<p>The more I investigate this school, the better it looks. The BFA acting curriculum seems solid; there are study abroad options (BADA, Trinity-Dublin); the liberal arts courses look interesting (even if Camille Paglia is a bit off-putting). The theater community in the immediate vicinity in Philly appears vibrant. So what's not to like? </p>
<p>And I'm assuming if one is good at auditioning and well trained, admission should be a good possibility.</p>
<p>My son looked very closely at UArts, and we visited the campus. Like you said, what’s not to like? It’s a fantastic school with a well-regarded program! Philadelphia has an extremely vibrant theatre community, with many professional theatre venues and opportunities. But be aware that admission to the UArts program is very competitive. Being well-trained and good at auditioning doesn’t make it any easier to be accepted there than to many of the other top programs. BTW, the only reason S didn’t apply was because later in the process, he decided he wanted to attend a school with a traditional “green” college campus, football team, etc., rather than one with an urban campus. I myself loved UArts’ city setting.</p>
<p>northdad, MichaelNKat’s daughter is a UArts MT grad. I’m sure he’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. He’s very knowledgable and also very generous with his assistance.</p>
<p>I’d also be happy to answer any questions you have! I’m currently an Acting freshman at UArts right now, and it is great. A little later tonight (kind of busy right now) I’ll leave a more detailed response to some of the points raised, and some other things that are worth mentioning.</p>
<p>Ok, I’m back!</p>
<p>So first thing is, I think the acting curriculum is extremely solid. Lots of great classes, a strong acting foundation, voice and speech training, stage combat (where you can get certified in all 8 “weapons”, which is rare for colleges), etc. Also there is a lot of collaboration within the school. For example, animation and film majors may need voices for some of there projects…which they can go to the actors for. And generally everyone is extremely nice, friendly, and welcoming. Also, another thing I loved about the Acting program is the ability for cross training in other departments. While the curriculum is already pretty rigorous, there is room to squeeze in a few extra dance, music, art, etc classes. Also if you are interested in musical theatre as well, there is a musical theatre minor that you audition for while at school (I’ll have to check, but I believe it’s at the end of your freshman year). They also offer film acting classes, directing classes, playwriting classes…the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>They definitely have a good deal of study abroad programs. I don’t know too much more about them off the top of my head than you, seeing as I’ve only been here for about a week and a half. But I know they also have a good program set up with LIPA as well.</p>
<p>The theatre scene in Philly is great! Literally there are a bunch of theatres within walking distance of the school. I actually pass several on my walk to class (which is only a few blocks, and takes about 5-10 minutes). On that note as well, freshman students are required to see ALL UArts shows during their year there (but really, who WOULDN’T want to see them?), as well as I think 2 professional productions outside of the school. UArts students also get some good discounts too for tickets. </p>
<p>On a little tangent from before, many of the teachers at UArts are working professionals, which they do alongside their job at the school. I personally find that to be a plus…some people think it means that the teachers aren’t as committed to the students, but from my point of view the teachers work extremely hard for their students. This way they are really up-to-date with the whole theatre scene. Plus, who wouldn’t love seeing their teachers perform in a show? Both my Acting Studio teacher and the head of the department are in a show each this year that I can’t wait to go see.</p>
<p>As for admissions – yea, it is difficult to get in. I think we have just under 30 students for this year. Best of luck to you though!</p>
<p>Also a thing to note…a lot of people think that because UArts is an “arts” school, people party all the time there. Really that’s not the case though. Don’t get me wrong, there are some parties. But not that many (especially because it is a dry campus also). Most people also don’t have time with the rigorous class schedules to party too much, or they care more about improving themselves and their art more.</p>
<p>Now after praising the school so much, I’ll mention some of the not-so-great things. If you don’t like living in the city, you won’t like the school’s area. I mean, it’s literally down the street from city hall. As for safety though, you really only need common sense. Granted, I am male (not to be sexist, but I stand less of a chance to be jumped or something), but if it gets to be after 10pm or so make sure you walk with a couple people outside. Especially the later it gets, the stranger the people outside get. So far they’ve all been harmless though. Also, the food isn’t the greatest. BUT I think that is only because they fell behind schedule this summer on the new dining hall. It was supposed to be ready for this school year, which is why they took the kitchenettes out of the dorms. But it isn’t yet, so for the next few weeks we have sub-par food. But it’s manageable. If you need a football team, don’t come here. Their package/mail system is a little strange, and is not the most efficient. Most of the problems I’ve experienced so far have been very minor though.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are other things I could think of, or other things I’ll experience soon enough (remember, I’ve only been here a week and a half). But if you have any other questions feel free to PM me or post them here, I should be checking back every so often.</p>
<p>I agree NorthDad. Its the one school that sort has come out of nowhere as a school that fits what my daughter is looking for – a conservatory environment with emphasis on studio versus classroom. My daughter has a bit of a musical theater itch as well so its a big plus that she could easily scratch it. We don’t live far away (in NJ) so we’re planning to do a visit there in the Fall. I’ll report after we visit.</p>
<p>As alwaysamom mentioned, my daughter graduated from UArts’ MT program last May. The MT majors and Acting majors all take the same core acting studio classes together for 7 semesters (though both programs, of course, are differentiated in other aspects of their respective curricula) and audition together for all the school shows (Acting majors can be cast in musicals and MT majors in straight dramas). My daughter has remained in Philadelphia post graduation where she is pursuing performing (as well as flexible alternate employment to provide sustainable income as she builds her career). She lived in the dorms her freshman year and outside housing her remaining years and continues to live a block from the campus. My office is located a block and a half from the School of Theater’s primary building. So if anyone has any questions about the school, student life, Philadelphia and its theatre scene, feel free to ask. I have also posted a lot of comments on these topics over at the MT forum under the sub-forum for UArts for anyone who is interested.</p>
<p>As theatreguy mentions, if you affirmatively don’t like a city environment, UArts’ campus won’t be appealing. The counterpoint, however, is that UArts is located in the heart of the performing arts district of the city. Its buildings are interspersed with performing arts venues, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, cafes and hotels. It’s a very dynamic and vibrant area with the streets teeming with office workers and students by day and singles, couples and families of all ages at night availing themselves of the artistic, cultural and social activities that the area provides. All of the students I know from UArts, Temple, Penn and Drexel love the area and my wife and I regularly enjoy what is offered in the area into the late hours of the night. It is generally a very safe area with people out and about walking the streets to and from shows and restaurants at night and with the exercise of some basic common sense, students rarely encounter any crime or safety problems.</p>
<p>As theatreguy also mentions, the new main cafeteria is still under construction. It’s housed in a space that used to be a very large Italian restaurant right next to the building that houses the Theatre Department. Based on the pace of the construction, I would expect it to be open by the spring semester. In addition to UArts’ secondary cafeteria sites, students in the interim have a multitude of food courts, sandwich shops and cafes available to them.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for all the great responses. You are obviously confirming my positive sense about the place. But let me press back a bit: nowhere is perfect; what are the shortcomings of UArts?</p>
<p>This is from an outside looking in perspective – so I’d be interested in hearing other opinions – but the only short-comings from my daughter’s perspective at this point is that its a rung below the stature of – CMU, Purchase, Rutgers and NCSA – which are her “A” list based on the conservatory training focus, reputation, and her perception of career “door opening opportunities” (which includes things like show cases, alumni in field, etc.). Its also quite a bit more expensive than Purchase, Rutgers (we’d be in state) or NCSA. </p>
<p>Of course, her 4 “A” list schools are quite a bit more difficult to get into – there is competitive and there is COMPETITIVE. She does, however, love the fact that the musical theater kids are so intwined with the acting kids in terms of performance opportunities. That is something none of her “A” list schools provide. CMU lets acting kids take musical theater classes but they are no permitted to audition for shows according to a message I got from a CMU student. </p>
<p>Its going to be the first school we go visit because I want them to do the pitch with my daughter to address her concerns about how teaching quality compares with schools she is more familiar with. She’s been doing professional work here and there so her opinions are largely formed by talking to kids, agents and sometimes casting directors. U of Arts was not a school she had heard of until I began talking to her about it.</p>
<p>My Daughter looked at U arts and ultimately decided on Boco. Both are inner-city conservatories and provide extraordinary training. I found them to be similar in many ways.</p>
<p>northdad, you asked about shortcomings. In my daughter’s view, there were two. First, as an MT student, by the end of her 4th year, she felt that the dance portion of the curriculum, taught through the theatre department (not the school of dance) needs to be beefed up a bit. That’s not to say that a good solid dance education isn’t provided, it’s just that in comparison to acting and voice, the contact hours each week are about half of what acting and voice are each allocated and she felt there should be more advanced level offerings. This may not be of great concern to an acting student unless the student wants the MT minor or desires to take dance as electives. While my daughter, who came in with significant dance experience, grew as a dancer through the theatre department dance curriculum, benefited from some great dance instructors and also took some dance classes through the school of dance, she just expressed that it would be beneficial for the School of Theatre to offer more dance in terms of mandated hours and more advanced classes.</p>
<p>The second area was the liberal arts curriculum. UArts’ history is an amalgam of performing and fine arts conservatories that merged and the school ultimately evolved into an accredited university offering undergrad BFAs and various grad degrees and certifications in the arts and teaching of arts. Liberal arts is now a required part of the undergrad curriculum for all majors and has been significantly beefed up over the last several years. There are many very worthwhile and strong liberal arts offerings and instructors. However, the structure of liberal arts is very different than at many other programs. Uarts is first and foremost an arts university. Everyone comes there to get a degrees in performing or fine arts. There is no expectation of a minor or double major in a liberal arts field. Liberal arts is offered through a liberal arts department. In contrast, At programs housed in a full liberal arts college or university, liberal arts is provided through degree conferring departments in specific fields of study. At UArts, each liberal arts class (outside of the theatre department) is a “stand alone” class as opposed to a class that could be part of a progression leading to more advanced classes in a particular subject. For those who want a traditional liberal arts exposure, this distinction would be a downside. From my daughter’s perspective, as a very high achieving all honors/AP high school student, she missed certain aspects of a more traditional liberal arts exposure. On the other hand, once she had the opportunity to figure out which liberal arts courses and instructors had the most “meat” in what they offered, she was able to have a very gratifying, enriching and challenging liberal arts experience in the humanities, literature, and social/cultural studies. In addition, she found that the arts based culture of the school made it much easier for her to balance the demands of her artistic program with the curriculum’s liberal arts requirements.</p>
<p>This having been said, from an acting students perspective, UArts has quite a lot to offer. If you peruse the curriculum online, the breadth and depth of it is apparent. The instructors are excellent and many are working pros who notwithstanding their own performing careers have made teaching an ongoing and continuous part of their professional life. The sophomore year core acting curriculum is a Meisner intensive and on the faculty is a professor who was one of Meisner’s teaching assistants.</p>
<p>ActingDad, I am not shocked that your daughter had not heard of UArts. For a long time it had a regional reputation which, while excellent and well regarded, was none-the-less regional. This has changed quite a bit over the last 4-5 years as UArts graduates have continued to be cast in television series, touring productions and in NYC productions. Also, it has not been until the last couple of years that UArts has done a NYC showcase and worked to formalize its alumni network to garner more visibility. The Director of the School of Theatre mentioned to me last year that as he and the faculty travel around the country for regional auditions and other events, there are still places where UArts is not a well known commodity. I can tell you that 5 years ago, when my daughter was applying to schools, we found a real dichotomy between those who knew of UArts and those who didn’t. However, based on our own due diligence, which included talking to a load of regional theatre professionals (actors, casting directors, directors and pit musicians) and also with a couple of producers from NYC who we ran into at social functions, we received nothing but very favorable feedback. In addition, the audition pool is national in scope and the demographics of matriculated students reflect a diverse group of students from all over the country. Although the demographics are still skewed towards the middle of the east coast, each year there is an increasing number of students from the mid-west, west coast and Florida.</p>
<p>My daughter and I just visited the U of Arts on Saturday. Rather than start a new thread, I thought it made sense to include the report on this thread. As a rule, I think it would be very helpful if we could try to keep posts about a particular school together. </p>
<p>We were favorably impressed. The school has a very good vibe to it with a positive energy. You have to like a city location but its in a very cool spot in Philly. Facilities were quite impressive – theaters, dance studios, etc. The Theater Arts group put on a little mini-performance with various faculty talking about the sub-groups within theater arts. We had favorable impressions of everyone. My daughter is looking a straight acting BFA but wants to be able to continue to keep her hand in musical theater. U of Arts has a nice ability to do that by getting a musical theater minor, the opportunity to audition for shows and available dance classes.</p>
<p>My daughter’s only real concern is she really wants to go somewhere where the acting training is going to really challenge her. She has several years of acting training under her belt including a 5 week program at Stella Adler this past summer. She left not quite sure as none of the students used words like rigorous or challenging to describe the training. Interestingly, she met someone there who had visited Purchase and he did not like Purchase because that sounded too hard core. That converastion only made her think that Purchase was more what she was looking for. We visit Purchase on Wednesday so it will be interesing to make the comparison. </p>
<p>Long and short, I think my daughter will definitely apply to U of Arts. She is a Junior now so we have a bit of time. I don’t think it will be her first choice for straight acting. I think CMU, Purchase, Rutgers and NCSA are better fits for her but obviously all are even more challenging to get into.</p>
<p>If you are interested in serious straight acting programs I would look at the MT schools carefully. In some cases the acting portion might be on the weaker side as compared to an acting major.</p>
<p>I hear what you are saying beenthereMTdad but I think that is pretty school by school specific. I think at CMU or Tisch, for example, the acting programs are on par with the MT programs. At U of Arts, I don’t have any evidence that one is stonger than the other. If anything, the acting program may have the slightly more regarded faculty.</p>
<p>At UArts, the acting majors and MT majors take core acting studio classes together for 7 semesters, 6 hours per week, so they all benefit from the same instructors and core acting curriculum. There is, of course, acting specialization within each program with MT majors taking courses on acting songs and MT repertoire for example while acting majors take mask and acting for the camera as other examples. MT majors also take some of the same voice and speech classes as acting majors in addition to vocal performance and coaching while acting majors take more straight voice and speech classes.</p>
<p>While it is unclear what impression your daughter specifically got from talking to other students, I can tell you that in my daughter’s experience and that of her classmates I met, the acting studio classes were demanding. The hours in class and out were long, the work was challenging with scene studies, partnering and performing in virtually every class session and it was often very tough emotionally as students dealt with issues that interfered with internalizing technique and performing with required commitment and honesty. The acting classes my daughter was in as a MT major were focused and intense. In fact, in both the acting and MT programs, there was a fair degree of attrition over the first 2 years by students who concluded they did not want as intense an experience. The second year Meisner curriculum was especially difficult for most students.</p>