Recent School Visits

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>My family and I just returned from vacation on the east coast where my D and I were able to make some visits to schools she is interested in for MT. My D will just be a junior in the fall, but we decided to get a head start on seeing some schools. My husband and younger D spent time in NYC with us then headed to Bermuda to see his family while my older D and I went to visit schools.</p>

<p>While in NYC we had a general tour at NYU which my D already knew that she would apply to. We did not have a lot of time to spend there, but D has two friends who will begin MT at NYU in the fall so she can ask questions of them during the next year.</p>

<p>We also visited Marymount Manhattan, a program that my D had not looked into yet, and she liked what they offered in their program and will probably apply here also. They have a BA with MT minor and D's grades and practice SAT scores already would qualify her for merit money. We got to meet with the head of MT after the tour and she was very friendly and helpful.</p>

<p>D and I then drove to Allentown and visited Muhlenberg. D loved the campus and was so impressed with Charlie Richter who showed her around the theatre dept. and let us watch some of the rehearsals for Tommy which started after our visit. We also got to talk with a student there who is majoring in theatre and voice so my D got a lot of insight into the program. D said she could definitely see herself here. She has the grades so that this could be her non audition "safety school."</p>

<p>Next we headed to UARTS in Philadelphia. D also loved this school! We had a great private tour with a BFA acting student so D got to ask lots of questions then we met with Charles Gilbert, head of MT. D was very impressed with him and has decided that she would like to come to UARTS for the summer program next year. D loved the theatres in Philly that UARTS performs in!</p>

<p>We then drove to Pittsburgh, but since it was a holiday weekend we only got to look at CMU and Point Park and did not get to tour. My D did not like the city of Pittsburgh very much and said she does not see herself going to school here, so it looks like these will come off of her list.</p>

<p>Finally we headed to visit my brother who lives in New Haven. We had a great tour last Monday of the University of Hartford which has a really lovely campus. This was the largest school we saw (7,000 students) although still quite small. After the general tour we had a good meeting with the the admissions person at the Hartt School and my D also really likes this program. They are getting ready to move into a new performing arts center which sound wonderful.</p>

<p>D and I had a great time during our week looking at schools and I think she has a better idea of the programs she likes. During the time I was driving from place to place, D was on the computer inputting data into spreadsheets for the various programs so she can use these in the future to help make decisions about where to apply.</p>

<p>Next spring (during Easter break) she would like to visit both JMU and Elon and there may be others on her list by that time.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone here that gave advice on who to talk to at the different schools and where to stay along the way!</p>

2

<p>It's great that you are getting such an early start on your school tours. I would strongly suggest -- if possible -- that you should visit when students are in session; and try to see a production while you're on campus. We eliminated some schools from our list because my D didn't feel comfortable with the atmosphere on some campuses, and also because we saw some productions that weren't too impressive.</p>

<p>When you come back, check out Ithaca and Syracuse; and yes, I can help you with travel plans and where to stay!</p>

3

<p>You MUST visit Elon. We had never been there, and were very impressed with the school itself. It immediately became my son's first choice. We even had one student tell us: "They really spoil us here."</p>

4

<p>I really appreciated Showmom's post. My D (who is also a rising junior) is finishing up at CMU pre college in a few weeks and before we head back home we are visiting family in New England. We thought we might see a couple of Boston schools (Emerson and BU) before leaving. But I have been concerned about getting a feeling for the school without students around or productions to see. It sounds from Showmom's post that it is still worth doing, but I'd love to hear from others who have done this. Also, on a slightly different note, my D doesn't know if she will be wanting a BFA in MT or regular drama or a straight BA. At a school like Emerson, can you get a sense of both programs in one visit?</p>

5

<p>In response to HSN's post, I can add a few comments on how best to get a feel for schools. When S was looking in his junior and senior years, we tried to visit so he could attend a class, talk to students (and faculty, if possible) in the Acting and/or MT programs and see a production. We didn't work as hard to do that at all places, especially when we went in spring junior year/summer prior to senior year. By fall senior year, he had a much stronger focus on what he was looking for in a program so the need to sit in on classes, meet faculty and talk with students was much more obvious to us in planning a trip. The campus/city "tours" of the early trips helped shape that focus so they were useful but the more in-depth trips clarified his preferences during the application and audition stage. Just remember, it's important not to do too much "ruling out" since the selection process works both ways! We were a bit dismayed that he kept trying to rule out CCM fairly early. He agreed to apply but reluctantly since he didn't like Cincinnati and had a lukewarm experience attending an acting class. In retrospect, I think he really did sense it wouldn't have been a good fit and that he was giving it a fair assessment; he just came to that decision sooner than his dad and I. </p>

<p>The ten visits we made (some combined with auditions on campuses) were very helpful. He realized some schools were much more interesting than he'd thought they'd be while a couple slipped down in his personal preference list. He was lucky enough to "match" with his #1 school (which remained in that spot throughout the process, visits and all: CMU) but the process clarified other great schools that would have worked well for him had admissions worked out differently.</p>

6

<p>Like kedstuff, when my D and I visited schools during the school year, she was often able to sit in on, and sometimes even participate in classes. In this way she was able to get a feel for the atmosphere of the department, the attitudes of the teachers, and the levels of the students. It varied a great deal from school to school, and that made a big difference when she made her final list of schools. At one school, we visited first during the summer -- she absolutely loved the look of the campus. But we went back to see a production during the fall --she didn't feel that she would fit in with the student body, and the production was just okay. </p>

<p>The school that she eventually chose to attend, Syracuse, was one that she felt comfortable with on the first visit. She's having a wonderful experience there. A college is a lot more than just a lovely campus -- don't choose on that basis alone, and don't eliminate a school just because you don't like the city it's in! Believe me, the city of Syracuse is not the most attractive or exciting place in the world. But for my D, the school is perfect.</p>

7

<p>I agree totally with the great posts by kedstuff and onstage....</p>

<p>I think college visits are very important and need to be more in depth than an info session and campus tour. </p>

<p>I think a school should not be ruled out if it does not match up in every which way with one's personal selection criteria because one must cast a wide net in such a competitive process as you are not yet selecting a college to attend but merely just one to apply to and they still have to select you. </p>

<p>I think it is important to remember you are comparing apples to oranges if you have only visited some schools on the list and the student's preferences for schools will change some after visits to all campuses are made. </p>

<p>I think it is very important to talk to those directly IN the programs (faculty, administrators, current students, alums, parents) rather than rely on hearsay by others outside the programs (and in some vignettes I have heard, where members of one school tell a prospective student about another school, either bashing it or giving incorrect information). </p>

<p>The key is about FIT.....the more in depth you explore, you will find schools that are good fits. It is a very personal process.</p>

8

<p>I guess I'm still wondering if there's any point in looking at a couple of schools this summer. I do agree that there is much more to a school than just a campus and even the city it is located, but neither of those are unimportant, either. I guess I'll just leave it up to my daughter, about whether she wants to take the time now. I'm just so worried about squeezing in a bunch of visits to places all over the country in one spring break in her junior year. It was so exhausting with my first daughter, and we were at least limited to the north east, whereas this D might be looking all over the place. At least we live in Los Angeles, and if she decides to audition for BFA's most of the schools have auditions here!</p>

9

<p>If you are going to be in New England anyway it certainly couldn't hutr to visit a few schools. Sometimes you are able to meet with a faculty member in the department to ask questions. Even the genera campus tour could be helpful. I remember that my mom and I visited some schools the summer before my senior year. Based on those visits I did eliminate some schools that felt completely wrong, and decided to explore further some schools that I might not have looked at as seriously without an initial visit.</p>

<p>Ultimately before choosing a school to attend you probably would want to visit while school is in session. If you spread out these visits.... some at the time of the audition (if you go to campus), some beforehand, some once you know you have been admitted and are trying to make a final decision your D will be able to find a school that feels like the right fit.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

10

<p>You know what, HSN? I have very fond memories of all of the college visits I made with my D -- it's great bonding time. If you have the time, it certainly won't hurt to visit some schools during the summer. Just keep in mind that if you audition and are accepted at one of those schools, you might need to make a second visit to get a better feel for it.</p>

11

<p>With my son, I was so worried about visiting campuses when school was in session/students were there that we, too, ended up having to cram all our visits into one crazy marathon trip in November of senior year (the only time he wasn't in a show). It was a lot of fun, but a blur, and I vowed that with my daughter, we would pace ourselves a bit better. We started spring of sophomore year and will make continue to make first pass visits when it's convenient, with or without school being in session. Then, we can go back to the ones where she is really interested and/or gets accepted. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>We started the cycle of initial visits during my daughter's junior year. Because of the demands of the audition process, I thought it important that my daughter get a more informed sense of the schools to which she intended to apply. As it turned out, it was time well spent for a couple of reasons. One school came off her list entirely. If she had not visited prior to applying, it would have made her audition season that much more, and unnecessarily, time consuming. In addition, visiting in advance of applying gave her the opportunity to speak in depth with department reps and get insights into the audition process and what the program was looking for. The information about auditioning went far beyond what is available from most websites and included things such as how auditions are scored, weight given to voice, acting and dance and even tips on preferred periods for songs. Visiting in advance also assisted my daughter in reaching decisions about how she wanted to prioritize the sequencing of her auditions. It also made the audition day less stressful since we were familiar with such basics as where to park and how to find the building we needed. While there are distinct advantages to visiting while school is in session so that you can see things in action and talk to students, visiting at down times can still provide important opportunities to just see the physical facilities and glean a wealth of information from department reps.</p>

13

<p>Thank you for your feedback! I am definitely going to take my D to these two Boston schools. Another advantage is my husband will be with us and it will give him a chance to see these schools, as it is unlikely he'll be able to make the spring break trip and it's nice to have him included in the process, too. I'll let you know how it goes after I get back in mid August!</p>

14

<p>When you go to Emerson, make sure you are signed up for a Theatre Department tour. Very often, the general tours focus far too much time on the broadcast journalism/tv/radio facilities (which are state of the art and a point of pride for the school) and virtually no time on the theatre facilities/department.</p>

15

<p>Thanks, MichaelNKat. I did sign us up for that tour, and for some kind of "roundtable discussion" they offer with the theatre tour. We're all looking forward to it.</p>

16

<p>Do any of you have any feedback about U of Colorado Boulder. Not N Colorado U. I have read their website extensively and it looks like they have quite an intense BFA MT program but there is very little info on CC about the school or the program. Can anyone weigh in? Here is the direct link to the site.</p>

<p>CU</a> :: Theatre & Dance</p>