My D is interested in CCPA’s BFA MT program but we are confused on choosing which emphasis. We’ve been looking for the differences on the website but having trouble. A friend who auditioned there last year said the dance emphasis people don’t take voice the first two years and the vocal people don’t get much dance. The impression she came away with was that neither was what she needed to be a triple threat. That is not what we’ve heard from others about the program in the past. Can anyone help us out with explaining the programs better? To make it more complicated, my D was working on their app and if she chose vocal emphasis it gave her a huge list of names and said to choose your top 3 studios. We didn’t recognize any of the names and couldn’t seem to find any explanation of that on the website either. Any advice @MontclairDiva or @Jkellynh17 or anyone else out there familiar with it? Thanks!
Hi, my S is an acting major so I don’t have any direct experience with this. Maybe @austinmtmom can help?
Hi, my son just started there as MT voice. He will have ballet several times a week. He doesn’t have private voice for the first semester , but an ensemble class where he is evaluated by the teachers. He will be selected for a private studio beginning second semester. Perhaps they have changed their application as there was no mention of pre-selecting a studio last year. That sounds more like a classical voice program (I’m a voice teacher). I’ll be happy to keep you apprised as I learn learn more about the program.
Hi @ourturn2 My D is a senior MT (voice) major I am unaware of any studio choices like you describe. With only ~25 kids in the program I’m not sure how that would work.
Below is an answer I gave to another mom when D was a freshman:
"Freshman year the MT (voice) majors take ensemble first semester and then are assigned to a voice teacher for private hour long weekly voice for the rest of their time at CCPA. Dance majors take both ensemble singing (1st semester) and have private voice (2nd semester freshman thru senior year) but instead of a 4 hour voice lab on Fridays, they have a 4 hour dance lab. Also Dance majors take both ballet and jazz freshman year but voice majors only take ballet. So basically Dancers take more dance and Voice takes more voice but both take a lot of each. Plus there are Saturday dance classes available as well (ie D could have taken a jazz class on Saturday, but she was already taking 18 hours, so would have had to pay for it–I think). Voice majors take ballet (freshman yr), jazz (soph), modern and tap (junior) and MT dance (senior) plus conditioning every year.
My D said “Tell her not to sweat it, she can probably audition for both if she asks, plus once she’s in school here it is possible to change from voice to dance or vice versa!” One of her friends has already changed from voice to dance so she could have more dance without having to pay extra for additional classes on the weekend."
Please feel free to PM me in you have questions! My D definitely feels she has received training in all three aspects of theatre. She has had acting classes each semester including Shakespeare and will be taking an acting for the camera class and dialects this year.
@austinmt thank you for clarifying/further explaining. My daughter is now very interested in this program, after a rep from the school sold it well (at her HSs college fair). She definitely emphasized that you get all three of the elements of MT. I feel like my daughter would benefit from the dance emphasis (the weakest of her threats). We really got a good feel of the program from her. I didn’t plan on taking a road trip to Chicago, but now we just might 
Hi @DramaQueen219, I am a current MT Junior here at the school and would happy to answer any questions you might have! As far as the dance program goes, most people who are dance emphasis have had some type of strong technique training before auditioning. There has been a case that someone did audition MT dance without any strong technical dance experience before and got in but it has not happened since. As MT voice, Jane Lanier (the head of the MT dance program) has a “first cut” rule that has been the minimum for many broadway dance calls and when you take jazz with her during your sophomore year, you will do a mock of it 2-3 times in the semester you have her to track your progress. I myself who has been on auditions out in the city already, have been asked some of the requirements about every time, and was able to deliver. So as an MTV, you do get the dance and you have an option of taking more dance classes on your own out in the city if you want to improve further and faster (and if you have extra credits, you get the classes for free).