I’m wondering if we could start a thread to name some “hidden gem” programs in MT. Either BA OR BFA , tracks/concentrations etc. Like perhaps people could list a school that is not perhaps a well known program & or maybe they just discovered it while auditioning this year etc. and found it to be a good program or it warrants further research. Like someone recently posted about Oakland Univ in MI.
My son loved Catawba College in North Carolina.
Nebraska Wesleyan. Mentioned here but confirming it is a great program.
I’m adding a few we visited etc already… DeSales Univ in PA, West Virginia University now has a BFA in MT that is I think 2 yrs in now.
@VaTheatreMom2020 we are very interested in Catawba!
My S auditioned at NYC Unifieds as a walk-in for University of Evansville. It was very much an afterthought as it was the end of the day on Sunday, and we were about to go home, but he said he would do one more audition as long as there was no dancing! I had only heard of UofE because I’m a big fan of the actor Rami Malek who has been chatting up his alma mater recently. While they don’t have a MT major (it is called Theatre Performance BFA), they do musicals and have related coursework. My S was accepted with a merit scholarship, and depending on his other scholarships, it is definitely still in the running.
Sam Houston State University (BFA-MT) in Huntsville, TX doesn’t get a lot of buzz here, mainly b/c they don’t do Unifieds, etc., but they are a pretty great program that has produced many working alumni.
St. Edwards University here in Austin comes to mind. It is an auditioned BFA Acting with MT minor.
St. Edwards offers EMC points for students thanks to their AEA/URTA affiliation with the Mary Moody Northen Theatre. Some/many students graduate with their Equity cards. D has several friends who have attended and loved it. Two are graduating this spring with their cards. Excellent acting training.
Also, you can’t beat the location on a hillside in South Austin.
Ohio Northern University is certainly becoming a more common/talked about program, but it’s truly a treasure.
My D. auditioned for West Virginia University. She has a dear friend who’s a vocal performance major there, so we went to hear what they had to say. Nice folks! I was impressed with how they’re trying to build their MT major. In the end we decided they didn’t have a strong enough focus on dance for my D., but she’s a serious dancer and could easily major in dance. WVU could be a good MT option for someone who is less interested in dance.
Yes @Fotokat I agree about WVU that they are trying to build their BFA in MT. Also they are part of the academic common market & do offer in state tuition for the BFA in MT to Maryland residents. Not sure about other states you would have to check. There are no BFA MT degrees in Maryland so guess that’s the reason. I do think you could minor in dance there quite easily as the dance dept as a side note seems to be a strong one from what I’ve seen. Plus you would be able to delve into alittle Mountaineer sports if you went there and wanted a true college experience. There are no more loyal fans then WVU ones! Lol
I’d also look at Michigan State… New MT program (under umbrella of existing BFA Theatre). Big 10 university… Summer program in LA… NYC & LA Senior Showcases. Great people involved in the MT development. 
Although we haven’t visited yet, we’ve been impressed with what we’ve learned about University of Northern Colorado. I doesn’t get much attention because it’s far from the big theatre cities, and the degree is a BA instead of a BFA. But the curriculum is structured like a BFA, they appear to have well attended showcases, they have some very successful alumni, and we’ve talked to students and faculty and been impressed with what we’ve heard.
We’ll know more after a visit in a couple of weeks, and after decisions come in on the last few schools, but at this point it’s likely that my son will end up at UNC, and I think he’ll be really happy with it.
.
I have not visited, but I think Tulane’s program is interesting. It is a BFA that you audition for during your sophomore year there. They have a summer musical theatre festival that regularly casts Tulane students, and it allows you to get Equity points. It is possible to double major.
The website says there is an emphasis on voice, so acting and dance come secondary, though you can take extra classes in those… It seems to be more like a BM. There is definitely some focus as well on classical voice - I know of a person who graduated with the BFA in MT and went on to get his MM in Voice Performance/Pedagogy from NYU… So if thats a future possibility that appeals to you/your child I think its worth checking out!
I’ll add University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point to the list. They’ve pumped out amazing alumni like Andrew Cao, Curt Hanson, and Laura Osnes, though she left before graduating. Also they have a graduate in the original cast of Hamilton right now. They’re known for their faculty, the head of the program Mark Hanso, worked in Broadway for a long time and even worked alongside Sondheim in the Merrily We Roll Along revival. They accept very few people and the tution is extremely affordable even if you are out of the Midwest. So still the great program and showcase opportunities as other programs without the ridiculous costs. As long as you don’t mind going to college in Stevens Point which is pretty rural and in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin.
I’m really enjoying hearing about all these schools off the radar!
Definitely Drake University! Not on our radar screen at all until D did walk-in at Chicago Unified. Excellent training, great city (Des Moines), lots of opportunities during school and after graduation. I’ll add more about our recent visit on the Drake thread.
Curious what anyone knows about Missouri State… we are going to check out the Tent Theatre when we are in the area this summer. It is my Alma Mater but I didn’t know any theatre majors…
Mo. State recently hired Robert Westenberg as their new director and now has brought in Lisa Brecia as a new acting professor.