<p>First of all, thank you for getting me through this trying period. I started reading this two years ago and it has helped shape my D's college selection. She has gotten into a few schools and is still waiting to hear from a few others. Right now she is leaning towards Rutgers. Due to the time restraints and using so many days for auditions, we may not be able to swing a visit. I'm wondering if I can lean on you all again for some insider information/impressions etc. I'm interested in knowing how grueling it is for the actors, do they have official/unofficial cuts, and does the college/faculty support these kids? If anyone knows about the curriculum (I've requested a catalog)good and bad I'd appreciate knowing. Thanks so much for your help.</p>
<p>Hey! I got into the program as well, and it is still the only one i have heard from! I recently contacted Kevin Kittle and am being put in contact with current students to talk about the program. I am also planning on visiting soon. But generally from what I know the program is great! I hear it is very intense with long hour days. It is within a large university so you are able to take part in that. The year at the globe is an incredible opportunity as well… AH and one more thing… I really believe the school does a fantastic job and giving the students a very diverse education in the sense that many alumni appear in classical theatre around the country to contemporary, on broadway, and in tv and movies. You don’t see that with every program… So, I believe it is really a great place. But who knows what I will do… I still need to hear from everywhere else!</p>
<p>The Chairman of Rutgers Theatre Department is Israel Hicks. He was responsible for the early success and development of the Purchase theatre program. Many well-known Purchase grads and not so well-known working grads trained under Hicks.</p>
<p>if your daughter has a facebook have her join the group… [Facebook</a> | Welcome to Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>Facebook)</p>
<p>I know two people who have been rejected, so who knows… They got the letters like 2 weeks ago. You never know for sure until you actually get the official answer.</p>
<p>My son received a rejection letter March 5. Auditioned Feb 14.</p>
<p>My D’s site says that, too</p>
<p>Yes, my D’s site says “Pending Talent Assessment” as well. Based on the letter received from Rutger’s, I’m sure it means that Admissions is waiting for the decision from the Theater Department. My D auditioned at Chicago Unifieds as a walk-in and didn’t finalize all the pieces of her application until March 10 so I expect she’ll have to wait a few more weeks for their decision.</p>
<p>I know a current senior in the program and this is what she had to tell me:</p>
<p>Congratulations on being accepted to Rutgers! That’s awesome! The program here is amazing. Really amazing. I’m graduating in a few months and having gone through it now, I am so glad I chose Mason Gross. Barbara and Kevin, the heads of the acting program are just about the best teachers you could ever have (seriously…) the greatest most genuine people as well as amazing teachers. And the program is really rigorous, you work your butt off here, you’re always busy and the work is challenging but so rewarding. Third year was my favorite year because we got to go to London and study at the Globe theater for the entire year, which was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. I feel like now that I am graduating, I am so prepared and ready to get out into the world and start applying all that I have learned in school. It is really an incredible program and you will not get training like this anywhere else. </p>
<p>The only downside is the town of New Brunswick. Its not the greatest town, nothing compared to Minneapolis/St. Paul (where we are both from). But the good thing is… New York City is only a 35 minute train ride away and I go in all the time, so there’s still lots to do and you’re not isolated at all from anything. </p>
<p>I asked about the MFA program and how it works with the BFA which one is regarded more highly etc. etc. this is what she said:</p>
<p>Barbara and Kevin and Israel Hicks (the chair of the whole theater department) have been working hard the past many years to make the BFA program one of the top programs in the country. The MFA program used to be great when Bill Esper was still here (he was a student of Sanford Meisner and one of the first to really branch off and start teaching the Meisner technique) and he built the Rutgers theater program up, but he left some 10 years ago and in my personal opinion as well as many others (and you didn’t hear this from me, wink wink…) the MFA program is nowhere nearly as good as the BFA. However, yes, the MFA’s do get to start performing in the mainstage shows in their 1st year so technically they do get to perform more, but I think that it’s better we don’t get to perform as much. Honestly, in your 1st semester of your 1st year, you have all your personal and performance habits stripped away from you and you are really uncovering what is beneath the surface trying to find what makes you the unique human being and actor that you are. And you are also learning a completely new technique at the same time so you aren’t even ready to perform because you’re still learning what you’re doing. Then 2nd year you have 2 performance opportunities at the end of each semester, one is the sophomore play festival, the other is a performance that you spend all year creating called Performance Ensemble, which is a really unique thing that is always really special every year. Then 3rd year you’re over in London all year learning Shakespeare and then you perform a Shakespeare play at the end of the year on the Globe Stage. Then 4th year, when you return to Rutgers, you are thrown into the casting pool with the MFA’s and are eligible to do all mainstage and jamison (blackbox) shows. And even though the MFA’s are must casts each semester, every single member of our BFA company was cast 1st semester and almost every member was cast again this semester, some even twice. I like it this way because I felt like I spent all 3 years leading up to this learning all these tools and building myself as an actor and then finally 4th year I am able to use these tools and finally feel comfortable with what I am doing and feel confident in my performance. …So yes, and no. The BFA program is much much stronger than the MFA, but yes they do get more performance opportunities per-say, but our program is more based on the process rather than the result, you know? And I feel like we’re much better actors because of that (again, you didn’t hear that from me, wink wink…). </p>
<p>Haha… can you tell I love this program? 
</p>
<p>ALSO this is something I found… CHECK IT OUT! Awesome information.
[Rutgers</a> Focus - Mason Gross theater arts presents](<a href=“http://ur.rutgers.edu/focus/article/Mason%20Gross%20theater%20arts%20presents/929/]Rutgers”>http://ur.rutgers.edu/focus/article/Mason%20Gross%20theater%20arts%20presents/929/)</p>
<p>NYQ12, do they have many classes in film acting?</p>
<p>YES! I know they really give their students expansive film and theatre work in a good balance… Just look at their alumni… All over broadway, tours, and great regional theatre… and all over LA in TV and movies. I read when Israel Hicks came to head the program in 2002 he really wanted to create more work for students in film… 8 years later and there definitely is.</p>
<p>Here is some info I got from a current freshmen:</p>
<p>i applied to juilliard, carnegie mellon, rutgers, USC, minnesota, and purchase and i got into all of em but juilliard and carnegie. </p>
<p>and im absolutely in love with the acting program here. im really glad im here because it wasnt my top choice, but now that im here i realize how great a program it is. id say rutgers and juilliard are the best in the nation. i ended up having to choose between minnesota and rutgers and i went with rutgers because of 1. less liberal arts, and 2. the faculty is stronger than minnesota</p>
<p>the best thing about our faculty is that they all either graduated from rutgers or went through the bill esper studio in nyc, which is exactly what we do for our 1st 2 years at rutgers. so they all know exactly what were doing because they went through it themselves. they also all work together and make sure what we learn in one class can directly transfer over into another class. like the techniques we use in voice class are used in our movement class and the stuff we learn in movement we use in acting class and vice versa. the teachers all work together to make sure that we progress at the same rate in all 3 of those classes. i also think that rutgers is at its prime. its gotten a recent pop of successful alum. a lotta kids who just graduated within the last few years are getting big work.</p>
<p>and im sure barbara told you about this in your audition but our entire junior year is spent in london at the globe which is so amazing, i cant wait. and you doa shakespeare play on the globe’s stage at the end of the year. </p>
<p>but rutgers is a straight meisner acting school. we learn some more physical types of theatre like michael chekhov and tadashi suzuki, but in acting class its just meisnerr meisner meisner. our voice class is linklaiter, speech is patricia fletcher, and movement class, which is one of the most interesting, amazing classes ever, is the williamson technique.</p>
<p>so what i love about that is we learn one technique 100% instead of learning 20% of a bunch of different techniques. which is half-learned and not very useful in my opinion. rutgers is extremely clear in their approach to acting and everything we’ve learned 1st semester is learning how to respond off of your partner. whether it be in speech, acting, or movement. i fully support this school, and im glad its a top choice of yours, but also if you feel like its not the right school for you then trust your instincts. minnesota is an amazgin school, but i felt like it wasnt the right one for me. so if you have anything else to ask feel free</p>
<p>ive been in nyc about 7 times this year, other kids go all the time and its a 45min-1hour train ride that takes you right into penn station</p>
<p>monday, wed, fri are the conservatory days and theyre 830-6, but they fly by, then tuesday and thursday you have theatre history from 11am-1215pm and 1st semester you have a writing class before that, unless your junior year english AP score was a 4 or 5, then youre exempt.</p>
<p>you have to tech a show 2nd semester and 1st semester you can either tech a show at night for about 3 weeks or work in a shop from (3-530 i think) every tuesday and thursday. i teched a show</p>
<p>some kids are required to take speech tutorials for 30 minutes on saturdays and you might have a make up class on 5 saturdays 1st semester, but ours got cancelled. and then you might decide to rehearse on a movement project on the weekend but besides that theres nothing scheduled on weekends, unless youre teching a show.</p>
<p>MFA’s are really really cool, and we hang out with them a lot. but the BFA are way better actors.</p>
<p>Choosing the right colleges is one of those milestone choices in your life that has the potential to affect everything after it. It’s big, NYQ is simply providing more information so people who have Rutgers as a choice can make a better educated decision. Rejections are hard, but I don’t think what NYQ was saying was gloating at all.</p>
<p>Pulads,</p>
<p>So sorry! In fact, I didn’t even read the post you had posted before mine… I know this is hard, I have been rejected from schools as well an know it isn’t a fun thing to go through. However, when I was accepted I was looking for more information on here and was surprised to find that there wasn’t much… After being put in contact with some students in the program, I thought it would be a good idea to post this great information I had found in order for those to read in the coming years and those who are trying to decide now… The more information you have the better. I still do not know if I will be going or not for sure, and I hope that what I have posted will help people make decisions and educate themselves in the future.</p>
<p>By no means am I trying to gloat or rub it in and I feel horrible if you feel that way. That was not my intention at all. But this thread is named “Rutgers” and I thought the more info it has the program the better. That is what this site is for - to share info that others may not have found otherwise. What I have posted will serve as an aid to others in the future. Again, I am sorry, and wish you the best of luck with the rest of the audition season! Getting into any of these schools takes a great deal of luck as well… I mean, they see you for 5-10 minutes. They are bound to go wrong often.</p>
<p>I just got back from visiting and had a great time! The seniors had just gotten back from showcase and they all got signed and got work… etc etc. all of them! one girl even got signed with warner brothers!!! Incredible. A faculty member also told me that an agent came up to them at the showcase and said Juilliard and Rutgers put out the most impressive showcases this year.</p>
<p>" A faculty member also told me that an agent came up to them at the showcase and said Juilliard and Rutgers put out the most impressive showcases this year."</p>
<p>Naturally, that could be in large part due to the talent and not the program, but it is very good to hear. My son really liked the Rutgers setting (big surprise to me, he liked suburban New Jersey over being in the city itself purely on location). Although his interest is musical theater he thinks of himself as an actor first, and says he would make his own personal “list” of programs based primarily on the strength of the acting even if MT is offered.</p>
<p>Thanks for that comment NYQ12.</p>
<p>Great! I have a couple of friends who go to Rutgers and they really like the program. Not to be overly contrary since I just got contrary on another thread last night, but … EVERYONE got SIGNED AT the showcase??? Was this commercial agents? The way it usually works with theatrical agencies is that you get MEETINGS out of a showcase from calls that come later. The agencies then have to meet and have votes about which new clients they’re taking on. And the Juilliard showcase doesn’t take place for another eight days …</p>
<p>Skipsmom, I love it that your son liked New Brunswick and is making a list of schools based on their acting programs despite his interest in musical theatre.</p>
<p>My son, on the other hand, didn’t care for the “vibe” he got at Rutgers and even startled me by saying he would have chosen a certain lesser-ranked program if that and Rutgers had been his only two choices.</p>
<p>It takes all kinds, and that is a wonderful thing. Hallelujah for these kids and their priorities… and their focus…and their differences.</p>
<p>I am just writing what I was told… The comment could’ve been made last year or something… I have no idea — Just passing on the information. Maybe it was just an assumption or expectation, maybe it was a lie… Who knows. And, I have no idea how this whole process works so maybe it was just meeting and etc. etc. BUT STILL… I believe that is a pretty big deal… Compared to what I heard at my UNCSA info session… The speaker from the program said “We do a showcase in NYC and LA but our students rarely get any work from them… Mary Louise Parker got lucky, she is one of few. These agencies are looking for a look, a height, and a weight - and lets face us, we aren’t all going to get work.” I was like… WHY WOULD YOU TELL THIS TO ME AT AN INFO SESSION!? Anyway, my point is that the program seems to be very prosperous, growing, and connected to the industry. The Meisner technique along with the year at the globe really prepares students to work in all mediums of performance which I believe is very important.</p>
<p>^ They would tell you that at the info session because it’s the truth and is the truth about showcases in general. But … go to their website and look at the Alumni News section and you’ll definitely see a good number of their recent grads are indeed working although I’m also sure you’ll find a lot more who aren’t. Shoot, only a little over half the actors from last year’s Juilliard showcase got representation as the result of the showcase itself. Laura Linney didn’t even get a nibble from her showcase, but look where she’s at …</p>
<p>Rutgers is definitely a great program. I wouldn’t have made them one of the small handful of schools I auditioned for last time around if I didn’t think so. Just be careful about things they’ll “tell” you like this constant refrain of being in the “Top 5” or whatever when no such ranking exists. They put a student on me to “answer questions” who told me all kinds of awful things about the other schools I was considering apparently not knowing I had friends at all of them and knew better. Kind of off-putting, really. I don’t know why they feel like they need to do that. Must be a North Jersey thing … ;)</p>