<p>I'm now trying to decide between these 2 schools. Muhlenberg has given me almost 20,000 in merit scholarships, and if I audition I might get more.
Charles Richter e-mailed me saying that Muhlenberg's dance training is more extensive than CAP21s. But the thing is they only take 3 years of acting classes. They also do these mainstage productions. But there are so many theater majors that some may get left out and not get cast.
I think NYU's a good fit for me, it's just extremely expensive. I haven't gotten my financial aid packet yet, but I'm just looking at other options in case NYU is too expensive for me to go.</p>
<p>These are two very good options, but quite different. One major difference is a BFA vs. a BA. That is a personal decision you need to make (money aside and if cost is the biggest factor than that is different). </p>
<p>I can’t imagine how Muhlenberg’s dance training is more extensive than CAP21. In a BA, there is a limit to how much you can take in your major or minor, whereas in a BFA, the major comprises a huge percentage of your curriculum. That aside, I can tell you that when my kid was in CAP, she was in six dance class periods per week, in all the disciplines. I can’t imagine a BA program having more dance periods than that per week if you major in theater and not dance. You shoud put the curriculums side by side. I think acting will be more important training in the long run than dance (both are important though). Many roles don’t even involve dance but almost all involve acting (unless perhaps in a chorus ensemble). Acting is pretty critical to someone who performs on stage. </p>
<p>That said, I think Muhlenberg is a great BA option!
You’ll have to decide which sort of college program fits your needs as they are quite different even though both are very good at what they do.
The size of the school and the setting are also very different and a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>Omigosh, my daughter (who is in CAP21) told me she sometimes feels like a dance major because they have so darned much dance. Of course, she is happy about that, because dance was the area in which she had had the least training going in.</p>
<p>One great thing about the dance training at CAP is that there are four levels each year. When you get there in August, you take a placement test (dance classes) and then the teachers level you. </p>
<p>Clay, I would say that if you don’t get into CAP21 then, yes, you will have more dance training opps at Muhlenberg, where apparently you don’t have to declare a dance major to take classes in the dance major. And yes, Muhlenberg has a very good dance major.</p>
<p>As soozie points out, there is also a difference between the BA and BFA, though as you know, at NYU Tisch they make you take liberal arts classes!</p>
<p>The great thing is you have two wonderful options. If you haven’t visited Muhlenberg, I would urge you to do so.</p>
<p>The dance program at Muhlenberg is great. Nobody from home had heard of Muhlenberg, except for a couple of my friends who were dancers. My roomie’s a dance major and loves it.</p>
<p>“But the thing is they only take 3 years of acting classes.”
This, I believe, is to give students time to become acquainted with the program and comfortable with their peers. Imagine having to open up in an acting class full of people you’ve just met, versus the same situation, but with people you’ve known for a year and have done shows with and been in other classes with already. I haven’t taken Acting I yet, but I imagine the results would be a lot different.</p>
<p>“They also do these mainstage productions. But there are so many theater majors that some may get left out and not get cast.”
This is true. The same people tend to get cast over and over and over again in mainstages. I know seniors who have been cast in one mainstage production, and I know several freshmen who have already been in two. It’s kind of BS. But there are also blackbox productions and third tiers, so it’s not like if you don’t get cast in a mainstage you’re out for the semester. There are a lot of opportunities and IMHO some of the blackboxes are a lot better than some of the mainstages.</p>
<p>ETA: I also auditioned at NYU- I didn’t get in, but if I had, I definitely would have chosen Muhlenberg. Not just because of the cost but because the atmosphere at NYU struck me as incredibly pretentious (actually got this vibe at several other schools as well) whereas here, for the most part people are really friendly and down to earth.</p>
<p>chelly, sorry you felt that way about NYU. My daughter obviously felt the opposite way: she was excited at how nice and friendly everyone was/is! I do feel like I need to stick up here for NYU because my kid loves it so much and has grown so much this year while there. She has always been an urban kid (we live right outside Baltimore City and she went to school in the middle of the city) but urban in Baltimore is not the same as urban in NY! One wonderful thing about NYU is all the contacts the kids make within the industry. She also loves being in a city that is so diverse: her high school was very racially mixed, and that’s the environment in which she is most comfortable.</p>
<p>That said, my D (who also got accepted to Muhlenberg) absolutely loved Muhlenberg and may well have chosen it had she not decided that a BFA was the best fit for her.</p>
<p>Hm Chelly, same here, I am sorry you got that “pretentious vibe”, and I am wondering who you met, because my daughter actually feels the absolute opposite, everyone in her program at CAP is incredibly supportive of one another, and really happy to part of it all (CAP/Tisch/New York). I can’t quite compare it with Muhlenberg, as my D did not feel it was the right fit for her, but I just wanted to chime in with her experience at NYU. :D</p>
<p>I just want to state that from all the college visits I have done with both of my kids, Muhlenberg was - by far - the friendliest campus. EVERYONE we met, from the Admissions Office, Professors, and students to the maintenance workers and cafeteria workers…everyone was genuinely friendly & helpful.</p>
<p>I did not have a good audition experience at NYU. I would probably have to say that it was my worst audition ever in my entire life. The woman was absolutely terrifying and incredibly unfriendly, stared me down the entire time, rolled her eyes when I messed up during the singing portion, and was very snappish when she asked me questions. I don’t know why she was so cranky because I was only the second person of the day. Basically she made it clear to me that she’d already decided I wasn’t good enough for the program. (I actually had similar experiences with auditions at two other conservatory programs, so it wasn’t just NYU.)</p>
<p>Chelly, I am sorry to hear that. Last year, I heard stories like that from various kids who had auditioned at various schools: at one school, when a young woman said she would be doing a monologue from Shakespeare – the school allows classical stuff – the auditor stared at the girl and said “What makes YOU think you can do SHAKESPEARE?!” and at another, a kid I know was asked if he/she had applied for any non audition schools and when the kid said yes, the auditor said “Good. Maybe you will get into one of them.” MEAN and unnecessary! (By the way, these didn’t happen at NYU but at two other programs often mentioned here.)
I just don’t understand why any auditor feels the need to treat a young person this way. It stinks. I am sorry that happened to you.</p>
<p>Chelly - ugh, that’s horrible, I think it is absolutely and totally unnecessary for an auditor to be mean, especially during college auditions that are nerve wrecking as is. Really sorry to hear that and good for you to keep going!</p>
<p>claydavisbc - while it may seem as if the opportunities are limited by the mainstages, please take a look at the information for the Summer Musical Theatre program at Muhlenberg. They produce three musicals every summer (and you get paid!), so I consider it a definite plus that there are additional opportunities on campus than just during the regular school year.</p>