<p>In terms of the musical theatre certificate that Northwestern offers… is it extremely competitive? And do most people who don’t into the program at the end of their freshman year get in after their sophomore? I am a junior but I am just trying to get a sense of the program.</p>
<p>It is very competitive, but because auditions don't occur until later, there aren't the huge numbers that other top schools have. I'd have to check on this, but it seems like about 20-25% are accepted. Candidates come mostly from Theatre (School of Communications) and from the School of Music.</p>
<p>Northwestern has an amazing MT program that is growing so much right now. They are doing incredible things and I wrote a long message that I haven't posted yet about their program -- I'll post it soon. If your grades and test scores are good and you like to be in an intellectually stimulating environment, you can't beat NU. The combination of talent and brains there are awe-inspiring.</p>
<p>Because Ive been asked this several times now, I wanted to share some of the reasons why my son decided to attend Northwestern rather than his other top choice, CAP21 (at NYU). My son and I have done a lot of research into both the CAP and Northwestern programs, and he finally decided there were too many exciting things going on at Northwestern to ignore, especially after the incredible experience of the NHSI summer program last year. However, CAP21 is a great program (any large program is going to have its critics), and most CAP students and faculty members we encountered during our visit seemed happy and upbeat, which says a lot.</p>
<p>Northwestern, aside from being a prestigious university (the Ivy of the Midwest) has a very active Musical Theatre program that has not been as visible on CC, partly because the academic admission requirements are very tough, and also because NU purposely does not offer a BFA. They strongly believe that to be a good performer, you must be educated in many areas and that that is greatly facilitated by a strong BA/BS program. NYUs academics are fine, but a BFA just doesnt allow as much time for other interests.</p>
<p>NU alumni are well represented in professional theatre, both in performance and in directing and producing. Northwestern has many great things going on that will increase their visibility in the industry over the next few years, and because CC has been SO indispensable to me over the past couple of years, I wanted to take the time to share some of what weve learned.</p>
<p>Although I believe this is going to change soon, NUs Music Theatre program is currently a certificate within the BA/Theatre degree, and has not been a separate major. We recently learned from a reliable source that NU is seriously considering making MT a separate major. With the resources the school is putting into Music Theatre, and the intensity and success of their program and their graduates, its not surprising. Its interesting that in addition to launching the AMTP (later in this post) theyve also just hired two new MT faculty members, both with impressive resumes -- David H. Bell (<a href="http://www.davidhbell.com/bio.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.davidhbell.com/bio.html</a>) and Amanda Dehnert (<a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/04/10/her_vision_his_musical?mode=PF)%5B/url%5D">http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/04/10/her_vision_his_musical?mode=PF)</a>.</p>
<p>The campus is gorgeous there are trees everywhere, the architecture is interesting, and (my personal favorite) its right on Lake Michigan, which is breathtaking. The Theatre and Interpretation Center is literally a dozen or so steps from the lake. Its beautiful. The campus is a few blocks from downtown Evanston, an upscale, medium-sized town, and a short (20 min?) train ride to Chicago, where the theatre scene is very prevalent (2nd to NY). NU has travel-abroad programs, internships in Chicago and NY, senior showcases in Chicago, NY and LA, and one of the most important selling points for us -- a very good balance between big-city NY-type excitement and Midwestern values.</p>
<p>A lot of people ask why NU doesnt audition for MT until the end of freshman year, and not at all for straight drama. The answers are firmly rooted in their philosophy this isnt verbatim, but their website says something to the effect of a student of theatre must be a student of human society and must understand how social forces impinge on human behavior. In other words, you cant be a good actor without understanding how different kinds of people react to different life situations. That will come with experience over your lifetime, but a broad education in college gives you a huge head start. Also, by auditioning for MT after theyve been in school for a year, I would think that the Theatre faculty, or at least some of them, know the student well enough so that decisions are based on more than just a 4-minute audition.</p>
<p>Even before freshmen are admitted to Theatre, though, the application packages are scrutinized to determine who will best fit into their program. (If you apply to NU, you might want to include more theatre-related background and/or recs than are requested.) Its a highly selective process, and they have an amazing track record of choosing people who have the drive and ability to become skilled at their craft, who love to learn, and are fun to teach. As with any MT program, an exceptional few will rise to the top by the end of the four years, regardless of how new students are chosen in the beginning.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that whatever theyre doing works. NU has a long history of well known theatre alums -- <a href="http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/intl/facts/alumni.htm#entertainment%5B/url%5D">http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/intl/facts/alumni.htm#entertainment</a> . There must be a reason why kids who could go to any school in the world, such as Meryl Streeps and Jill Clayburghs (both Oscar winners), have chosen Northwestern. There are a lot of good MT schools out there, but only a handful of really great ones. For people who have worked hard and stood out academically in high school, NU is one of the best choices. Not the only one, but one of the best. If your stats are good, NUs Theatre and MT programs are up there their alumni are proof. Dont let the fact that they dont audition up front throw you its done that way for a reason.</p>
<p>One more thing I should mention. Last year, Northwestern launched the AMTP (American Music Theatre Project -- <a href="http://www.amtp.northwestern.edu/news.html)%5B/url%5D">http://www.amtp.northwestern.edu/news.html)</a>, funded primarily by NU alum Garry Marshall (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, Mork and Mindy, etc..). Its been widely publicized, and described as "an ambitious program to develop and produce new musicals by the field's leading artists in collaboration with Northwestern faculty and students." AMTP is an important part of the MT training program, much like CAP21 (Collaborative Arts Project), which is also both a production vehicle and training studio.</p>
<p>I have no connection to NU aside from my son starting there in the fall. Im taking the time to write this way-too-long post, despite the fact that I own a small business and dont have enough hours in the day, because when my son started looking at MT programs two years ago, there was very little information on CC regarding NUs program. Its not for everyone and is impossible to get into without great academics, yet so many of their graduates go on to not only perform, but also direct, produce, and start theatre companies of their own, because (a) thats the personality profile NU looks for, and (b) the training at Northwestern is innovative, intense and well-rounded.</p>
<p>I hope this helps to explain how Northwestern can be so good at what they do even though they do things differently. In the end, several factors contributed to my sons decision to choose NU over CAP21... the research and visits over the past couple of years, the perfect combination of big-city energy and opportunities with midwestern warmth, NUs life-changing summer program, the shows and rehearsals he observed, and a very informative meeting with an extremely talented and caring program director.</p>
<p>Enjoy your school search its a long, interesting and tedious process for anyone, but especially for performing arts majors. Im not an NU insider, but Im happy to answer any questions I can. Here are a few NU websites, if youve havent checked them out before:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amtp.northwestern.edu/mtp.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.amtp.northwestern.edu/mtp.html</a></p>
<p>Edmondssg -- </p>
<p>I think your son made an excellent choice -- my daughter seriously considered applying. We lived in Wilmette (the next town north) in the mid-90s and have really fond memories of the school and the area. In fact, my d swam on Northwestern's youth swim team and loved it! I discouraged her from applying, however, because of finances (we wouldn't have qualified for much, if any, need-based aid ... it would have required that I take on a lot of debt I was trying to avoid if I could ... yada yada yada). I think you'll be really happy with the decision (and so will your son). Best wishes!</p>
<p>-Jersey44</p>
<p>EdmondsG:</p>
<p>I want to thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive and thoughtful explanation of NU's degree program, as well as sharing why your son made this choice. I think he made a very good choice as it seems to match so much of what he was looking for in a college. Northwestern is highly regarded for theater. I know many who apply and for similar reasons as your son did. So much is about which school is best for which student. This is clearly an excellent match for your son. </p>
<p>My daughter also cared about additional studies outside of her theater training and was one of the appeals of her chosen school, NYU (don't mean this to contrast with NU even though this is coincidentally the other school your son strongly considered attending). I more mean that like your son, she cared about that aspect (which is also why I can see why he applied to NYU, which is also not for all people) One thing she likes that is emphasized that you have brought up, is that to be a good actor, it helps to be a thinking actor...to have a broad based educational background to drawn upon when doing the craft of acting. I think your son is seeking that philosophy for his education and has found it at NU. I have a feeling my niece will apply to NU next year as well, though she is going into drama, not MT. If they should ever go when your son is there, I'll contact you. She got into their summer program but has chosen another one but I know she is still interested in the school itself. </p>
<p>By the way, I have been meaning to tell you that since we last spoke, and my D did not know Amanda Dehnert at Brown, I have learned about her work at Trinity Rep which is a very well known regional theater. I think it is great that NU got her. </p>
<p>So, next year, you will have to fill us in about what it is like for your son. Thank you so much for sharing details about this wonderful college option so more can learn about it, but also thank you for sharing your son's reasoning for his selection because it is a good "look" for prospective students at how a person makes a choice and how one must weigh different criteria that are personal and that "fit" is the operative word, not "best school". Ideally, put together "best" and "fit" and you get a "best fit" and you have demonstrated that well in your post on behalf of your son. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Thanks, jersey44 and Susan. I appreciate the words of encouragement and wish you all the best with your MT kids. I haven't been on CC as much lately because of work and because the mad rush of decisions is over, but I have a feeling I'll be posting a lot in the fall when I'll be looking for things to keep my mind off of being an empty nester!</p>
<p>gail</p>
<p>By the way, I noticed the link about Amanda Dehnert (new faculty member) wasn't working -- here's an article about her new position at NU -- <a href="http://www.trinityrep.com/about_us/press_releases/amanda_dehnert_joins_faculty_of_northwestern_2.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.trinityrep.com/about_us/press_releases/amanda_dehnert_joins_faculty_of_northwestern_2.php</a></p>
<p>jersey44 - The cost is definitely NU's one big drawback. It's going to be a challenge for us, but we're hoping some "creative financing" will get us through it without too much debt. Wish us luck on that one. :-)</p>
<p>I guess it's impossible to try to keep up with links to press releases and current articles, but here's a corrected link about AMTP (the one above no longer works) - <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2005/05/amtp.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2005/05/amtp.html</a>.</p>
<p>Edmonsg ( sorry if I spelled that wrong I didn't go back to check) I just want to say I really think your son made the righgt choice. I am a freshman at NU who was recently acce4pted into the MT program. My senior year I was waitlisted at U of M and CMU and my final choices came down to NU or Cap21 at NYU. I have to say I wan't happy with either of my choices at the time ( mIchigan had always been my dream school) and now I really think things happen for a reason. Here at Northwestern, trust me MT is basically a double major even though its only a certificate and you really have the opportunity to play to your strengths and weakness. The program is growing at a remarkable speed and my class was definately regarded as being the most talented to come in. Our MT auditions were EXTREMELY competitive this year. I think around 180 auditioned and only 20 theatre majors and 8 voice majors got in ( that is including soph and freshman) I hope your son is happy with his decision and hopefully i'll run into him next year. Best to all!</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptance Cadget! Very nice!</p>
<p>Can you tell me more about the summer program. My daughter will be a junior in 06/07. She's very interested in musical theater (and in NU). She is a very talented singer (studies classical and contemporary) and dancer (10 years) and has been in a lot of musicals since she was 6, but we want her to get an education as well so NU looks good to us, but the expense is a little staggering so we are considering Texas schools as well. We will be visiting several colleges over the next year. Can you tell me anything about scholarships there? Thanks so much.</p>
<p>hey bobbolo,
i couldnt help but notice you had asked about the summer program a while back and i just got back from it saturday! it was absolutely amazing..goodness in the mt extension they really treat you like professionals because its only 2 weeks to put up a show, so we have dance and acting in the morning and then group voice lessons and musical theatre history and rehearsal at night...it is sooo amazing and i couldnt reccomend the whole cherubs program more...if your daughter is ready to work harder than shes ever worked then have her go to the 7 week program...so thats my little post cherubs withdrawl coming through!
--jessica</p>
<p>Bobbolo - NU doesn't offer much in the line of scholarships if your income is at all above average, but they do meet full need as determined by FAFSA, etc. There are several NU payment plans, and they offer plenty of information on parent and student loans. My son starts in a few weeks, and we're daunted by the cost, as well, but figured out how we can make it work with some "creative" financing -- a combination of budgeting, savings, and a modest equity line of credit. Their theatre/MT program is in a very exciting growth phase, and the academic reputation of NU speaks for itself. We decided it was worth whatever it takes. Good luck -- if I can help further, please let me know.</p>
<p>I keep hearing everybody talk about how NU's theatre/MT program is growing. Does anybody know details as to in what ways they are growing? I am pretty sure that I am going to apply ED to NU for theatre (hopefully to audition into MT at the end of my freshman year) but I was just curious what the theatre program is like now and in its "growing" stage.</p>
<p>I think your son made a great choice in universities.
I do disagree that "well rounded" education in the Arts is neccessary.
Arts is a different world, a person either has talent or doesn't, it is not a ingredient that can be taught. It can be honed but not taught.
Passion and natural ability is much more important in the arts than traditional ciricculum. As for a "Plan B" , I would agree it is important to have a more well rounded education. My experience has been that unless you are in a really specialized area in the work force, ANY degree is all you need.
Most employers use "the degree" as a weeding out tool rather than a guage of someone's true abilities. A person can lack common sense, logic, experience and be of below wverage intelligence, still pull good grades and have the degree.
There is no substitute that replaces experience.
JMO.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I do disagree that "well rounded" education in the Arts is neccessary.
[/quote]
I totally disagree with this premise. Smart, educated actors are far better able to make smart acting choices. Knowledge of history, sociology, trends in other arts in the period of the piece can provide crucial information for their formation of character.</p>
<p>i completely agree with you musthcc</p>
<p>i agree as well... which is why conservatories are NOT for everyone.</p>
<p>often, people decide to go to conservatories because they are not good with academics and just think they should dedicate themselves to performance. this is a major problem. i think if anything, people who are generally very good on the books should be the ones attending conservatories whereas people who are not as academically inclined would benefit from a liberal arts musical theatre curriculum.</p>
<p>I definitely agree with the above three posts. Jonesy67, I agree that much of "talent" comes naturally, but I don't see how you can deny that the more varied a performer's knowledge base, the more likely he is to understand various characters and be able to react appropriately during dialogue. This isn't to say that someone who doesn't have a 'well-rounded' education can't be an excellent performer and have long-term success in the industry, just that their odds aren't as good, in my opinion.</p>