@El-Cee - I’m the proud mom of a Class of 2018 grad of Molloy College/ CAP 21. The attributes you want are there - and more - in this very special program. My daughter is a working actress now. She wasn’t a strong dancer when she arrived on campus in the fall of 2014,but the famed CAP 21 training paid off, in spades. Please give this program a serious look- you’ll love what you see.
@El-Cee To be honest 99% of the people you ask are going to tell you their program is amazing. All you can do is find the school that wants your child and your child feels a connection to. My d is at Ball State and absolutely loves it. I have never seen her so excited every time we talk to her (and she has always been a happy kid). She doesn’t sleep enough and it is a lot of work, but she is living the dream. And that is pretty much what anyone will tell you about their child who found a school they love. My d felt at home the minute she stepped on campus - which wasn’t until after she was accepted. We are from Ohio and after visiting schools in other areas she realized she was more comfortable in a small town with friendly midwestern people. She likes that It is a nice campus and safe and there aren’t any distractions from her training. But that’s her. Many kids go to college in NY and decide every week whether to skip class to go to an audition - so I’m glad she doesn’t have that option! LOL. However she actually does have auditions in the next couple of weeks for summer work at Ohio Thene parks - they go to Ball and other schools to find kids for their shows! Also my d has already met and had classes with Sutton Foster who works with the kids through planning their senior showcase! Every program has its perks. You and your kid have to decide what’s important to you. For us it was not too far from home and for her it was dance options. She was able to test into the BFA dance classes so she is getting the best of both worlds. She found everything that was important to her there. Oh - and it is very inexpensive compared to most of the other programs!! We only pay half of the relatively low OOS tuition plus room and board. She already has her spot in a house right off campus for next year so she can walk to class.
@El-Cee I have a freshman at Molloy/CAP21 and I couldn’t agree with @EastchesterMom more. My son is so happy and in love with the program. I’m not sure how other NY programs work, but you cannot miss more than 2 classes per semester or you have to withdraw from their program so the kids at CAP21 are not skipping to attend auditions. (And that includes days you miss for illness. Though they are very helpful if something does happen and work with your kid. I have one who had an injury last week, and they’ve been very helpful) It is a very unique program in that the kids are on campus in a quiet, safe community on Long Isand for 3 days per week and in the city for studio classes 2 days per week. They really learn how to navigate the city while living in the safety of a college campus, and they do it together. That whole group moves as a cohort taking the train together. Most of kids move off campus for later years as they have 3 days of studio and 2 days of campus classes - some of which can be done online. I love that they graduate with both the training and the experience of how to live and get around in the city. But- as @MTdreamz says - that’s not for everyone. You/your child need to determine what’s important to them and where they feel a connection. That might be in the city or it could be in a small community somewhere else. If you have questions on Molloy/CAP21, feel free to PM me. Best of luck!
Thanks Molloy Moms for checking in. My family actually lives in Rockville Centre, and my daughter goes away to a PA boarding school now, so she refuses to “come home” for college b/c it would be “weird”. LOL!!! She is also so over the LIRR since she has been taking the train into the city weekly all her life. The novelty of that is WAYYY over for her! But I am very happy that your kids are thriving there and it really does look like an amazing program all-around!
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OK - I have to do a bit of a retraction on my previous post. I don’t think you have to withdraw from the program after more than 2 absences. I think you drop a letter grade and then after a couple more you have to withdraw. I just know that my son is very studiously making sure he does not miss.
@El-Cee, my son is in heaven at UMich. Very supportive and non-competetive environment. They care about the students, each one has a vocal and physical assessment to determine if there are any concerns that need attention. The department head meets with them early in the semester to check-in and there is a lot of mentorship from the older students. Best of luck to you and your teen. I hope you guys land in the perfect spot for learning and growth! Remember there is hope on the other side of this craziness!
@El-Cee My daughter (BFA MT) is vlogging her freshman experience at Boston Conservatory @ Berklee https://youtu.be/NJLDVksOJKw
@DramaLlama18 Just watched your daughter’s video. I loved it and she is adorable! (granted I am bias as I am a Nora as well 
She really gives a feel of what life is like at BoCo and going to school in a city. Tell her to keep up the good work.
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@MI3rdClosingAct All the Noras I know are awesome!
@El-Cee I agree with @MTdreamz - most of the BFA MTs we know are “living the dream” and we have a FB board with 2022 MTers from over 2 dozen schools. Everyone who contributes says their MTer is very happy with their chosen program. 
So much of what makes a school a great choice is “fit” and that’s very personal - my D wouldn’t be happy in a suburban or rural school, the opposite of what @MTdreamz’s daughter decided. So I strongly urge you to select your school list based primarily on what your own kid loves in terms of size, location, environment, etc… rather than listening too much to voices online which are going to be biased, no matter how hard we all try to be objective! I know you’re anxious to find a supportive school and I can assure you I honestly haven’t heard of anyone’s kid feeling bullied or disrespected in their MT program - really! They are all working hard but loving it. The biggest gripe so far seems to be roommate mismatch issues… and THAT can happen to anyone, anywhere.
@CaMom13 - I also think that kids fall in love with “their” place- and they bloom where they are planted. After all - whatever experience they are having; urban, rural etc becomes “college” for them. Which is fantastic. When my D was looking she knew she wanted an urban experience - her dad and I, who went to a college with picture perfect campus/college town environment were certain she would be missing out. Turns out we were wrong. She didn’t have our experiences (leaves on the quad etc) she had hers. And I have actually become a big fan of urban colleges - b/c I see all the opportunities it afforded my kid
Just like @toowonderful, I had the big famous campus experience. Both my kids refused to apply to colleges outside of NYC, albeit for different reasons. For an MT major, that is an extremely risky move, one that caused no end of stress, worry, and big-time panic until it ultimately worked out better than we ever dreamed. The advantages of NYC-based training are obvious and immediate…D and her cohort got a running jump on the audition scene, with CAP 21’s blessing: the seniors’ schedules are crafted so that they can audition in the morning without skipping class. D needed that auditioning experience more than she needed a rah-rah school experience. So I agree…these kids know what they want, and it’s their journey to get it.
@toowonderful - I took my D to see the most beautiful college campuses I could find before we headed to NYC for school tours. She set foot in the Pace arts building with cramped sweaty stairs leading to levels of dance and acting studios and said “THIS is what I want”! Brick quads with green lawns held no appeal. I still don’t get it but I am glad we knew up front what she wanted - it made the school list a lot shorter.
Not for nothing…should this conversation be moved to a Class of 2023 MT thread?
well I originally posted in the '22 forum since i was looking for feedback from kids who had made it through and were in their programs. I don’t know that the '23 thread would yield the answers about which programs are supporting their student’s mental and emotional state since they haven’t gotten there yet… alhough the answers are kinda veering off from the ones I was hoping to get, lol…
That’s what happens, @El-Cee - we all tend to stray!!!
@El-Cee look at Penn State and Texas State. They both have incorporated some mental/emotional care (as well as personal training elements and nutrition) into their programs.
I’ll chime in here as well. I agree with everyone’s statement that it’s all about your child’s FIT.
My daughter choose the University of Miami and I’ve never seen her happier ?. She absolutely loves her program, her supportive and nurturing professors and the kids in the program!
The MT kids are not allowed to audition for the main stage productions during the first year, which I love. The kids are totally immersed and focused on their training, adjusting to college life and making friends! All of the MT kids are friends and it’s so nice that they aren’t competing against each other right off the bat.
Even so, the artistic and performing opportunities are endless! Joshua Henry recently visited the MT kids and performed with kids from the Frost School of Music. Additionally, my daughter has already auditioned for and filmed 2 student directed films, she’s performing this week in a student run production of High School Musical and she was cast in, and will be workshopping, a brand new musical!
She’s living her dream in every sense of the word and I could not be happier for her.
Hello! Glad to hear your S/Ds are enjoying their programs! I posted a question in another thread, but thought I’d try posting it here. I was wondering if anyone on the board could speak to the MT program at Manhattan School of Music. My S received very enthusiastic encouragement from them at his MARCAS auditions, and would be interested in hearing thoughts. Thank you!
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