Hello,
Hoping for some advice. My S was hoping for Emerson and was just accepted for the Theater/Performance major but he really wants to pursue MT. Is he better off pursuing MT in a BA program at Muhlenberg or going to Emerson to major in Theater/Performance/Acting?
Will he have opportunities to study dance and voice or will the focus be so much more on acting that he has to give up the MT dream?
Thanks for your help!
This is copied from my daughter’s college coaching’s FB page where another family had recently been offered a place in Emerson’s Theatre and Performance - the reponse is from a current Emerson family.
my daughter just finished her sophomore year at Emerson. She entered freshman year in the Theatre & Performance major and has now auditioned for, and was accepted into the BFA Acting program, which is how they manage the two programs at Emerson. Apparently it is possible to take some voice and dance classes for credits but it’s limited and can be a bit challenging to work out. She has not done either. She has heard that there are some discounted private/local dance classes that Emerson students can attend. And private voice lessons are also an option. Students are not prohibited from auditioning for Emerson Stage shows (the official school productions). But again, it can be challenging for non MT students to get cast in the musicals. She performed in a couple of student productions instead. The commitment was probably less and she enjoyed the experience. She also made new connections with classmates. I know you didn’t ask this but there are a couple of other elements of Emerson that we underestimated and turned out to be important points about the school. One is the “Emerson Mafia”. Something we’re only starting to experience. The post graduation network is strong. I’ve heard of several examples of students reaching out to alumni to get internships and jobs. Like they say…it’s who you know. The other is their study abroad program. This was not high on our decision tree. In fact, it was pretty much at the bottom of things that we considered when looking at schools and programs. But my daughter made a last minute decision to apply at the end of Freshman year. She was accepted and spent this past semester in Europe. At first, we weren’t sure about her going but we’re all really glad she went. It was an amazing experience and now part of her broader education. I’m not sure how common it is but Emerson has their own campus in Europe (The Netherlands). It’s a renovated castle (with 2 moats). She took acting classes there and traveled most weekends to different countries. It’s very well-managed and since it’s their own campus, she traveled there and back with other Emerson students. She now has what I’m sure will be life-long friends, a more expanded view of the world, a different perspective from European teachers and more confidence than ever…something I’m sure will help her in her acting career. I hope this helps. I know it’s a tough decision. It was easier with MTCA! And like they’ll tell you, they seem to end up where they’re supposed to be. I saw it with my own daughter and with so many of her performing arts classmates. Best of luck!
My D didn’t apply to either school but here’s my personal opinion as a random, non-biased parent - I would advise an aspiring MT performer to choose Emerson over Muhlenberg if the financials worked out the same. I think he’ll find more opportunity at Emerson and it has a much better location for Theatre. I think Muhlenburg is a great choice for someone who wants a liberal arts education with a lot of theatre thrown in; Emerson is definitely more oriented towards the pre-professional student. Even though he’s not accepted to the BFA at Emerson he’s accepted to a “performance” major as opposed to an academic one. My two cents and worth maybe a penny or two less than that. 