<p>Hey everyone! I'm so glad that were talking about NCSA. I just applied to the summer program for drama. I'm from SF so I really want to go there this summer and confirm that it is indeed my number one choice. I had a teacher tell me that he thought I would really love it, and that he could see me doing well there. I would love to hear more info about it, just because it seems like not a lot of people know about it.. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>try doing a search for ncsa under the musical theater thread
There is a mom of a dau who has gone to the summer program for two years pm me and i'll send you her name.</p>
<p>Nice to see all the energy my comments on NCSA has brought. No my daughter is not at NCSA - somewhat sadly as she loved the way they teach. I've got to admit this "cut " thing is tricky. Perhaps NCSA has had a change of heart in the last year. Our daughter applied last year and what she heard from a professor there was - dont worry about cuts ( in reference to where she is now) everybody cuts. What we heard from this professor and a graduate of NCSA is that they take an initial number of about 35 and never graduate more than 22. So that's about a one third attrition or cutting processs - both I'm sure. If someone isn't "working out" as far as I can tell they are cut. I tend to think this is all semantics. I guess if you say that someplace like De Paul for example which has an exact number of students they let continue to the second year has a "cut" you could then say that places who ask people to leave because they're "not workign out" don't have a cut but I feel there's a similarity. There is still the chance that you'll be asked to leave and as far as I can tell it can also happen after the 2nd or the 3rd year. Our daughter heard from this same prof at NCSA of a kid who had graduated from their high school, gone on to SUNY and called up in tears having been cut I believe after the 3rd year. though may have been the 2nd, because their "dancing" wasn't up to snuff. Which seems a little sad since i'ts not a musical theater program but I guess they want well rounded performers - certainly a worthy goal.</p>
<p>Anyway as far as I can tell in many top programs there is the possibility of being asked to leave at varying times in the program. I suppose at it's best it is a reflection of the school saying we don't think you have what it takes to make "it" or to make it here and we're in a sense saving you from that fate and at it's worst it is about wanting to graduate people with enough talent that they will go out there and "make it" and bring a stronger reputation back to the school.</p>
<p>Definitely not an easy path for these kids! But then the real world of "acting" is frought with rejection so I guess it's just part of the road they walk.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>emom</p>
<p>As it's been explained to me by current students, NCSA usually admits in the vicinity of thirty with around twenty boys and ten girls and usually loses around a third by graduation. They will cut you if you aren't working out like any good program, but it's not a set number and it's very rarely a surprise when it happens. They can cut you without notice, but they almost always meet with you first to discuss what's wrong and make suggestions as to what you can do better. Basically, getting cut without notice would entail showing up to class wasted or repeatedly being disruptive. It's not about talent because they only admit talented people to begin with. It's usually more about work ethic or a loss of passion. So ... If you get in, there's nothing to worry about as long as you work like you're supposed to and don't do stupid stuff. They lose more through drop outs than cuts because it is a very high-intensity program and some kids can't take the heat. Here's the Drama</a> Bulletin. An outline of the Professional Actor Training Program begins on page 3.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase is essentially the same though they're supposedly a little scarier and more capricious about it. Parker Posey actually finished her time there on probation! LOL</p>
<p>Wow thanks for that info, I understand what you're saying and how they would have to cut someone if their were some real problems. Does anyone know how many people actually audition for the drama program at NCSA? I'm a junior in San Francisco, and I'm hopefully going to their summer program. Do you think that's helpful at all? AHHHH I'm so nervous about all these schools.</p>
<p>Hello. Someone suggested I look at something on the MT thread and I'm not sure how to find that. Can someone tell me how?</p>
<p>thanks,</p>
<p>emom</p>
<p>Hello guys , my name is Pedro i´m from Brazil , i pretend to be an actor and i´m trying to find the right school for me.Because i´m unable to attend Colleges or Universities(i have no experience, wouldn´t pass auditions) i need to find a school that can teach me the basics so i can try to get in college/University .I would like a school in a major city , so far i have : Chicago Audition Studio, Steppenwolf Theatre Company,Steven Ivcich Studio,Victory Gardens Theatre. Philadelphia :BUSHFIRE THEATRE OF PERFORMING ARTS, ARDEN THEATRE COMPANY. NYC: Stella Adler Studio ,The Acting Place, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Goldston Studio. Vancouver: Vada
I don´t which one is good or bad a need your help?i´m open to sugestion.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any info on the drama program at Columbia College in Chicago?</p>
<p>My D just got accepted to the BU Summer Theater Institute and is really excited about it. The students get to audition at the end of the program for admission into the BFA theater program but then still have to get accepted to the university itself. I was wondering if any of you out there have first-hand experience with this program or know anything about it. I would greatly appreciate any info. Thanks!</p>
<p>Try a search of the Drama and MT threads. I recall someone talking about this school not too long ago. They were saying that friends chose to go to Columbia over other more well-known schools.</p>
<p>I was checking out the site this weekend as a safety school for my S. It's absolutely amazing how many faculty members they have. Looks like a pretty well-developed program. Website is tough to navigate and I'm still not sure if it's a BA or BFA (or both).</p>
<p>Thanks Elliots Mom. I did look, they offer a BFA and it looks great. Does anyone know how this compares with Emerson?</p>
<p>We had a recent experience that has altered out plan of how to identify schools on D short list. Last week we traveled a pretty good distance to visit one of her target programs. It is a BFA ATP school whose name has shown up on this thread a number of times as being a selective school that attends the unifieds.</p>
<p>The faculty was super accommodative to our visit. We met with the departments academic advisor, saw a student play, met with and got a facilities tour by the department chair and sat in on two ATP classes. Everyone was helpful and friendly. </p>
<p>There were some things we saw that were very positive but also some observations that were cause for concern that probably will change the ranking we give their program. The importance of a campus tour has been highlighted on this forum many times. I would add that it really does need to be when they are in session. Being around the students, seeing them work, perform; hang out, etc gave us some key insights to the program. </p>
<p>The dilemma for us is that we had planned to visit a number of programs this summer and are now thinking that it would be less than optimal. It is difficult for us to travel and tour a great deal during the school year. We want her to audition in person to the top few programs she identifies for her (as apposed to the unifieds) but it is difficult to identify her top programs without a visit first.</p>
<p>Certainly true WallyWorld. We live in Calif., so visits to the East and Mid-West during the school season are especially difficult. We are going to be visiting 5-6 schools this summer with all of the limitations in mind. It will be during the summer school session so there should be some kids on campus (though the theater is usually dark in the summer).</p>
<p>Two years ago, we purchased videotape college tours for a number of schools my oldest son was considering. Again, not the best option, but we did learn some things. For example, since he's not used to snow and wouldn't have a car on campus, he ruled out campuses that were not geographically compact. The thought of hoofing it through a couple of feet of snow had that kid focused on a smaller sized campus.</p>
<p>I"ve come to the conclusion that this audition school stuff is so competetive that we'll just have to see where the acceptances pan out and plan some April visits from there. I am optimistic about those acceptances, but working hard on the "safety" list right now.</p>
<p>We visited 4 universities in the northeast last summer. As a result our d took one university off of her list. We found staff and administration to be very accommodating when we visited. She was able to still get a "feel" about the schools. She did not visit every school to which she applied. In fact, the 2 schools offering her acceptance from Chicago Unified auditions, she had not visited. She visited after acceptance and made her choice. She was not accepted by the schools we visited in the summer, so we just wrote it off as a fun familiy trip. </p>
<p>Happy Hunting</p>
<p>Which schools did your D get acceptances for? What was the outcome of your visits to those schools??</p>
<p>My daughter is a high school junior and was just accepted to summer theatre programs at Boston University and California State Summer program at Cal Institute of the Arts. Does anyone know about the reputation of these programs? She can't decide where to go.</p>
<p>My D was also just accepted and we know NOTHING about the program other than what the website says. Do you know anything - how selective is the program? Does it increase your chances for acceptance into the BFA program? Who are the faculty? Please let me know if you have ANY information about the program.</p>
<p>Hi,
I'm a junior in high school looking for acting programs and I can use all the help I can get. I'm starting to think I prefer BFA, but I'm still open to BA... so far I'm keeping to the east coast (especially NY) but I really don't know where I want to go. I know I'd like to be an a big city - possibly Chicago? - but not as far away as CA. So far I've visited and loved NYU and Juilliard, liked Sarah Lawrence and Marymount Manhatten, and was a bit put off by the University of Maryland and Fordham but need to think about them more. Other programs I'm considering but don't know much about are Depaul, Emerson, Boston University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and especially Carnegie Mellon, but I'm spending the summer there so I should get a pretty good feel for it. Any thoughts? Info? I need help!
~Katie</p>
<p>Theres a nice little test Doctorjohn came up with that might help you out with your BA vs. BFA question if you havent already taken it. It looks like youve got a good list of BFAs to start with. You might also want to take a look at Purchase College and Rutgers University which are both a hop, skip and a jump from NYC. I believe Pace University in NYC also has a fairly new BFA that might be worth a look. Then theres University of the Arts in Philadelphia. If youre open to big cities in the Mid-West, you might also want to look at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory Drama Program, University of Minnesota Guthrie Theater Program (Minneapolis), Webster University (St. Louis), and Roosevelt University (Chicago). If you could be interested in heading south, the University of Miami might be worth a look. Then theres Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX if you could see yourself going that far. Also, depending on how much you want the big city campus life, you should know that NCSA is located in Winston-Salem, NC which has a population of under 20,000 and is about an hour-and-a-half drive from Charlotte. Hope this helps.</p>