<p>I am in a dilemma and I am barely able to sleep because of it...
I got into Point Park, Hartford and Baldwin-Wallace. Baldwin-Wallace and PPU both gave me a scholarship but I got nothing from Hartford even though the admissions lady told me I had gotten high marks on my audition evaluation.
I did not like Point Park and somewhat hated the idea of going there. I loved Baldwin-Wallace, however the more I look into it it would not be that great of a choice for me since they focus more on the singing part and that is my strongest point and they apparently have little acting and dancing.
Hartford I am very excited about the more I look into it, at first I didn't want to go there but reading the website I've grown to fall in love with it and it does 4 musicals a year and they have good acting which is what I need. </p>
<p>However, I just talked to this woman who works in the theatre world who said that she did not recommend Hartford and she had no good words and that's all she said. </p>
<p>What do I do now? Can anyone please help me so I can get a good night's sleep :(</p>
<p>daae - I can't tell you what to do or where to go, but I would completely rule P.P. off your list if you hated the idea of going there. There's no reason to go to a school where you feel unhappy to start off with. (Talking from experience with my D last year.) If you haven't gone to visit Hartford and B-W, I would do so immediately. What looks great on a web site (or bad, for that matter) is not the same thing as "being there". I think you need to go to the school where you feel you fit and will be able to grow. The only way to tell that is to check out the programs in person and get the true vibe. While people in theatre may say a school is good or bad, it really has to be based on your opinion. Someone else's opinion may be biased for one reason or another. Best of luck in your decision. I don't think you'll be getting a good night's sleep until you check out the other two programs thoroughly.</p>
<p>I say go with your gut on this. If not taking the scholarship at BW is a thing that is OK with your family, then it sounds like Hartford is the place you want to be. I really don't think you can go wrong with either place, but if your gut is telling you Hartford, go with it.</p>
<p>Daae, I know we've talked already, but if you have any more questions I'm all ears. You seemed really enthusiastic about coming here before, what happened? Last year I was accepted to all 3 of these places and choose BW. so if you have any comparison questions ask.</p>
<p>I've been to all of the campuses. I didn't like the music facilities at Hartford but liked the idea of going there better than Pittsburgh, cos let's face it, downtown is not a place where you want to go to college!</p>
<p>And Tim, as for BW I don't think I would be making any progress there since I need the most work on my acting and I need to take dance classes to be able to function cos that's what I've been doing most of my life. </p>
<p>I don't know what to do :(</p>
<p>And also what I would love to know is if you know how good the programs are. Like UMich is really good (didn't apply there) and then you hear another program is bad, If I went to a Broadway audition coming from UHartford how would people accept me?</p>
<p>Here's the thing. Schools reputations have two sides to them. How the programs are perceived to Incoming freshmen (auditioners) and how they are perceived in the business. It's easy to tell what people believe to be the best schools when they first post on this board, it's always the same 3 or 4; CMU, UMich, CCM, NYU... Now, I know these are outstanding programs and very likely could be better then BW, but I can guarantee that everyone who comes out of here (and most of these other programs) are professionals, ready for the business and could very well be seen next week on a Broadway stage. BW has a very, very good rep in NY. Most of our graduates are working, maybe not on Broadway but all over the country. In my opinion if Musical Theatre is a passion, it shouldn't be about just being on Broadway but about the art. We are all artists in a very unique field, embrace it! The fact that BW's name isn't as well known as some of the other "Ivies" bothers me. So that has become my goal on this board, to get our name out there and paint us in a good light. I think it all comes down to a numbers game. It shows once again that we live in a society that only reacts to facts and numbers. So when a prospective sees that BW only auditioned 170 this year compared to CCM who auditioned a whooping 700 they automatically think that CCM is better. For me BW was the school that had the least amount of people auditioning for it, but it obviously didn't bother me. And while maybe there were only about 170 who auditioned, I've never been surrounded by a more talented group and I am extremely proud of my class. Sorry about my rant... it's been on my mind for a while and I finally got it out. If anyone begs to differ, please respond.</p>
<p>~Tim</p>
<p>PS - Daae, I feel that the acting training we get from Vicky is invaluable. Not only that but she so incredibly knowledgeable and connected to the business, I wouldn't want to work with anyone else.</p>
<p>I cannot advise you other than to say: there are almost as many opinions about the various schools as there are schools! One person in the biz might have unkind things to say about Hartt, whereas another working actor might rave about it and its graduates. Ditto any other school. I would caution you against taking the word of ONE person as gospel about a school's rep. The most important thing in choosing a school (besides whether you can get in and actually pay for it!) is fit. Gut instincts should not be undervalued.</p>
<p>I should note that my post drifted away from the original intent of this topic, sorry about that. Also Daae, wherever you choose to go I know you'll do great as each of these schools are very good. And they all seem to have a different emphasis, acting (Hartt) music (BW), and dance (PP). I think that shows a lot about your talent that you were accepted into all three of these very different programs, Congrats. And I still mean it when I say I hope to see you next year.</p>
<p>While this is not the original topic of the thread....Tim wrote:</p>
<p>"In my opinion if Musical Theatre is a passion, it shouldn't be about just being on Broadway but about the art."</p>
<p>I just want to say that that is a very important thought you provided. If those going for this field and the training measure success as getting on Broadway, SO many will end up disappointed because the majority of graduates will not grace a Broadway stage...BUT can be a success on other professional stages, let alone in other capacities in this field. I also think once you get in the audition, your talent will be the main thing, not the school on your resume. Where the school comes in is how well it has prepared you to have the skills and talent and to show them in the audition. The person still will be the one to get cast, not the school he/she came from. A school may open doors or lead to networking or representation but overall, it still comes down to the audition.</p>
<p>Tim, I don't think you can go wrong at either of those schools. Ultimately it comes down to which truly fits what you are looking for. As NotMamaRose mentions, don't go by what any one person tells you. It is just their take on it. Listen to Lynn about the visits...go back if you need to. Talk to many in the programs. Based on the little bit you shared, which is not nearly enough for me as far as truly knowing your criteria...it sounds a bit like Hartt matches up more with what you are seeking, even though I think you could be happy at the other two. Congratulations on those choices because truly each program has a lot to offer you. They are each different in various respects and only YOU can tell which matches up to your preferences. I like NotMamaRose's advice about going with your gut. That is not anything to discount!
Susan</p>
<p>When my D was making her decision, revisiting a couple of the schools and sitting in on classes, meeting with instructors etc.... really helped her decide. I know you probably don't have a lot of time to do this with May 1 right around the corner, but as someone mentioned in one of the above posts it really might help you decide where you feel is the best fit and get some concerns and questions answered first hand. It made my daughters mind up for her.......... Good luck with your decision.</p>