<p>^^Good point, Emmybet. My daughter went to college for a BFA in NYC and she was not distracted by being in the city. She was super busy in her program. But being in NYC did allow for theater going and making connections and building networks in the city during her college years in the industry and just continued once she graduated and never left. I don’t think one has to go to college in NYC, but there were some benefits to it in terms of her theater education and career networking, etc.</p>
<p>While many students are very competent, focused, driven and not easily distracted or influenced by negative pressures, I do think it’s important to remember that other students are not. The key is to know yourself. My older son was both too immature and not in a good place when he was in NYC. Both he and I were confident he’d do fine because on the surface, it appeared to be perfect for him. But he was very susceptible to cliques, peer pressure, drugs, distractions, being poor when others around him were rich, etc. He told me he couldn’t walk through Washington Square park without being offered drugs. For some kids something like that’s fine–they either look like they’re ‘not the sort’ or they just walk on. For my son there were just too many temptations, too much noise and light, too many amazing things to see and do; and mostly, because he wasn’t in a good place emotionally (I was getting a divorce), cliques and bullying and shallowness hit him very hard and was made harder by being in a school with a lot of wealth and a lot of ways to spend that wealth if you want to. </p>
<p>We are also not well off and even budgeting for the train was hard at the time. He kept trying to find a work study job but was unable to. He just didn’t have the skills to do that plus work on his BFA.</p>
<p>I think it’s important to hear of weaker, more immature students’ experiences, because after all, they are only 17 or 18, most of them, and some of them are just not able to cope. And many are not in good places. Some are in terrible places. </p>
<p>Many parents are too ashamed to talk about this. My other two Ds are quite competent and mature, although in both cases, directly because of my son’s experiences, I encouraged them to take a gap year, and they both started college at 20. This is VERY personal, but it’s worked for them.</p>
<p>I want to share my own experience for those who are reading and wondering about their own kid. Just be aware of how mature/not mature your kid is. In ANY college there are a lot of distractions, many students succumb–only you and your kid can tell if being in NYC would make that even more difficult or if it’s something they’d be fine with.</p>
<p>And by the way, his school was quite up front about the risks of being there–they were very open about it, said it was not for everyone, said basically what I’m saying now. We just didn’t think it applied to him. </p>
<p>And finally, I want to emphasize that this is just his experience.</p>
<p>connections, that is a very touching and honest story, and I thank you for sharing it.</p>
<p>I’ll add a few details to my D’s situation: 1) she chose to attend a school where she got an extremely generous merit scholarship, so it is way easier for her to afford train and theatre tickets; 2) she does NOT go to school in Manhattan and as much as she loves NYC refused to look at any schools deep in the city - she much prefers to live on a normal college campus and have the hassle of taking the train, because she felt she would be overwhelmed in that kind of urban atmosphere (the same went for the Chicago Loop); and 3) maturity and personality are absolutely critical in being able to deal with all of these details - location, size, intensity, BA vs. BFA, and so forth, and it is a delicate mix for every individual.</p>
<p>My D had a fairly rocky first semester adjusting to college, even though we had every indication that she was completely ready to go and thrilled with her school. A lot of this ends up being just plain luck when things work out, but if there is a gut feeling that any characteristic of the school does not work for a particular student, they probably should go somewhere else. Yet so often we just can’t know until they get there, and other factors enter in along the way, too. There are absolutely no guarantees in this journey, for better or for worse.</p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone and their kids as they travel along.</p>
<p>connections, I agree with you. And yes, my D’s university in NYC will readily say that going to college in NYC is NOT for everyone. I agree. It worked well for my kid but every kid is so different and this is a setting that would not be good at all for some kids and so a lot of thought should be given to that (though some would not realize it until they actually do it). Your son’s experience is very real and goes to show how this is so individual! My kid was only 16 when she landed in NYC and it was a HUGE contrast to where she grew up…on a dirt road in a town of 1700 people, no public transportation, not even a street light in our town, LOL. There were almost as many kids in her dorm as in our entire town. Some kids would be a disaster in such a contrast and at such a young age. My kid thrived. But people need to find the right fit for THEM. And also a gap year is a gift for some kids and makes all the difference. My kid did the opposite extreme as she was two years ahead of herself in college chronologically. I surely do NOT recommend this for all kids. For her, it was just right. And finding what is “just right” is critical for every person going off to college. And college in NYC is not right for some kids at all. As you say, some kids would be distracted and other kids would thrive and be focused on school even in such a setting. Gotta know oneself real well as to what kind of college and setting would be a good match. My kid loved it so much, she has never left NYC from the time she arrived, other than for very brief periods, the past 7.5 years! Others would hate it I imagine or else not do well in that setting at a young age.</p>
<p>Sometimes students don’t know, at the time the they are deciding where to apply, whether a particular big city school would be a good fit for them. My son was accepted into a BFA program in New York City and another in Boston, and for a while he was on the fence about which one to choose.</p>
<p>It was not until he was able to make an accepted student visit at both schools, and ask many questions of students, and see the actual physical spaces where he would have been studying, that he was able to discern that one program had a “vibe” that definitely appealed to him, whereas the other didn’t.</p>
<p>It’s great when students know themselves so well that they can tailor their application list according to strong preferences. But if things are not so clear, and they are fortunate enough to be faced with choices of where to attend, then it behooves them to examine the programs in question very, very closely before making a decision.</p>
<p>What schools do/ did your kids attend outside NYC that gave easy access to going into the city to see shows on the weekends? My sophomore son hopes to study musical theater/ drama but I’m not sure living right in the city will be a good fit for him.</p>
<p>Is your son looking for a BA or a BFA program, Jayloncole? Just asking because this is a BA thread.</p>
<p>If he is looking for either a BA or a BFA in theatre in the geographical area you mention, there are many more choices than there are for a BFA in MT. </p>
<p>Montclair is one school near the city that has BFAs in both Acting and MT, as well as a good BA program.</p>
<p>Adelphi has a well-regarded auditioned BFA in theatre, but it is not an MT oriented program.</p>
<p>Have you looked at C.W. Post on Long Island for MT?</p>
<p>Jaylonecole - My D was similar to your S, in that she did not want to live in Manhattan but wanted access. She was different in that she did not want to study MT and preferred to be at a school where there was no MT major. </p>
<p>If it is helpful, here is a list of schools that we looked into along the periphery of Manhattan:</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase
Sarah Lawrence
Montclair State
Drew
Wagner
Adelphi
Hofstra</p>
<p>She applied to Montclair State and Adelphi (as well as others not in NY), and was accepted to Adelphi. While there are very wonderful training opportunities there, and many kids do like MT, and they can minor in Dance, take Voice lessons, etc., it is important to know that there are virtually no musicals put on in the department (maybe one every 3 years).</p>
<p>I have heard very good things about CW Post, too. Feel free to ask me or send a PM about our impressions of the various schools we visited. She also applied and was accepted to SUNY New Paltz and Bard College, both of which are a pretty easy bus ride to the city, but not truly “commuting” distance like the others.</p>
<p>Bumping this thread . . . </p>
<p>Our theatre-loving, intellectually curious, junior daughter is putting together her initial college list, and is leaning toward either a BA program, or a non-conservatory BFA program (a BFA with a fair amount of flexibility within the major). Ideally, the program would include both breadth and depth in performance training (she is at a performing arts high school, and already has received very solid instruction in acting technique, voice/diction and movement, so she doesn’t want to spend her first two years “repeating” what she’s already done). She has great academic stats (will probably be a National Merit SemiFinalist/Finalist), so availability of merit scholarship would be a huge plus. At this point, she’s not planning on a double major, but she does have interests in playwriting, directing and stage management. She is “an actor that sings” and would love to continue her vocal training, although that’s a “plus,” not a “must-have.”</p>
<p>On the “short” BA list so far (she’s researched these pretty extensively): Brandeis, Fordham, Kenyon, Northwestern, USC</p>
<p>More schools she’s just beginning to explore: Bard, Barnard, Carleton, Ithaca (the BA), Lawrence University (in Wisconsin), Skidmore, Vassar</p>
<p>And several BFA programs she’s looking at: Boston University, Elon, University of Arizona, University of Oklahoma</p>
<p>Any additional suggestions, or comments on the above schools, would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Your list sounds solid. I have a daughter who is a freshman at Fordham double-majoring in acting and playwriting. I have since learned that Fordham gives full scholarships to NMF students, so this could be a good situation for your family (had we any idea she would go in this direction, she would have taken the PSAT. Sigh.) Of the short list BAs you mention, only Fordham’s is an auditioned program. I think the BFAs you mention are all auditioned programs. The only one I can think of that you might want to add is Emerson.</p>
<p>The Theatre Arts track of the BFA at Boston University might be good for her. It is quite flexible. </p>
<p>I don’t think the freshman performance core classes would be a repeat of anything. I think they would refine and enhance what your daughter already knows. Theatre is like ballet in a way. Even professional level dancers keep on taking classes.</p>
<p>She would have to sacrifice some theatre classes in favor of academics after the first year, but that would be allowed if she wishes it. In addition, she at some point might opt out of casting for a quarter or two to concentrate on academics.</p>
<p>Acting track students at BU have a much more rigid curriculum and may not opt out of casting. The Theatre Arts track is great!</p>
<p>RE:NMF - Fordham offers full tuition as noted by glassharmonica, USC offers 1/2 tuition, Northwestern offers $2,500/yr. Fordham is the best drama school I have found that offers full tuition to NMFs. </p>
<p>We are getting ready to tour and meet w/ Bard, Amherst, Smith and Williams - we have heard good things about all these schools’ theatre departments - I’ll try to report back here on those visits. I’m very eager to see the art centers at both Bard and Williams. </p>
<p>My daughter (also a junior) LOVES both Brown and Northwestern based on campus visits, attending classes and meeting students and professors.</p>
<p>The University of Evansville offers full tuition to NMF and 2/3 tuition to NMSF. Their auditioned BFA/BS program walks a thin line between a conservatory and Liberal Arts College. The entering theatre majors have the highest high school GPA’s and ACT/SAT scores of all the freshman class. Theatre majors make up 35% of the UE honors program.
Theatre students with wide interests and talents can be admitted as Theatre Generalists (3 per year) and are free to choose from any of the theatre classes. They are not restricted to a specific track. All theatre students are encouraged to spend 1 semester sophomore year at the UE campus in the UK - Harlaxton College.</p>
<p>Rollins College in FL has a BA that includes a lot of performance classes as well as more academic, theater history, dramaturgy etc., classes. A friend of D’s who’s found she doesn’t want the heavy BFA performance load is looking at Rollins, as well as Barnard and a couple of others mentioned above.</p>
<p>mountainhiker, your D has a great list and some of the comments are great, too. Just wanted to pop in with a reminder that USC guarantees 1/2 tuition +$1000/4 years to all NMF admitted. Of course, not all NMF ARE admitted, but USC also gives over 140 Trustee Scholarships (full tuition) to top candidates (not sure how many of those are allotted to the School of Dramatic Arts) but there are other smaller merit awards too. I thought I’d add this reminder for all newcomers with high gpas who are reading this thread and haven’t done as much research as OP has yet. USC offers both BFA and BA, but the BA seems like a great fit for mountainhiker’s D who could also take voice.</p>
<p>What about Williams College and Washington University in St. Louis?
Wash U has acting, directing and playwriting
[Drama</a> Major Requirements | Performing Arts Department](<a href=“http://pad.artsci.wustl.edu/drama/major]Drama”>http://pad.artsci.wustl.edu/drama/major) </p>
<p>Williams’ facilities are fabulous and it has a summer program for students during the summer
[url=<a href=“http://62center.williams.edu/theatre/lab.cfm]WilliamsTheatre[/url”>http://62center.williams.edu/theatre/lab.cfm]WilliamsTheatre[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the great comments.</p>
<p>Anyone with info on the theatre programs at Univ of OK and Univ of AZ (both BFAs, but with a good amount of flexibility in the major)? Both schools actively recruit NMFs, offer close to full rides, and have excellent Honors programs that are open to Theatre majors. And is the BFA at Univ of AZ a “cut” program?</p>
<p>I teach in the BA program at James Madison and we see quite a bit of crossover at auditions with Northwestern, USC (a little more rare), Fordham, Muhlenberg, NYU, and Elon… so you might want to add James Madison and Muhlenberg to the visit list.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg gives merit aid. </p>
<p>[Muhlenberg</a> College Financial Aid - Muhlenberg Merit Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/finaid/applyingForAid/merit.html]Muhlenberg”>http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/finaid/applyingForAid/merit.html)</p>
<p>The Presidential Scholarship comes with a $4000 cash stipend as well, so the top award actually amounts to $20,000. If your D is likely to be NMF, I am sure she would be offered this. </p>
<p>There is an Honors program that applicants get invited to apply for, but even if you don’t submit an application for this (it requires an essay), a student can still be offered the Presidential Scholarship (this was the case with my D; she just couldn’t bring herself to write another essay, and already had a good acceptance elsewhere in hand…).</p>
<p>I should have added on the Williams College info (because it is not clear on their website): The Summer Theatre Lab takes place while the renowned Williamstown Theatre Festival is ongoing, so it is a fabulous environment to be a part of.</p>
<p>Remember that at a school like Williams, your peers in the classroom are likely to be of an extremely high caliber – achievement in ECs are often the factor that separates the admits from the rejected students, so often the students who attend are going to be extraordinarily talented kids.</p>
<p>Williams also has need-blind/meets full-need admission, but no merit awards.</p>
<p>It is really known for its strong support of the arts, visual and performing.</p>