Programs to consider outside the top 20

Starting to prepare for the audition / admission process (little early but I want to get my ducks in a row). D is a rising junior at at a performing arts magnet HS. She is a MT major and, very strong in singing and acting, weak in dance but getting better (taking several classes per yr and in school). I would call her a “Double and 1/2 Threat”. Like everyone else, we know of the top schools and she will apply to many of them. Such a crap shoot as I understand it. The program director (was on Broadway and got in to casting) held a workshop and told us to cast a wide net. Don’t just look at BFA programs. Consider BA programs and assured us casting directors really don’t care where or if you went to school, they just are observing talent. Makes sense to me. Also makes sense that you will likely improve that talent more through a better program (with better training, resources, etc.)

So, aside from the bib boys, what are some of the 2nd or 3rd tier programs we might consider? I’m trying to avoid “any school with a theater or musical theater program” as that is a bit to wide of a net.

Her ultimate goal is Broadway but we know good regional theater is a good start too. Thanks for any suggestions.

Not to be a broken record, but I highly recommend that you work with an audition coach. Even a one-time consultation via skype can be helpful. They will talk with you about what kind of program you are looking for, and what kind of experience, and then make recommendations for reaches, middles, and safeties, with her talent and preferences in mind.
One of the schools that Chelsea from MCA recommended my D add to her list as a “middle” was Molloy/CAP21, which we had not really looked into before that. She just finished her freshman year there and it is an amazing, intense, BFA program, with the top-notch CAP21 conservatory in NYC in a brand-new, huge facility, but the kids live at Molloy’s (safe, quiet) Long Island campus, and can also work, and audition to perform at, the regional theatre on campus, which mostly presents non-college performances. They just graduated their first BFA class this month, and their talent and training give me confidence that this program will not be under the radar for much longer.

Thanks.

Her singing coach (private lessons) will be prepping her for auditions. She’s a CMU grad with Broadway and tour experience, has her MFA, etc. . She’s talking to her about places like Penn St and CMU but I want to be way more realistic.

I’ll check out Molloy.

I would start by looking at the 60 programs posted at the top of the forum, remove the ones you think are top 20, and go from there. Although opinions will vary, these programs are, for the most part, very competitive to extremely competitive for admission and they are all offer very solid training.

Some additional programs (not listed at the top of the forum) that I would recommend looking at include the following. While all audition-based programs are competitive for admission, be aware that while they are not listed at the top of the forum, some of these programs are very competitive for admission (Belmont, for one):

AUDITION BA
Pepperdine BA Music & Theatre CA
Plymouth State NH
San Diego State U BA Acting & MT CA
SUNY Cortland NY
U New Hampshire NH
West Texas A&M TX
Western Connecticut State CT

AUDITION BM
Arizona State AZ
Belmont TN
U Central Oklahoma OK

AUDITION BFA
Baylor BFA w/MT Track TX*
Drake IA
Florida Southern FL
Kent State OH
Long Island Post NY
Missouri State MO
Nebraska Wesleyan NE*
Northern Kentucky KY
Oakland MI
Samford AL
Southeast Missouri State MO
Southern Illinois-Carbondale IL
Tulane BFA (Music Dept) LA
UAB
U Memphis TN
U South Dakota SD
U Tampa FL
U Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI
West Virginia WV
Western Carolina NC
Witchita State KS

AUDITION AFTER 1st/2nd YEAR
Western Kentucky BFA 2yr KY

^ Thanks for the info. Will start looking into them.

I believe West Conn is now an audition BFA program. Great sleeper school with brand new facilities.

thanks^. So would it make sense to look at strong BA schools that are non-audition? Is that what you do for safeties? Any particular ones with good track records, people making it nationally, etc. (although I think that’s way more about the artist than the school)

@EmsDad isn’t the Tulane program audition after soph year?

I’m guessing that you are in Ohio, based on your logo? Highly recommend Wright State in Dayton. Outstanding training with the added benefit of instate tuition.

Also, for a non-audition BA that has a great reputation, Muhlenburg in PA.

Ball State. Great training, great faculty.

@NYKaren isn’t Muhlenberg primarily theater/acting and not MT? Excellent performing arts school overall, though.

@newjeffCT, one of my family members just graduated from Muhlenberg as an MT major.

Texas Tech University in Lubbock has just begun offering a dedicated BFA in musical theater. The first class of six is set to graduate in 2021. Admission is by audition.

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance/students/ugrad/bfa-theatrearts-MusicalTheatre.php

Texas State in San Marcos (between Austin and San Antonio) also offers a BFA in musical theater by audition.

http://www.theatreanddance.txstate.edu/Undergraduate-Degrees/BFA-Musical-Theatre.html

Muhlenberg does not have an official MT major. Since it is a BA program, you can double major in Acting and Dance and minor in voice. This creates an MT major. It’s a very flexible degree/program. I know several students there and they are very happy with their choice.

Yes, @NewJeffCT and @GSOMTMom are each partially correct and @theatremom10 is completely correct. The degree isn’t MT–it’s a BA in Theatre with an incredible amount of flexibility. You can major in theatre–acting concentration and then either double major in dance or music, or you can major in theatre–acting concentration and minor in both music and dance. And sometimes when kids get into the nitty-gritty of a college performance program, they discover that they like other aspects of theatre, so they have directing, tech, and performance studies concentrations as well, and you can usually fit in more than one concentration.

SUNY Fredonia has an auditioned BFA in MT (as well as Acting, Dance and Tech). There is a non-auditioned Theater BA.

Is Coastal Carolina a top 20? I’m pretty sure JMU is not a top 20 and is a great program. Rider? Temple? Cap 21? And as far as using a CMU grad with broadway experience, unless s/he is in current contact with the people who audition and grant admittance, s/he is not as educated as an audition coach. I know some who went to performing arts schools where the director at that school had great contacts with schools in the top 20 and because of those connections was able to make sure that certain students were given a good look during auditions. I know some who went to performing arts schools where the directors and/or vocal coaches thought they knew the score because they still knew some people in the business and went to (fill in the blank, great school) and toured in (fill in the blank, national tour). And those people ended up with one or two admissions to the schools listed above. I don’t know why they weren’t successful (because they were definitely talented) but if you read past threads, you will definitely see more than a few PA students who used their school’s teachers and did not end up in the schools they necessarily wanted. And while I know plenty of people who say the coach didn’t make a huge difference, I also know plenty who say relying solely on a famous local coach was a huge mistake in retrospect.

@fwtxmom I would consider Texas State top tier for MT.

Is my thinking about right in terms of casting a decent net?

10 top BFA programs (NYU, Emerson, Elon. Penn State, etc.)
5 lesser known but good BFA / BA programs
2 or 3 non audition but with good rep BA programs

Assume academic mix of reach / match / safety.