<p>I was accepted to the musical theatre program today (very excited), and from what I can tell it seems like an amazing school and MT program. I was wondering what people’s experiences with this school and program have been like. Is is a friendly atmosphere? What are performance opportunities like? How small do MT classes tend to be? How are the dorms? How is Philadelphia? What is a typical daily schedule like? I will be sure to visit campus as soon as I can, but I live in California so visiting might be difficult. Until then, any help would be much appreciated. Thank you all so much!</p>
<p>Congratulations! I can imagine how excited you are. My daughter is a junior in the MT program (and we live outside of Philly) so I will try to answer some of your questions:</p>
<p>My daughter loves the program. She feels she is getting excellent training and that there is great collaboration with her fellow students and mentoring by the professors. The atmosphere is a very friendly one and she has made many friends. Students are generally very supportive of each other, attend each other’s shows and enjoy each other’s successes. In my daughter’s case, she has a core group of very close friends who routinely spend their time not only socializing with each other but also assisting each other rehearsing scenes for class, preparing for auditions, working on songs and dance technique. </p>
<p>Classes are relatively small, varying depending on the particular class. There are only 20-24 students in each year’s class. There are usually at least 2 sections of all the core performance based classes. Acting Studio classes for the first 3 years consist of both acting and MT majors and there is a strong emphasis on straight acting for MT students, which is a good thing.</p>
<p>The school stages about 7 or 8 shows a semester consisting of Main Stage, Studio (black box) and Platform (in concert or staged reading) plus there are also student directed 1 acts each semester. Performance opportunities consist of both musicals and straight drama and MT and acting students audition for all the shows. The school has great performance spaces consisting of 2 main stages (1 of which is an 1800 seat proscenium theater), 2 black boxes that have been recently renovated to be state of the art and a recently remodeled cabaret “club like” space.</p>
<p>Dorms are apartment style living with private bathrooms and kitchenettes in each apartment. Most dorms are studio apartments but there are a number of suites. There is no meal plan but there are a gizzillion eateries, sandwich shops, small markets, food courts and supermarkets in the area. After freshman year, dorms are on a limited lottery and most students live in off campus housing which is plentiful.</p>
<p>Philadelphia, if you enjoy city life, is a mecca for students. In many respects, I liken it to NYC but on a smaller, more manageable scale. UArts in in the center of Philly’s business and performing arts district. Within 5 minutes walking from the UArts buildings, there are 7 professional performing venues with an 8th about 15 minutes walking. There are at least a half dozen smaller theaters also about 15 minutes walking. Touring shows, local productions, original productions, ballet, opera, orchestral music, all at the door steps of students. Three major museums within a 15 minute walk. Restaurants and shopping abound every block in the area. The streets are filled during the day with office workers and students and night life is abundant and vibrant. Even though we live outside of Philly, my daughter lives year round a block from campus and absolutely loves city life.</p>
<p>The typical daily schedule is – long! Take a look at the curriculum posted on the website, add up the number of credits per semester, add 8-10 and that’s the approximate number of hours a week in classes. Add in home work, practicing for studio classes, crew assignments, rehearsals for shows, and it is not unusual to have days where classes start at 8:30 a.m. and the night ends at 12 or 1 a.m. </p>
<p>Hope this was helpful. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask here of PM me.</p>
<p>MichaelNKat: Thanks for the great post full of so much valuable info. Do they have an equal # of boys versus girls in each class? My son is very interested in UArts and the emphasis on actor training and being able to work with acting students as well as MT students. He loves Philly, it is close to home, and it seems like a great school. Do they give talent scholarships? It must be challenging with no meal plan. Has your daughter mentioned whether the environment among the students is focused and serious on learning or is there a tendancy to “experience college life to the fullest”…if you get my drift. 
Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Yes to the talent scholarships.</p>
<p>My impression is that the school seeks to have a fairly equal balance of boys and girls but, while I haven’t really looked at the numbers, I suspect that there are more girls than boys in my daughter’s class. The school is very generous with scholarships. The school itself gives various levels of scholarships based on h.s academics and audition scores. At the time my daughter was admitted, the highest level was $10,000 but I believe that has now increased to $12,000. The school spreads the scholarship money around to many students instead of just a few at higher levels. Then there are numerous outside charitable organizations that fund additional scholarships at the school based on combinations of academics, talent and need. Once the freshman year starts, additional scholarships are awarded on a more limited basis and there can be additional money in the sophomore year. In my daughter’s case, in her sophomore year she had about 50% of the tuition and fees (excluding housing) covered by merit/talent scholarships.</p>
<p>The absence of a meal plan is not a big deal for most students. The school has a cantina and there are literally dozens and dozens of places all around the “campus” to grab prepared food - from food courts to restaurants with cafes in between. Also, there are many small food markets and some of the large supermarkets will take on-line orders and deliver to the dorms at pre-arranged times for a very modest fee of about $10. Neither my daughter nor any of her friends have had a problem eating healthfully.</p>
<p>As to student proclivities regarding their studies versus partying, there is a mix like at any other school. Most students keep their priorities straight and focus on their school responsibilities but also find the time to unwind and let loose. It’s all a question of balance and some are better at it than others but most are pretty good at it. However, one thing that is universally reported to me is that there is no pressure to be a “partier”. A student can have an active social life without indulging in the “excesses” of college life. It’s kind of a live and let live atmosphere. There are those who party wildly on weekends and those who don’t. Everyone kind of finds their own comfortable niche. However, there is little patience among students for someone who allows their partying to interfere with the work that needs to be done in the studio classes. Because most students live in off campus housing and the school is an urban school without a confined campus, the social scene is more like you would find among young people out in the work world in the city than you would find on a traditional college campus with dorms and frats. Large parties at apartments, smaller dinner parties at apartments, social gatherings at restaurants etc.</p>
<p>To confirm Michael’s part about the scholarship amounts, I do have a student who was offered $12,000/year in this admissions cycle.</p>
<p>That sounds about right, I got the “presidential scholarship” for $12000. Thanks so much for the information everyone, it’s very helpful.</p>
<p>my daughter is a freshman this year and there is a big difference in the # of each. There are far more boys than girls in this particular freshman class. My guess is that they look to “balance” thier program as a whole and the class composition probably reflects what is needed to meet this objective.</p>
<p>mema123: was that $12K Presidential Scholarship based on talent or your academic achievements in high school (gpa, SAT)? Congrats- that’s quite a nice sum of money!
MichaelNKat, I appreciate your follow-on comments. Very helpful. My son is interested in serious study and learning. He has lots of fun, but is not overly excited about a “party scene.”
SoozieVT, thanks for the confirmation of scholarship amount.</p>
<p>The letter said: “the scholarship recognizes the highest level of artistic and academic achievement; it are awarded to students who have shown extraordinary promise during their high school years” so I expect it is somewhat of a mix, but I’m not positive.</p>
<p>Yes, the University scholarships are based on a mix of h.s. academics and talent. Don’t know how it is weighted but both are considered.</p>
<p>lesmizmom, your son would not have any problem finding like minded students in the MT program.</p>
<p>U Arts also offers scholarships that are primarily talent based. My S, who is a freshman, was awarded a generous “Promising Artist” scholarship. While he had very good SAT scores, his GPA was not at academic scholarhip levels. I agree with Michael’s eloquent description of the school. My S absolutely loves it and finds the atmosphere extremely supportive.</p>
<p>Concerning University scholarships, grants and outside school related scholarships, from the UArts undergrad financial aid web page:</p>
<p>Institutional Scholarships and Grants</p>
<p>University Scholarships:</p>
<p>University Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and demonstrated talent. The Presidential, Promising Artist, and Artist Grant as well as Director’s Scholarships are types of University Scholarships.</p>
<p>University Scholarships are awarded when students are admitted.</p>
<p>To assist students and their families with financial planning for their enrollment, scholarship amounts are fixed and renewable so long as the student makes satisfactory academic progress.</p>
<p>Named/Endowed Scholarships:</p>
<p>The University offers a number of scholarships that have been donated by individuals, families or groups to help support promising artists. These named scholarships are awarded based on specific criteria, which may include need and/or merit .</p>
<p>University Grant:</p>
<p>University Grants are generally need-based and are awarded by the Financial Aid Office to supplement all other financial aid assistance.
Undergraduate students must be enrolled for at least twelve credits in order to receive Institutional Aid that is merit or need-based. Graduate Students must be enrolled for at least nine credits to be considered for such assistance.</p>
<p>Mema123:
My D is currently a sophomore and is also from California, and absolutely LOVES Uarts. She loves Philly as well, and enjoys not only her classes, friends, etc, but also seeing the plethora of shows available all year round from the myriad of theaters in Philly such as the Arden, Walnut and Wilma, not to mention other small shows around town. </p>
<p>After the first year in housing, she was able to find a one room apartment, as she wanted to be by herself for a year, and is now moving in with 2 other friends for a couple of months and if it goes well, will room with them all of next year. </p>
<p>She loves the fact that the Terra Building is open 24/7 and goes there alot to practice her singing. She loves the fact that some of her classmates put on shows, like Cabarets, and she gets to perform in them outside of Uarts’ productions; and she loves her classes both in musical theater, but also her acting studio class where she gets to work with students in the acting majors. As the musical theater classes are small, this exposure to other students in a related field she finds very rewarding.</p>
<p>My D also got a scholarship which really helps us.</p>
<p>My D has said to me that what she loves the most about Uarts is the small city life with the vibrancy of New York. She loves bumping into friends as she’s walking home, or going out with friends to a cheap restaurant as they try to find the best value for their money. It has the atmosphere of an arts community in a downtown city; warm, engaging, fun and exciting. She also likes that the faculty are all working professionals who can provide valuable insights and contacts once she graduates and starts working in the business. </p>
<p>We have watched her blossom so much, especially this year, which is a very challenging year.<br>
I wish you good luck in your decision-making.</p>
<p>My son has been accepted and was offered a Promising Young Artist Scholarship for $10,000 as well as a grant for $2000. He also is concerned about not wanting to attend a party school, so the responses so far in this post have been very helpful. As we’re trying to compare costs for each school he’s considering, can anyone tell me what is a general amount to budget for food? Also, does the Cantina offer some type of meal plan, or do they just accept cash?</p>
<p>The cantina, as far as I’m aware, does not offer a meal plan; it’s cash or debit card. As to a food budget, it really varies depending on the student’s eating habits and the extent to which a student is a smart shopper. There are a couple of supermarkets within 15 minutes or so from the dorms, a farmers market 15 minutes away, numerous small grocery markets within a few block radius, and a ton of food courts, delis, cafes, sandwich shops and restaurants. Of course, the more you shop supermarkets and prepare meals using the kitchenette in the dorm, the lower the food costs. I would estimate the food budget, excluding social meals at restaurants, to be between $70 - $100 per week. If you take your student food shopping at home for a week’s worth of food, the cost will probably be not much different than what you could expect at UArts; Philadelphia is about in the middle of the pack for food costs. Where a student will start running up a tab is if the student eats a lot of meals consisting of prepared foods from the local eateries; you can’t get away with less than about $8 - $10 for a prepared meal including a beverage. Also, MT students need to hydrate quite a biy. They are always on the run and between dance classes, acting studio, voice work etc, a lot of water is consumed. Bottled water, while convenient, can shockingly increase your food budget by $30/week or more. Instead, get a good 1 liter stainless steel water bottle; despite the popular jokes about Schuylkill Punch, Philadelphia tap water is fine. Also, you can put a filter on the kitchen sink faucet for that “bottled water” experience :). Because there are days where a MT student’s schedule precludes returning to the dorm to grab a meal during the day, you should plan on a few meals a week from a food court on pack a bagged meal from home.</p>
<p>MichaelNKat is right in saying that the Cantina has no meal plan. You can pay for your food there either with traditional forms of payment or what is called FreedomPay (you can google the Freedompay site for more info.) Basically, you put money in your (student’s) freedom pay account and the student id serves as a debit card to this account. We are also in agreement regarding the water, My daughter who only drank bottled water prior to UArts drinks tap water in Philly with no reservations. </p>
<p>In addition to the grocery and convenience stores to buy food to prepare you own meals, the Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market offer alternative (and interesting) grocery shopping experiences. Both markets are worthy a visit by anyone going to Philly… The Reading Market offers the kids “student discounts” on a few days a week… I believe Sunday and not sure the others. There they can find amazing produce (better than the supermarkets), fresh meats, chicken, seafood, etc… home baked breads, spices, fresh flower stands, candy counters and almost anything you can imagine. They can also buy prepared meals there. Kids on a budget can really make it work… (I always visit there while in Philly.) The Italian Market is also an interesting shopping experience.</p>
<p>On the other hand… Philly boasts some amazing restaurants (all price ranges). A few things to note about Philly restaurants is that if they are not part of large chains, they MAY be “cash only” and/or “byob” (for those over 21). These attributes in a restaurant are not typical in our home region, thus worthy of advisement.</p>
<p>UArts living is not typical of most colleges. Honestly, I too had initial reservations regarding the nontraditional college living style. It requires more accountability and maturity than typical dorm living and forces them to learn/use more domestic and planning skills. Although, it has worked out great for my D (her friends like very much it as well), it isn’t for everyone.</p>
<p>I was accepted into the musical theatre program! Does anyone know how many people they’re accepting and how large of a class they are looking for? Thanks!</p>
<p>Typically, UArts looks for a freshman class of about 24 students. In the past, they have accepted about 6-8% of MT applicants.</p>
<p>Getting back to the food questions, there are also Whole Foods and Superfresh markets on South St at around 5th. Further, Genaurdi’s Supermarkets takes orders on-line and will deliver at pre-arranged times. My daughter shops all 3 supermarkets.</p>