Thank you all for the lively and helpful SUNY/ CUNY discussion. We were just about decided when the tuition-free announcement came out… Yesterday?? It will weigh heavily for us. That is why we were exploring the idea of supplementing an straight acting program. That was really my question. How to do that and is it possible. I apologize if I was too specific about the schools… Ultimately, he needs to go where he feels he will thrive. #Calienne I thought you had gone! I will pm you now! Thank you all for your input. And best wishes for happy landings…
No need to apologize @staycoolboy99! This board has regularly entertained questions comparing programs and it makes perfect sense to ask for help here. Many people who read these boards are very knowledgeable about various programs. Good luck with your decision and I’m glad @Calliene jumped in to help!
I think it would be difficult to supplement the Purchase acting program with dance and voice because it is really in the burbs. Unless your S is willing to travel into NYC via the train for lessons, I can’t see it happening. And I am not sure he would even have the time given the travel required to find quality training.
Does anyone have info or experience with Otterbein?
Just when you get things narrowed down S gets the waitlist phone call. We don’t know too much about this program and need some quick insight.
@entertainersmom should be able to help.
Wondering if an out of state no aid 30k (undecided) education at Rutgers University is worth it? Help!
@HappyDancer98 thank you for understanding.
@BeBop1 Purchase has great music and dance departments. Our friend said she took dance classes with the dancers and had a vocal coach on campus(30 years ago…) That is what put the thought in my head. But even on campus… is there room in a conservatory schedule for extra classes. He wants it to be rigorous, not impossible! We’ve tried impossible… it’s unpleasant after a while.
We will go and see and report back… Thanks again
@staycoolboy99 - to some extent I think it depends on what your son is strongest/weakest in and wishes to develop the most. Purchase’s acting program is really held in high regard – and its grads are very much working - look at off-Broadway playbills, in particular – AND SO INEXPENSIVE! – but it is all-encompassing, time-wise. He’d probably be able to find on-campus or nearby voice lessons, but for dance he’d have to go into NYC and that entails a shuttle bus to the train station and then, depending on the dance studio, a trek across town or two subway connections, if we’re talking BDC or STEPS, and suddenly “a half hour from the city” turns into more like 1.5 hours just to get there.
If he wants/needs to really improve his dance training during college, it would be tough at Purchase. But if he’s already strong in dance and/or doesn’t think it will ever be his selling point beyond the “moves well” deal, and hasn’t been exposed to that much acting technique, Purchase would be a tremendous opportunity, I think. Their faculty and theater faciltiies are fantastic.
And things shift. A year ago my D was highly resistant to BFA Acting programs. At my insistence, living in NY, she did audition for Purchase and got a callback, which was exciting for someone like her who hadn’t had that much acting training that point - but she didn’t get in. Now, a year later, in a BFA-MT program which she’s very happy with, she’s enthralled most of all by the acting component, and, having been well-trained in dance, feels she might have loved doing a straight acting program while maintaining her dance skills with an eye to improving them post-graduation. She has no regrets, but now really hopes to do straight acting professionally, as well as MT and is even talking MFA in drama at some point.
But beyond all this it’s – as everyone has noted – the feel. You have fantastic choices! I’m sure it’s stressful right now, but it’s the best kind of stress!
@milmom2, my D is a BFA in Theater Design/Tech at Otterbein. I don’t know too many specifics about the acting/MT programs, but I can say that the theater program in general is fantastic. The faculty is top notch, supportive and involved, and the students are talented and hard working. It is a small close knit group with a culture of kindness; my D is close with all the theater students, and adores her teachers. She has learned so much this year. The kids are given tons of opportunities, and the MT/Acting students audition for every main stage show. A lot of freshman and sophomores work at Otterbein Summer theater for paid gigs. They have a senior semester in New York. Westerville is a cute little town, and Columbus is right next door. I’m sorry I don’t know more about the MT/Acting specifics. Hopefully @entertainersmom will be here soon to add to this.
Edited to add: if you have any specific questions, or if your S wants to be put in touch with any of the students send me a pm.
@rampions This is sooo helpful. I think I get it. He does absolutely want dance. I thought Purchase had a serious Dance BFA that he could just … dip in to? Maybe not. He’ll ask. Yes, INEXPENSIVE!!! He def does not want to commute to the city. That’s what he does now. And yes, the “Purchase Graduates Work” was my friends’ Mantra. It’s the goal, right? “Good stress” that’s my new Mantra…Thanks!
Anyone know if you are on a waitlist with a school, will they eventually let you know one way or another? Like do most schools either release you from it or make an offer …or do some just never contact you ever again? Lol
@theaterwork - it’s possible some may not let you know. But hopefully most will let you know when they are done making offers for this year. But hang in there for now. There typically is more movement on wait lists after May 1st once the schools know what their actual yields are. And even through the summer, things will continue to change as people change their minds for various reasons.
I would continue to stay in touch with any schools for which you are on a wait list that you still hope to attend. It can’t hurt for them to know you are still interested so they think of you if/when a spot becomes available.
@theatrerwork My daughter was waitlisted at 2 schools this year. One told her when they called that she would hear something from them by April 15th. They said it would either be a yes, still on the waitlist, or released if the class was full (an update) They also said that if she was released, she would indeed have the option to join their BA program.
The other waitlist school just said she would hear something by May 15.
@staycoolboy99 My D will be taking private voice lessons on campus at Purchase in the fall. She had 0 time in her schedule freshman year and has had her hands as full as she can manage. I’ve asked her about dance. They have a wonderful dance BFA but my assumption is those classes are reserved for dance students. If I hear differently from her, I will post back.
@staycoolboy99 Indeed, Purchase does have a wonderful dance program, but it is modern/contemporary/ballet-based,not theater, and I’m guessing there would be very limited access to it for the drama students - but totally worth checking this out directly with the theater department at the school - I’m sure it’s a question they’ve been asked many times previously.
@theaterwork My D was on two WL last year (felt like there were more - maybe I’ve blocked it!!) Opposites: one specified exactly when they’d be notifying - and stuck to it - and offered a bunch of options re staying on the list beyond that point. It was her first choice so she stayed on it through the first date, which I believe was around May 5 or 6, and then, though she could have opted to remain on it for the rest of the summer, she decided that psychologically she needed to embrace her nonWL choice and move on, so she took herself off at that juncture. The other: never heard from again! She wasn’t interested in pursuing that one, but obviously had she been, she would have been in regular communication with the school.
I can’t post direct links on here, but regarding discussion of standardizing college auditions around post #4365 on page 291 of this thread, there is a blog on Huff Po right now entitled “Stressed Out! The College Audition Quagmire” by Mary Anna Dennard interviewing Sherri Sanders on just that subject. Sanders is involved with Music Theatre Educators Association (MTEA) and she is trying to spearhead efforts to do just that. Sounds like a longer-term effort, but she’s very passionate about it. Google the title of the article and you’ll find it easily. Will also make separate thread on this, since it will be topic of discussion for future auditioners.
@staycoolboy99 @rampions D says indeed the drama kids have access to the dance classes. It is NOT MT dance (as @rampions notes) but kids in my D’s company do take them (and D says going to try to add them as well). One of the challenges, I think, would be leveling and scheduling. Definitely ask Susan Werner - she seems to be the go to person for all of these types of questions! We had a load of questions last year; if she didn’t know the answers, she tracked them down and got answers for us.
@milmom2, I sent you a PM 
@staycoolboy99 both Purchase and Rutgers are extremely selective, true conservatory programs. The only other true conservatories in the US are UNCSA, CMU and Juilliard. Kudos to your son for being accepted to both! Purchase was at the top of my D’s list but unfortunately she didn’t get into the BFA, only the BA. Since Rutgers’ price tag is out of reach my vote is for Purchase. We visited in October and saw a show and it was top notch. It’s also fairly close to NYC so he could take dance classes at Steps or Broadways Dance Center on the weekends.