^^^We’ve stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites both times at CCM. A few blocks’ walk to the conservatory. Not sure if that is the same as UC Kingsgate. We had a wonderful brunch at The Green Dog Café (roughly a 10-minute drive from campus).
I forgot about Fairfield! You are right. It’s quite new.
Oklahoma City University – When staying near OCU, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Midtown off the NW Expressway. There are also some great hotels downtown if you want something more unique (21C and the Hilton Skirvin or the Colcord). Or if you want to stay in a more touristy area like Bricktown they have all major chains down there as well (hampton inn, embassy suites, sheraton, marriott, etc…). But for proximity to school, we typically stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Midtown. Its near the mall, Target and school! We also stayed a couple of times at the Renaissance Waterford OKC which is about 10 minutes away.
While at school, make sure you explore all of the degree options, MT, Vocal Performance, Acting BFA and Dance Performance. They each produce a lot of working performers. You may find you can get the training you seek in one of the other majors so consider them all. Check out the facilities for each. Talk to students! Apart from the incredible faculty, they are the biggest selling point of the school.
Things to visit in OKC - Definitely go see the OKC National Memorial and Museum. See shows at OCU if they have any going on. Also look at schedule for Lyric Theatre and City Rep. Both equity houses. Often will find an OCU student or 2 in the cast. If you have other family members with you, some other fun things to do include OKC Zoo, Top Golf in Norman, Boathouse District (surprising to us was the amount of water and boating around okc!) and going to an OKC Thunder basketball game.
Where to eat: Husband’s favorite - inexpensive Mexican and fun drinks at Fuzzy’s in Bricktown or Ted’s Cafe Escondido. Daughter always loved going to La Baguette Bistro whether for brunch, lunch or dinner when we were in town. For breakfast, try Kitchen 324 or Waffle Champion (be prepared to stand in line!); Other favorites include Picasso on Paseo, Empire Slice House for pizza, the Mule for sandwiches/lunch near campus, Also some good shopping and restaurants in Classen Curve.
More updates added in. Thank you!
General Tips:
• Do the official admissions talk and get on their radar
• Sign up for Performance Arts or MT Tour
• Sit in on a theater class and talk with people in the theater department
• Talk to Current MT students
• Ask to sit in on a class or a master class
• See a school show/production
• Check school website for possible discounts and/or hotel recommendations
American U – Washington, DC
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Baldwin Wallace U – Berea, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk with V. Bussert.
Visit downtown Cleveland - the MTs spend quite a bit of time there.
Schedule a conservatory tour. (where MT is housed). It shows some of the university, the theater, a dorm, and conservatory. Much more focused tour, which makes more sense if you are only interested in attending if you are accepted to MT. You can do a full tour at accepted students later. You can also request a MT tour guide and if time allows they will eat lunch/chat with you and your parents.
Giant candy store (BA Sweetie Candy)
Eat: Sweet Mango Thai is good; Campus Grille and Mikes are ok; better restaurants in downtown Cleveland
Sleep: Many reasonably-priced options very close to campus; North Olmsted at the Aloft Hotel; Hotels in Middleberg Heights for proximity to campus (Hampton Inn); Hampton Inn near Stow (if visiting Kent too);
Ball State U - Muncie, IN
Things to visit/People to talk to: Speak with Andrea & set up a day. Very personable & happy to talk.
Eat: Scotty’s for a good burger!
Sleep: Ball State has an Inn & there are plenty of hotels.
Boston Conservatory – Boston, MA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Carnegie Mellon U (CMU) - Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very difficult parking, give yourself plenty of time.
Falling Water is well work the visit (hour away);
Eat: Union Grill, great little local place not far from where campus tour starts
Sleep: Closer to the airport may be cheaper - Embassy Suites by the airport, very nice hotel.
Christopher Newport U – Newport News, VA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) – Cincinnati, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Cincinnati Zoo w Fiona the Baby Hippo.
Eat: Brunch at Green Dog Café (10 min drive); University Heights Area; Clifton neighborhood for local food & shops.
Sleep: UC Kingsgate Marriot & Hampton Inn & Suites/Cincinnati Uptown – both w/in walking distance. Fairfield Inn & Suites; Also, Clifton House (B&B);
Coastal Carolina U – Conway, SC
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Columbia College Chicago – Chicago, IL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Elon U – Elon, NC
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Emerson College – Boston, MA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Florida Southern College – Lakeland, FL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Florida State U – Tallahassee, FL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Ithaca College – Ithaca, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: On drive to Ithaca, visit Corning Museum of Glass
Eat:
Sleep:
Marymount Manhattan College – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very personable and friendly and if you preschedule your drama dept tour they will assign you an admissions counselor that will meet with you after the tour. Gave very personal information regarding financial aid and admissions based on your situation and high school.
Eat:
Sleep:
Muhlenberg College – Allentown, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat: At least one meal on campus. Plenty of other choices in the area.
Sleep: Check the Muhlenberg web site for hotels in the area around school or the Dorney Park area.
New York U (NYU) – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: The Drama Bookshop; TKTS in Times Square for discount theatre tickets.
Eat: Stardust Diner-WaitStaff sing while serving! Great for MT student. Sardi’s – expensive, but great experience; Food Trucks;
Sleep: Double Tree in Times Square; The Row;
North Central College – Naperville, IL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Oklahoma City U – Oklahoma City, OK
Things to visit/People to talk to: Explore all the degree options including MT, VP, Acting BFA & Dance Performance. You may be able to get all the training you want under another major. OKC Nat’l Memorial & Museum; Lyric Theatre & City Rep are equity houses that often cast OKC students. OKC Zoo; Top Golf in Norman; Boathouse District; OKC Thunder Basketball game; Classen Curve has shopping & restaurants.
Eat: Inexpensive Mexican & fun drinks at Fuzzy’s in Bricktown or Ted’s Café Escondido; La Baguette Bistro; For Breakfast-Kitchen 324 or Waffle Champion (very busy); Picasso on Paseo, Empire Slice House for pizza; The Mule for Sandwiches/lunch near campus.
Sleep: Hinton Garden Inn Midtown; More unique in downtown may be 21C, Hilton Skirvin or the Colcord. Renaissance Waterford OKC about 10 mins away. Bricktown has all the major chains.
Otterbein U – Westerville, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Try to attend the Theatre Visit Day in the fall. Kids spend the day on campus with the department that they are interested in, learn about auditions, meet students and faculty, tour campus and theatre school and generally get a good feel for life there. Well worth arranging your schedule around and an opportunity to get your name out there. Spaces are limited and fill up really quickly.
Eat: Some cute restaurants/coffee shops/brew pubs in the old Westerville downtown area 1 block from campus
Sleep:
More updates added in. Thank you!
General Tips:
• Do the official admissions talk and get on their radar
• Sign up for Performance Arts or MT Tour
• Sit in on a theater class and talk with people in the theater department
• Talk to Current MT students
• Ask to sit in on a class or a master class
• See a school show/production
• Check school website for possible discounts and/or hotel recommendations
Pace U – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Pennsylvania State U – University Park, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: We talked to Shannon Ritter, very helpful. She met with us privately and did a private tour. Penn’s Cave for a visit.
Eat: Penn State serves you lunch for free when you book the campus tour.
Sleep: Comfort Inn
Point Park U – Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk to MT head Zeva Barzell… Market Square has craft vendors, local merchants and food most weekends, and it’s a short walk. Point State Park is also a short walk & has view across river to Steelers’ and Pirates’ stadiums.
Eat: Lots of restaurants downtown.
Sleep: Lots of hotels downtown. Good bargain options in Monroeville, about twenty minutes away – Red Roof Inn-not fancy, but newly renovated and inexpensive.
Roosevelt U (CCPA) – Chicago, IL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Shenandoah U – Winchester, VA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
SUNY Fredonia – Fredonia, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Syracuse U – Syracuse, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Temple U – Philadelphia, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Texas Christian U – Fort Worth, TX
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Texas State U – San Marcos, TX
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
U Arizona – Tucson, AZ
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
U Arts – Philadelphia, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
U Hartford (Hartt) – Hartford, CT
Things to visit/People to talk to: People at the school to meet: Director, Alan Rust, Associate Professor of Theatre, Tracey Moore, Assistant Professor of Dance & Music Theatre, Ralph Perkins and Robert Davis, Professor of Theatre - just to name a few. The HPAC is just off campus and is very new and impressive - definitely worth a tour. And see a show there if you can - there is almost always performances going on as it is a conservatory - plays, musicals, concerts and dance. You will be so impressed by these talented kids!
For theatre-Bushnell, Hartford Stage, Goodspeed Opera House (farther away); Elizabeth Park for gardens & restaurant; Mark Twain & Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Walk around beautiful campus; Allen Library within the greater Hartford library houses an extraordinary collection of music, theatre and dance resources collected over the last 100 years. Across the street is Katharine Hepburn’s childhood home. If you are looking for some exposure to history you can visit Old Windsor and Mystic Seaport is just about an hour outside of Hartford - home of Mystic Pizza!
Eat: Blue Back Square many options; Blue Plate Kitchen (get the breakfast there - or for dinner a lobster roll); Westfarms Mall has food options; There’s also Trader Joes, Olive Garden & really good Greek restaurant.
Sleep: Robust selection of Air BnBs
U Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Do both campus & theatre tours, as they’re different campuses.
Eat: Zingermans; Savas;
Sleep: Hampton Inn-Ann Arbor N; Residence Inn; The Graduate
U Northern Colorado (UNOCO) – Greeley, CO
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
U Oklahoma – Norman, OK
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
U Tampa – Tampa, FL
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Viterbo U – La Crosse, WI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Weber Center for the Performing Arts - beautiful off campus venue on the Mississippi arising from a La Crosse Community Theatre and Viterbo partnership. The upcoming spring musical (James and the Giant Peach) will be presented there. Downtown/Riverside Park
Talk to Matt Campbell (chair) and Rick Walters (director of recruitment). @hasbro has D who is a sophomore MT @ Viterbo & is a tour guide.
Eat: Waterfront Restaurant (fancy); Buzzard Billy’s (casual)
Sleep:
Wagner College – Staten Island, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Western CT State U (WCSU) – Danbury, CT
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat:
Sleep:
Western Michigan U – Kalamazoo, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Tour Fine Arts Plaza including Gilmore Theatre Complex (3 theatres!), Miller Auditorium, Dalton Center (dance classes in here). Walk around the series of plazas in the interior of campus.
Talk to Jay Berkow, head of the MT program - former Broadway actor/dancer, amazing person.
Drive down W. Michigan Avenue and onto E. Michigan Ave. into old downtown Kalamazoo.
Eat: Crow’s Nest for a funky student vibe near campus, Food Dance for upscale farm-to-table in old downtown.
Sleep: The Oaklands, a wonderful B&B in a restored Italianate villa right in the center of campus. Best chain hotels are the Marriott Courtyard and Homewood Suites on Trade Centre Way.
Shenandoah U – Winchester, VA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Me! I’m the director of the musical theatre program. Also talk to Holly Johnson in admissions, and Kevin Covert who heads up musical theatre recruiting and teaches musical theatre acting courses while also directing two of the shows. Music director Rick Edinger and Coordinator of Musical Theatre Dance, Jacob Brent (who also directs) are also happy to chat with prospective students.
Off-campus things to see: The city of Winchester changed hands between Union and Confederates more than any other city in the United States - 70+ times. There are a lot of Civil War related places to visit on the outskirts of town, but be sure to visit the historic downtown walking mall. Many of the buildings were there during the war and there are several historical markers. George Washington held his first public office here as surveyor of Frederick County; there is a small museum downtown where you can learn more. If you are a fan of Patsy Cline, this is where she grew up and there is a small museum in her childhood home.
Eat: Winchester Thai or Union Jack on the downtown mall. Glory Days near campus. For great locally roasted coffee, visit Hopscotch Coffee.
Sleep: The Hampton Inn is right next to campus. If you want to splurge for something really nice, stay at the George Washington in the downtown area.
@VoiceTeacher Thank you! And I look forward to meeting you at some point in the not too distant future!
Texas State U – San Marcos, TX
Things to visit/People to talk to: Oh gosh! Way to much to do in just a few days. But here are some suggestions:
-Shopping - go to the huge San Marcos outlet mall or shop in some of the funky/eclectic stores in downtown San Marcos
-Recreation - if its warm, either hang out in Sewell Park and/or rent a tube and float the river. You can rent tubes right by campus. Go hiking at any one of nearby nature preserves.
-Beer Wine Adventures - Middleton Brewing (10 minutes west); Real Ale Brewing (45 minutes away in Blanco, TX but worth the drive. New tasting room and great beer); La Cruz de Comal Winery (30 minutes drive to this very small but beautiful winery; Fredericksburg, TX (75 minutes away but the heart of Texas Wine County - too many great wineries to list).
-People to Talk to: Kaitlin Hopkins (duh) Head of Musical Theatre, Michael Maresca, Head of Voice, Cassie Abate or Kiira Schmidt (dance), any of the awesome students!
Eat: So many great places to eat! Aquabrew (my favorite), Root Cellar (also awesome), Palmer’s (get the guacamole), Railyard (burgers), Urban Bricks Pizza, Pie Society Pizza, Kent Black’s BBQ, Blue Dahlia, Taproom (all the foregoing except Kent Blacks are within 3-4 blocks of the theatre buildings - Kent Blacks is a 3 minute drive or 10 minute walk); Centerpoint Station (great burgers accross from the outlet mall), Leaning Pear (Wimberley, TX - 15 minutes); Gristmill (Gruene, TX - 15 minutes); Elizabeth Street Cafe, Magnolia Cafe, S. Congress Cafe, Snooze (all in Austin - 30 minutes); Oasis (on a nice day. Its on Lake Travis and will take 45-55 minutes to get there but worth it if its nice weather); For breakfast go to Jo’s Cafe and have a breakfast taco; For a good cup of coffee - Jo on the Go (directly across the street from the Performing Arts Building.
Sleep: Many new hotels to choose from. Embassy Suites (most expensive but a great made to order breakfast bar/buffet), Hampton Inn (close to campus - but nothing is too far away), Country Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Candlewood Suites, Wingate. The only budget place I would recommend is Baymont Inn by the Outlets.
Have fun in San Marcos!
And (for Texas State) Torchy’s Tacos! It has become my first stop when I arrive in town!
Hi All,
To shrink the list a bit, I’ve eliminated the schools that haven’t been filled in with info yet. If someone posts info on any schools not currently on the list, I’ll gladly add them in!
General Tips:
• Do the official admissions talk and get on their radar
• Sign up for Performance Arts or MT Tour
• Sit in on a theater class and talk with people in the theater department
• Talk to Current MT students
• Ask to sit in on a class or a master class
• See a school show/production
• Check school website for possible discounts and/or hotel recommendations
Baldwin Wallace U – Berea, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk with V. Bussert.
Visit downtown Cleveland - the MTs spend quite a bit of time there.
Schedule a conservatory tour. (where MT is housed). It shows some of the university, the theater, a dorm, and conservatory. Much more focused tour, which makes more sense if you are only interested in attending if you are accepted to MT. You can do a full tour at accepted students later. You can also request a MT tour guide and if time allows they will eat lunch/chat with you and your parents.
Giant candy store (BA Sweetie Candy)
Eat: Sweet Mango Thai is good; Campus Grille and Mikes are ok; better restaurants in downtown Cleveland
Sleep: Many reasonably-priced options very close to campus; North Olmsted at the Aloft Hotel; Hotels in Middleberg Heights for proximity to campus (Hampton Inn); Hampton Inn near Stow (if visiting Kent too);
Ball State U - Muncie, IN
Things to visit/People to talk to: Speak with Andrea & set up a day. Very personable & happy to talk.
Eat: Scotty’s for a good burger!
Sleep: Ball State has an Inn & there are plenty of hotels.
Carnegie Mellon U (CMU) - Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very difficult parking, give yourself plenty of time.
Falling Water is well work the visit (hour away);
Eat: Union Grill, great little local place not far from where campus tour starts
Sleep: Closer to the airport may be cheaper - Embassy Suites by the airport, very nice hotel.
Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) – Cincinnati, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Cincinnati Zoo w Fiona the Baby Hippo.
Eat: Brunch at Green Dog Café (10 min drive); University Heights Area; Clifton neighborhood for local food & shops.
Sleep: UC Kingsgate Marriot & Hampton Inn & Suites/Cincinnati Uptown – both w/in walking distance. Fairfield Inn & Suites; Also, Clifton House (B&B)
Muhlenberg College – Allentown, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat: At least one meal on campus. Plenty of other choices in the area.
Sleep: Check the Muhlenberg web site for hotels in the area around school or the Dorney Park area.
New York U (NYU) – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: The Drama Bookshop; TKTS in Times Square for discount theatre tickets.
Eat: Stardust Diner-WaitStaff sing while serving! Great for MT student. Sardi’s – expensive, but great experience; Food Trucks;
Sleep: Double Tree in Times Square; The Row;
Oklahoma City U – Oklahoma City, OK
Things to visit/People to talk to: Explore all the degree options including MT, VP, Acting BFA & Dance Performance. You may be able to get all the training you want under another major. OKC Nat’l Memorial & Museum; Lyric Theatre & City Rep are equity houses that often cast OKC students. OKC Zoo; Top Golf in Norman; Boathouse District; OKC Thunder Basketball game; Classen Curve has shopping & restaurants.
Eat: Inexpensive Mexican & fun drinks at Fuzzy’s in Bricktown or Ted’s Café Escondido; La Baguette Bistro; For Breakfast-Kitchen 324 or Waffle Champion (very busy); Picasso on Paseo, Empire Slice House for pizza; The Mule for Sandwiches/lunch near campus.
Sleep: Hinton Garden Inn Midtown; More unique in downtown may be 21C, Hilton Skirvin or the Colcord. Renaissance Waterford OKC about 10 mins away. Bricktown has all the major chains.
Otterbein U – Westerville, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Try to attend the Theatre Visit Day in the fall. Kids spend the day on campus with the department that they are interested in, learn about auditions, meet students and faculty, tour campus and theatre school and generally get a good feel for life there. Well worth arranging your schedule around and an opportunity to get your name out there. Spaces are limited and fill up really quickly.
Eat: Some cute restaurants/coffee shops/brew pubs in the old Westerville downtown area 1 block from campus
Sleep:
Hi All,
To shrink the list a bit, I’ve eliminated the schools that haven’t been filled in with info yet. If someone posts info on any schools not currently on the list, I’ll gladly add them in!
General Tips:
• Do the official admissions talk and get on their radar
• Sign up for Performance Arts or MT Tour
• Sit in on a theater class and talk with people in the theater department
• Talk to Current MT students
• Ask to sit in on a class or a master class
• See a school show/production
• Check school website for possible discounts and/or hotel recommendations
Baldwin Wallace U – Berea, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk with V. Bussert.
Visit downtown Cleveland - the MTs spend quite a bit of time there.
Schedule a conservatory tour. (where MT is housed). It shows some of the university, the theater, a dorm, and conservatory. Much more focused tour, which makes more sense if you are only interested in attending if you are accepted to MT. You can do a full tour at accepted students later. You can also request a MT tour guide and if time allows they will eat lunch/chat with you and your parents.
Giant candy store (BA Sweetie Candy)
Eat: Sweet Mango Thai is good; Campus Grille and Mikes are ok; better restaurants in downtown Cleveland
Sleep: Many reasonably-priced options very close to campus; North Olmsted at the Aloft Hotel; Hotels in Middleberg Heights for proximity to campus (Hampton Inn); Hampton Inn near Stow (if visiting Kent too);
Ball State U - Muncie, IN
Things to visit/People to talk to: Speak with Andrea & set up a day. Very personable & happy to talk.
Eat: Scotty’s for a good burger!
Sleep: Ball State has an Inn & there are plenty of hotels.
Carnegie Mellon U (CMU) - Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very difficult parking, give yourself plenty of time.
Falling Water is well work the visit (hour away);
Eat: Union Grill, great little local place not far from where campus tour starts
Sleep: Closer to the airport may be cheaper - Embassy Suites by the airport, very nice hotel.
Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) – Cincinnati, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Cincinnati Zoo w Fiona the Baby Hippo.
Eat: Brunch at Green Dog Café (10 min drive); University Heights Area; Clifton neighborhood for local food & shops.
Sleep: UC Kingsgate Marriot & Hampton Inn & Suites/Cincinnati Uptown – both w/in walking distance. Fairfield Inn & Suites; Also, Clifton House (B&B)
Muhlenberg College – Allentown, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat: At least one meal on campus. Plenty of other choices in the area.
Sleep: Check the Muhlenberg web site for hotels in the area around school or the Dorney Park area.
New York U (NYU) – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: The Drama Bookshop; TKTS in Times Square for discount theatre tickets.
Eat: Stardust Diner-WaitStaff sing while serving! Great for MT student. Sardi’s – expensive, but great experience; Food Trucks;
Sleep: Double Tree in Times Square; The Row;
Oklahoma City U – Oklahoma City, OK
Things to visit/People to talk to: Explore all the degree options including MT, VP, Acting BFA & Dance Performance. You may be able to get all the training you want under another major. OKC Nat’l Memorial & Museum; Lyric Theatre & City Rep are equity houses that often cast OKC students. OKC Zoo; Top Golf in Norman; Boathouse District; OKC Thunder Basketball game; Classen Curve has shopping & restaurants.
Eat: Inexpensive Mexican & fun drinks at Fuzzy’s in Bricktown or Ted’s Café Escondido; La Baguette Bistro; For Breakfast-Kitchen 324 or Waffle Champion (very busy); Picasso on Paseo, Empire Slice House for pizza; The Mule for Sandwiches/lunch near campus.
Sleep: Hinton Garden Inn Midtown; More unique in downtown may be 21C, Hilton Skirvin or the Colcord. Renaissance Waterford OKC about 10 mins away. Bricktown has all the major chains.
Otterbein U – Westerville, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Try to attend the Theatre Visit Day in the fall. Kids spend the day on campus with the department that they are interested in, learn about auditions, meet students and faculty, tour campus and theatre school and generally get a good feel for life there. Well worth arranging your schedule around and an opportunity to get your name out there. Spaces are limited and fill up really quickly.
Eat: Some cute restaurants/coffee shops/brew pubs in the old Westerville downtown area 1 block from campus
Sleep:
Sorry for the duplicate post above. To continue the list…
Pennsylvania State U – University Park, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: We talked to Shannon Ritter, very helpful. She met with us privately and did a private tour. Penn’s Cave for a visit.
Eat: Penn State serves you lunch for free when you book the campus tour.
Sleep: Comfort Inn
Point Park U – Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk to MT head Zeva Barzell… Market Square has craft vendors, local merchants and food most weekends, and it’s a short walk. Point State Park is also a short walk & has view across river to Steelers’ and Pirates’ stadiums.
Eat: Lots of restaurants downtown.
Sleep: Lots of hotels downtown. Good bargain options in Monroeville, about twenty minutes away – Red Roof Inn-not fancy, but newly renovated and inexpensive.
Shenandoah U – Winchester, VA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Me! I’m the director of the musical theatre program. (Matthew Edwards). Also talk to Holly Johnson in admissions, and Kevin Covert who heads up musical theatre recruiting and teaches musical theatre acting courses while also directing two of the shows. Music director Rick Edinger and Coordinator of Musical Theatre Dance, Jacob Brent (who also directs) are also happy to chat with prospective students.
Off-campus things to see: The city of Winchester changed hands between Union and Confederates more than any other city in the United States - 70+ times. There are a lot of Civil War related places to visit on the outskirts of town, but be sure to visit the historic downtown walking mall. Many of the buildings were there during the war and there are several historical markers. George Washington held his first public office here as surveyor of Frederick County; there is a small museum downtown where you can learn more. If you are a fan of Patsy Cline, this is where she grew up and there is a small museum in her childhood home.
Eat: Winchester Thai or Union Jack on the downtown mall. Glory Days near campus. For great locally roasted coffee, visit Hopscotch Coffee.
Sleep: The Hampton Inn is right next to campus. If you want to splurge for something really nice, stay at the George Washington in the downtown area.
Texas State U – San Marcos, TX
Things to visit/People to talk to: -People to Talk to: Kaitlin Hopkins (duh) Head of Musical Theatre, Michael Maresca, Head of Voice, Cassie Abate or Kiira Schmidt (dance), any of the awesome students!
-Shopping - huge San Marcos outlet mall or shop in the funky/eclectic stores in downtown San Marcos
-Recreation - if it is warm, hang out in Sewell Park and/or rent a tube (by campus) and float the river. Hike at any one of nearby nature preserves.
-Beer Wine Adventures - Middleton Brewing (10 mins west); Real Ale Brewing (45 mins in Blanco, TX but worth the drive. New tasting room and great beer); La Cruz de Comal Winery (30 mins drive to this small but beautiful winery; Fredericksburg, TX (75 mins, but the heart of Texas Wine County). (Many wineries)
Eat: All w/in walking distance-Aquabrew (my favorite), Root Cellar (also awesome), Palmer’s (get the guacamole), Railyard (burgers), Urban Bricks Pizza, Pie Society Pizza, Kent Black’s BBQ, Blue Dahlia, Taproom; 10 min walk/3min drive to Kent Black’s BBQ; Centerpoint Station (great burgers across from the outlet mall), Leaning Pear (Wimberley, TX - 15 minutes); Gristmill (Gruene, TX - 15 minutes); Elizabeth Street Cafe, Magnolia Cafe, S. Congress Cafe, Snooze (all in Austin - 30 minutes); Oasis (on a nice day. It’s on Lake Travis and will take 45-55 minutes to get there but worth it if its nice weather); For breakfast go to Jo’s Cafe and have a breakfast taco; For a good cup of coffee - Jo on the Go (directly across the street from the Performing Arts Building.; Torchy’s Tacos!
Sleep: Many new hotels to choose from. Embassy Suites (most expensive but a great made to order breakfast bar/buffet), Hampton Inn (close to campus-but nothing is too far away), Country Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Candlewood Suites, Wingate. The only budget place I would recommend is Baymont Inn by the Outlets.
U Hartford (Hartt) – Hartford, CT
Things to visit/People to talk to: People at the school to meet: Director, Alan Rust, Associate Professor of Theatre, Tracey Moore, Assistant Professor of Dance & Music Theatre, Ralph Perkins and Robert Davis, Professor of Theatre - just to name a few. The HPAC is just off campus and is very new and impressive - definitely worth a tour. And see a show there if you can - there is almost always performances going on as it is a conservatory - plays, musicals, concerts and dance. You will be so impressed by these talented kids!
For theatre-Bushnell, Hartford Stage, Goodspeed Opera House (farther away); Elizabeth Park for gardens & restaurant; Mark Twain & Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Walk around beautiful campus; Allen Library within the greater Hartford library houses an extraordinary collection of music, theatre and dance resources collected over the last 100 years. Across the street is Katharine Hepburn’s childhood home. If you are looking for some exposure to history you can visit Old Windsor and Mystic Seaport is just about an hour outside of Hartford - home of Mystic Pizza!
Eat: Blue Back Square many options; Blue Plate Kitchen (get the breakfast there - or for dinner a lobster roll); Westfarms Mall has food options; There’s also Trader Joes, Olive Garden & really good Greek restaurant.
Sleep: Robust selection of Air BnBs
U Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Do both campus & theatre tours, as they’re different campuses. If you have a chance to visit downtown, we recommend that you check out Main Street for some fantastic local shops and restaurants. State Street is great for the college crowd with several U-M apparel shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. Kerrytown Market & Shops is also a wonderful area to visit.
Eat: Zingermans; Savas;
Sleep: Hampton Inn-Ann Arbor N; Residence Inn; The Graduate; Holiday Inn; Red Roof Plus Ann Arbor; Hampton Inn Ann Arbor North; Microtel Inn & Suites; Holiday Inn Express
Viterbo U – La Crosse, WI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Weber Center for the Performing Arts - beautiful off campus venue on the Mississippi arising from a La Crosse Community Theatre and Viterbo partnership. The upcoming spring musical (James and the Giant Peach) will be presented there. Downtown/Riverside Park
Talk to Matt Campbell (chair) and Rick Walters (director of recruitment). @hasbro has D who is a sophomore MT @ Viterbo & is a tour guide.
Eat: Waterfront Restaurant (fancy); Buzzard Billy’s (casual)
Sleep:
Western Michigan U – Kalamazoo, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Tour Fine Arts Plaza including Gilmore Theatre Complex (3 theatres!), Miller Auditorium, Dalton Center (dance classes in here). Walk around the series of plazas in the interior of campus.
Talk to Jay Berkow, head of the MT program - former Broadway actor/dancer, amazing person.
Drive down W. Michigan Avenue and onto E. Michigan Ave. into old downtown Kalamazoo.
Eat: Crow’s Nest for a funky student vibe near campus, Food Dance for upscale farm-to-table in old downtown.
Sleep: The Oaklands, a wonderful B&B in a restored Italianate villa right in the center of campus. Best chain hotels are the Marriott Courtyard and Homewood Suites on Trade Centre Way
Just noticed the Point Park info. I would advise against staying in Monroeville because traffic is usually backed up going through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel to downtown AND getting back out to Monroeville–THE WORST! The Hampton Inn University Medical Center is a good place to stay next to the soon to be former PIttsburgh Playhouse and offers Point Park and CMU rates. My favorite downtown hotel is the Hampton Inn Pittsburgh Downtown across the street from the Convention Center and the Heinz Museum and within walking distance to the theater district. On the weekends the 3rd street parking garage near PP’s campus is flat rate parking all day (either $5 or $6)
University of the Arts (UArts):
Things to Do:
—There’s so much! UArts is right in the Arts District, so you can pick from many venues to see a play, musical, musical performance, dance… But, I would recommend trying to visit during a UArts theatre performance; the atmosphere is unlike any I’ve experienced, and this, with the obvious support of fellow students in the audiences, is one of the things that drew my D to the school!
—Walk around Center City, which is UArts’ neighborhood. It’s a cool area with great stores, restaurants, and some neat historical buildings.
—If you have time to tour just a little bit further around UArts (but still walking distance), and you’ve never experienced historical Philly, see the Independence Hall/Liberty Bell area. There are many great historical buildings and museums there. Away from the historic part, the art museum is great, and, if you have younger kids with you, the Franklin Institute is also neat. There are some neat parks around, too. (Rittenhouse and Spruce Street Harbor are frequented by students.)
People to Talk To:
—My D and a few of her friends love talking to prospective students, so feel free to PM me if your student would be interested in this. My D also used to be a tour guide, and is now an RA and a peer tutor, so she can provide perspective on many different areas. Of course, reach out to other students, too!
—David Howey, the Head of Theatre, Rick Stoppleworth, former Head of Theatre, and/or Amy Dugas Brown, who is actually Head of the DPP department (directing, playwriting, producing) but often adjudicates auditions
Eat:
—With UArts’ location, there are a plethora of great choices. Just a few of our favorites off the top of my head just in Center City are: Bocconcini, Georgio on Pine, Green Eggs Cafe (breakfast/lunch–very popular, so get there early), Magpie (pies, chicken pot pie, etc), Go Popcorn (popcorn, of course, lol), HipCityVeg (vegetarian), Federal Donuts, Various places in Reading Terminal, Scoop Deville (ice cream)… Of course, there are many more great places in Center City and beyond. Yelp is a great help.
Sleep:
—We usually stay at the Doubletree on Broad; it’s convenient and nice. We’ve also stayed at hotels by the airport (when Doubletree was too expensive or booked); it’s an easy 15 minute uber. Alexander Inn is a neat little boutique hotel that we’ve stayed at a few times.
I also want to add to Otterbein’s if I can…
Eat:
—Graeters Ice Cream and Schneider’s Donuts—Both are within easy walking distance to the college and are delicious! Graeters is a yummy Ohio-based ice cream (we do ice cream well in Ohio 
), and Schneider’s has terrific homemade donuts. Whit’s Ice Cream is also right there in the cute town if you’re more in the mood for custard, and it’s scrumptious, as well! (One must always know the sweet spots to hit, I think. 
)
^^^YES to Graeters Ice Cream!
Wanted to bump this up for those school visits…
General Tips:
• Do the official admissions talk and get on their radar
• Sign up for Performance Arts or MT Tour
• Sit in on a theater class and talk with people in the theater department
• Talk to Current MT students
• Ask to sit in on a class or a master class
• See a school show/production
• Check school website for possible discounts and/or hotel recommendations
Baldwin Wallace U – Berea, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk with V. Bussert.
Visit downtown Cleveland - the MTs spend quite a bit of time there.
Schedule a conservatory tour. (where MT is housed). It shows some of the university, the theater, a dorm, and conservatory. Much more focused tour, which makes more sense if you are only interested in attending if you are accepted to MT. You can do a full tour at accepted students later. You can also request a MT tour guide and if time allows they will eat lunch/chat with you and your parents.
Giant candy store (BA Sweetie Candy)
Eat: Sweet Mango Thai is good; Campus Grille and Mikes are ok; better restaurants in downtown Cleveland
Sleep: Many reasonably-priced options very close to campus; North Olmsted at the Aloft Hotel; Hotels in Middleberg Heights for proximity to campus (Hampton Inn); Hampton Inn near Stow (if visiting Kent too);
Ball State U - Muncie, IN
Things to visit/People to talk to: Speak with Andrea & set up a day. Very personable & happy to talk.
Eat: Scotty’s for a good burger!
Sleep: Ball State has an Inn & there are plenty of hotels.
Carnegie Mellon U (CMU) - Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very difficult parking, give yourself plenty of time.
Falling Water is well work the visit (hour away);
Eat: Union Grill, great little local place not far from where campus tour starts
Sleep: Closer to the airport may be cheaper - Embassy Suites by the airport, very nice hotel.
Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) – Cincinnati, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Cincinnati Zoo w Fiona the Baby Hippo.
Eat: Brunch at Green Dog Café (10 min drive); University Heights Area; Clifton neighborhood for local food & shops.
Sleep: UC Kingsgate Marriot & Hampton Inn & Suites/Cincinnati Uptown – both w/in walking distance. Fairfield Inn & Suites; Also, Clifton House (B&B);
Marymount Manhattan College – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: Very personable and friendly and if you preschedule your drama dept tour they will assign you an admissions counselor that will meet with you after the tour. Gave very personal information regarding financial aid and admissions based on your situation and high school.
Eat:
Sleep:
Muhlenberg College – Allentown, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to:
Eat: At least one meal on campus. Plenty of other choices in the area.
Sleep: Check the Muhlenberg web site for hotels in the area around school or the Dorney Park area.
New York U (NYU) – New York, NY
Things to visit/People to talk to: The Drama Bookshop; TKTS in Times Square for discount theatre tickets.
Eat: Stardust Diner-WaitStaff sing while serving! Great for MT student. Sardi’s – expensive, but great experience; Food Trucks;
Sleep: Double Tree in Times Square; The Row;
Oklahoma City U – Oklahoma City, OK
Things to visit/People to talk to: Explore all the degree options including MT, VP, Acting BFA & Dance Performance. You may be able to get all the training you want under another major. OKC Nat’l Memorial & Museum; Lyric Theatre & City Rep are equity houses that often cast OKC students. OKC Zoo; Top Golf in Norman; Boathouse District; OKC Thunder Basketball game; Classen Curve has shopping & restaurants.
Eat: Inexpensive Mexican & fun drinks at Fuzzy’s in Bricktown or Ted’s Café Escondido; La Baguette Bistro; For Breakfast-Kitchen 324 or Waffle Champion (very busy); Picasso on Paseo, Empire Slice House for pizza; The Mule for Sandwiches/lunch near campus.
Sleep: Hinton Garden Inn Midtown; More unique in downtown may be 21C, Hilton Skirvin or the Colcord. Renaissance Waterford OKC about 10 mins away. Bricktown has all the major chains.
Otterbein U – Westerville, OH
Things to visit/People to talk to: Try to attend the Theatre Visit Day in the fall. Kids spend the day on campus with the department that they are interested in, learn about auditions, meet students and faculty, tour campus and theatre school and generally get a good feel for life there. Well worth arranging your schedule around and an opportunity to get your name out there. Spaces are limited and fill up really quickly.
Eat: Some cute restaurants/coffee shops/brew pubs in the old Westerville downtown area 1 block from campus; Graeters Ice Cream and Schneider’s Donuts—Both are within easy walking distance to the college and are delicious! Graeters is a yummy Ohio-based ice cream (we do ice cream well in Ohio ), and Schneider’s has terrific homemade donuts. Whit’s Ice Cream is also right there in the cute town if you’re more in the mood for custard, and it’s scrumptious, as well!
Sleep:
Continued…
Pennsylvania State U – University Park, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: We talked to Shannon Ritter, very helpful. She met with us privately and did a private tour. Penn’s Cave for a visit.
Eat: Penn State serves you lunch for free when you book the campus tour.
Sleep: Comfort Inn
Point Park U – Pittsburgh, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Talk to MT head Zeva Barzell… Market Square (short walk) has craft vendors, local merchants and food most weekends. Point State Park is also a short walk & has view across river to Steelers’ and Pirates’ stadiums.
Eat: Lots of restaurants downtown.
Sleep: Lots of hotels downtown. Good bargain options in Monroeville, about twenty minutes away (often has bad traffic though!) Red Roof Inn-not fancy, but newly renovated and inexpensive, but traffic can be terrible!
The Hampton Inn U Medical Center is a good place to stay and offers Point Park and CMU rates. Favorite downtown hotel is the Hampton Inn Pittsburgh Downtown across street from Convention Center and the Heinz Museum. Walking distance to the theater district. On the weekends the 3rd street parking garage near PP’s campus is flat rate parking all day (either $5 or $6)
Shenandoah U – Winchester, VA
Things to visit/People to talk to: Me! I’m the director of the MT program. (Matthew Edwards). Also talk to Holly Johnson in admissions, and Kevin Covert who heads up MT recruiting and teaches MT acting courses while also directing two of the shows. Music director Rick Edinger and Coordinator of MT Dance, Jacob Brent (who also directs) are also happy to chat with prospective students.
Off-campus things to see: The city of Winchester changed hands between Union and Confederates more than any other city in the United States - 70+ times. There are a lot of Civil War related places to visit on the outskirts of town, but visit the historic downtown walking mall. Many buildings form war and several historical markers. George Washington held his first public office here as surveyor of Frederick County; there is a small museum downtown. Patsy Cline grew up her and has small museum in her childhood home.
Eat: Winchester Thai or Union Jack on the downtown mall. Glory Days near campus. For great locally roasted coffee, visit Hopscotch Coffee.
Sleep: The Hampton Inn is right next to campus. La Quinta Inn was modern/clean (booked through priceline for <$70/night) If you want to splurge for something really nice, stay at the George Washington in the downtown area.
Texas State U – San Marcos, TX
Things to visit/People to talk to: -People to Talk to: Kaitlin Hopkins Head of MT, Michael Maresca, Head of Voice, Cassie Abate or Kiira Schmidt (dance), any of the awesome students!
-Shopping - huge San Marcos outlet mall or shop in the funky/eclectic stores in downtown San Marcos
-Recreation - if it is warm, hang out in Sewell Park and/or rent a tube (by campus) and float the river. Hike at any one of nearby nature preserves.
-Beer Wine Adventures - Middleton Brewing (10 mins west); Real Ale Brewing (45 mins in Blanco, TX but worth the drive); La Cruz de Comal Winery (30 mins drive to this small but beautiful winery; Fredericksburg, TX (75 mins, but the heart of Texas Wine County). (Many wineries)
Eat: All w/in walking distance-Aquabrew (my favorite), Root Cellar (also awesome), Palmer’s (get the guacamole), Railyard (burgers), Urban Bricks Pizza, Pie Society Pizza, Kent Black’s BBQ, Blue Dahlia, Taproom; 10 min walk/3min drive to Kent Black’s BBQ; Centerpoint Station (great burgers across from the outlet mall), Leaning Pear (Wimberley, TX - 15 minutes); Gristmill (Gruene, TX - 15 minutes); Elizabeth Street Cafe, Magnolia Cafe, S. Congress Cafe, Snooze (all in Austin - 30 minutes); Oasis (on a nice day. It’s on Lake Travis and will take 45-55 minutes to get there but worth it if its nice weather); For breakfast go to Jo’s Cafe and have a breakfast taco; For a good cup of coffee - Jo on the Go (directly across the street from the Performing Arts Building.; Torchy’s Tacos!
Sleep: Many new hotels to choose from. Embassy Suites (most expensive but a great made to order breakfast bar/buffet), Hampton Inn (close to campus-but nothing is too far away), Country Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Candlewood Suites, Wingate. The only budget place I would recommend is Baymont Inn by the Outlets.
Continued…
U Arts – Philadelphia, PA
Things to visit/People to talk to: David Howey, the Head of Theatre, Rick Stoppleworth, former Head of Theatre, and/or Amy Dugas Brown, who is actually Head of the DPP department (directing, playwriting, producing) but often adjudicates auditions
Walk around Center City, which is UArts’ neighborhood (great stores/restaurants); Independence Hall/Liberty Bell area. There are many great historical buildings and museums there. Away from the historic part, the art museum is great, and, if you have younger kids with you, the Franklin Institute is also neat. There are some neat parks around, too. (Rittenhouse and Spruce Street Harbor are frequented by students.)
Eat: Bocconcini, Georgio on Pine, Green Eggs Cafe (breakfast/lunch–very popular, so get there early), Magpie (pies, chicken pot pie, etc), Go Popcorn (popcorn, of course, lol), HipCityVeg (vegetarian), Federal Donuts, Various places in Reading Terminal, Scoop Deville (ice cream)… Of course, there are many more great places in Center City and beyond. Yelp is a great help.
Sleep: Doubletree on Broad; it’s convenient and nice. We’ve also stayed at hotels by the airport (when Doubletree was too expensive or booked); it’s an easy 15 minute uber. Alexander Inn is a neat little boutique hotel that we’ve stayed at a few times.
U Hartford (Hartt) – Hartford, CT
Things to visit/People to talk to: People at the school to meet: Director, Alan Rust, Associate Professor of Theatre, Tracey Moore, Assistant Professor of Dance & Music Theatre, Ralph Perkins and Robert Davis, Professor of Theatre - just to name a few. The HPAC is just off campus and is very new and impressive - definitely worth a tour. And see a show there if you can - there is almost always performances going on as it is a conservatory - plays, musicals, concerts and dance. You will be so impressed by these talented kids!
For theatre-Bushnell, Hartford Stage, Goodspeed Opera House (farther away); Elizabeth Park for gardens & restaurant; Mark Twain & Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Walk around beautiful campus; Allen Library within the greater Hartford library houses an extraordinary collection of music, theatre and dance resources collected over the last 100 years. Across the street is Katharine Hepburn’s childhood home. If you are looking for some exposure to history you can visit Old Windsor and Mystic Seaport is just about an hour outside of Hartford - home of Mystic Pizza!
Eat: Blue Back Square many options; Blue Plate Kitchen (get the breakfast there - or for dinner a lobster roll); Westfarms Mall has food options; There’s also Trader Joes, Olive Garden & really good Greek restaurant.
Sleep: Robust selection of Air BnBs
U Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Do both campus & theatre tours, as they’re different campuses. If you have a chance to visit downtown, we recommend that you check out Main Street for some fantastic local shops and restaurants. State Street is great for the college crowd with several U-M apparel shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. Kerrytown Market & Shops is also a wonderful area to visit.
Eat: Zingermans; Savas;
Sleep: Hampton Inn-Ann Arbor N; Residence Inn; The Graduate; Holiday Inn; Red Roof Plus Ann Arbor; Hampton Inn Ann Arbor North; Microtel Inn & Suites; Holiday Inn Express
Viterbo U – La Crosse, WI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Weber Center for the Performing Arts - beautiful off campus venue on the Mississippi arising from a La Crosse Community Theatre and Viterbo partnership. The upcoming spring musical (James and the Giant Peach) will be presented there. Downtown/Riverside Park
Talk to Matt Campbell (chair) and Rick Walters (director of recruitment). @hasbro has D who is a sophomore MT @ Viterbo & is a tour guide.
Eat: Waterfront Restaurant (fancy); Buzzard Billy’s (casual)
Sleep:
Western CT State U (WCSU) – Danbury, CT
Things to visit/People to talk to: Danbury Fair Mall if looking for shopping; Bethel is a town next to Danbury that has a quaint ‘Main St’ called Greenwood Ave. Lots of local shops, including The Toy Room (fun, creative gifts and games)
Eat: Rosy Tomorrows (American fare with blast to the past relics from historic Danbury Fair); Max 40 Prime Steakhouse & Fish; Plenty of restaurants all along Mill Plain Rd & Stop & Shop is right there if groceries are needed.
Sleep: Plenty of chain hotels along Mill Plain Rd
Western Michigan U – Kalamazoo, MI
Things to visit/People to talk to: Tour Fine Arts Plaza including Gilmore Theatre Complex (3 theatres!), Miller Auditorium, Dalton Center (dance classes in here). Walk around the series of plazas in the interior of campus.
Talk to Jay Berkow, head of the MT program - former Broadway actor/dancer, amazing person.
Drive down W. Michigan Avenue and onto E. Michigan Ave. into old downtown Kalamazoo.
Eat: Crow’s Nest for a funky student vibe near campus, Food Dance for upscale farm-to-table in old downtown.
Sleep: The Oaklands, a wonderful B&B in a restored Italianate villa right in the center of campus. Best chain hotels are the Marriott Courtyard and Homewood Suites on Trade Centre Way
Bumping this thread for upcoming auditions, in case folks are interested.
@lithpool - thanks, we’ve done NY, Boston and Chicago and a handful of others. Different types, locations and sizes, so my D would get a feel for what appeals to her. I think we’re done visiting for now except for the auditions - and then if she’s admitted to one she hasn’t auditioned for. As mentioned in another thread, spending $$ on applications AND prescreens and saving for travel to Unifieds means a lot less opportunity for other visits.