Drama Schools/Conservatories Help PLEASE!

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
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Hi, I need help finding a good drama (acting) school/conservatory.

I looked them up and there’s literally hundreds to pick from and I’m so overwhelmed from them. Every single school says that they are the number one rated and are the best acting school, yada yada yada (of course they say they are but that makes it hard to pick which one is actually good). I want to pick one that is credible and not just money hungry. And yes, I’ve looked at all the other threads asking for drama school help but non of them answered my questions, so sorry to post another thread :3

Anyways, I want to be a film actor so I want to go to preferably a drama school for screen acting versus one mainly aimed at musical theater/ stage theater.

But then my dilemma is this: Do I want to pay 100 thousand dollars or how ever beyond expensive the popular two year acting conservatories are (American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, American Musical and Dramatic Academy) or should I go to a smaller acting workshop such as the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Lee Stasberg Theatre and Film Institute, Stella Adler, or one similar to those.

I know what truly matters is talent and no matter which school you go to, no matter how amazing it is, none guarantees success, but I would like to go to one that has a reputation for successful film actors.

I do not have much experience with acting, I took two years in high school of drama but I was too shy to pursue it further. I definitely regret it now but there’s no point in being upset and wishing I could do it now, what’s done is done.

So I wanted to take some local acting classes at local acting workshops where I live, and then after I gain some skills and experience, to apply to the larger and more well known acting schools in either Los Angeles (preferably since it’s Hollywood and film) or New York.

I just have no idea which acting school I should pick. I know it’s down to personal opinion but I really want all of your opinions as well. I do like the AADA but I read some reviews saying it’s not what it used to be and the majority of it’s alumni are from the golden age of Hollywood and no longer relevant, so I have no idea what to think.

I feel that all the 4/5 letter acronym drama schools (AADA, NYCDA, AMDA) are very similar (in teaching and price) and I don’t know if it’s worth it to pay so much money to go to one of them, or if I should go to a smaller acting school/workshop and spend my time gaining real world experience instead of 2 or how ever many years in a school.

I did some research on Relativity School but there’s practically nothing to research and no information on it at all, it seems unique, but very expensive and I don’t know how reputable it is.

Also, I don’t want any traditional 4 year colleges or universities, I want a school solely for acting. Thank you :smiley:

P.S. I have a 529 college savings plan and if any of the acting schools accept that, that is a major plus, but if not, then it’s alright.

I hope you all can help me come to a decision and sorry if threads like this have been posted a million times before.

Thanks a bunch! :slight_smile:

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If the school does not take 529 plan, can your family afford the cost to attend which ever school you choose?

Also, don’t some of the schools need a portfolio from you?

I don’t understand your timeline. Are you looking at starting something fall 2017? You mentioned taking local acting classes. What are you going to be doing while you are taking local acting classes? Will you be at home and commute? If not, how are you supporting yourself? If you are staying home, then you would have more time to research and ponder future choices. So you don’t need a decision right now.

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Many acting programs offer training that encompasses both film and stage acting. Many conservatories offering a BFA degree are more focused around overall technique, voice, diction, movement, etc. vs “just” acting for film. (I’m thinking of schools such as Juilliard, UNCSA, guthrie, Etc – they do lots
Of stage work but have alumni on tv and in films too).
Some school have specific majors or studios for film or tv acting. Pace has a BFA specifically for film, tv and voiceover work. NYU has a specific studio for tv acting I think. I believe all NYU students can take a film acting class at some point but I will defer to Those who know NYU better than I do.

Most BFA programs incorporate film acting into their program.

The NYC acting studios (stellar Adler, lee
Strasburg) you mentioned may not offer a BFA degree but many have good reputations.

Some people do not think AMDA or AADA or such are all that reputable. That said, they do have grads working. You need to decide what is right for you.
Relativity is new but may be worth exploring. I heard they give scholarships and they are very film focused.

The New York film academy is actually in LA I
Think.

Generally the “top” Acting schools for straight acting and not musical theater are NYU, Juilliard, SUNY purchase, DePaul, UNCSA, minn/guthrie, cal arts, LAMDA, RADA, Rutgers, etc. As you noted there is a LONG list of acting schools or
Colleges offering the major. Many are very reputable and offer amazing training.

Some others you might consider are Cal Arts (lots of ties to film) and chapman university focuses on film acting I believe. Also Columbia College in Chicago could be an option for you.

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Another note: Deadlines for most of the college programs are in Nov or Dec. ( to apply to audition for next year.).

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@bfahopeful - Actually the OP said they were not looking for a 4 year degree/university, just recommendations on 2 year acting programs/studios… :slight_smile:

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I misunderstood. I thought she meant she didn’t want a traditional 4 year college with Greek life and sports, etc; but thought a 4 year acting degree was ok with her in a conservatory setting. Mixed this up with another post I think.

In that case, relativity and NY academy of film are both in LA. Good starting points.

Good luck!

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thanks you for the replies so far!

@MerryLee I graduated highschool in 2015 and live at home currently so I would be taking local classes while at home. There’s not a time I “must” move and go to a school, I just didn’t want to wait years. But a year or two I have no problem waiting and getting some experience here.

@bfahopeful thanks for the recommendations! but yes, not really looking for 4 year universities although those have great programs. deadlines aren’t a concern because I don’t have to leave this year, it can be next year or after, so it’s alright. also i’m a boy :slight_smile: haha

@stagedoormama yes, 2 year programs :slight_smile: or maybe even smaller workshops that aren’t 2 years, so I could get experience while taking classes.

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Wow. I’m a wreck. Ignore me and my
Mistakes! :wink:

I have heard good things about the NY film academy (in LA). Believe relativity is a four year program so you may not be interested.

Sounds like the studio programs you mentioned may be a perfect fit for you. Additionally, Yale, UNCSA, and Juilliard (maybe others) offer a certificate program. (You do not get a BFA but you do get top training). Just a thought. May be worth checking them out.

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In the mean time, you could take classes/ workshops at your local community college or theater group. You could volunteer to work with the theater group. I know it is not film but maybe you might meet folks who have gone to some of the schools you are considering. Plus, it would help you start networking.

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Where are you located? I know there are acting for camera classes in NY, LA and Chicago, maybe other cities.

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Check out Atlantic Acting School, part of the Atlantic Theatre Company in NYC. They have a stand alone program or you can do it as part of the NYU Drama program.

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@bfahopeful I looked up those certificate programs but was having a hard time finding them. I can only find the BFA or MFA for those schools, instead of just the certificate granting program. Do you know where I can find information on them? Also, I think Julliard and Yale are way above me. I know it’s good to think highly of your self but I really don’t think I have enough experience for those, although I would love if I did. Unless I spend my time now gaining experience and skills and then maybe applying to those types in a few years.

@MerryLee Yes, I agree with you 110%! That’s what I think I’m going to do in the mean time, just take classes locally and find some groups. I just wanted to know what places I should/could eventually see about going to after I take classes locally.

@Jkellynh17 South Florida, unfortunately. There’s not many acting classes locally, and the few that are, aren’t specifically for film, although for the stage is still valuable training and experience. Do you know the names of the acting for camera classes in the states you mentioned, by the way? Thanks :slight_smile:

@MilouForever I’ll look it up right now! I would prefer something geared more towards film acting, but it can’t hurt to research this one! :smiley:

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Aside from Atlantic, some other well-respected acting conservatories in New York are William Esper Studio, HB Studio, and Circle in the Square.

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@BG1693 I found the certificate info on each schools’ website. They each described a non-degree program they offer. This was last year so some info may have changed.

Anyway- you have gotten great info on various studio programs listed above and those seem they very good options for you. Good luck.

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@BG1693, I don’t think I can post links to blogs on CC, but if you go on Audition Update and search “acting for camera” there are some threads about New York-based acting classes. In Chicago, I’ve heard good things about Green Room Studio. I don’t personally know much about LA classes, but a google search will turn up a ton of them. There are also a couple in S. FL – Workshop of Studio of S. Florida has one, for instance.

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Here are some studio suggestions from a past post:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/16453832/#Comment_16453832

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Your lack of experience with acting tells me that you should really approach this as a major that is POSSIBLE, but not lock yourself into acting by going to a school that has no other fields – in other words, I would strongly suggest that you look at liberal arts schools with strong acting programs.

The reason I say that is that there is a huge difference between the acting to which you have been exposed and what it takes to pursue the craft full-time. If you have never spent multiple weeks, 14 hours per day, working on a show, then you may not know what you are getting into. We actually encouraged our daughter to do just that by going to a summer theatre intensive at a college, and the results were truly informative. While she ended each long day with more energy than she began it, she had a very talented friend in the program who ended up deciding that her passion was really in music and teaching.

That’s just an example, but it is no lie when admissions counselors tell you that over half of all college students change their majors at some point. Unless you truly know that acting is something you want to pursue full time, and unless that knowledge is based on experience, you could find yourself at a place like AMDA in a year thinking, "gosh, I really like theatre but I’d really like to be TEACHING theatre and not performing…but will my credits transfer to a school that offers a theatre education program?

Based on that, some of the schools I would suggest would be NYU, Pace, Marymount Manhattan, Emerson, Syracuse, Boston University, Hofstra, Brooklyn College, Drew University, Wagner College, etc. Liberal Arts programs with extremely strong theatre departments.

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@Delegator - many of the theater programs at the schools in your list are BFAs… which means that there may not be a lot of room for exploring other things. Example, my D was accepted at Syracuse - and when we examined the curriculum she would have only taken 4 classes outside of the bfa program throughout college. Now, that was in part b/c she was coming in with a stack of AP credits, but still.

I do agree that since you are not really experienced with acting, you may want to immerse yourself and find out more- but idk that a run at incredibly competitive bfa schools is the best place to do that.

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@Delegator Although I do understand where you’re coming from, I don’t appreciate what you’re implying. You don’t know how I feel about acting nor that I do indeed know how difficult and time consuming it is because I have friends in theater. I’m also completely aware that the majority of students do change their majors multiple times throughout college, but that doesn’t apply to me because I am not interested in attending a traditional university, but instead an acting conservatory, as I’ve already mentioned and that others in this thread have also made aware to people recommending four year schools. I am absolutely positive that I would never want to teach anything, including acting. I honestly don’t understand how such an assumption can be made that people may love something and suddenly want to teach it instead of actually pursing it themselves.

@toowonderful Yes, I am aware that I don’t have much experience which is why I am going to attend as many local acting classes and workshops that I can to gain as much experience and skills that I am able to acquire while living at home, and then once I achieve that, I will focus on moving states to attend a reputable conservatory.

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@BG1693 - that is a good plan. As you move forward - some conservatories in NYC have “short” classes you could try. The largest numbers are summer programs- but there are some other short course out there