Emerson vs. Pace University

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I am majoring in theatre arts with an emphasis in directing. It has always been my dream to live in New York City. The job and internship opportunities are endless. This is why Pace would be good for me - it is in NYC and there is theatre everywhere. </p>

<p>Emerson, however, seems to be the better school for theatre and academics in general. I also feel like more of an "Emerson guy" than a "Pace guy."</p>

<p>Pace gave me a $40,000 scholarship and I haven't yet heard finacially from Emerson. </p>

<p>What should I do?! I am so torn...</p>

2

<p>As a Pace Directing Major, I can speak for the school :)
I'm going to be honest - the BA program IN REGARDS TO TECH TRAINING ONLY is a bit underdeveloped and there arent many of us. That being said, there are obviously more opportunities .. I'll have already assisted two mainstage productions including a professional workshop and directed one of three student projects that we do each year, as well as being approved for another next year - and I'm only a Sophomore. We also have guest directors each semester offering the opportunity to experience different styles.</p>

<p>-We directing majors here have to be a bit self-starting - you can make your own opportunities.
-Because it is a BA program in a liberal arts school and not a BFA, there is a lot of room for electives and minors, etc.
-The required theater courses for BA -directing focus are as follows:</p>

<p>Production Crew- Set
Production crew- costumes
Voice and Movement (you'll focus on movement techniques like Viewpoints, etc.)
Acting I -and II
Scene Study
Script Analysis
Theater History I and II
Directing
Playwrighting & Screenwriting
Stage Management</p>

<p>On directing at Pace:
Each year students of any theater concentration can submit a proposal to direct a show for one of the 3 bigger blackbox spots (directing majors only) or for several smaller studio spots (any theater major). The proposals are reviewed by the faculty, mainly the Chair and Co-chair. </p>

<p>As for Pace academics, they are ... ok.. I guess. I mean I cant really compare to any other school since I dont go to any other school. But its no Harvard and its no junior college - somewhere in the middle I suppose. Pace has an Honors College with great benefits (Being a member, I can get into that more if you want) including a free laptop. </p>

<p>However, after posting all of this info - it is just that - info. No opinion attached. If you really feel like an "Emerson guy" you should probably go with your gut. But if after reading what I wrote, you want more info, feel free to ask.</p>

3

<p>My D is considering both those schools as well, for MT, so I'd love to hear comments as well.</p>

<p>PS-- The free laptops are a nice bonus, even though they are PCs rather than macs!</p>

4

<p>Oh Hilary, I can't tell you how helpful you are. I feel like a stalker because I have read so many of your responses on various threads! haha.</p>

<p>I honestly don't know what to do. I visited Pace a few weeks ago and liked it. I wasn't sure how I felt at first, but it took a few days to realize how much I actually loved it. I would love to hear as much about the department as possible. How many directing students are there? How many of these are first-year? Is there more of a sense of "competition" or is it more of a "collaborative" program?</p>

<p>That is so impressive that you have gotten the directing experience already, and just in your first year! Do you feel like...maybe you weren't/aren't yet ready? A lot of schools like to take the whole, "you-can't-do-anything-until-we-cram-years-of-training-down-your-throat" approach. Do you like it better the way Pace has it?</p>

<p>Also, I am very much interested in musical theatre/directing musical theatre. Will there be many opportunities to do this? For instance, if I want to submit a proposal to direct a musical, would it be possible?</p>

<p>I am going to try and say this without offending anyone, but what do you think of the majority of Pace students? What I like about Emerson, although lots of the kids are snobby, is that there is such culture and everyone is "cool" and "trendy"....what is the "vibe" at Pace?</p>

<p>Also, you don't sound too enthusiastic about the academics....don't get me wrong, I don't want to take super hard math or science classes, but what are your general thoughts about the courses/professors?</p>

<p>Lastly, how much of an impact did NYC have on your decision to attend Pace? Is there as much opportunity post-graduation as it seems? And if Pace weren't in New York, would you still want to go there?</p>

<p>I apologize for the super-long post, but I would love to hear AS MUCH about Pace and the directing/theatre program.</p>

<p>Also, if anyone knows anything about Emerson, feel free to comment. :)</p>

<p>Thanks again Hilary!</p>

5

<p>"How many directing students are there? How many of these are first-year? Is there more of a sense of "competition" or is it more of a "collaborative" program?"</p>

<p>Not sure on exact number but there arent many at all - could probably count on my fingers to be honest. I wouldnt really use either 'c' word to describe the vibe - I mean in a sense we 'compete' to get a slot in the season but there is no vicious or competitive behavior towards one another - at least I have not committed nor witnessed any :) . I wouldnt go so far as to call it collaborative either though - I guess the best c word would be comradery - we all support each other.</p>

<p>"That is so impressive that you have gotten the directing experience already, and just in your first year! Do you feel like...maybe you weren't/aren't yet ready? A lot of schools like to take the whole, "you-can't-do-anything-until-we-cram-years-of-training-down-your-throat" approach. Do you like it better the way Pace has it?"</p>

<p>I had actually directed both mainstage shows at my high school senior year so I was 'ready.' In regards to approach, I much prefer Pace's. <em>personal opinion ahead :)</em> I dont believe there is any one way in which to direct - I dont even think its something you can learn to do. All any teacher can do is tell you how they approach a project and that may not be right for you. I am a firm believer that the only true way to 'learn' to direct, or rather learn if you are a director, is to do it. Pace gives me those opportunities that I fear I may not have had elsewhere. </p>

<p>"Also, I am very much interested in musical theatre/directing musical theatre. Will there be many opportunities to do this? For instance, if I want to submit a proposal to direct a musical, would it be possible?"</p>

<p>To answer your question in short: the show I directed this year was "Tick Tick Boom" and the show I am directing next year, rights pending, is "The Spitfire Grill" :)</p>

<p>"I am going to try and say this without offending anyone, but what do you think of the majority of Pace students? What I like about Emerson, although lots of the kids are snobby, is that there is such culture and everyone is "cool" and "trendy"....what is the "vibe" at Pace?"</p>

<p>the overall vibe is far from snobby - we are a very open group - everyone knows each other and everyone is cool with each other and there is no sense of overall pretentiousness . AS far as trendy goes, we have a nickname for our department - "The Island of Misfit Toys" :) Everyone is different, different styles, types, voices, backgrounds, attitudes, tastes, etc. I couldnt necessarily group everyone in one title of 'trendy'. I mean I love art house films and listen to indie rock and shoppin at urban if thats what you mean haha </p>

<p>I'll say this with no offense meant AT ALL (I have plenty of friends that go here): the 'trendy' school of NYC would be NYU. </p>

<p>"Also, you don't sound too enthusiastic about the academics....don't get me wrong, I don't want to take super hard math or science classes, but what are your general thoughts about the courses/professors?"</p>

<p>Its not Pace academa I'm not thrilled about - just academa. I graduated in the top 10% my h.s., Nat'l H.S., scholarships etc. but I just dont really care about academa in terms of how hard my math class is or my lib. arts classes - I just want theater * I DONT CONDONE THIS MENTALITY :)* So my judgement is a little off - I take the easier required classes because I can and they count the same; I'm sure there are more challenging classes than the ones I have chosen to take but I just dont know. I also dont know where Pace ranks amongst private lib. arts universities so anything I can say would be a little inaccurate. There are some elective courses I have taken that are great - this Honors course called The City in Film, Lit. and Social Theory was great. And there are tons of other elective classes like that that are great. As far as the professors go, and I think this hold true for every university, high school, elementary school, etc. - they are hit and miss. Ive had really great professors and some that bore me to pieces - we have ratemyprofessor.com to help with this :)</p>

<p>"Lastly, how much of an impact did NYC have on your decision to attend Pace? Is there as much opportunity post-graduation as it seems? And if Pace weren't in New York, would you still want to go there?"</p>

<p>NYC is a huge factor in why I applied to Pace - NYC is the only place I wanted to be and with the exception of one school, applied to all city schools. I actually had no intention of going here at all. I applied to Marymount, SUNY Purchase, and NYU first. Pace gave me a great scholarship and that was really the deciding factor. I truly belive that everything happens for a reason and I have really found my place here at Pace. I have no regrets about my decision nor a desire to leave here. In a little under two years, I have recieved unbelievable opportunities and met some of the greatest teachers and friends. I obviously cant guarentee you the same experience but it is a possibility :)</p>

<p>dramama - if you have any specific MT questions, the Pace section can probably answer some of them or you can make a new thread in there. also, feel free to PM me if you need to.</p>

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<p>hilary25, you really are an awesome ambassador for Pace!</p>

<p>cchilds, my D saw hilary25's "Tick Tick Boom" and thought it was fantastic; the directing AND the musical theatre talent.</p>

<p>dramama, I sent you a PM.</p>

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<p>This helps so much, thanks again.</p>

<p>I actually feel pretty good about Pace, I really do.</p>

<p>I hate to continue nagging you with questions but I am just so excited/interested.</p>

<p>Do you know what the 2008-2009 season is? You mentioned possibly doing "The Spitfire Grill," is there anything else you know of?</p>

<p>Also, I didn't initially apply for the honors program...is it too late to be considered?</p>

8

<p>thanks triplethreatx3 for the kind remarks :)</p>

<p>as far the next season of shows, the season has not been fully solidified. I know for sure "Summer and Smoke" is one of the fall plays. "The Cradle Will Rock" and "Bare: A Pop Opera" are two shows that are almost definite for the fall. There are still 2 faculty/guest director shows and 1 student directed shows that have yet to be announced for the fall season, as well as 3 faculty and 1 student directed show for the spring. </p>

<p>you can always call the honors office and talk to them about reviewing your academics and see if they will accept you in. Calling and nagging administrative Pace people is always recommended - they usually give in :)</p>

<p>and ont he note of nagging - this is not nagging - you need all the info you can get and I am happy to give it</p>

9

<p>BARE??????????? BARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $%^$%^$$#%^#$!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>Just so you know, I am in a class of about twenty people and whenever I read that, I squealed with joy.....wow....</p>

<p>Thanks again for your help! It really did give insight...I am pretty sure I am going to Pace....we will definitely hang out, hilary! Maybe I will take you to an art house film. :@</p>

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<p>SAVE YOURSELF. Go to Emerson.</p>

<p>I was a student at Pace this past year and I am transferring to Emerson next semester.</p>

<p>The students at Pace are not motivated. They are slackers and have poor attitudes. The theatre department at Pace takes itself much too seriously for what it is--- and the writing and film departments are practically non-existent. Honestly, Emerson is ten times the school that Pace is.
And I have insight on both sides. </p>

<p>if you want to hear more about my experience at Pace, let me know. It was not a pleasant one, AT ALL. You will not be challenged. You will wind up stuck at the same level you were at when you entered. There is absolutely no room for growth.</p>

<p>Additionally, Emerson is a much more selective school and a much smaller community. I think it will provide much better opportunities. I originally thought Pace would be great for the fact that it is in New York City. However, it is a 4th tier school, at best. Do not be fooled.</p>

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<p>What kind of person would post such a hateful message on the eve of the deadline date for decisions and deposits? I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out for you, GTLD, but I hope everyone who is reading this thread and is excited to be attending Pace will disregard your warning and continue to look forward to a productive and positive educational experience in the year to come.</p>

12

<p>I also would like to warn prospective students to try to garner feedback from MANY different students at a college and not just one or two as perspectives will vary and each person's experience may vary and not be like what yours will be like. When you gather a lot of opinions, then you can weigh any patterns that emerge.</p>

<p>Also, for GTLD....CC welcomes all opinions about a school and they need not be only positive ones. But there are ways of expressing about your experience that does not come across as bashing a school. You can explain what worked well for you and what was not appealing to you. In fact, look at the examples of some recent posts on the Cal State Fullerton thread by some students who are leaving that school. They don't bash the school but they maturely discuss ways it met their needs and other ways it did not. They go on to discuss suggestions of changes they feel might be good there. Good honest and mature feedback. They acknowledged that the school was fine for those who are happy with those aspects that maybe were not as appealing to them personally. </p>

<p>You are leaving a school and so those who read your post have to realize you are coming from a point of view of someone not happy at that school. But you could have explained what aspects were not a good fit for you and what you are seeking that is different and what was positive at your school as well. It is hard to take you that seriously when your post is written in a bashing manner. Nobody said you had to gush about the school but explain what fit you and what didn't. There are polite ways to go about that. It currently comes across as "disgruntled" student leaving a school.</p>

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<p>In response to GTLD....I would like to point out that my daughter is a current theater student at Pace and she is (for one) definitely not a slacker nor is she unmotivated. In fact, she is just the opposite. I think you are doing a tremendous disservice to the school and to the theater students by making these broad, sweeping, generalized statements of the entire theater student body. </p>

<p>According to the latest U.S. News & World Report, Pace is recognized as a third tier school (not a fourth tier school as you claim). Working in a university setting myself, I know firsthand just how misleading rankings can be anyway. More important than rankings are how the school fits with the student and how much effort/drive the student puts in.</p>

<p>My D has told me that several Pace students are currently performing in Broadway or off-Broadway productions. She loves her theater classes and definitely feels that she is being challenged and is growing in her craft. In addition, she is continuously being exposed to auditions and other opportunities in NYC through the Pace theater department.</p>

<p>While Emerson may be a more selective school academically, I can't imagine that it has a much smaller theater community than Pace. The theater community at Pace is pretty small. </p>

<p>In my opinion, success in any major has more to do with a student's drive, passion, commitment and ambition more than any other single factor, including school ranking and name recognition. It really boils down to what college is the right fit for a particular student. You can always find both positive and negative comments about any program/school.</p>

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<p>Well, I submitted my deposits to Pace a few days ago.</p>

<p>GTLD, I appreciate your feedback. Yes, you were pretty brutally honest, but that is exactly what I was wanting when I strted this thread.</p>

<p>To be quite honest, I would have chosen Emerson had it not been for financial issues. At the end of the day, I simply couldn't afford it and didn't want to take out loans.</p>

<p>As SeaShells29 stated, I really believe Pace is what you make of it. And I am ready to make the most of every opportunity Pace and New York City offers me.</p>

15

<p>You probably made the right choice......Emerson is known for decent-ish finaid the first year and then decreasing it significantly after that. Good luck at Pace!</p>

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<p>I thought that you might be interested in reading this article from the most recent edition of the Pace Press newspaper regarding several Pace students landing roles in national touring companies: Musical</a> theater majors land roles in national tours - News</p>

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<p>Wow, thanks for posting that great article SeaShells!</p>

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<p>So as for going for musical theater at pace, u say not to ?</p>

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<p>Broadway1408 - The posts above you are from 2008. If you are interested in Pace, you may want to check out the Pace thread:
[Pace</a> University MT - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pace-university-mt/]Pace”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pace-university-mt/)</p>