As the audition season wraps up and (hopefully) offers arrive, I am curious for those looking back on the process - what questions do you or your S or D wish they had asked faculty or other students about the program prior to enrolling? My S has examined the curriculum and will sit in on class, etc. but what are the things you figured out were important after enrollment that you wished you had asked more about in the process. Thanks in advance!
I wish more schools had been transparent about their selection process and I wish I’d had the guts to ask more specific questions about that (without my child killing me.) Syracuse was very open about exactly how they rank those who are auditioning and how they admit and it was really helpful. I feel like there’s this huge mystery surrounding this whole process (“did you get asked to sing one more song?” “they only asked me for one monologue, oh no!”) and it just completely heightens the anxiety - even when they are telling you “we just want to get to know YOU! Show us your heart!” I feel like some of these schools forget these are 17 year old kids. Give us more information and it lessens the craziness.
I am interested in what to ask schools about the specific BFA program they offer also. This advice from those now in programs and thinking wow why did I not ask about this aspect of the program etc.
Here are some questions we asked via e-mail of the programs she was accepted to:
Can you describe the type of training a student gets in music? How much time and what sort of training in voice, theory, repertoire, piano, etc? Do you teach both classical and contemporary MT styles?
For acting, do you explore the different approaches? Do Musical Theatre students train with the acting BFA’s? Do you get a lot of straight acting training, or is most of the acting training in the context of “acting the song”?
Do all MT students start with the same dance classes or are you placed at the appropriate level of experience?
Can MT students audition for plays?
Can Freshman audition?
Is there guaranteed casting?
Are students required to audition?
Are there student-directed shows?
Is there a Senior showcase?
How many students are in each theatre department class?
Is the weekly voice lesson 1/2 or 1 hour?
Do the students dance daily?
How long are the dance classes?
Can a student take extra dance if they can fit it in?
What is the tech requirement?
Are guest artists/directors/agents brought in for master classes?
Is there a study abroad program?
Are there additional expenses for MTs outside of tuition (required software, accompanists, etc.)?
Are there extra charges for mandatory voice lessons?
Thank you LoveMyMtGirl that is a great list. I will print it out. Thank you.
Agreed, @4gsmom - Syracuse was more open than all the rest, and boy was it refreshing. Between that and the rest of their presentation, that was one school which jumped way up on my daughter’s and my lists, after Unifieds. Why bring in more mystery into what is a largely subjective process? And thanks @LoveMyMTGirl - I’m going to print this as well - good to have all of these questions in one place.
I liked the info session Syracuse did, too, but I must have missed the part where they explain about their audition process, how they rank, what they’re looking for. etc. Could someone who heard that enlighten me? My son thought his audition went pretty well (he got passed on to the head of the program, but then the head didn’t seem all that interested in him), but the dance call was very difficult.
You may want to ask if faculty teach voice lessons or grad students, what % of last year’s Showcase class signed with agents, where last year’s grads are working, who are some recent successfull grads, what (formal and informal) specific support, if any, the program provides for grads as they transition into the professional theatre world, what % of last years’ graduating class completed a double major in 4 years (if you are interested).
It also may be worth asking what relationships the program has with the local professional markets. I was surpirised to learn how frequently students at D’s school were working in the area’s many theatres. There were several kids I never saw in campus shows as they were pretty steadily employed by regional theatres at night while taking daytime classes. It’s also worth investigating how flexible the program is if you are interested in auditioning and booking professional work while in school. All of this may sound unrelated to school, but from what I observed in D’s program there are few better ways to launch than to get a running start during your last couple years of school, as the Showcase marketplace is pretty saturatad.
^^ tiny device + large fingers = many typos. Oops! ^^
Just to add to @MomCares’ wise advice: Now that my D is a senior, I’m much more focused on the scary part of transitioning to independence and launching a career.
After all, that’s why they’re at college!
With my D, at Northwestern-- I realize this is a MT thread but also many kids may find that as they go through college they’re also interested in film and straight theatre. I’d want to know what MomCares says–And I’m still asking! My D is doing a lot of film now in a new film module and loving it; I don’t yet know how much support there will be (if any) in transitioning to paid work. They are definitely preparing them for industrial and commercial film auditions (e.g. what is their type, what clothes look good on them on camera, working on sides with and without a partner, improv on film etc), and she’ll have a reel. Also NU has grants to support internships in the summer, and my D used it for a casting agency.
I’d also ask not just how many students got representation from showcase (great question) but what representation (what agencies). Not all are created alike. Also, what MomCares says is very wise about work 5-10 years post graduation. It’s hard to get data on this. You can be in ensemble once or twice on an equity tour and that could be it. That’s entirely different from someone who gets steady regional work for years. So the type and length of work is really important to know.
Also, if desired, do the kids have an opportunity to collaborate with future directors, playwrights, etc, or is it entirely MT acting?
Finally, some kids arrive with connections, agents and professional theatre or film background. Others, like my D, don’t. It sometimes can seem as if a school has wonderful results when it’s not clear how much is actually due to the school. If you arrive as a B’way equity actor with years of experience under your belt, you already have an agent and connections. So I’d personally want to know the success rate of people who arrive with little experience because that’s what my D had. I don’t know if they can tell you but maybe they can. Can’t hurt to ask.
@connections just reminded me of another great question. Does the school offer any support (financial or otherwise) for summer internships?
Sorry my post was so long and rambling. Hope it was helpful–There are so many questions I wished we’d asked, mostly - because now my D is in that situation - about supports in place for transitions to the professional world.