Is everything OK at College of Santa Fe?

<p>After perusing the website, it looks like the college went through a major financial crisis in the last year. Stopped taking applications, but open now. The city bought the facilities and is leasing to Laureate Education, Inc. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any insights? Is the program still viable?</p>

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am currently a College of Santa Fe junior (BFA MT) and I’m proud to say the school is doing well. The school was bought by Laureate Ed., and is their primary art school. The theatre program is going strong (though we have fewer students than before and less money); but last semester we produced a successful production of Bat Boy, and of Boy’s Life. Our teachers are amazing and are as helpful as ever. </p>

<p>There’s no way to tell exactly how things are going to turn out at the college; we are still in a delicate flux. But I will say that CSF is amazing and I’m unbelievable fortunate to have found this little gem. Please come visit!</p>

<p>Thanks for the insights. They are very helpful It sounds like you are incredibly satisfied with your choice.</p>

<p>I looked through some of your old posts. CSF was not on your initial list of six schools. How did you find the school and why did you choose it over the others. Have you had your sophomore evaluation yet? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>twisted_pixy - I would love to hear more about College of Santa Fe. We are considering a visit out to check out the campus. Can you tell us about the New York/London study abroad program? Also about master classes or other special instructors who come in? And how do vocal lessons/dance classes work?</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing!!</p>

<p>This is my first post – but as my son will me applying to MT programs in the fall, I have been reading this forum and thank everyone for their valuable information.</p>

<p>I do live in Santa Fe, N.M. and have some insight into The Santa Fe University of Art and Design – as the old College of Santa Fe is now called. Santa Fe U did graduate a handful of BFA students in both theater and Musical Theater this past weekend. Here is a link to the story.</p>

<p>[Santa</a> Fe University of Art and Design celebrates its first commencement - The Santa Fe New Mexican](<a href=“http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Santa-Fe-University-of-Art-and-Design--Designed-for-success]Santa”>http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Santa-Fe-University-of-Art-and-Design--Designed-for-success)</p>

<p>Many of them started at the old College of Santa Fe and stayed on when the new regime took over in fall, 2010 – the campus itself was purchase by the city of Santa Fe and the school is leased to Laureate Education Inc. I saw some of the productions this past season, including a very well done musical “The Wedding Singer.” The talent – especially the stagecraft, costumes and dance numbers were as good as any college production I’ve seen over the years. </p>

<p>The graduates came from all over the United States and I read in the program one was going to Yale for a Master’s.</p>

<p>Because it is a small program, all the students participate in all the shows right away and my sense is that the school may be appropriate for the more self-directed students who can design their own majors and do some independent study. I do not think there is a large enough student population to offer a wide course offering.</p>

<p>The question in my mind is whether this program will be able to attract enough new students to thrive. Laureate is a for-profit, privately held corporation with campuses all over so the world so it does not give much in the way of scholarship money. And the cost of tuition is on par with a Columbia College in Chicago or Cornish in Seattle, much more established programs. </p>

<p>Higher education – especially in the arts - seems to defy gravity. If this school were grounded in real world economics it would actually reduce the tuition for the next several years until it got re-established</p>

<p>We saw the first production of the year at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, The Odd Couple, this past weekend - and I am pleased to say that this program is doing well.
The performance was excellent and I talked with some current students and they speak positively about their academic experiences. Being in Santa Fe, this school is able to draw some pretty well-known faculty members - the director for The Odd Couple was Robert Beneditti. The students also spoke very highly of Jon Jory, an honorary faculty member this year.
The MT enrollment is still small, so that might be a consideration for some. The spring musical is Little Shop of Horrors.</p>