such schools as Ithaca, Wright State, Carnegie, Michigan, Northwestern, and UNCSA. She also applied to a couple of straight acting programs.
@KelviVan We’re waiting on Tech too. We were told by Dean Nolan earlier this week that they have made some rejections, but have not made their decisions for acceptances yet. He said that they are hoping to finalize that decision by March 30th, and it will go out by snail mail so I guess we’ll receive it the first week of May. He did say that they were only going to accept 4 boys and 2 girls.
Does anyone know if UW-Stevens Pointe has a waitlist? My D was accepted academically a long time ago, and they keep sending her letters offering her more money to go there. But she has not been told whether she is in the MT program yet. We’ve called but had to leave messages that are never returned. I haven’t seen anyone post that they were waitlisted there. I’m wondering if they just hold a few responses back for when they get some no’s from other kids.
@freddieggirl @HappyDancer98 - agree 100%. Acting is mission critical for MT. Was surprised (& a little disappointed) at how the acting component was disregarded by a few programs. My D also looked at straight acting as an option. Early in the process we explored VP as an option but at many of the schools the crossover between programs simply isn’t there the way it is for acting.
On the tippy-top programs and fit: I’m sure these programs offer great training. I also think that they continue to be good because they attract and pick the best students, which reinforces how good they are. Which allows them to offer great training… and so on. Perhaps more important than if the student can get in is whether it would be a good fit to be in a highly competitive environment. For some kids, they will survive, thrive, and rise to the top. Others could really struggle emotionally.
For a personal story from another perspective, my older daughter was very academically inclined, swept acceptances in the top colleges around us, and applied to one Ivy League school that she had loved. Man, I wanted her to have her dream school and it seemed possible she’d get in, but knew in my heart that her competitive nature would come unhinged when surrounded by all these ultra top students. She was not accepted, and it was the best thing that could have happened because she could be challenged by the studies at her current university, but not overwhelmed and/or eclipsed by her peers. That’s what gave her freedom to excel and also explore in college. She realized herself that she wanted the validation of acceptance more than thinking it was the right place for her. It’s worth considering.
Couldn’t afford CMU, NYU, University of Michigan, BoCo, or CCM. If I had won the lottery, and by lottery I mean Powerball, you better believe we would have thrown our hat in those rings. Sooo not hating on anyone for dreams or going with what they can afford, which for some are places like CMU. Peace and open doors to all as April arrives. :)>-
@Momwithagirl - I don’t know if Stevens Point has a notified wait list, but I do know they have been on spring break for the last ten days. My D received an acceptance and the letter that followed said they will offer her spot to someone else if she doesn’t accept by April 8th. We are hoping they will hold until we can visit the week of 4/15…
Some perspective on acting v. MT. At my D’s school auditions are open to all performing arts students. My D is MT. This semester she auditioned for a play and beat out all of the acting students for the lead. Prior to college she had extensive acting training and professional experience. Professors at her school have told her many times that they can teach anyone to sing and dance but acting is a skill that may be partly Inate and partly good training. Her school also has a jury each semester. The MT students are judged on acting ability when presenting songs. That is always the strongest part of my D’s review. To those applying next year, I would get those acting chops together.
On the issue of cost, keep in mind that one can’t necessarily go by the price tag, but rather the cost after financial aid package.
@KelviVan can they do that? I thought may 1st was decision day. Was this off a waitlist? I wouldn’t like to be put under that pressure.
To reiterate what @soozievt said, with regard to whether or not to limit your college list by cost, you have to look at actual cost vs sticker price. Some schools offer academic and artistic scholarships and in-state tuition aside from financial aid. NYU is by far the most expensive school. However, NYU offered my S a very nice scholarship which actually made it reasonably priced. On the other hand, he received nothing from BoCo which made it the most expensive of all the schools.
Just a small insert with cost- NYU is very expensive, but I don’t think it is “by far”. The difference between total cost at Mich, CMU, and NYU (assuming you are paying full freight) is less than $10k. CMU and NYU are even closer - with only about $3k difference (based on my very quick Google search). And, as stated above, NYU does a good job with need based $$. My D has found that each year of her tuition has actually gone DOWN at NYU based on aide given along the way- she now gets nearly 2x as much aide as when she started. (It’s never a ton, but every bit helps)