@MTdreamin, THANK YOU!
@mezzomother YES! The Playhouse is gorgeous! I was able to attend the Gala in October and am so happy that my daughter was able to be among the first students to perform on the mainstage especially since it’s her last year there.
@mezzomother Thanks also for your response-somehow I missed it earlier! We think it’s a long shot, but it’s nice to know it’s possible. She has other choices, but loves PPU!
Hi Everyone!
S invited to PP - so excited!!!
Anyone have any comments on attending a city school as opposed to a rural campus??
@MTPhillyMom Congrats to your son! Pittsburgh isn’t a very large city…and as we are from here, I am not sure about the rural campus versus city campus. I will say that PPU campus is pretty condensed and there is a lot to do in the downtown area that is within walking distance…Market Square is nice for restaurants, there is the Theater District and there are several sports arenas close by. Public transportation is very user friendly and there is a lot to do that is also close by. If your son is in the BFA MT program, they are kept very busy and it is a wonderful program!
What dorm did he live in Freshman year? Any thoughts on that? How is the food? What did you do for meal plan? How was being an MT freshman year?
My daughter lives in Lawrence. Nice to have a private bathroom… but hot because no AC. Thayer as AC, but a shared hallway bathroom. The cafe has the best food. My daughter is not a huge fan of the dining hall! She has 19 meals a week, which works well for her. But, many students who don’t eat breakfast have the 14, seems fine for most. She LOVES the program, and loves everything thing about her freshman year. Freshman showcase is next week already!! Year went by soooo fast.
Thank you! She is super excited about the program. And it’s good to hear others saying such positive things. I think we will sign her up for 14 meals. Does your daughter use the bus to go to the supermarkets weekly?
Can you speak more about the private voice? Is this above and beyond what is offered at the school?
@cakerice Private voice lessons are required as part of the MT majors, but add an additional $1,500 to your tuition. All MT students take them all four years.
My daughter doesn’t grocery shop, as she has 19 meals per week… but she does sometimes go to Target, etc. And she uses the PPU shuttle for that. Just a short trip. I usually send her snacks with free shipping from Target.com
@cakerice there is a shuttle every Sunday that my daughter takes to go food shopping. She has lived off campus the past two years, and will do the same her senior year. As for voice lessons, all MTs have an hour of private voice every week as part of their curriculum.
@cakerice My D had 14 meals a week and that was fine because it also comes with flex dollars…This is the end of the semester and she still has over $100 to spend in flex…I felt like 10 meals a week was not enough and the cost between the two plans is so minimal that I just went for the 14. There are a few different places to eat…the cafe seems to be the best. The dining hall doesn’t seem to have the best food.
As to the Private Voice, my D LOVES her private voice instructor. She has had him all year, and I think she is planning on keeping him for the duration. They get an hour a week and he is very good about making up lessons if the lesson needs to be cancelled. At the beginning of the year, the kids have placement classes for Ballet, Acting and Voice. They are split into two groups for Ballet (beginner and advanced) and then placed into groups A or B for Acting and then their Private Voice instructors are assigned to them (the kids don’t get to pick).
As far as shopping…there are several stores in the downtown area in the event that she should need things like toilet paper or shampoo or snacks :)…And, there is a local Giant Eagle that will deliver to the dorm! The first delivery is free and the others are a very minimal cost. You order online and they will deliver it…you have to coordinate times so that your D is there to receive the delivery! They do have shuttles that go to The Village of Eastside on Sundays…there is a Trader Joe’s and a Target very close by.
I have heard nothing but positive things from other students in the program, as well as the moms. I think your D will be very happy with her choice.
Thank you so much for your response. I appreciate knowing the details from people that are doing it already.
Can anyone speak to the application/audition process for PPU (Class of 2024)? They appear to be revising their pre-screen requirements but it’s pre-screen season and they’re not posted yet. Also coordination of admissions and artistic staff? The new spaces look beautiful on the virtual tour but then they throw in Market Square which isn’t exactly next to campus so I’m wondering about the neighborhood, housing, etc. Thanks in advance for any information.
I did hear that they were going to be starting pre-screening…I am assuming that more information will be released this week as school is back in session. The new Playhouse is amazing. My D had a couple of classes in there. Downtown Pittsburgh is not terribly large. Market Square is just a couple of blocks away, so it really is basically next to campus. PPU campus is spread out a bit, although most of the COPA majors classes are contained to a couple of buildings. The neighborhood is lovely, not much in the way of crime. The worst part of last year was the dorm, which was very hot in September without air conditioning. And the food isn’t spectacular, but my D found things to eat mainly at the cafe’. She had a wonderful first year and LOVED the faculty.