My music theater dilemma

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I was recently accepted into OCU for a BM in music theater. I have attended the summer camp at OCU the previous two years and loved it, and am now trying to decide if I should finalize my decision there.. here are the pros and cons however.</p>

<p>PROS:
1. I live twenty minutes away from the school, and although I would stilll live on campus, I could bring my car with me, stay close to my family, my friends, etc. (Mainly would love to stay close to my mom and my best friend.. my two safety nets) and I would be familiar with the city (I am awful with directions)
2. I love that its a music degree and would get plenty of piano skills training, aural skills training, theory training, etc.
3. Going to the camp in previous years and living nearby I know quite a few accepted people and people that attend school there.
4. I've been accepted into the honors program, so I would get first pick at classes, and have the choice to be in classes of a smaller size.
5. I already take voice from one of the top vocal professors there (whom Florence Birdwell refers her students to if anything ever happened to her) and have improved so much in my time with him, he's wonderful to work with and a fantastic teacher.
6. The new dorms are ridiculously nice.
7. I already have $52000 worth in scholarships offered to me
8. Being at their summer camp the last two years, I'm very knowledgeable of the faculty, and the faculty is knowledgeable of my hard work ethic.. which is nice.</p>

<p>CONS:
1. I live twenty minutes away from the school. Going to a college close to home is appealing in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I don't know if I want to go to a school SO close to home. I'm afraid I wouldn't get the full college experience, living away from my family, being in a different city..
2. While I love that it's a music degree, I am a firm believer that acting is the most important component of musical theater, whereas I know OCU believes singing is. However, it also seems smart to get my singing skills up to par with my acting skills, and I've checked and I can take acting classes with the theater department.. so I don't know.
3. I know a lot of people there. Not all of them real well, but I vaguely know a lot of them, and while I love most of them, there are a few people that I personally am not so fond of. I also just don't know if I would be robbing myself of the college experience going to school where I already know people.
4. I am very strong academically.. 31 on my ACT, top 5% of my class.. and OCU is not that strong a school academically, even being in the honors program.. Music theater is my passion, but I also don't want to let my academic intellect go to waste in the event i can't succeed at performing.
5. No con here. The fact that I already adore my voice teacher there is a huge incentive.
6. Againg no con.. for a college, I love the dorms.
7. Even with that scholarship, the school is still pretty expensive, over $100,000 for all four years.. its a nice scholarship, but it certainly doesn't cover everything.
8. I've heard rumors from students that OCU is really bad about typecasting (It's hard for me to believe since I think so highly of the faculty, but I have to take into account what students are saying as well).. I know thats how it is in the industry and I need to get used to it, but being at their camp the last two years, I don't want them to get the idea that I can only play certain types of roles.. I want to be able to expand the types of roles I can play.</p>

<p>So there it is.. I don't know if I should seriously consider anywhere else and waste time and money when I already have this great opportunity in front of me.. but I don't just want to settle for my first offer either. This is a really tough decision for me, and I would really appreciate some outside input!</p>

2

<p>If you want the full college experience, you will have to pretend you live more than 20 minutes away and resist the urge to take your laundry home to mom! As far knowing several students there, my D is a senior and there are currently 4 students from her high school there, but she rarely sees them. She has her new friends and they have theirs. It was nice having them there freshman year when she didn't know anyone, but each has branched out and met her own friends. In real life, you are not going to like everyone you meet. Being not so fond of some of the current students should not be a deterrent. There will be students at every school of whom you are not fond. I doubt you will find a less expensive school unless you opt for a state school in your own state. You could save money by living at home and commuting to OCU if that is a difference-maker. My D lives in the new dorm, and I agree, it is AMAZING. As a mother, it would be really nice to be close enough to see every show and choir concert. I've seen the shows that my D has been in and a few others, but I have missed all the choir concerts. You and your family would just have to resist the temptation to drop in on each other unannounced. As far as the acting training, OCU has recently expanded the acting department and created a separate SCHOOL of theater. BTW, who do you study voice with? My D loves her voice teacher.</p>

3

<p>From everything I've heard, OCU is a wonderful school. But as a mom -- and a coach -- my advice would be to wait and see what your options are, if it's not too much of a financial burden to audition elsewhere. It's possible that another offer will come along that's even better. With your academics, you still may get more scholarship money from another school. And if nothing else turns up, you still have a great opportunity at OCU.</p>

4

<p>I would agree with onstage. Unless you are completely certain that OCU is the right school for you, consider auditioning (if this is financially viable) at a few more schools and see what happens. Because you already have an acceptance at a school where you think you would be happy, even auditioning for 2 or 3 more schools could give you options. At the very least a few more auditions (and hopefully acceptances!) will allow you to better assess whether OCU is ultimately the place you want to be.</p>

5

<p>I'm incredibly jealous of the position you're in. I would give a lot to be you right now...I didn't audition for OCU, but if I could go to a wonderful school for musical theatre and get to stay so close to home (I would certainly live at home, if I were you), I would be thrilled.</p>

<p>You're very lucky. I agree that you should wait for other offers because you're so conflicted...but again, if I were you, I'd take them up on their offer so quickly...</p>

6

<p>Another thing to consider - you mention that despite the scholarships you've received OCU is still expensive for your family. My first acceptance last year came from my first choice school (which I am now attending) and while I was tempted to confirm my enrollment immediately, I waited almost until May 1 to do so officially. That put me in a position to see what other offers I had and what financial aid I was receiving from other schools, and in doing so I was able to work with the financial aid at the school I now attend in order to get a markedly better aid package. If you confirm your enrollment this early, I would assume that your financial aid package probably won't increase at all because they know that they've "got you."</p>

7

<p>Good point -- my D was accepted to her first choice school, but received a better financial offer from another school. She took that offer to her first choice, and they agreed to match it, giving us a substantial increase in financial aid.</p>

8

<p>Chiming in here: I think the original poster should audition elsewhere and see what happens as far as acceptances, financial aid offers and -- perhaps most important of all -- how she feels about the various schools and programs to which she is accepted. I would urge her to look especially hard at the acting curriculum at each and every program, as I happen to agree with her that if one had to rank the skills for a musical theater performer in order of importance, acting MUST come first.</p>

9

<p>You really must audition for other programs, as the others above have pointed out. Then you can compare and still choose OCU if it's the best option for you. They cannot force you to commit to them before May 1, although I think it's okay if you tell them you plan to come at this time, if they have asked you this question. It would not be a binding commitment.</p>

<p>Also, my understanding is that the acting program (the new BFA) has totally separate acting classes from the acting classes offered to MT students. You may want to double check your information about this.</p>

<p>Some other schools, such as Elon, for example, where my son is studying MT, combine the acting and MT majors in the same acting classes. You might end up liking a school that offers this type of arrangement better. You won't know until you audition, know your options, and evaluate each program where accepted.</p>

10

<p>kitkatt - after auditioning for several programs, you will be able to make a more informed decision. It may re-confirm that OCU is indeed the program for you, or perhaps, you may fall in love with another program for a myriad of reasons that will all be very personal and can possibly include a more exciting challenge or better fit academically. Why not give it a shot? That way you will never have to look back and think: "I wish I had..." :D.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>