Musical Theater College Ranking: Opinions?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
21

<p>About this ranking thing :)...</p>

<p>With so many new posters 'on board' I thought I'd bring to the forefront again that there is nothing as personal as picking a college that is the right fit, especially when it comes to MT, and when it came to coming up with "her top 12", it turned out that my D put together quite a eclectic list. </p>

<p>Although it is nice to have a starting point and work with The List on top of our forum, I found that some top schools we researched and "I fell in love with", were not necessarily the right fit for my D. We started out visiting some schools (mostly when we happened to be in the area for other reasons), and I was really thrown off in the beginning by the influence of the "gut feeling" my D had when she would wonder around and/or speak to current students/faculty. This is really incredibly personal.</p>

<p>It soon became clear that living in CA, there was no way we could afford to visit every single school. To compensate and beginning to have a better feeling for what she was looking for, she spent more time seeking out current students at the different schools, and she looked in more detail at their curriculae.</p>

<p>For her it became clear that ideally she wanted the "most intensive training, with equal emphasis on acting, singing & dancing", "some academics mixed in", an urban-ish setting, study abroad/internship/summer job opportunities and a larger sized class & faculty. Not all of the schools on her final list offered all of these elements, but in the end were places where she could see herself attending (for at least three reasons on her list) and be happy. Her final list: Elon, Point Park, Penn, Syracuse, CMU, CCM, NYU Tisch, Marymount Manhattan, Pace University, Webster, UMich, & Boco.</p>

<p>Having worked since she was 12, saving up all her money for college, and with some help from her grandparents, she was fortunate that she was able to audition without a "sticker price" restriction. </p>

<p>I think it is really important to remember that some kids would be downright miserable in certain environments, no matter how "top" the school might be. Also, although it is natural to, even subconsciously, have a first choice, I would venture to say it is critical to keep reminding yourself and your child throughout this process that he or she has "ten number one choices". </p>

<p>One of D's friends (who is now at Harvard) really, really had her heart set on going to Yale. She was completely devastated when she did not get in and had a hard time being even remotely happy about her acceptances (Brown, Columbia, Princeton...). </p>

<p>There truly is a path, plan and place for everyone, albeit not the same one :).</p>

22

<p>Nicely said and absolutely true, MTgrlsmom. So happy for your daughter, and how lovely to be able to audition ED without having to factor in "sticker price" and financial aid. That's truly a blessing.</p>

23

<p>At one time my daughter was thinking of a "safer" career - journalism. (Which may be a joke because even if you graduated from Northwestern you start out at a whopping $30,000 yr). Anyway we read about what is suppose to be one of the #1 Journalism schools in the world whose program sounded just fantastic and from the brochures you are nothing but impressed and excited. I think most of us can relate to "falling in love" with a school's reputation without ever seeing it. And I've never seen a school that ever shows anything but a beautiful campus. (I'm still trying to figure out how at least 4 schools we have run in to all claim to be voted THE most beautiful in the US). Anyway....we visited the campus....and it just did NOT feel like home. Was not a place where she would look forward to living for four years. So I totally relate to what MTgrlsMom said. We know that right now some MT programs sound like #1 but the true test of HER #1 will be visiting the campus and seeing if the whole picture feels like home.</p>

24

<p>Hey, $30,000 a year is not a bad salary for a beginning-level reporter, at least in print! I know a little bit about this, because I spent 26 of my so-far 30 year working life as a reporter. (I never say "journalist;" I always say "reporter," because that's what I was: a reporter. My sister, who is a teacher, feels the same way. She cringes when colleagues say that they are "educators.":)) I was fortunate enough to come out of college (where I did not study journalism; I studied English lit) and land a job at a big city daily. But friends and classmates of mine began at very small, often rural, weekly papers, and more than a few had to supplement their incomes by working part time at convenience stores and other part time jobs. Of course, reporting is much like performing: you don't go into it because you will make a lot of $$$. You go into it because you love it and cannot imagine doing anything else. Despite the ups and downs in the newspaper industry (and I could be wrong, and MomofaPrincess's D might want to be on tv or something!), I still think reporting is probably a "safer" career path (job wise) than is being an MT. At least the reporters that I knew who were good and ambitious almost always got jobs reporting.: )</p>

25

<p>Of course it was TV NMR...she lives to perform!!! She enjoyed being an anchor. But you are right....it's one of those careers you don't do for money just like MT. Her final revelation came when she tried to write the essay explaining why she wanted to study journalism. She's an excellent writer but after 2 days of struggling just couldn't do it. She came to me in tears saying she just couldn't tell them this was what she had dreamed of all her life. I asked her what if the essay was about MT...she said she could have 10 pages in about 20 minutes. I said..."so what's the problem? apply for MT" She really would be happier in a chorus line than being Laurie Dhue.</p>

26

<p>I should have guessed she meant TV, if she moved from that to MT! It sounds as if she certainly did find where her heart truly was, which is the only important thing.
As for me, well, I would have LOATHED having to have people watch me while trying to report the news. Who wants to try to look good while wrangling information? Not me! :) (I learned early on that to really get good information from people, one must sometimes make something of a fool of oneself. Had I had to think about how my hair looked and whether people might think my questions were stupid, well, ugh! I could not have done my job as well as I think I did.) I think your D is right: being on TV as an anchor is performing. It sure (in my opinion) usually ain't real journalism. It's theater. (OK, getting ready to be flamed here. But I agree with the British system, where they call the anchors "presenters." Now <em>that's</em> accurate.:)</p>

27

<p>NMR - I had to chuckle when I read your post. Although I am fully supportive of my D's passion for the theatre, I can't help but wonder at times what prompts her to be so happy on stage and in front of a camera. I am so not camera ready myself, freeze (even when we make home videos :)), and when it comes to stage, let's just say, I had to walk out as a stage hand to deliver some flowers once, and I felt blinded by all the light and was looking for a paper bag from anxiety whether or not I made 'my one cue' (so not cut out for any of this)...</p>

28

<p>Oh, MTgrlsmom, I so relate. As a result, I am obviously absent from many family home videos. Once in awhile, you will see a blur (with bad hair) racing out of the frame.
How these kids do it, and do it with such poise and enjoyment, is beyond me. I really admire and appreciate their ability to do so: it's HARD!! Evidence those locally produced commercials in every market, where the "actors" look as if they are rooted in cement and reading awkwardly from a teleprompter. What does one conclude from those? That acting natural is not for amateurs, and it sure isn't as easy as it looks!</p>

29

<p>You'd have loved it around here at Xmas then. I bought her a camcorder for Xmas. Now we have movies of me rolling out dough for pie, washing lettuce and making a salad....AND a movie of me asleep on the couch SNORING!</p>

30

<p>is there a point to goin to a "good" musical theater school?? i have absolutely not clue in this field, just found it on the hot topics...for schools like wharton (business) it's VERY beneficial to go there, since a lot of big companies interview & recruit especailly from there. so what's the added benefit for going to, say NYU, when it's expensive and you can easily find other schools that offer something similar?</p>

31

<p>It really is up to opinion but UCLA has a great theater and musical theater program.</p>

32

<p>UCLA offers a BA in theatre (admission for acting is by audition/interview) with an optional (by audition again) concentration in musical theatre. What some consider interesting is that the theatre department is part of UCLA's renown school of film and television. </p>

<p>One thing my D disliked in particular about this program is that if you were to study abroad for a semester, something she'd like to consider, you may need to re-audition, she found that very peculiar ("re-entry is based on the discretion of the faculty & NOT guaranteed").</p>

33

<p>Narcissa, I think the point was covered that, in the entertainment industry, connections are everything. Going to a respected program with students who are at the top of the talent pool gives you an added boost of a strong network in a very competitive field.</p>

34

<p>I'm not ranking them but im providing my opinion of the top MT colleges and grouping them based on likeness.</p>

<p>CCM, U Michigan, CMU, Ithaca,- Very Strong music base with strong acting and dancing...CMU not so big on the dance i hear</p>

<p>Syracuse, NYU Tisch, CMU (overlap)- Very strong strong acting program, Syracuse and Tisch have phenomenal dance dept., and the music is really good...let's just say, you better know how to sing before you get there because the focus is on dance/theatre..that said, at syracuse and cmu i know you get hours of vocal training and private lessons while you're there</p>

<p>BOCO, UArts, Penn State, Point Park- I don't know much about these programs but i hear they're pretty well rounded. </p>

<p>I hop I didn't leave any out.</p>

<p>My top three choices when applying to schools were 1. Syracuse, 2. Ithaca, 3.UMICH</p>

<p>I applied to Syracuse early and got in so i didn't get around to applying to Ithaca or Michigan.</p>

35

<p>I hope that those who read these posts realize that these are opinions about "rankings" (NONE exist), as well as opinions, and not FACTS about programs. </p>

<p>Regarding the above post....I would not consider Ithaca strong in dancing, though they have adequate dance (but may not be as many levels as an experienced dancer may want). </p>

<p>At NYU/Tisch, it is not true that the focus is on dance and acting at all. NYU puts equal emphasis on singing, acting, and dance. While you should be good at singing before entering ANY BFA program, the program will train you to go way beyond where you are at when you enter. I have a kid who is a junior in the program who was a strong singer before college. However, she has learned SO much about singing and has said she has improved in leaps and bounds. She has private lessons every semester. As well, the program is equally balanced with acting, voice, and dance. They have Vocal Technique Classes, Vocal Performance Classes and Music Theory and Musical Scene Study in terms of voice, on top of Private voice. I would put this program in the "well balanced" category. In fact, that was one of its attractions for my child.</p>

<p>There are many differences between programs and it is very important to read the curriculum for each program, talk to faculty and current students, look at the liberal arts requirements, examine the policies, and look at the philosophy and "climate" of the program, and so on.</p>

36

<p>Trying to rank these programs is an exercise in futility, I think! :) In the end, the most important factor (besides being able to be admitted!:)) is whether the program suits a student's needs and helps the student move from where he/she is when he/she comes into the program to a different level and beyond. And, as soozievt wisely notes, the climate/feeling/personality/vibe of the program is also very important and contributes greatly to the kind of student a program draws.</p>

37

<p>Another factor to consider regarding "ranking" has less to do with the actual level of a school's musical theater program and more to do with the preceived prestige (or ranking) of the college or university in which the program is based.</p>

<p>The university's prestige may or may not have anything to do with the musical theater component, but may affect how the academics or overall worth of any degree from a particular university is valued. (I am not saying that this needs to be a legitimate concern, but I do believe it is the way a degree may be viewed outside of the musical theatre sphere.)</p>

<p>So a degree from NYU, U of Michigan, Carnegie Melon or Syracuse may be "ranked" higher than a degree from Otterbein, U Arts, University of Oklahoma or Boco, for example. (I am naming the latter schools arbitrarily as examples of schools with less status outside of muscial theater circles.)</p>

<p>This may or may not factor into your decision to attend a particular school. I believe it becomes more of a factor in later years if someone moves on from musical theater and wants to consider graduate school or jobs in other fields.</p>

38

<p>To hagenbuch

[quote]
Can you advise me on good BA theatre programs that have an emphasis or track focused not on theatre - but on screen acting and film making?

[/quote]
I don't know of any such programs that focus on screen acting and film making. Maybe you should look for schools that have reputable majors in both theatre and film where theatre majors regularly participate in the film majors' projects. There's always the possibility of double majoring or minoring in one or the other as well. I've actually seen some students whose primary interest was screen acting advised to major in film although they had already developed a fairly solid basic acting technique at a preprofessional arts h/s. As far as I know, most BA and BFA programs really only offer a semester or at most a year of instruction in acting for the camera, so it could also be good to look for summer intensives specially geared to that end as a supplement to what is available at college. As far as specific colleges, I can't say for sure although I know of two talented actors who are majoring in film at Vassar and Burlington.</p>

<p>Now back semi on-topic ... </p>

<p>As for the value of showcases ... While I obviously have a very limited control group from having seen one class of seniors go through a "top" acting school's showcase, I have noticed that it really shouldn't be a surprise which ones got the top representation and are now working regularly. Basically, they're the "types." In effect, you can look at them for five seconds and hear their voices for a few seconds more and know exactly how you'd cast them assuming they're talented and well trained. I believe top agents do attend "top" schools' showcases because it's a given that they'll be looking at a group of consistently talented and well trained actors from which they can extract the "products" they think they can use. Maybe it's somewhat different for MT, but I somehow doubt it.</p>

<p>Soooo ... IMHO ... a showcase at a "top" school should be a strong consideration if you know and have been told by those in the know that you're a highly marketable "type." Unfortunately, it's almost impossible for a student or a parent - or even a teacher - to be objective about that and real, honest opinions from people in the biz would be hard to come by. Therefore, as far as I can tell, the real value of a showcase at a "top" school is ... ummmm ... inconclusive for most. :)</p>

39

<p>FSU has a respected theatre program AND film school. Perhaps you should give them a look.</p>

40

<p>Don't overlook Northwestern. It's a little different because it's a BA in Theatre with MT certificate and they don't audition for MT until end of freshman year, but it's an amazing program with lots of Broadway contacts. Here's an interview I just ran into (from July '06) with Dominic Missimi, MT Director, and Stuart Oken (previously with Disney) who originated the AMTP program at Northwestern --
Stuart</a> Oken and Dominic Missimi Interview - Talk Theatre In Chicago Podcast</p>