<p>Honestly if you can’t afford Tisch without it being a huge financial burden, or source of worry, it’s not worth it. No acting training program is, regardless of how prestigious. </p>
<p>I went to Tisch. Graduated from it, loved it, it too was my dream, and I had the hefty stafford/perkins/parent loans to prove it. And yet I never, for a second, regretted it, and neither did my parents. Even during career slumps, breaks from acting, and financial hard times, I never regretted my decision.</p>
<p>But the whole idea that Tisch is so well connected that it’ll alleviate your terror of being hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt is bunk. Don’t get me wrong, Tisch is incredible, and laughably underrated here on CC. I have had great career connects years after I left the school. A former classmate of mine just landed her first major role, with a prominent off-broadway theatre, from connections she nursed at NYU years ago; it could be a real career changer for her. But you do not need Tisch to excel. Plenty of actors sitting up there onscreen, or prominent stages, have BFAs, MFAs, and certificates from all over, if they ever even bothered going through a formal training program at all. There are absolutely no guarantees. Tisch on your resume might be sometimes enough to get you through the door into an audition, but nobody gives a single damn in the audition room about the “prestige” of your degree if you don’t kill the audition, or aren’t fit for the role.</p>
<p>Go to Tisch because you feel you need to be there, specifically. Go to Tisch if you, and your parents, truly feel it’s worth it. But do not go to Tisch if you’re already, before you even set foot there, smarting over the cost. It isn’t likely to get any better.</p>
<p>A note about any BFA program, and a subject not broached often enough. A startling amount of theatre kids do not continue pursuing acting professionally even after attending top, expensive BFA programs. The drop off is absolutely insane. I went to university with some of the most gifted, skilled young actors I’ve ever had the privilege to witness, and work alongside. I graduated looking forward to seeing their careers grow, and their work continue to shine, deepen, and expand. But within five years I would say, to my shock, the majority had given up their career goals and dreams, found something more stable, and moved on. A few crossed over into behind the scenes work, like casting, or agency work. Most went into totally different careers entirely, using either the major they doubled in, their minor, or a totally different Masters degree. This is not limited to NYU, nor is it limited to formal training; acting has a huge drop off rate overall.</p>
<p>Do keep that in mind before you invest. I do wish more young actors, students, and their parents, would consider this before dropping any money on expensive training.</p>