<p>I'd like to go into acting and was wondering about the qualities of the programs (BA or BFA, I haven't decided yet) at these colleges:</p>
<p>Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Illinois State University
University of Evansville
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
Rutgers University - Camden
Drake University
Marymount Manhattan College</p>
<p>Are any of these schools any good? Should I stick with the smaller ones, or try to get into one of bigger ones like NYU? Thank you!</p>
<p>I’d go for a mix of schools, namely the lesser known schools and the big name schools. Re schools u noted, Minn-twin cities, excellent. BFA is very hard to get into but from I understand, Ba program also a good option. I i think Evansville has a good reputation unless I am mixing it up with another school. Marymount Manhatten-decent program but sounded pricey. Don’t know enough about other schools to comment. </p>
<p>Rutgers has the Mason Gross School of the Arts, which is first rate. I don’t know which campus it is on, though. I have heard good things about Marymount Manhattan.</p>
<p>Was there a particular reason you chose those schools? </p>
<p>This isn’t my complete list of schools, these are just the ones that I’m unsure about how good their programs are. My complete list has a couple more of the well known ones on there that I already know have good programs. And as to why I chose those particular ones, they’re mostly all closer to home for me and not as pricy as some of the top schools. </p>
<p>They are all great. But, I visited Mankato this summer and decided against auditioning personally. They do an insane amount of productions a year, and that’s really their stamp. 17, I think? The program just wasn’t for me, and the department head was a bit… rambunctious…?.. flamboyant…? I don’t even know how to describe him. He also shamed other programs- a few of which I am auditioning for, which rubbed me the wrong way. It also seemed like they don’t get very many auditionees, so talented castmates might be lacking.
Again, personal opinion, but you never really know until you schedule a meeting for yourself!</p>
<p>Ok, I’m going to visit Mankato in March so I guess I’ll get to find out for myself! I’ve had some mixed reactions from it, but I’m able to qualify for in-state tuition, so I figured I’d give it a shot.</p>
<p>From what I remember, Mason is on Rutger’s New Brunswick campus, not Camden. Mason is first rate program but very hard to get into. I would check out schools closer to home too, as in ones on your list. Even if they are not as well known, one could end up being great match for you. My kid looked at smaller program and it still had a lot to offer. plus, since it was smaller, they seemed open to working with him more than might be available elsewhere. def look at at Minn and whatever the state school options are in ur home state to take advantage of in state tuition too. </p>
<p>There is a theatre program at Rutgers Camden that is a BA, as opposed to the very selective BFA at Mason Gross on the New Brunswick campus. I have never heard anything about the Theatre BA at Rutgers Camden being very distinguished at all.</p>
<p>Marymount Manhattan has an excellent BFA program and is quite selective.</p>
<p>I just had my Marymount Manhattan audition - I absolutely LOVED it there. The faculty is fantastic and they seem like they really know what they’re doing - the audition there is like a class so you do your pieces in front of everyone, and watching the faculty give people adjustments was amazing, they knew exactly what to do to bring out the best in everyone’s pieces. Also the professor in my room was really nice and friendly and the only one to respond to the thank yous I sent out to auditors at all my auditions, and his message was really nice and sincere. The Theatre Performance BA and the Acting BFA there are identical the first two years, then in 3rd and 4th year the BFA’s go into classics and Shakespeare, while the BAs stay more contemporary. If you’re a BA, you can do a lot of cool minors, too - Musical Theatre, Drama Therapy, Creative Writing, etc, or double major. I kind of fell in love with it there (if you can’t tell) I strongly encourage keeping this school on your list!</p>