Hi There!
Take a look on these 3 pretty cool articles about CCM, Michigan and Carnegie Mellon MT programs.
These articles share their vision and training approach:
CCM:
Michigan:
Carnegie Mellon:
I had also seen those and read all three. It is a series with more coming. @luisen I agree, very cool way to learn about these college programs straight from the horses mouth, but I wish someone (Mary Anna Dennard?) would interview the lesser known program heads. Those are the ones we all need help learning more about, IMHO
I agree with you @Notmath1 though I wonder what other schools will be included. It may be possible that a hidden gem would appear here too.
I imagine schools that will be most apt to be covered are ones that the author has close ties to and with whom she collaborates on workshops for applicants, including the programs covered so far. So, I expect to see Texas State and Pace, for example.
I agree with @soozievt on what we’ll see/read next.
But I would LOVE to read articles on schools that aren’t considered the Ivies of the MT BFA world … when my D was auditioning we were able to find really interesting and typically very unique things about every single school. There is SO much covereage on the tippy top schools - I’d honestly rather read about Western Carolina, Rockford University and/or the University of South Dakota.
I believe that it is pretty hard not to include any top MT school, those schools are the ones with Broadway pedigree. future performers. Still there should be a balance too between those schools and the ones which programs are emerging with future MT actors.
Mary Anna has relationships with many, many schools. She has been advising students on auditioning for colleges for a long time so she has strong relationships with many of them. She has had many students attend all of the schools mentioned above. But she is also a big proponent of many of the smaller, less well known schools. Many of her students choose to go to some of the smaller, less well known schools. So she does not only recommend the top dogs. My guess would be the schools for which she has already written articles about have the most applicants/most curiosity about them which is why they were selected first for such articles. Perhaps someone could write to Backstage or to MA and suggest the schools for which they would like to see additional articles written and perhaps they will take your suggestion and write about them. I assume they are trying to find topics that appeal to the most readers. And your suggestion would be a good one for them to consider.
So many great underrated schools - maybe we don’t want them on the list 
- the top 10 list is helpful, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee a job once students graduate!
@luisen Maybe someone is listening to us 
Not exactly emerging, but redesigned
Hey! @Notmath1 I see! for sure they did!
I am now wondering how long has Danny Gurwin been the head of MT at the Univerisy of Arizona? It sounds great everything he says.
I don’t think we’ve had anyone participating here who attends or had a child attending U of A for a long time now. It had a very bad reputation years ago and there is certainly much discussion of the issues in the school-specific forum. I hope that things have changed there in the intervening years.
That’s right @alwaysamom , it had a very bad reputation but maybe with Danny Gurwin things have change for good.
My daughter is at U of A and loves the program. Lots of positive changes and top notch instruction. Danny Gurwin and Hank Stratton are very devoted to their students.
Arizona seems to have removed the ominous warnings on the theatre department website about “highly competitive admission and retention” and “advancement requirements” including, “Students who have demonstrated talent and professional potential but who do not, cannot, or will not respond to the training will not be advanced.” This would indicate, to me at least, a kinder, gentler approach than was perhaps applied in the past.
They no longer have a cut program. They do require academic achievement.
There are many programs who used to but no longer have cuts. I remember seeing thread about it here but CMU, CCM, Ithaca, Emerson come to mind. This cause much negative talk understandably
I personally love the Arizona program and what Gurwin and Stratton are building there. They impressed many of us at Moonifieds this year, and I’m telling every one I know to check this program out. My son did not choose it when it came down to final decisions, but he loved everything about it.