My son has been accepted in the musical theatre programs at IU as well as Oklahoma City University. He is really struggling making a final decision. Does anyone have any insights in comparing these programs? He has the dream of broadway and is not sure what to do.
@rmilunas: I can only tell you about OCU as that is where D attends. Does your S have specific questions he needs answered? I’ll do my best to try to answer.
In the meantime, here are some thoughts when comparing the two programs:
OCU’s musical theater degree is in the School of Music. Students get a Bachelor of Music degree. IUs is a BFA. Personally, I would worry less about the letters of the degree and really examine the curriculum at each and see which he likes best. At OCU, you will have more intense classes in music theory, piano, etc…And you must present your own junior and senior recitals. You have juries each semester at both schools I believe.
You have to audition for senior showcase at both schools. But both have a showcase.
If you are interested in where OCU grads work after graduating, you can find some information here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/oklahoma-city-university-mt/1769345-where-are-alumni-working.html#latest
Indiana is a large, public university. The campus is gorgeous. OCU is a small private college university. The performing arts facilities are nice, but IU definitely wins on who has the prettier campus. But OCU probably wins on the only-takes-five-minutes-to get-anywhere-on-campus-therefore-I-can-sleep-longer award!
I think the biggest selling point to us were the people we met at OCU. The students at OCU are genuinely happy and very nice - something that is sometimes hard to find in the cutthroat world of MT. I am not saying kids at IU are not nice, I’m just saying that the happy overall environment at OCU was something we felt and saw every time we visited the campus.
OCU does have a lot of performing opportunities both in and out of school. There are large musicals, small musicals, operas, operettas, student-directed pieces and a multitude of straight shows and dance shows for which you can audition. As an MT you can be cast in straight shows, and acting majors can be cast in musicals. Students can also audition for shows at regional equity theaters like Lyric Theatre, City Rep and others and earn equity points there while in school.
The dance training at OCU is wonderful and has many different levels within each discipline to make sure you are placed exactly where you need to be for your current skill level.
Academics are decent at OCU - better than what the school is given credit for. But I would give the nod to Indiana as the stronger academic institution if comparing.
If you are applying to Indiana out-of-state, the costs for both schools are probably similar. We found OCU to offer more scholarship $ than IU and to be the cheaper option in the end.
Both schools have wonderful teachers and great training. But i think the 2 campus environments are really different. Has he been able to visit both? Does he feel more at home at one than the other?
Let me know if you have specific questions that you need answered. Best of luck in making your decision. The nice thing is, he has 2 great choices!
@Wozmom 's son is at IU … maybe she can pop in here and give a first hand account about the MT BFA program.
(My D did their summer program and adored it. Faculty was great.)
Bloomington is a great college town - but it really is a HUGE school. 50,000+ I believe. It’s our state flagship and we know lots (and lots!) of current students and alumni … 1/3 of my D’s graduating class ended up at IU.
Yes, he has visited both, he definitely likes the IU campus better, but he is very into music and thinks the OCU program will be more musically intensive. He is getting some input that OCU is more prestigious but not sure whether that is true. It seems clear from the various Playbill analysis threads that OCU has more people on broadway. That might be what tips him in that direction.
Well … IU is the home of the Jacobs School of Music. Doesn’t get much better than that. 
(Totally different program I know … but it is one of, if not the best music school in the country.)
There can be cross over with Jacobs and IU MT students have been known to perform in Jacobs opera productions.
There is no longer much cross over bx Jacobs and the MT program. Jacobs is doing one classic MT show each year. It’s Oklahoma now. One MT student last year and this year performed in the classic MT Jacob’s production. The teachers are separate as well. My D graduated last year from Jacobs. She was able to do some MT work but that is even more difficult now. I think IU has a good solid program but deciding to go based on the Jacobs school would be wrong. But going for other reasons like a great campus, tons to do, a solid program are the right reasons. I wouldn’t worry about size as the MT program is tight and small so you have a place at a big school.
Isn’t the IU program MUCH more selective than OCU? I would go for IU!!
I think if you learn more about the OCU program you will find it has a long and excellent track record and is considered one of the best in its field. IU is also a very strong MT program. D has friends there who love it. Either would be an excellent choice. But the 2 programs are very different. So it depends on what the OP is looking for. I think I compared the 2 schools’ pros and cons pretty well in post #1 and pointed out each school’s strengths and weaknesses.
One point regarding post #5, there is a big difference in how the 2 programs operate in relation to their celebrated Schools of Music. OCUs program is a music degree in the Bass School of Music. All MTs audition for all operas as well as for all musicals. VPs and MTs share voice teachers and studios. They take the same piano, theory, aural skills, music history and other classes together. At IU, the MT and music programs are separate. The MT program is not part of the prestigious Jacobs school. As post #6 indicates, I would not go to IU with the expectation of getting to study in the Jacobs school.
As far as selectivity, I think both are highly selective with their audition process. OCU has a slightly larger class but I am fairly certain they audition a larger number of applicants. OCU also offers spots in VP and Acting to some talented students for whom there is not a spot in the MT class. This is not the case with IU, so it may make it seem like OCU extends more offers. It may. Just not all in MT.
Just as an FYI: The Acting and VP programs at OCU are also great programs with lots of successful grads in musical theater (i.e. Alex Enterline recently was the lead in the National Tour of “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and Katie Postotnik was recently the lead in the National Tour of “Ghost” - and both were BFA Acting majors at OCU). So if you are one who is offered a spot in one of those tracks, I would look into it further.
All that to say, I think both IU and OCU have great things to offer. But they are very different. It is just finding what is the right fit for you.
I would agree with the comment above. It’s about fit. From my understanding which is limited OCU has a wider range of opportunities. Opera, operetta , plays and MT of course. IU would be more strictly MT with some plays. It would be a good fit if you were all MT (and not interested in getting side tracked in an operetta). At IU, opera and operetta is in Jacobs and MT students are not cast presently. My D was able to do MT classes at IU and enjoyed them. She felt the training particularly voice training was good - and that’s while being in Jacobs. But Jacobs (as with all programs) takes an incredible amt of time and opera rehearsals conflict with MT rehearsals. The MT group was tight and really worked a lot together. That can be a positive. They seemed like a very good team. So while my D enjoyed the classes and opportunities, her experience does show how these are separate worlds at IU. She could never really bond with the MT kids bc she was always in opera productions. At OCU I don’t think there is as much separation and specialization. So it depends on what experience the OP wants. I think they are both excellent so 2 great choices.
No experience with IU here. Too far from home. However, imho, OCU has one of the best dance and voice programs in the country. They got a new head of the Drama department a few years back from Oxford, I believe. So Dr. H was excited to hand over that hat to someone else with excellent credentials. Having sent a child to their summer program (and many other programs in subsequent years), I firmly believe that if OCU were not in Oklahoma, but somewhere on the east coast, it would be much more sought out program. Declining some MT acceptances was easy for my D. Declining OCU extremely hard and sad. Some people pray for one fit. Sometimes more than one acceptance fits, just in different ways. It ultimately comes down to the applicant’s needs and which school can best meet those needs.