CMU vs. NYU Pre-college summer programs

<p>My S was accepted to both programs for acting, not MT. He is debating which program to attend. He says he wants to go to college in NYC or the NYC area, so he has a preference for NYU. However, I believe that the CMU program is longer and less expensive. We have looked at prior threads on these summer programs, but they tend to focus on MT. Can anyone who has attended either of these programs in 2008 or 2007 offer insights into these programs? Are there others out there who have been accepted to both programs and are debating which one to attend? If there are threads we have missed that discuss the pros and cons of the summer acting programs at these schools, can you point me to them? Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi nansan,
I attended the NYU summer program in 08. I had an amazing time it was most definitely the best experience i've ever had!! I was apart of the Strasberg Studio and found the staff and teachers there to be incredibly encouraging and supportive. We had an acting, acting technique, improv, film, auditioning, and tap and jazz class. The program itself was fabulous. We saw a broadway show just about every night and had some time on Saturdays to shop and explore the city. I definitely felt like I grew as an actor as the studio setting allowed for personal and individual attention. We performed the scenes we'd been working on for our families in our acting class, and The Larmie Project for our acting technique class. The dorms we stayed in were traditional style dorms but nice and had their own bathroom. I felt like the program was a well rounded experience for four months. It definitly confirmed that I want to be an actor. The PA's( program assistants) were Tisch students and were able to give us insight into life at Tisch. Overall I met tons of people from literally all over the world. I still keep in contact with the friends that I made there and highly recommend this program! I also felt more confident in NYC as we walked everyday and took the metro around the city. I guess some downsides would be the cost ( i had a full scholarship) but you definitely need quite a bit of cash for snacks and if you want souveneirs. I don't know if your son is in Strasbeg or ETW but the ETW kids seemed to have a great time as well. Both the Strasberg and ETW class accpept about 16 students.</p>

<p>gpowell09 - Thank you for your insights. My S read your response and said “I am definitely going to NYU this summer.” We understand that the program provides college credit. What kind of work did students have to do aside from taking part in the classes?</p>

<p>Well we had to learn a few monologues for our acting , film, and audition class . So having a few prepared will be helpful. Oh and we also took a Theatre in NY class. Basically we had to read a two plays ( which we saw while we were there) and a few chapters from a txtbook before we came. The class was an open discussion about the passages. Also in this class we had group presentations but none of these assignments were extremely strenuous you just had to be prepared to be in the discussion. I would suggest taking a laptop just in case your son’ll need some extra rescourses. For that class it seemed that the people who had more to discuss and participated (vocally) got the better grade. Also if he’s really interested in NYU (which might be the case after the summer : ) I would highly suggest applying to NYU ED nothings guarenteed but the majority of summer students that applied ED were accepted and got better finaid. Wow your son is in for a fantastic summer i wish i was going again!!! I don’t know if he’ll be there again but Geoffrey Horne was one of my favorite teachers so I hope your son has him! Good Luck and Congrats!!!</p>

<p>Oh and I meant four weeks not months earlier lol!</p>

<p>Did your student make a choice between CMU v. NYU?</p>

<p>My son got into CMU and we are trying to decide which program to go to?</p>

<p>ScubaD</p>

<p>I was at Tisch Summer High last summer as well, but in the CAP21 program. All three of the studios interact very closely (everything is done together except for classes) and so I was able to hear about all the different studios. </p>

<p>If you get into this program, you have to go. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had in my life. If you want to take classes non-stop all day, go to CMU, but NYU’s Pre-College program takes you out into the city to see shows, go to museums and really gives you a perspective on the world you want to be in (Not that you’re not in class quite a lot at NYU, I had 3 hours of dance in the morning then 3 hours of acting or vocal performance depending on the day). We saw almost 20 shows in the month that I was there and every Thursday we had a class called “Theatre in NY” where we would analyze each show and pick it apart. I’ve never had such stimulating conversation about theatre in my life!!</p>

<p>NYU/TISCH SUMMER HIGH!!!</p>

<p>My son decided to go to Tisch. He is looking forward to it. He wants to see what it is like to live in NY and attend a conservatory program with a small number of students. Thank you for the helpful information on what the summer program will be like.</p>

<p>Excellent choice!</p>