<p>Edmondsg...OHHH..you meant FRIDAY....my D WAS at CAP all day on Friday...that is one of the freshmen studio days. I wonder how there were no classes going on? She has 'em all day at CAP on Fridays. For all I know, maybe you did run into her. Had I known, maybe you could have met up. Maybe you were there on a lunch break if the kids were outside and there wasn't much activity inside. I hear the weather was nice lately and they do get a break midday for lunch and some eat out in that area.</p>
<p>Susan - We were there kind of late (about 5:30ish, I think), so maybe they had just finished for the day, which would explain why there was a group of kids just outside.</p>
<p>Ah, yes, they get out at 6 PM. Not sure if you ran into my kid because I think after studio she had to rush to Tisch Scholars at 6:30, not sure. But that does explain that classes would have been winding down then! Glad you got to stop by. Also 721 Broadway is where they also spend time so you got to see that. The general NYU tour is good because they obviously take classes twice/week at other buildings on campus, and use the library and everything else. Hope you picked up some Tisch and/or NYU logo stuff. I recall that moment kinda "sealing the deal" for my kids in April.</p>
<p>That must be a really long showcase with 60-80 kids! Whew! How long do they get?</p>
<p>500 dollars for five lessons would be ridiculous!</p>
<p>Matt...I think you are confused. I don't know how else to explain it. I mentioned to you about the CAP SHOWCASE. There were NOT 60-80 kids in it. If you go back and reread my posts, I explained that ONLY FOURTH YEAR CAP students were in it and I don't know the number but will guess it might have been about 25 students (all who are fourth years are in it and did not audition to be in it). I would have to find out how many were fourth years this year. I explained how most freshmen CAP classes (not course classes but entire freshmen student body) number about 64 except this year's larger class due to unpredicted higher yield. I then explained that after two years, Tisch students may request to study in a secondary studio. So, some CAP students then switch to acting studios for two years. The number in CAP goes down. Some do CAP for three years and then another studio for the fourth year such as Stonestreet Studio or even all academics. The only students who could do this fourth year CAP program and showcase were CAPPIES who had been in CAP all FOUR years. I don't know that number. I guessed 25 but would have to ask my D's friend who is a senior and did it. My D saw it and it was not a big group like you are implying. It was a more normal sized senior showcase. The Tisch industry showcase is a different showcase and I don't know the total number there but it is not necessarily large either. I don't know how to be clearer about that. The students performing in the showcase did what other individual students get to do in CCM showcases. My D recently saw the CMU showcase in NYC and has seen the CAP one and I believe what each student gets to perform is similar and she described them in similar ways.</p>
<p>The private voice lessons for those in CAP21 are FREE. As a mom of a Playwrights Horizon student noted, they are also free for students in other studios if they can fit the two credit course into their schedule and not exceed the 18 credit allottment per semester that NYU allows for the normal tuition. For someone getting private lessons in NYC not for credit under tuition, $100/lesson is rather typical for an hour lesson. My D's voice teacher in Vermont also teaches privately in NYC (clients on Bdway, etc.) and while he charges her $60/hour in Vermont, I am SURE it costs more in NYC for someone of his background. Not only would $100/lesson in NYC not be unheard of, I would imagine there may be fees in there toward NYU if credits are involved, not sure, that go beyond the credits paid for by tuition. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>EDIT....I just spoke with a senior who was in the CAP showcase and has gotten representation from it. She is an alum from SDM by the way. She just told me the actual number in this year's CAP showcase....18...so there you have it. I hope that clarifies this misconception as I don't know how else to explain that it is not as you surmised.</p>
<p>Matt, where did you get 60-80 from? I must have missed something. I read 25.</p>
<p>Please note the EDIT message at the end of my last post because I got it from the direct source.</p>
<p>Even better!</p>
<p>I was confused as to how many end up as CAP seniors, but Soozie cleared that up. CAP STARTS with 60-80 but I had forgotten about people switching out, etc.</p>
<p>But I do have to say, however that 100 dollars a lesson would be in the definite high range. Some of these teachers charge way too much.</p>
<p>I just looked up some NYC voice teachers NOT associated with Tisch. For instance, one I have heard of has a rate of $110/hour for a private voice lesson. Welcome to NYC. When you end up there in four years, this is the way things are in NYC. As I said, we pay $60/hour here (in Vermont) for a NYC teacher who could not get anyone here to afford $100/hour (even $60 is unaffordable for most) but I am SURE his rate in NYC is higher. Look around for yourself in NYC for a well regarded voice teacher and then see if this rate is unheard of or ridiculous. It is HIGH but it is NEW YORK. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Matt, as you are likely aware, BOCO which is where you were going to enroll at one point, has about 60 entering freshmen, right? I recall hearing that there are only about 30 seniors but in that case, the numbers go down due to kids opting to leave or being asked to leave. The size of BOCO's freshman class is similar to CAP's freshman class. </p>
<p>Have you heard from NYU? I realize you no longer want to go, but I recall your saying that the auditor indicated you'd be accepted.</p>
<p>She did, but as we all know the acceptance to Tisch is also very dependent upon application, and seeing as how I have a more than questionable school record and a 2.0 GPA, I am not surprised that a University of that level rejected me. However, it was my best audition, and the auditor's comments were pretty straight forward. Another person I know was written a letter by her auditor saying she had been recommended for admission, but did not end up gettting into the school. Likewise, a friend did not get into Tisch but got into NYU. Just covering my bases! Oh well!</p>
<p>I thought I would add a little more information about the showcases for CAP and Tisch because I have been chatting this evening with my daughter's good friend who is a fourth year CAP student who graduated in December (early) and is now actively on the audition circuit with an agent, doing well. </p>
<p>I already mentioned earlier the CAP showcase that every fourth year CAP student can be in without audition. Eighteen students were in that this year. </p>
<p>Then Tisch has two showcases....one for musical theater and one for drama. In my earlier posts, I thought there was just one combined Tisch industry night, but now I have learned directly that there are two for all of Tisch (I am not including the CAP21 one mentioned in the earlier paragraph, though that would make a total of three showcases a CAPPIE would be eligible to be in). These two Tisch ones are by audition only. A CAP student can be in the MT one and/or in the drama one. This friend was in the MT one (in addition to the CAP only one mentioned above). She said fifteen students were in this one. </p>
<p>I hope that now explains the various showcases at Tisch and at CAP.</p>
<p>fishbowlfreshman, perhaps I should introduce you to my D. ;) She's a junior at Tisch and, as I said, is double majoring, in addition to doing the many other things she's interested in. She's maintaining a 3.8 gpa and is a happy and healthy individual. She's not unique either, there are several in her studio who do so.</p>
<p>Speaking as a recent CAP graduate, I am forced to disagree with much of what has NYActor05 said. For being out of school nearly a year, I must say you do seem a bit jaded. I apologize in advance for the rambling and the lack of cohesiveness to what I am about to say, but I am a bit infuriated with the latter post. </p>
<p>I also went to Tisch...I spent all four years at CAP. I graduated a semester early and am walking in May. I did come out of Tisch with an agent, and I agree, I am one of the lucky few. The reason few end up with agents is not due to lack of training, it is because it is very competitive to get into Industry Night (Drama or Musical). CAP saw that this was an issue and that many of their best students were not getting into industry night for various reasons. Because CAP is a WONDERFUL and SUPPORTIVE place to be, they fought to create a resolution to this issue. The answer to this was the 4th year Industry Practicum.
For three weeks at a time, you meet with a different top casting director (Telsey, Carnahan, Clemmons, Rubin..all took part). They get to know you very well and in turn, sponsor the CAP showcase. We had a great turn out being that it was our first year doing this and EVERY person got at least one response. MANY are freelancing and some, like I, signed with agents. I can not speak for other programs at Tisch, only about CAP, but what I will say is every single casting director who came in took notice of the training that was being had. I myself have been called in by these casting directors for auditions and others have booked jobs because of the connections. One at Goodspeed for the summer another replacing in Mamma Mia. 2 out of 20...pretty good being that we have been out for 3 months. 18 of them have been cast in something this summer, almost half of them becoming union. The other 2 are on tour already. I firmly state that CAP provides as good of training as any other top school.
The reason cap is not yet recognized for this is because, unlike programs like Michigan, it is young, 10 years old. It's graduates are still young. We are just now having major success in the industry because they are about 25 and 26, the time when most real work and recognition starts to happen for people.
Aside from this, it bothers me that you say Tisch gave you no opportunities. While in CAP I have worked with Galt MacDermot, Richard Maltby, and performed onstage at Lincoln Center with Julie Andrews. This is all my Junior and Senior year. CAP21 takes an unnecessary fall out because Tisch makes them enroll so many students, but it is in no way detrimental to your learning experience. Instead, I found it amazing that each year I created a new ensemble and worked with new personalities...all of which is important in what we do. </p>
<p>It bothers me that you blame Tisch for your or your friends lack of training and inability to book work. Perhaps their lack of success is because this industry has no room for those who create excuses and also does not treat those who are not pro active well. NO SCHOOL gives you a free ride into the industry. I have numerous very talented friends who have graduated from Michigan, CCM, Carnegie etc and, although their showcases are well attended and the name of the school may get them in a room, once you are in an audition situation it is your talent and the right timing that gets you the job, not your school name. Tisch is NOT the reason your friends are not working. It is their gumption...as you said, they are down and blame their useless BFA. Aside from this, how many people do you know from any top college out of school one year with huge success? I can count them on one hand. And trust me, I know a LOT of people.</p>
<p>In conclusion, I just want to say to prospective students that yes, BFA's probably aren't the most useful degree, but you know that upon entrance. This fact is no different at any school, Tisch or otherwise. Bottom line, it is not about where you go to school because no matter where you are, you will learn and if you have talent and the drive, it will happen for you.</p>
<p>Bravo, CAPgrad. Well said, and thanks for offering another perspective. I am sure I am not the only one here who believes we all benefit from a variety of viewpoints, experiences, etc.</p>
<p>NYActor... I'm going to be a freshman at Lee Strasberg... and although I tried not to let your horror stories get me, they certainly did... anyway I was just wondering about a few things. first of all, what is the talent range at NYU.. did you feel that some kids did not deserve to be there? also, i know you had problems with the teachers, but were they generally knowledgeable and worthy of college professorship? and finally, how does the studio stack up compared to the others?</p>
<p>Thankyou to the Tisch students that are speaking out. It would be wonderful if more students would post on this website.</p>
<p>It seems like the responses that people have been giving so far are very respectful and appropriate. NYactor05 seems to be suggesting several things: that Tisch's training isn't as strong as it appears to be and that some studios seem to lack rigor in training versus others. Without polarizing the issue, I'm going to try and pitch in my two cents.</p>
<p>Tisch's drama training is conservatory-based, but it is not by any means a conservatory. What this means is that while 50-75% of the main course load is dedicated to acting and the theatre world, there is still another 25-50% that is a requirement of the student to fulfill outside of Tisch [how much of that percentage is devoted to acting is determined by the student him or herself]. For a very rigorous, no-nonsense, conservatory training, actors will be hard-pressed to find it at Tisch [though there are summer sessions such as ITW in Amsterdam or advanced studio intesives that are available]. If you're looking for acting and nothing else, Maybe NYU/Tisch is not the perfect place. Juilliard or professional acting studios might be more to your lliking. For someone who is looking for an intense immersion in theatre, but also a well-rounded education in the humanities as well or looking to pursue other career interests [journalism, writing, business, etc.], NYU/Tisch is certainly a much better fit.</p>
<p>In terms of studio training, every studio is certainly very different. It is important to note before anything else is said that your studio is what you make of it, and nothing else. I'll leave that open to interpretation. What NYactor05 and several others have suggested in a broad sense is that some studios do a better job of instilling discipline than others. Without arguing against that, I'm going to rephrase it and say that some studios more than others offer much more discipline in structured, methodical training than others. For example: CAP21 seems to do an exceptional job in teaching their students how to work towards the demands of the [musical] theatre industry more than others. In that sense, what NYactor has said is true. However it is absolutely incorrect in what NYactor has said about some studios being less demanding or more carefree in what they expect of their students. For Experimental Theatre Wing, of which I am currently a student in, if you're unprepared... well you better not be. The suggestion that professors in ETW or Adler or Strasberg are much more lax and not as highly demanding is simply not true at all. I have already verified this with many other students in my class at other studios including the above and Playwrights, Meisner, and Atlantic, above and below. Being unprepared, tardy, absent, even dressed in unproper attire or not even focused enough can result in consequences that are not harsh, but certainly not just a slap on the wrist.</p>
<p>I'm just going to back up now and bring it back to the big picture. NYU/Tisch is certainly not for anyone, no one denies that. What each person needs to do in evaluating this program is how much they value several factors: a well-rounded education, the amount of time and money invested in learning, and the personal growth you receive from a college institution. If these aren't high values of yours, then maybe getting training is the right thing for you, and jumping straight into the industry could be much more beneficial to you. Certainly, no one is trying to pigeonhole anyone into doing one thing. Here at Tisch, the philosophy that I've heard from many different people is that you must learn before you can do, and the best way to learn anything is by doing. And of course, always keep an open mind. Be ready to jump fully into anything you do, but also be ready to get out if you need to.</p>
<p>For me, I didn't have enough understanding of myself and who I am to realize this. Personally, coming to NYU has helped me IMMENSELY as a person because now I do have an open mind, and maybe next year I might take a leave of abscence and jump into the industry and sink or swim. Or I could finish off all four years of my education [and then some!] before I feel ready to throw myself in. Please keep in mind that every single person's experience is their own, and that you must value it greatly [they came before you, after all], but you must be able to make your own decisions.</p>
<p>If I rambled and jumbled some thoughts, let me know. It's early in the morning here in New York!</p>