<p>Hi, this is my first time posting here. I'm a senior in HS, I know it's a little late but i have recently decided i want to study MT. I'm EXTREMELY passionate about it, I can act, sing, and dance. The thing is I really don't know where to study. I need a school which will offer me oportunities to audition, network, and stablish myself in the buisness. My heart is set on NYC, because that's where I think I'll have the opportunities, but surprisingly there are not a lot of schools in NYC for MT. I'm considering Pace but I don't know if it's prestigious enough. My proffesors are sugesting Ithaca but I feel like that's too far away from the city, plus I dont like small towns, or outdoors. Tisch is too expensive. I have mixed feelings about Suny. I have also considered Rutgers, mainly because of its London program. My ultimate goal is Hollywood, but my parents think it's too risky to just graduate HS and move to LA to persue a film carrer. What do you think about these schools? Are there any other programs I should be looking at? Aside from Tisch, which would you say is the best college for MT in NYC? What should I do? I know college is what you make of it, but the most prestigious it is the most chances I'll have. PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I don't have much time!!!!</p>
<p>You need to stay on this forum and read, read, read. There are many schools where you can get good training and contacts and senior showcases. Not all are in NY by any means! Please understand that MT programs are very difficult to get into, the competition is fierce all over the country. It’s been said that it is more difficult to get into a MT program than into medical school. </p>
<p>You need to apply to several schools, reaches, matches and safetys. Also you mention film work, I think you need different training for that. So you probably need to decide if you want to head toward Broadway or Hollywood.</p>
<p>Ultimately when you are in a position to audition for professional work, they won’t care what school you go to, just can you deliver the goods.</p>
<p>First, be calm. If you can act, sing and dance, you are not too late to the table here. The advice above is right-- read, read, read, here and on the websites of schools that interest you. </p>
<p>Neither Rutgers nor Purchase offer MT, so unless you are comfortable auditioning and spending 4 years on your acting alone, you probably don’t want to apply. Pace has a terrific (and very selective) MT program. You do NOT have to be in New York right away…your studies will take nearly all of your time no matter where you are. You could look at Marymount, Wagner, Montclair, Westminster, UArts, Hartt, Ithaca, Syracuse, Emerson…(I think that’s roughly in order of proximity to New York). But what SRW says is so true-- in the end, it will be YOU that matters, not the school you went to. </p>
<p>Take a deep breath, collect yourself, make sure you have a backup plan you’re comfortable with…and on you go!</p>
<p>Eeek, your ultimate goal is Hollywood? With a BFA in MT? More deep breaths, more thinking. Go through it carefully, with someone who is knowledgeable and cares-- think it out. One step at a time.</p>
<p>Thank you both for responding so quickly, I’m very aware of how competitive these programs are. Fortunately I’m being guided through this process by the director of my performing arts school, who is also a member of the society of directors & coreographers of NYC. Regarding my Hollywood aspirations my plan is to get established on broadway and then make the transition(like Hugh Jackman), but I fear that I may be too old for hollywood once I graduate college. I have been reading and reading and reading for months now, but I still haven’t found the answers which I seek, that’s why I started this thread. So you would say pace is a good option? Better than Ithaca?</p>
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<p>You may want to take a hard look at the track record of MT-focused schools you consider in getting folks to Hollywood, as there are usually significant differences in training and contacts needed for Hollywood versus Broadway. </p>
<p>Don’t know how strong your academic stats are but Northwestern University, near Chicago, has an unusually strong track record for getting actors to both Hollywood and Broadway. Here’s a quick sampling of NU alum to give an example of the variety of careers they pursue;</p>
<p>Warren Beatty
Zach Braff
Stephen Colbert
Cindy Crawford
Jane Curtain
Zooey Deschanel
Anne Dudek
Ira Glass
Heather Headley
Julie Louis-Dryfus
Charlton Heston
Brian d’Arcy James
Jennifer Jones
Stacy Keach
Cloris Leachman
Laura Linney
Paul Lynde
Ann Margaret
Seth Meyers
Garry Marshall
Megan Mullally
Denis O’Hare – Take Me Out, Sweet Charity, True Blood
Jerry Orbach
David Schwimmer
Jerry Springer
Lydia R. Diamond – author of “Stick Fly” on Broadway
Tracy Letts - author of “August Osage County”
D of Meryl Streep
S of Tom Hanks
D of Mikhail Baryshnikov</p>
<p>Thank you so much, mom cares for such a helpful post, I will definately consider Northwestern!</p>
<p>No school is right for everyone, but if you have very strong academic stats and are interested in a program that is know for very strong acting training, Northwestern is certainly worth investigating to see if it’s of interest to you.</p>
<p>Best of luck as you assemble your list and pursue your dreams!!</p>
<p>Name, I think Pace and Ithaca (and Northwestern, and many others) are all good choices for different people. I’m so glad to hear you have a knowledgeable guide-- he or she will remind you that the path to your dreams goes step by step and day by day.</p>
<p>and make Andy Grammer’s song “Lunatic” your theme song :)</p>
<p>Some additional schools in the NY-NJ-Philadelphia area:</p>
<p>Long Island - C. W. Post
Temple (Phil)</p>
<p>Since you are interesting in film work, you may want to look at schools where you could cross-train and are on the West Coast, like USC.</p>
<p>Also look at Rider in NJ</p>
<p>They are a newly updated program and I know they bring in current Broadway performers to for master classes and also take “field trips” to the city.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies. What are your thoughts on Pace MT? Is it regarded as a top school in the business? Is it a good school in general? It seems there is not a lot of information about pace out there. I have read everything I could find about Pace, including its CC forum, but there is not a concrete answer regarding the reputation or prestige of the program. I like what I read about the program, and the career opportunities it provides, but I need to know more about the program. Also between Pace and Ithaca which would you consider best?</p>
<p>I don’t think you need to be concerned whether Pace or Ithaca is better than one another. First, going to college is about finding the right fit for YOU. The best school is the one that matches the selection criteria you have. Second, there are no rankings for MT schools. Third, why worry if Ithaca or Pace is better because getting in is soooooooooooooo difficult with low odds that you need to find a number of schools that you like enough to attend and worry about which one to attend after you see the offers handed to you. If you are so lucky to get into a few of these schools, then figure out which one suits you best. Right now, just find ones you like enough to apply to. </p>
<p>By the way, Pace is a very good program but it is a newer program than Ithaca and so hard to compare in terms of “prestige.” But you can easily compare what they offer, as well as things like size, location, etc.</p>
<p>Also, do not focus your search just for schools in or very close to NYC, as there is a finite number of MT programs and you need to go where there is good training and not limit it to location. You don’t need to be in NYC while IN school and can go there once you graduate. Also, if you hate small towns, Ithaca may not be your thing. It’s a pretty area but kinda remote (my kid got into Ithaca but it was not a first choice for her, though it is a great MT program). My kid did not apply to Pace (she went to NYU/Tisch), but the program is getting more and more developed and many talented students attend. My D is on the faculty of that program now.</p>
<p>^NameInLights, if you are serious about pursuing film you would be silly NOT to consider USC. When I think film, I think USC. Understand that training for the stage and training for the camera is actually quite different. Good luck.</p>
<p>soozievt is right…what any of us think about Pace or any other school doesn’t really matter. What matters is what school YOU can get accepted to that will provided the training and atmosphere that YOU need. </p>
<p>For what it’s worth, off the top of my head, I currently know kids at Pace, NYU, Otterbein, BoCo, Elon, Texas State, Texas Christian, Point Park, Ithaca, Belmont, Rider, University of Colorado, Florida State and my own D is at Ball State…and each of them seems very pleased with their MT/Acting programs so far.</p>
<p>This is a hugely competitive major, so apply to many and then determine best fit (and there are a million factors that go into this!) from those that actually accept you.</p>