I often wonder why no one ever comments really, or at least not that often, on lesser known schools for MT. Is it just because everyone gravitates to the well known programs? I can’t believe no one has ever visited some of the lesser known programs… I guess they just don’t comment on them.
I comment if someone asks a question that I see. I think the “big list” is rather outdated tbh.
I guess I just wonder if indeed everyone concentrates on the main like 10 schools. In doing research this past 6 months I have come across a slew of programs especially on the east coast, southern schools and some northern. Maybe it’s just because none of those kids or parents know about College confidential lol
CC is it’s own unique universe. Most of the parents that are here in the MT section are very motivated and knowledgeable - and their kids are very motivated and uber talented. For the most part, these kids here, in this forum, are the cream of the crop - and know how to play the admissions game.
And you’ll find a lot of these kids will get into BFA programs at several top schools.
It’s the same thing over in the Ivy League boards - come spring, you’ll find quite a few kids that have gotten a “yes” from several of the Ancient 8.
I’ve said before, in my real life (off these boards) I don’t know any kid who had several big name school admissions to sift through. But I do know quite a few who weren’t accepted anywhere.
What’s normal here in CC world isn’t normal in the real world.
Well @KaMaMom I guess that must be the case. Hmm I wonder if my D fits the CC thing of being highly motivated , über talented & not an everyday type kid…have to think about that one…I thought it was a bit weird that I’m always asking about schools that aren’t like Carnegie Mellon and univ of Michigan and no one ever responds. Everyone always says “it’s ok to go to a lesser known program” and “don’t get hung up on the name” but I wonder how many people that post here actually believe that…not trying to insult anyone just an observation…
@theaterwork those of us not looking at big name schools are on here. AND its not because our kids are not " “very motivated and knowledgeable - and their kids are very motivated and uber talented.”
I agree with you its hard to find info on the Not Big List schools. As you know from previous posts my D is looking for a strong MT program with equally as strong academics so that pretty much means a BA. Although there are some BFA’s that have a;large liberal arts requirement, just like some of these BA;s have a large MT requirement. It takes research to find what fits your kid. If that is what you are looking for, PM me and I will happily share what I have found.
@theaterwork, it takes exactly one enthusiastic poster to put a school on the map in CC. In reverse, just because no one here is talking about a particular school doesn’t mean the program isn’t rock solid and just as worthy as schools that are often discussed here. I’ve been reading this forum for 5 years now. Until two years ago, Baldwin Wallace was rarely if ever discussed. Until last year, things had gotten fairly quiet about CCM. Bisouu singlehandedly raised Drew’s visibility over in the theater forum. I suspect KaMaMom will do wonders for raising the profile of Nebraska Weslyan. Widely recognized schools that we personally loved including U Miami, UCLA and Emerson haven’t had champions in this forum in years.
I hate to break it to you, the majority of the uber talented kids, many whom are the cream of the crop are not represented here in CC at all. Just do the numbers of how many people are active in this forum in any given year and divide that by the number of seats in all of the programs combined. This forum is but a whisper in the universe.
I think there has been a proliferation of MT programs in the last 10 years. Some are just emerging. So they indeed may not be on the radar of current applicants and therefore not discussed much on CC. For example, my D is a junior in college. When she applied to school 4 years ago, there was virtually no discussion here of Montclair, Nebraska Wesleyan or Cap 21/Molloy. We did not know about them throughout her audition process. But now I see lots of discussion about all 3 programs. And some of them have only recently been added to the Big List.
In general, I don’t comment on programs I am not familiar with, which I think is the case for most posters. We can’t add to the conversation about programs for which we have no knowledge. But I do often share my opinion that this is all about finding the right fit for your family, regardless of name or reputation of school. I do genuinely believe that.
To this day, most people have never heard of Ds college. They were shocked she didn’t apply to any city schools. It was just assumed she would want to go someplace in NY or Chicago. But that was not the college experience she was looking for. It usually requires an explanation every time someone asks where she goes to school. But she is learning so much. She’s had great opportunities not just in MT but in all sorts of leadership capacities. She does have challenging classes. And most of all, she’s happier that she’s ever been. So I really mean it when I say, don’t worry about the name.
Find the school that best suits you. And if you find a hidden gem, by all means share! There are lots of interested CC lurkers and posters who love hearing about programs they may not be aware of. Your hard work and research in bringing these to our attention is much appreciated.
Thanks @Joyfulmama , I am just going through a frustrating moment…one of many I am sure. My D wants a school that obviously has a good MT program and the academic thing is sorta a side note…lol not that she does not want to be challenged, She is just sorta done with certain areas of school and wants to focus on the things she loves to do if that makes sense. She is probably going to end up in a BA also , as there is more flexibility for other things too. She loves MT and singing though so it is hard for her to decide…still time as she is a jr but she feels the crunch , that is why we are visiting schools now. I am just conflicted myself really. If i did not think she was talented & she wasn’t constantly being told she was, I would NOT let her do this as her major. I just wouldn’t. I would not pay for it. So…because finances are a consideration for us, we cannot let her apply to the expensive/big name schools anyway, even if they were to accept her. She does not even want to apply at any non audition schools, even though we do have 2 on our list. She says “Well, if I cant make it into an audition based program I don’t belong in this at all”. Maybe I need to take a break for a bit, as I am becoming a bit jaded about the whole process of MT college admissions. It is annoying me. There are so many conflicting points of view and opinions & even info and advice we got at Muhlenberg this wknd didn’t even really make sense…my D was told she better have lots of ballet (she has little she is mostly tap and jazz) and made to feel inadequate because of that and then they turn around and say they admit people all the time with no dance and they talked about the leveling of classes…so I can tell she is getting frustrated by the conflicting advice…as am I. I mean, isn’t that why you go to 4 years of training in college…to work on things you need to work on? We are a middle class, common sense sort of family with a talented D who we want to find the best spot for her talent but it seems like if you are not at one of the big boy schools, you really stand very little chance of making it in MT. Perhaps we will be able to swing a couple applications to a few of them and combined with the others she will have a spot…who knows…
It is great that you are involved and being realistic as far as talent and finances. there are many conflicting opinions and advice for sure! That’s why I say, know your kids and what type of college experience they want. It will become clearer to her as she goes along and especially visits. Though early visits are hard and you may want to do second or third visits to some schools. My D became clear on what she wanted: traditional campus-so that crossed off all city schools, a BA-so that crossed off all or most BFA’s, lots of opportunity for school spirit like football games and sororities so that helped…etc…every little bit helps narrow the list to what is right for your daughter. And no one elses opinions really matter then.
As far as not "making it " if you are not at a big school, thats just not the case. Does the big name help?Yes but there are so so many intangible factors that if she keeps her passion and love for theater, she will find work somehow somewhere. Broadways not the only game in town and her ideas on what aspects of theater she loves may change as well. My older D did not do competition dance and wound up being accepted to a prestigious dance conservatory and then giving up her spot bc she booked a tour. She has been working, training and auditioning ever since. So the no college thing and the no competition thing (which is big in the dance world) did not stop her from doing what she loves. (her current show was just in the NY Times!) And you know this, you know anyone from any no name college or no college can make it, you are just getting caught up in it all right now.
Take a break from CC and from looking at schools, you are well on top of the game and your daughter is lucky to have you on her side encouraging and rooting for her. I will post about my trips to JMU and CNU later today for you. 
I agree with @halflokum- having just one or two people as frequent, positive posters (and thank heavens most of us seem to like the schools our kids attend!) can change awareness on CC. But the fact that people AREN’T commenting with 1st hand knowledge on a school doesn’t change the value of the program. To my knowledge- we don’t have any regular posters right now with kids at CMU or Michigan… doesn’t mean they aren’t great (and of course famous, so we already know they are out there)
Just a FYI … I did not mean that kids who don’t get into a “big name” program aren’t talented or motivated. If I did, what would that mean I think about my own kid? 
I was pretty open about my D’s audition season and the amount of no’s she racked up. And that was because it does seem on the surface here sometimes that every kid gets into those “big name schools” AND has to choose between several.
There are lots of great programs in places that don’t get talked up here - and I’ve written about several. Like Rockford University - they have a professional theatre in residence on campus. Western Carolina has Terrence Mann who plays a hands on role in productions. Southern Illinois University’s program is a perfect meld of both the theatre department and the music department. There are hidden treasures everywhere.
And after acceptances, there are lots of posters who don’t visit and post as much as they did before - that’s the nature of the beast. I had great luck searching this board for specific school names and then private messaging those posters. While they might not post here anymore, they may have these messages set up to email notifications - and they’ll come back and answer. I can’t tell you how much a certain poster here (who hasn’t posted in a long time!) helped me with Nebraska Wesleyan … he should be getting a portion of my D’s tuition - he was THAT helpful.
Oh, and about Nebraska Wesleyan … come visit! ;)) It’s only October and they’ve done a cabaret, Chicago, August: Osage County, Suddenly Last Summer, a student written play, a couple of one acts, God of Carnage opens this week and Thoroughly Modern Millie opens next week. Like seriously, holy crap that’s a lot of performance opportunities for this little school that’s not talked about much in Nebraska.
A bit off topic, but I think many people honestly believe this. Sadly, whether or not a school holds entrance auditions tells you exactly nothing about the quality of education/training they offer. Even the very worst program can hold auditions, as it’s not rocket science. From what I’ve seen over the years, getting a slot in an auditioned program tells you surprisingly little about your odds of making a sustained career as an actor.
We all post about what we know which, in general, is the one program where our kid landed. But that said, there are lots of worthwhile programs out there, and you and your kid will know when you find one.
Seconding the “know your kid” thing…we are actually NOT looking at several of the so-called “top” programs for a variety of reasons, and DD is looking at some lesser-known programs, based on some of the comments we’ve read here. Bottom line is that she has her criteria for what she wants, but she’s also flexible b/c she knows nothing is guaranteed (and that’s why her list has several reach/fit/safety schools, including safety school/probably unheard of by most/WTAMU which has a nice BA MT program that puts on some wonderful productions & has some terrific teachers). She wants to perform, so she’s going to follow those opportunities. Period. Going down the CC rabbit hole of comparison isn’t always helpful or healthy & we step away when it gets overwhelming…but she has learned about some programs she would not have otherwise heard of due to our not being in that region or having easy access to their audition process thanks to CC (we live on the moon, so Moonifieds & Chicago Unifieds have done much to shape her list of possibilities). My thought is, if you have a question about a program that hasn’t had a lot of action here, go ahead and ask…the worst that can happen is you get crickets, though you might get some really insightful info.
I think we actually serve the community best when we talk about things that “we” (meaning our own kids) have experienced 1st hand. And that means that when it comes to the actual nitty gritty of a program in action (as opposed to auditions) many of us have only experienced one (or two) schools
@theaterwork as usual, I am right there with you :). We will be excited and commiserate together at SETC. However, I am incredibly thankful that we stumbled upon College Confidential. I was amazed at the relieved faces of the college reps at the college fair last night when my D told them she was a junior. Somehow there seems to be a disconnect with the MT college programs and the info they are giving to the high school teachers. These poor parents with Seniors at the college fairs look so bewildered because they are finding out how far behind they are, goodness! So thank you again to all that have walked us newbies through understanding this process. Just some interesting info that grabbed my D’s attention last night. Columbia College in Chicago talked ALOT about auditioning and refining your audition skills as a BIG part of their program. She said that a freshman could audition upwards of 20+ times their freshman year, after all that is what you need to be able to do after you graduate, right? It was the first time we heard any school say this and was a big, AHA. They are a “late audition” school like Western Kentucky. Roosevelt made her smile because they said that your academic classes can be electives and something that is your interest. Southeastern Missouri State has a beautiful new theater and their choreographer was there who was very knowledgeable and they are doing On the Town. She was VERY honest that they have been traditionally voice and acting heavy, but this show is forcing them to up their dance game in a very positive way. These are all schools we have never heard of, but are now worth looking in to. I will report in once we do. I understand how you feel. My D doesn’t want to go too far away from home and in Alabama, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of the “Big” schools nearby. So I will make sure I report in as we continue the hunt!
Yes @brightstaral I am looking forward to SETC just to get my D in front of some people for feedback. We registered this week actually. I know I sound ungrateful to this forum…I dont mean to! So many people have reached out with helpful advice and I appreciate all of it. I am just going through an annoyed phase and my D is very stressed out at school right now and that passes on to me. (Only child syndrome we call that around here!) Yes, my D just went to a college fair and there were lots of clueless people walking around, which I would be one of if I had not been reading CC for the past year! I am glad we started this junior year instead of waiting…Yes, please report from schools you visit, etc. I think we are keeping schools within an 8 hr drive from our house, no farther and no where that has to be flown to. We live fairly central in MD so we are close to a lot of good schools, thank goodness. @brightstaral did you see the Birmingham Southern program?I got an email from them recently. D says it is too far away. The person who emailed me was quite pleasant.
Same for us @WTXMom ! Mine has carefully researched curriculums and a couple of “biggies” are not on her list…
I have to admit that some part of me was sad at first that she wasn’t even going to try for a couple of them. But she very reasonably assured me that she knew what she was looking for…
I’m a huge believer and convert to the small programs…usually less expensive (if you have high stats), smaller class sizes, more opportunities for stage time…cast more often…If I had to do it all over again, I would have encouraged my daughter to only look at the small/lesser known ones.