<p>Texas State has a youtube channel and posts lots of performance video. If you find their channel (search Texas State Musical Theatre) and select “all videos” on the right side you can also view their Guest Artist clips. They just put up 3 new videos. I think this is very smart for a school that is trying to build their program. I’m hoping “Into the Woods” goes up soon. We saw it on campus and it was very good.</p>
<p>I’ll try to find the threads where using shows and YouTube to compare programs has been discussed previously, as I think they provide great food for thought.</p>
<p>Here’s one…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1171596-youtube-cons-cautions-kudos.html?highlight=youtube[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1171596-youtube-cons-cautions-kudos.html?highlight=youtube</a></p>
<p>MomCares… thanks for posting “YouTube Cons,Cautions and Kudos” … I was trying to remember what the thread was called to post myself. :-)</p>
<p>Another great question that one MT program director told my daughter to ask of current students, including the ones in his program: What do you not like about the program?</p>
<p>This was very effective and, while it never revealed any “deal breaker” problems, it was more revealing than asking what they like best about their program. We found that the latter often garnered responses, from both faculty and students, that the best thing about their program is that it is “unique because of xyz”. After hearing "Our program is ‘unique because of xyz’ " at 3-4 schools, we knew that it wasn’t “unique” (even if they didn’t ;))</p>
<p>I think seeing shows is an excellent way to see production value and talent. Just know what you are seeing. Are you seeing a program (i.e. the SOT) sponsored production or a “club” (student run) production? Ask if you are seeing a student directed and whether that student is in a Directing degree program. Ask about the history of the club or program that is sponsoring the event. Is it a mainstage? Is it cast through the program primarily using students in the SOT programs or is it completely open casting? You’ll find wide variations across schools. And different values for each of them across schools. The student directed productions at Northwestern are amazing because there is so much tradition and history involved…they’re a big deal. The student director you see at Penn State may just be an MFA Musical Theatre Directing student. It’ll be a good show because the show is a degree requirement and sponsored by the MT department. You may see a student directed at another school that is wholly “organic” - someone decides they want to put on a show and they do it - low budget, creative, quite possibly very good, maybe cast with their friends. Just know what you’re seeing and put it in context of what you’re looking for and the school/programs they’re in. Each variation has value in helping you understand what performance opportunities exist and the value of them at each school.</p>
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<p>Even at a school like Northwestern, with over 60 student-produced shows every year, shows range from very casual and under-produced experiments to the largest student-produced musical in the country and everything in between. Even the mainstage productions have a wide range of goals, risk and funding.</p>
<p>I would just caution that comparing programs based on productions you see on campus may give misleading information about the type or quality of training students get.</p>
<p>In my opinion college is a great time to take risks (i.e. sometimes fail) and a department that always produces amazing work may be doing far too little of that for kids to really learn how to create great theatre.</p>
<p>MomCares speaks the truth. Why a school is producing a show is more important than the ultimate production. We are (all schools) here to educate, not produce. That said, most schools work very hard at production values. But what you see at any given time may have different learning outcomes than what you see at another time. Many schools have different “series.” A lab series, mainstage series, etc. Just a caution. Not a rule.</p>
<p>Going back a ways to respond to zebrarunner- don’t be shy about contacting a school to set up appointments with faculty members, even with a child so early in their process. I believe that you will find most programs are open to your having the most informative experience possible, and certainly that would involve actually seeing. The worst you could be told is that you can get all you need from a department tour. </p>
<p>On another note, when you contact folks in the department, you might try looking for someone who is from or went to school/grad school in the state in which you reside. It has absolutely no bearing on anything at all, but it IS typically an instant conversation starter once (and if) they’re able to meet with you. Just a thought! :)</p>
<p>Another big thing that I asked at the colleges I visited is whether or not they have a cut system and what it is. From what I understand, the better schools cut people as they go along. It sounds awful to me. Some schools can cut you at the end of your Sophomore year and then you have to get a different degree! Something to consider.</p>
<p>MTCoach, thanks so much for your reply. I did contact a couple of schools at the end of last week, and they were very responsive and helpful even though my S is still just a sophomore. There are so many schools he wants to see, and even starting now I don’t think we will be able to visit them all before he has to decide where to apply since he is so busy (like the kids of everyone else on this board!), and I just wanted to get a sense of what kinds of school to focus on (big/small/medium, urban/suburban/middle of nowhere, BA/BFA, conservatory/university, etc.) There are so many factors to consider! I appreciate your insights.</p>
<p>zebrarunner - Do not stress over getting to all the schools on your list before applying. I agree with your intention to try to see a sampling of types of schools/programs to determine what really matters to you and your S if it is financially feasible. The cost to prepare for and attend auditions is extremely high, so most people should seriously consider the value in all those early visits. Remember, as your S matures, what is important now may be less so when he graduates. As his grades and test scores progress, some options may open or close. Also remember that you will need to audition in person at a good number of these programs so will see the school and learn about the program at that time. The odds of getting in to any one program is so small, is it really worth the time and money to visit the school in advance of auditions and admittance? All this is very different than a student who is applying academically to schools. My older D was looking for a program in International Relations, and we visited all the schools in advance. Different ball game.</p>
<p>I like broadway95’s advice to make a meeting with the theater department the focus of all visits. It was important for us to also take the campus-wide tour to get a feel for the school at large. </p>
<p>For all schools you visit, take notes afterwards of your impressions and that of your S. Otherwise you are left with that one memory that stood out and forget the other important details.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>I agree with the above from Shaun9293. </p>
<p>Regarding taking notes: One thinks, “Oh, I won’t forget such-and-such,” but it happens. They blur together. If nothing else, send someone (even yourself) an e-mail covering the visit, and you can re-read it later. I have often found this helpful as a substitution for a diary!</p>
<p>Regarding the visits: My son refused to visit schools until after he got admission decisions. He said he didn’t want to fall in love with a super-selective school and not get admitted, and that he would select from the admissions he receives. At first this troubled me, in part because all the other moms I knew were busy traveling to colleges. But those were academic programs, not auditioned BFAs. There’s no such thing as a “safety school” with auditioned programs. So we did our research, which included talking to some acting professionals. We selected about ten excellent schools and did the applications. When my son was admitted to one, following an early audition, we withdrew some of the other applications for schools he was less keen on. Now we’re waiting, and reminding ourselves, that he has an admit to a school he’d be very happy to attend. During Spring Break, we’ll visit any schools he’s received an offer of admission from. Not sure what we’d do about waiting lists!</p>
<p>I agree totally with broadway95. You must get a specific tour or information session with the drama/MT department, especially if you are going for the BFA. Your child will spend so much time in the theatre department, this is just the most important aspect. My D has zero interest in any other aspect of the school actually. She just wants to hear what they say about acting.
I mention this because it is not as easy to schedule these visits as it is to schedule a regular university visit, and the procedure varies widely from school to school. Here are the extremes we’ve had: I called one school because we were traveling a ways to see them and they scheduled our tour around our schedule, giving us a personal tour and a half hour with the department head. Another school has not had a single opportunity to visit the drama department in the last 9 months and finally announced one for next month. On one day. That’s it. Too bad if you are busy that day! But several of the schools do not have visits available over the summer either.
We have also found that schools we were very interested in based on their reputation and the information on their websites we did not like at all after the visit. We cut three schools from our list this way. The reasons were not because of geography, but each time because of some aspect of the teaching style that was not readily apparent from the information we had prior to the visit and that my D did not like. For instance at Northwestern they assign acting students to a specific acting teacher for three years. This may be a great thing for some kids but my D leaned over to me after they discussed it said “That stinks. Can we leave now?” She just knew that is not how she wanted to be taught. She wants more variety in teachers. Again I don’t want to pick on Northwestern, because this may work great for some kids. It just isn’t for her and she knew it instantly.
My D wants as many credits in acting as possible. Other students may want a more solid background in liberal arts. Ask how many credits are in the acting/MT program and how many are in the gen Ed program. If you are like my D than for the BFA you want between 80 and 90 in your major. Maybe 30ish in gen eds. And ask if you have AP credit if you can get out if gen eds and take more classes in your major.
The suggestions about questions on voice lessons and dance class levels are good too. We found that varies widely as well.
And just FYI, my D is a junior and after three more visits next month we will have visited 16 schools in about 14 months. So we’ve asked a lot of questions! Good luck.</p>
<p>Having been through this process 2 years ago with my d, and having continued since to read the threads here at CC (yes, it becomes an addiction!) I would warn against counting on visiting schools a student was accepted to over a senior year spring break. Every year, including this one, there have been numerous posts from parents lamenting the fact that they didn’t receive acceptances early enough to fit visits in, or that schools wanted commitments before they had a chance to visit, or that their child popped off a waiting list too close to the decision deadline to plan a visit and make a final decision. Beginning a visit process early (we did sophomore year and fit it in as parts of vacations) can really help a student decide the kind of campus/school they will be comfortable in and narrow down the list so that last minute crises and ‘drama’ can be avoided.</p>
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<p>Of course NU isn’t is right for everyone, but a lack of variety in acting teachers couldn’t be further from D’s experience. Some small BFA programs only have one acting teacher on staff, which was among the things that turned our D off to some programs. </p>
<p>The wide variety of available professors (~40 on the Theatre faculty) at NU, and specifically the way they form small acting cohorts, was one of the big draws for our D. As freshman, students observe multiple acting teachers in action and have a choice of which teacher(s) they want for their 3 year small-group acting cohort. The different professors have very different styles and focus, and for D it was very important to have so many choices. </p>
<p>In addition, students learn acting skills in MANY different courses and from MANY different professors, not to mention different perspectives they get from the myriad directors at work on the campus’ 60+ annual productions. I have never heard an NU student speak of any shortage of variety in acting coaching on campus.</p>
<p>In my opinion acting is a subject where it is important to go both wide (variety of teachers) and deep (with an instructor that clicks with you personally) and NU provides both.</p>
<p>To piggyback on MomCares - At NU you do get to visit three different acting classes (with three different profs) two or three times at the end of your Freshman year and then submit a list of your preferences. You then have that prof for two years, creating a tight bond with the class and covering many aspects and genres of acting. In addition, classes are offered each term by different profs that allow you to increase your knowledge of different styles or genres of acting, this in addition to your main acting class. Finally, Winter term Senior year offers you a further opportunity to take a break from your acting class and take an acting class with another prof from your year’s prof choices. </p>
<p>It’s a little convoluted to explain but rest assured there are many options to study with a variety of professors, who have different teaching styles and teach a variety of genres in your time at NU.</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses amtc and Momcares. We had a tour by a senior student and did not get to speak to any professors. After the student mentioned being placed with one teacher, we asked her several questions to clarify why this placement process was done and the student couldn’t really explain. She also didn’t elaborate as you did momcares about the variety of other teachers. Sometimes the tour guides are not the best!
I tried to say to my D - Hey lets get a little more info from a Professor about this before we dismiss the school but she was quite firm that she did not like that setup. She did understand that she would get to make a list of preferences, etc. She just wants more options I guess. I also reminded my D that she has one main acting teacher now and she is quite happy with her, but to no avail. Maybe it goes to that “fit” thing. I appreciate your input though.</p>
<p>No worries! I think our kids usually have a good sense of what they want from a program, and certainly NU is not the place for everyone. :)</p>
<p>Another unusual thing with observing an NU acting cohort is that, as I understand it, it might contain MTs’, straight actors AND people who plan to pursue stage management, directing, writing, producing and other non-performing theatre careers, so a specific cohort you observed might contain a wide range of acting talent (or lack thereof).</p>
<p>Another good thing to ask for while on visits are the semester class schedules for the four-years. It’s nice to be able to compare programs in this way.</p>
<p>We’re back from our trip! Son and I visited 6 schools (Shenandoah, Point Park, CMU, Penn State, Rider and UArts) in 4 days. It was quite the scheduling feat, but we did it! Overall, the trip was a resounding success, in many different ways. </p>
<p>At Shenandoah and Rider we were able to get a 1-on-1 MT tour of campus (Just S and me and MT student tour guide). We were brought to all the theaters, back stage, classrooms, etc. Asked lots of good questions, etc. etc. Also talked to other MT students that knew the tour guide. At Shenandoah, we were even able to talk to a faculty member for about 30 minutes. That was quite helpful to my son… faculty member told S a lot of the same stuff that my husband and I have been telling S, but seems to fall on deaf ears. (like you need to keep up the dancing/ballet! Uh…yes… Dad and I actually know what we’re talking about!)</p>
<p>CMU was a Drama Dept tour with about 25 people, so it wasn’t too personal, but we definitely got a sense of the dept and lots of good Qs were asked. The students were working on their Showcase week (I think that’s what it was called), so there was a myriad of work going on, but no classes were in session. CMU rocked our world-- but we know that it a talent and financial (very) long-shot for our son. But, he still wants to audition there… you never know! And, as a parent, don’t you have a secret place deep inside you that wants to know IF he could get in?</p>
<p>Point Park and UArts are both urban campuses and that was a good eye-opener for us. We come from a spread-out suburban area not near a big city, so it was fun being in that city setting. We also had never been to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, so we enjoyed exploring the 2 cities. Got a taste from the tours of the theater depts. There are definite advantages to having dorms, classes, cafeteria all in the same building.</p>
<p>Penn State was just a general campus tour, so we didn’t get to see the theaters/MT space. Whoa! Place is huge! Took over 2 hours to walk around campus, and we were exhausted and a little overwhelmed by the end of the tour. </p>
<p>Saw 2 shows on our trip— While in Pittsburgh, we won lottery tickets (first row seats!) to “Book of Mormon,” and in Philly, we got free tickets to see UArts production of “Legally Blond.” It was good for S to see the UArts show-- that could be him up on stage in 2-3 years! Great show-- some stand-out performances, for sure. </p>
<p>So-- what did we learn? Lots! Son is still wants to do MT. I really didn’t think he would change his mind about that… trip just reinforced his passion for it. It was good to see the actual stages, see college kids rehearsing, walk into the dorm rooms, eat in the cafeteria. He came home saying that he wished he could just skip over senior year and go right to college. LOL. He knows what needs to be done between now and audition time starting this fall. </p>
<p>He also sees himself going to college at a number of the campuses we visited, which is great! I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about the city campuses, or the huge ones. He liked them all-- of course some better than others-- but that’s OK. That was the purpose of the trip. It’s funny…I had my opinions about places while we were doing the tours, but kept them to myself, of course. When I asked my S what he felt about this place , or that program, he actually surprised me with his answers-- in a good way! Hey-- I’m not the one (potentially) going to school there, he is. It has to feel right to HIM.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who posted on this thread and gave us good advice and questions to ask while we were touring. I made S take notes after each visit, and we kept all literature handed out to us.</p>