My D auditioned at Unifieds for Temple and has been accepted into the MT program. Since COVID 19 has caused classes to be moved online, we may be unable to visit campus before she is required to make a decision. We’re hoping to get information from current students about their experiences with faculty, each other, the university as a whole and the city. Sample questions: how challenging are your general education classes? How do you feel the university is handling the COVID crisis? Do you feel that your faculty/mentors/coaches give you constructive criticism in a helpful way, even if it’s hard to hear? TIA for any and all info you can share.
Congratulations on your daughter’s acceptance! Has she joined the accepted students Facebook page (‘Temple University BFA MT 2024-Accepted Students’)? The current freshmen started that page to welcome the accepted students and answer any questions they may have.
Temple has a social media presence, with some good instagram accounts (the whole college and the theatre department, etc). Search Temple on Instagram and you can get an informal look at the school.
I picked up my son last night to bring him home as the college transitions to distance learning starting tomorrow. As far as how they’ve handled COVID, from a parent perspective, I think they’re doing a great job communicating everything as decisions are made. We don’t know how smoothly the online learning will go, but voice lessons and classes will be via FaceTime and Zoom, as well as other online methods.
As far as gen eds, there are so many choices for each category that they have to take, she could find classes on her level, whether she wants more or less challenging. Math and English are leveled based on placement tests or AP scores.
My son feels that the faculty gives positive and constructive feedback in a thoughtful way, and that they help the students to grow from where they are.
I can answer more of your questions (with my son’s input) if you want to ask, and definitely have your daughter check out that Facebook group.
Congrats again!
Thank you @lovetoact! She just joined the facebook group last night so that should help. We’ve watched a number of the YouTube videos that the theatre department has posted, and I’ll refer my D to the instagram pages. Nothing takes the place of a face-to-face visit but we’re all doing our best. I really appreciate your reaching out and answering those questions. Take good care and thanks again.
@lovetoact thank you for sharing so much about Temple. It is high on my D’s list. She joined the Facebook page today. I just wish she could visit and sit through a class. She did the audition at unifieds in Chicago. We are hoping to take a drive there so she can see the campus. It is so tough to make decisions without visiting the schools.
@lovetoact How do you feel about the safety of the campus? How about opportunities to perform? Are there a lot of MFA students they are competing with, or is it mostly the MT class? Do you happen to know how many credits of Gen Eds you have to take?
Geneds: There are up to 11 classes, I believe, unless your student has taken APs or are otherwise exempt. There’s an English, a math, two ‘intellectual heritage’ classes (which are kind of philosophy/sociology-ish), human behavior, world and US society, science, diversity, and the arts. However, I believe that the arts are covered in the department classes they take. Also, the diversity class that my son chose was about race on the stage, so it was also theatre-based. I think the world culture requirement is satisfied if they study abroad. There are many, many options in most of those geneds to appeal to a variety of learners. The English (Analytical Reading and Writing) class is a basic college English class.
MFA students: I just messaged my son and he said no, they aren’t cast in the same shows. The MFA and MA performance majors have their own shows. He said that some undergrads were cast as understudies in the MA shows but the MA students weren’t in the undergrad shows, so no competition there.
Opportunities to perform: there are many. In general (although with COVID this might be altered this year), auditions for fall mainstage shows are in the spring before, so freshmen are generally not cast in them, although a couple of my son’s freshman classmates were cast when upperclassmen had changes in schedules that conflicted. The first semester during parents weekend/homecoming, the freshmen performed a cabaret night based on their Voice for Musical Theatre class. There’s also an opportunity to be cast in the Philadelphia Young Playwright showcase, which is held at Temple. They also have the student-run performing arts company and cabaret groups. Also, for the first four semesters, students are in the university choirs and they do several concerts each semester (look up the Mosaic concert through Boyer College on YouTube to see an example).
Safety: Temple is a college campus in an urban area, and it’s an urban area that has some surrounding areas of high crime. This was one of my biggest concerns before my son decided to go to Temple. But talking to students, professors, and attending a workshop with the Campus Safety Services put me more at ease. They have police patrols, the blue light system, walking escorts and a shuttle service that runs at night. I’m not in denial, thinking that nothing will happen, but I also know that crime can happen in any urban or even non-urban area. My friend’s (non-Temple) son, who went to an upstate NY school with a well-regarded MT program was mugged outside of his apartment, near that school’s sports dome, and it wasn’t an isolated case there, although people don’t necessarily associate that school with crime as much as they do here. My son and his friends have learned how to be safe, including waking with friends, taking an Uber off campus at night (several went to a concert in Philly one night), not looking at their phones as they walk around, etc. and these are all great behaviors for when they graduate and are performing in new, strange cities around the country and world.
As far as safety, it sounds like my alma mater, Fordham University (Rose Hill Campus). We were always told to travel in pairs or more. Most urban campuses are in similar situations. It is good to hear they have good protocols in place. The more I hear the the more Temple rises to the top of D’s list. We are still waiting on a few before making a final decision but I like all that you have shared. Thank you @lovetoact !
@mtmama2024 I just got an update that the 6 grad level MFA acting students will be auditioning next year and each can potentially be cast in one show—the shows available for them to audition for are two plays, a Shakespeare, and one musical. There are MA MT students who weren’t in any of the shows this year but took some dance classes with undergrads.
Thank you so much for all the great info @lovetoact It is so hard to make a choice about a school site unseen! Any chance your son would be willing to chat with my daughter? 
@mtmama2024 yes, he absolutely would. Is she in the accepted students fb page?
Yes, she is 
Do you want to message me his name?
Hi All. My S just heard he got accepted by Temple into the MFA MT program. It is definitely high on his list of acceptances. Does anyone know how big the freshman class next year will be and how many students are in the whole program? Thanks
@MTperson I tried to post a link to the Temple Senior Showcase but my post is being moderated…in the meantime, I’ll say that the current senior class has 16 students. My D received an accepted student email from Peter Reynolds a few days ago with lots of links to videos and other info. If your son hasn’t gotten it yet I bet he will now. Congrats to your S!
Thanks very much BoogieMa. And congrats to your D as well
Has anyone been successful asking for and receiving any additional scholarship $$ from Temple beyond the initial offer? I am not talking about AID and/or loans. Artistic or merit based money from Temple. I read posts all the way back to 2010 highlighting how Temple gives little to no scholarships and how they are difficult to deal with. I am also trying to figure out a decent swag number for tuition, R&B, and fees including all MT fees/costs. Does anyone have that for out of state?
We got an initial offer and requested more without success.
On my son’s bill, there are $250 in course fees for the current semester.