<p>Indeed, I believe the point of utepsong’s post was to emphasize that there are NOT and can NOT be rankings when searching for an mt program. This list is merely a list of well established and well known programs. Obviously, some may have been left off (though Northwestern has what they call a certificate program). SOOO…If you are searching for schools looking for an MT MAJOR with no other parameters, the list above would be a good place to begin. :-)</p>
<p>Well, breezer, first, welcome to CC as you just joined. </p>
<p>I see both you and utepsong go to Illinois Wesleyan. </p>
<p>utepsong’s post had no explanation (you may wish to ask him to clarify here himself) and if it is a list of merely well established programs for MT, which this thread is not about, there is the “Big List” this forum has a link to of all MT programs. Further, there is a list of MT programs (not all programs) that CC has set up forums for. Not sure what utepsong’s list really provides that is new or different. </p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that Northwestern has a MT Certificate program as it is a BA with a MT specialty. Utepsong has Wagner which is a BA in Theater with a MT emphasis. I hardly see the difference. For that matter, Northwestern is very well established and has a reputation of one of the very well regarded schools in this field. To not even include NYU/Tisch and UCLA would be a mistake as a “starting point of MT schools”. </p>
<p>I don’t see the value of utepsong’s list really in light of the Big List this forum links to of all MT schools, and the list of MT College subforums here as well. This thread anyway, was about supposed “rankings” which there are none of.</p>
<p>By the way, I had a student last year who got into Illinois Wesleyan’s BFA in MT program (as well as others on the list above in utepsong’s post) but chose Northwestern over all of the BFA and BA in MT programs she got into. Just sayin’.</p>
<p>Breezer and utepsong, if you’ve spent much time on this forum, then you know that people choose MT programs for a lot of different reasons, not just for whether they offer a BFA. I won’t resurrect that discussion because it’s been well covered on other threads. I will say that I know many students (as soozie mentioned), my son included, who were admitted to top BFA programs and for one reason or another, decided another school was a better fit for them. The decision can be complicated for some people. </p>
<p>I live in Illinois and know Illinois Wesleyan well. It’s an excellent school with fairly tough academic requirements, and from what I hear, a respectable MT program. My son applied to IWU, but withdrew from the audition after receiving positive responses from other schools that were higher on his list. That’s not to say it’s not a good program – it just wasn’t right for him. Maybe that’s how utepsong decided which schools to eliminate from the list he copied above – they just weren’t right for him, or maybe he wasn’t right for them. That’s fair, as long as newbies know that the “Big List” topic at the top of the forum is the most comprehensive and widely-accepted list, and any others are just one person’s opinion.</p>
<p>I apologize. i wasn’t trying to step on any toes. i was trying to merely explain the seemingly random schools, in no particular order. And I know just how good Northwestern’s program is. I work with a huge group of them and respect them for the immense talent they all hold. I’m not familiar with Wagner’s program. Im sure its great. That being said there’s nothing wrong with a certificate or a BA. in the end it doesn’t matter what your degree is as long as the people on the other side of the table think you are “castable.” I’m only trying to clarify for others and there seemed to be some confusion. Everyone has their own fit. Some schools aren’t for everyone. I’m glad, Edmondsg, that your son is happy where he is.</p>
<p>Have you asked utepsong to explain his/her own post? You joined CC and interestingly your first post was here in this thread explaining the post by your fellow classmate, I presume, in the BFA in MT program at Illinois Wesleyan. Perhaps he/she could explain the rationale behind the post? </p>
<p>The schools are not “in no particular order” but rather copied from the alphabetical list of subforums at the top of this MT Forum, but leaving out certain programs. </p>
<p>You are providing a rationale for why Northwestern wasn’t listed on your friend’s list and saying it is a certificate program, but yet Wagner is a BA as well. Thus, not sure the point. What is the reason NYU/Tisch is not on the list out of curiosity? (since you gave a reason why Northwestern was not on the list)</p>
<p>I think many long timers on this forum are curious the meaning of a list on a thread about “MT College Rankings” when it is not ranked. As far as a list of schools that offer MT, this forum has a link to a comprehensive list called the “Big List”. Not sure the purpose of a new reduced “big list”? Just not sure how it helps? It seems odds to take the list of MT College Sub Forums and cut a few schools off of it selectively. That’s all.</p>
<p>I do appreciate the efforts to help new students. I think those of us who have been around the block a bit are concerned that prospective students who are very new to this process may come and read a post like utepsong’s (and particularly on a thread topic of “rankings”) and your subsequent post that says that your friend’s list of MT programs is a list of “well established” and “well known” programs and would be “a good place to begin” and miss out on some very well known and established programs and so utepsong’s list is not really a good place to begin. </p>
<p>For instance, I know a lot more about Otterbein than Wright State. Otterbein is not even listed (you may wish to know, since you just joined CC, that the head of the program has been posting on this forum for years and many long time readers know of Otterbein simply from his dedicated and informative posts). I think many people have heard of Northwestern, UCLA and NYU/Tisch and that these are well regarded than those who may know of Viterbo in this field. Many would consider these omitted programs as “well established.”</p>
<p>The best place to begin for newbies is to go to the pinned post near the top of the threads that gives a link to the “Big List” of colleges with MT. </p>
<p>I appreciate students trying to help other students here a great deal. At the same time, we want to see newbies provided with accurate information.</p>
<p>i’d like to say that I don’t know who utepsong is, I was only trying to clarify what that list could have meant. It was complete speculation. so lets add whatever colleges you want to that list and then we can call it a good place to begin. You have made this a more work than its worth.</p>
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<p>Nobody needs to add other MT programs to Utepsong’s list. </p>
<p>For years, this forum has had a link to a “big list” of colleges with MT majors. The link is no longer working. The list has been copied and is a pinned thread near the top of this forum. Here is a link to that list/thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/801037-big-list-mt-colleges.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/801037-big-list-mt-colleges.html</a></p>
<p>Most consider THAT list as the “place to begin.” That is the point some of us are trying to make for those who are new here. As well, MT programs that are discussed fairly frequently here have their own sub forums which are listed at the top of the MT Forum…another place to start, though that list is not as comprehensive as “the big list.” </p>
<p>The concern here was that this thread is about rankings and so for someone to post a list of MT programs in alphabetical order under the subject of rankings, is a little odd, confusing, and possibly misleading to those new to MT college searching.</p>
<p>haha well in case there was anyone actually still interested in reading this thread, just for clarification’s sake there is NO way to rank mt programs. Also, utepsong’s list is not a complete one. For a more complete list of schools soozievt has taken the time out to post a link in the post above this one. Break a leg and have fun!</p>
<p>To confirm Soozies concern about people reading a thread listed as “rankings” just look to the right of this thread listing, it has already had over 12,000 views. Apparently people are reading this thread. I know that breezer is just trying to help and that is greatly appreciated. Soozie is just trying to clarify things for those new here.</p>
<p>Thank you. I was merely proposing an explanation for a seemingly random list of schools when soozievt bit my head off. The fact of the matter is when a hs student is given a list of 70+ schools, it isn’t a good beginning. In fact it does the opposite, it’s overwhelming. As soozievt has previously said in other forums, everyone is allowed his or her own opinion, and in mine, these 29 seem to be a good place to begin. (Truth be told, even that is a lot of schools to look at.)There is variety, and this smaller list feels much more manageable. Is this a reflection of “ranking?” Obviously not. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant. Furthermore, I’d like to say that I resent the fact that soozievt thinks I am simply covering for another student or that I know that student at all. As a long time poster, I shouldn’t have to remind her as to the importance of anonymity on the site. There is a reason it’s called collegeconfidential. Your implications are brash, rude, and demeaning. Finding a college for a prospective mt major should be fun and exciting. With that, go out, find your school of choice, and have a great time doing so. Break legs!</p>
<p>It’s overwhelming for any high school student to choose a college for any major, since unless they plan to stay close to home, they’ll have hundreds of options to explore. What I’ve always thought would be useful but haven’t had time to do is to make a table of all the reasonably well-known schools offering MT training, and have columns indicating what their known strengths are, academic requirements, type of degree, location, cut policy, senior showcases or industry nights, school size, program size, etc. The “big list” covers some of those bases already, but more detailed information on the most researched 30 or so schools would give potential students a good head start. Obviously, though, the information would change over the years, and would be useless if not kept up to date. That’s why currently, the best thing for high school students to do is to take a couple of days and read through this forum. It’s a lot of information, but each person will take from it what’s important to them. Not everyone will be interested in small or huge schools, for instance, or conservatories that don’t have a solid academic program. The posts here allow people to gather a huge amount of information in a couple of days that could otherwise take months or years.</p>
<p>breezer, you joined this forum for the first time in the middle of this thread after someone from your school, who has self identified as the MT program’s “liason” posted a list of schools taken from the list of MT college sub-forums here on the MT Forum, but selectively omitted some of them. There was no explanation for what the list represented or why it was on a thread that is two years old that is about so called “rankings”. Several members were wondering about that. You came on as a first post to defend that post and explain what you thought the post represented. </p>
<p>If someone wants a shorter list than the “Big List of MT Colleges”, well then the most discussed MT programs are represented at the top of the MT Forum with a list of 50 CC’s sub forums of particular MT Colleges. So, not sure the need for a similar list again (on a rankings thread) that omits some very well respected and established programs in fact (including Northwestern, NYU/Tisch, Otterbein). </p>
<p>We all know that list was not a “ranking” obviously. This thread was about rankings and was two years old. It is not a thread of where should I begin to find MT programs? </p>
<p>As someone who advises students in selecting MT programs as my job, I don’t give them a list of 70 schools either! But the list of schools I suggest to each prospective student is HIGHLY individualized based on many factors…their academic qualifications, their artistic background, the selectivity of the university itself, the artistic selectivity of the MT program, and the student’s own selection criteria of what they want in a college and in a MT program. All of this varies from one MT candidate to another. It is about fit. It is about odds. </p>
<p>I don’t think you are covering for another student, breezer. I was simply saying that utepsong should explain the post himself. I also am pleased you have joined CC as someone who can give a current MT college student’s perspective in various other discussion on the forum and about your own program, Illinois Wesleyan. I also now realize that utepsong is not a student, and I was confused by the “liason” mention in another post of his. I had assumed “liason” meant a student who did PR, but I think I misunderstood his position. I don’t know what you mean as far as confidential but you have both posted you are at IWU.</p>
<p>I wondered, breezer, if you might not be a student, either, just by some of your wording. It doesn’t matter for purposes of this board… was just wondering.</p>
<p>i was only proposing an idea what that list may have been, aside from alphabetized. Do you have any ideas? I had no idea there would be such a backlash for a simple guess. I’m sorry I mentioned it to begin with. It’s a shame utepsong hasn’t responded to all this with a clarification. And yea, for the record, I am a student.</p>
<p>Funny…I haven’t checked CC in a while and had no idea that my random post caused such uproar. It wasn’t a ranking, but more of a random but alphabetic list of school that you were NOT talking about that have interesting programs that are good fits for many students. I wasnt arguing the merits or demerits of CCM, UM or BoCo and certainly not omitting Northwestern for any purpose. All are great institutions with wonderfully successful MT programs. I was just listing a variety of schools of different shapes and sizes from different parts of the country so that parents/students checking CC would look beyond the same handful of schools. Everyone can’t go to the same five programs. Much was subscribed to me that is simply not true. I am not a student at IWU nor am I new to MT programs and higher ed. I did not post to encourage or discourage anyone. I just ask that everyone keep an open mind and strongly recommend that ALL students visit campuses and talk to current students and alumnae/i to get a true picture of a program. Personally ranking makes no difference. Talent makes a difference and many of these programs offer the same things and have successful alums to show for their quality training. I hope everyone finds the right school for them and that it prepares them for a future in professional musical theatre.</p>
<p>Thank you for your post and clarification.</p>
<p>Where is the Hartt School at U Hartford on the list. I’ve just been accepted.</p>
<p>Go to the top of the main page and click on “The Big List”.</p>
<p>Pay no attention to the list recently posted on this thread. It is nothing more than a partial alphabetical recitation of the schools that appear at the top of the MT page. It has no meaning or substance to it. If you are interested in hearing more about The Hartt School, go to the school’s sub-forum listed at the top of the MT page. You will find a load of current students, parents and prospective students who would be glad to share the information they have.</p>