Programs to consider outside the top 20

@nykaren I will PM you!

@LBSMOM When I get my minimum posts, would you mind if I asked you to PM me as well? Wagner is on my son’s list as well. He will be a junior this coming year. I am one of those parents trying to get a jump on it all so maybe it is a little tiny bit less overwhelming his senior year. Hopeful thinking, anyway.

Muhlenberg does require an audition if you want to be considered for scholarship money.

You can do the Muhlenberg audition via video if you live more than a certain number of miles away (300, I think?). S did this using his pre-screen videos, and it worked out quite well. He had good interaction with the theater department chair who also encouraged us to look at scholarship opportunities with the music department. (MT at Muhlenberg is essentially a double major in theater and music) We never did pursue that, but S got a nice talent/merit scholarship offer from the theater department based off his video audition and admissions phone interview. Though he ultimately chose a different school, we were both quite impressed with the program and the interactions with the school.

D did the muhlenberg audition early in the fall as a sort of “dry run” - which she found extremely helpful. We both really liked the school and it’s facilities. Only downside to audition is that they only do them on weekedays, and we wanted to limit school absences (for both of us - actually a bigger challenge for me as a teacher, I have a limited # of “personal days” I can take). We used a school break day on a Friday to get it done. Anyway, head of program is extremely nice, and I have known several kids who did choose muhlenberg and have loved their experience there

@rickle1 Considering all that you have said about you and your child (finances not a huge concern, desire for a conservatory type program, wanting to build contacts and experience real life theater conditions) you definitely should look at the Manhattan School of Music. My child is a rising junior there in the inaugural MT class. I often think that the program is so different than many of the programs discussed here. So far the kids have not had any choice in their classes. A double major or minor is not possible. The facilities are nothing like the elaborate ones so many universities have to attract students(which quite frankly, if they work in NY in their futures, they will likely never see again, especially on Broadway) My daughter does not always love all of her teachers or fellow students (if it’s true that they all love each other in so many of these other programs, I wonder what is in the water in those places) But she is finding out what it is like to be a performer in NYC, working with theater professionals, learning from theater professionals and learning amongst theater professional(as some of her fellow students are already working and I have absolutely no doubt that many more of them will work in the future in New York) She is finding out if she is cut out for this work. This program is not for everyone, but it might be for your child.

Also, I would add Pace to your list. People don’t talk about it much here, but those MT students have amazing opportunities. It is probably a top 20 school though.

Thanks @rocsocks , we will add them tot he NY list. I knew about PACE. The Manhattan School of Music sounds interesting. Definitely a different feel from most programs, but perhaps one she would enjoy. If her mom and I would allow it, she would take all her remaining HS academic reqs online and take 6 or 7 periods of Performance X at her Performing Arts HS. As it is, she takes 4 trade related classes and 3 academic (as a junior starting this week) with an additional academic online. She’s trying to squeeze as much music, dance, directing, playwriting, etc as possible.