Hello everybody, I’m Alexis, and I will be studying drama in the fall! Although, where to study is my main question. I was admitted into NYU, Montclair, Emerson, LIU Post, and waitlisted for Boston University. Although, my top two choices are NYU and Emerson. After doing extensive research about the two schools, I am still conflicted on which one Is the best suited for me. Could any alums, parents, or just general users share some information they have about the drama program (specifically the Stella Adler studio) versus the theater and performance program at NYU. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you all!
Hey @agbh0316 - congratulations! Those are some great BFA programs in wonderful locations and I’m sure you’ll be happy at either. Did you visit Emerson and NYU? We did and they “felt” very different to us. I think maybe if you read the NYU Studio discussion you’ll get lots of information on NYU and the Adler studio and you can ask for more information if needed. If there isn’t a similar Emerson thread, maybe start one so you can get the same background? IMO it’s tough to have a discussion of “this school vs that school” on CC because once someone says “I think this school is better in this way” there will be 5 people disputing that because their kid loved it for an opposite reason… and the original purpose of the discussion gets lost. So many people are big fans of (and can be touchy about) their kids’ schools. Best to just ask about the two programs separately and draw your own conclusions about “best fit”…! 
@agbh0316 Congrats on your many wonderful acceptances! I think you meant to say compare Stella Adler with the theater and performance program at Emerson, not NYU. Stella Adler is a highly regarded acting studio and you are guaranteed to receive intensive acting training there. At Emerson, the theater and performance BFA program is where everyone starts, but then you have to audition again junior year to be admitted to the BFA Acting. There is no guarantee you will be placed in BFA Acting, and you could have to finish your time there in the original theater and performance BFA program, which is not the intensive acting track. Just keep that in mind when you’re making your decision. To me, Stella Adler is a much better choice.
Hi @agbh0316 - I am an NYU/Adler mom, happy to answer any questions. Things I like about Adler: it’s very focused on the foundations, on giving actors a solid base - which is important in primary training at NYU. My D, who will be graduating in May, had a voiceover audition recently, and the person looked at her resume, and commented that he can always tell someone who has had Adler voice and speech training. My D was also a huge fan of Adler’s focus on classical work - esp Shakespeare, starting freshman year. Also, getting dressed is super easy - just buy a LOT of black.
Hi @toowonderful - I recently committed to NYU, so I will be attending in the fall! Could you talk about the studio, auditioning outside of school, and what you mean by buying a lot of black please? Thank you so much in advance!!
Congrats @agbh0316 ! Adler kids have to be dressed in all black for studio - no logos etc. most girls do leggings/shirt. It does make things easy… but make sure you know how to handle darks in the laundry
NYU doesn’t encourage auditioning outside of school, and There are so many opportunities IN school that most kids stick there. There are exceptions of course. A friend of D’s took an academic semester so he could do an off bway play last year. (Academic meaning he was not in arts classes, so he would not have performance requirements there). One of the biggest advantages for NYC kids is that you can audition for a bunch of summer things in the city. Yes, NYU kids go to straw hats and A1, but they can get to other things as well.
What do you want to know about studio? It’s up on 27th, so I recommend the union square dorms - they split the distance between campus (8th) and studio. Easy 15 min walk or 2 subway stop ride either way