<p>BWMT09,</p>
<p>I could not agree more - a school's reputation in the actual business of getting hired is, and very much so, a case of "what have you done for me lately" - and is much more fluid then most folks realize.</p>
<p>MTdog, what would your list of top ten or so schools be based on CURRENT thinking? Any ideas? I realize it would only be your opinion.</p>
<p>I do not believe in lists - but I will PM you</p>
<p>I'm wondering if Wagner is one of those "up and coming" programs. We've just started hearing things about it, and my daughter was just accepted. She's trying to decide between Wagner and Syracuse (Acting BFA -- she didn't get in for MT). If anyone has any ideas about this I'd love to hear them. Thanks!</p>
<p>cheznes,
I have family on SI who attend the Wagner MT shows regularly. They also attend B'way shows regularly and are impressed with the level of talent at Wagner. I cannot speak to the employment statistics of the schools.</p>
<p>I would suggest your daughter needs to decide which degree she'd rather work toward, whether school 'name' trumps location-proximity to professional venues.</p>
<p>Syracuse is a VERY reputable (and established) program, both in MT and acting, and though it isn't close to NYC, it has a partnership of sorts with Syracuse Stage, which <em>is</em> a professional venue. Students from SU routinely appear with Equity actors in productions at Syracuse Stage. That said, I hear really good things about Wagner and its kids and program. If this were my D making this decision (and how lovely it must be to have such great choices! :)), I would not have her factor proximity to New York into the mix. My guess is that kids pursuing BFAs in MT are kept so busy that they don't have a ton of time to be auditioning outside of school for stuff. In my opinion, it's not <em>where</em> the program is that is important but <em>what</em> it offers and the quality of that. In addition, have you guys visited both places and has your D observed classes at each/seen productions, talked to students? That would be something important to do at this point, if you can afford the time and $$. Good luck!</p>
<p>Wally,</p>
<pre><code>I would definately place Elon in the top 20, it was in my D's "big 5!" Heck they claim to be in the top 5! Who really knows? Do you rank them according to how many of their grads are working in NYC? Is that the only measure of success? Who keeps track of these stats and how are they compared? MT Dog talks about casting agents. How many has he really spoken to? Do they have a network that we can join?
How much different is the training at any of the schools who offer BFA in MT? How difficult can that really be with kids that have been training for years? As parents we want to know that we are buying a quality product. We might ask ourselves about the quality of the talent that the school draws because I think that you learn from those around you and as an actor you must work with those around you very intimately.
</code></pre>
<p>The bottom line is that a school must train you in voice, acting and dance as well as invite you to grow as a person. They don't sort people according to where they went to school at casting calls. Sure, you may get on a list with some of the connections you made at school, but that alone will not get you very far. In the end it's what you bring as a performer and that is tied very tightly to your depth of character, your determination, drive, focus and integrity. I've heard some pretty big nightmares about kids that go to some of these "top schools" but never get a chance to perform in a decent role or who are crushed by the intensity, or an insructor who takes himself WAY too seriously.
Before anyone makes a "top ten list" they should ask themselves what else BESIDES a reputation and competition that they are looking for.</p>
<p>Sarahsmom,</p>
<p>You are soooo right!</p>
<p>I know several folks in positions to cast roles - most of them cast on what they see at the audition (not what school they graduated from).</p>
<p>There is no group you can join, unless you are a theatre professional, that gives you access to casting agents.</p>
<p>While I would not make a list - I would imagine Elon to be in the top ten or so.</p>
<p>But, I just wanted to say, again, you are right on the mark!</p>
<p>Thanks, mtdog! I appreciate it!</p>
<p>I am currantly deciding between Hartt BFA Emerson BFA and Syracuse BFA (both for acting)</p>
<p>and as much as i LOVE the campus and Emerson buildings and facilituies and such...</p>
<p>Syracuse has such an AMAZING following and turn out tons of people working in the industry and offer (in my research) more graduating oppertunities than any other program</p>
<p>quick summary:</p>
<p>-semester in London at the Globe (certified)
-semester in NYC in time square living in Hotels
-oppertunity to go to LA for a week to meet syracuse Alumni and take classes meeting people in film
-Syracuse Stage earning equity points and meeting the best actors directors and stage managers in the buisness. (If you want to get your 'card' later on)
-Syracuse is a big name that people will recognnise when looking at your resume while auditioning...
-Syracuse graduated (just to name a few)
---Vanessa Williams (Witch in the revival of Into the Woods)
---Taye Diggs (Original cast of Rent, replacment in Wicked)
---Julia Murney (Currant Elphaba in Wicked)
---Haneefa Wood (Gary in Avenue Q)</p>
<p>... those were just a few...they must be doing something good</p>
<p>hope this helps... but im still considering Emerson, does anyone know alot about the Emerson program..?</p>
<p>good luck everyone...</p>
<p>I am also looking for a great theatre school, and one of my top choices is California state, Fullerton. They are said to be ranked #1 on the west coast and #8 in the nation, and they are not super spendy, they are still expensive, but not nearly as expensive as some of the others.</p>
<p>Just wondering where you got those rankings of theatre schools (or did you mean musical theatre?)</p>
<p>Fullerton is a fine program, though more known in the West than to those who live and do theater in the East. However, there are no official rankings of musical theater college programs. Some colleges do seem to make such claims, it seems.</p>
<p>You really need to look at what you want in a program. Do you want to hit "the big time" right away? If you live in CA and want to go to college in CA, are you looking to start out in regional theatre in the West? If so, find the programs that "hook up" with regional theatre the most, so you can get your name out there. Then you can build your experience and hit the Big Apple at a later date (which means your college will probably not appear in your bio on Playbill). If you are sure you are moving to NYC right after college, you need to go to colleges that send a large percentage of their graduates to NYC right after college. It's good to see a large percent that succeed, also, but that's up to the individual person and audtions, and motivation. The reason you want to have the NYC connections is not necessarily to get jobs (most recent alums can't help with that on B'way), but to have the ability to talk to people who live there are get the skinny on how to adapt, survive etc., in the big city.</p>
<p>Many MTBFA programs are essentially Voc Tech for the triple threat, and as such a totally different animal than the usual college major. You need to search all of the requirments and curricula for each school, check out what opportunites they provide (not just theatre hook-ups, but study abroad, internships in NYC, showcases, master classes, etc.) Some schools have world reknown dance programs, some have phys ed dance classes. Some schools produce singers that are out of this world and fine actors, others fine singers and out of this world actors. </p>
<p>You also have to decide if you want a BFA, or a BA, or if you would be willing to take Acting instead of MT. This is a question that has been bandied around our house a lot. Some people talk BA programs down, but if you are looking for a minor or second major, sometimes that's the best. Some colleges you can have a BFA and a second major or minor, and at some there is no way. </p>
<p>I know, it's not fair that you creative types have to make these decisions so early in life when you want to do everything, and it's not fair that you will be basically attending job interviews when all the other 17-18 year olds are sending e-mail applications and getting letters saying yes or no with no personal contact, but just think--you'll be that far ahead of them in 5 years!</p>
<p>robbie simpson,
you probably know as much as i do about emerson theatre, but i think it's important that you look beyond the specific "extra" opportunities each school offers and make sure that the training you'll receive in each place will be equal. just as an example-- i know emerson allows you to do a semester living and interning in LA, probably similar to syracuse's NYC program. personally, i think the "name" and famous grads should matter less than the training and classes that are available to you at any particular school. the degree doesn't matter when you're in an audition room- it's the talent. and it's completely possible that those amazing alumni would have been just as successful via another school/program/life path. you have the good fortune to choose between your schools-- be REALLY picky. look into what classes you're taking all four years. talk to students in each program. make sure you make the most educated choice possible.</p>
<p>^^^Deenie....this is an old thread that a new member named MrsHannigan posted on and so the post by Robbie is from almost a year ago when he was deciding among his acceptances and he is currently IN college. It is natural to think the preceding posts are fairly recent but in this case, check the dates as this is quite an old thread.</p>
<p>I got them from wikapedia, but i guess you cant always trust them, but on the cal state website in there statistics it says they are among the most highly recommended in the nation.</p>
<p>Wikipedia is not a source of college rankings and there are none for BFA in MT programs. </p>
<p>The fact that Cal State's own site touts that they are among the most highly recommended in the nation is well, good PR. Consider the source. Any college could claim that. I'm not putting down Cal State at all but just using it as an example. </p>
<p>Frankly, I am NOT into rankings. But if a school is gonna claim a "rank," it ought to be able to point to a source. For example, I was just on MIT's site for Architecture and they do have their ranking as an Architecture program mentioned on their site. However, that ranking correlates with a source that does rank architecture programs, for what it is worth. It is not the school's OWN claim, in other words.</p>
<p>Just be aware, folks, that anyone can add anything to a Wikipedia listing.</p>
<p>It's taken an audition season to understand why people complain about ranking programs. In the beginning the list seemed so easy - those schools with consistent reputations that everyone seemed to apply to and want to get into. At this point as acceptances and rejections are received, I have to look back and laugh at having the luxury of deciding this one over that one at the beginning. The ranking now is based on very personal issues and which school has the foresight to admit her. With the odds of getting in any program the best approach seems to be the same as any college approach - pick reach schools, match schools and safety schools. (Although I'm not sure in MT you can call many a 'safety' school). What I'm trying to say is f you were going to apply to 10 schools - I wouldn't make them the Top 10 schools or you might end up out in the cold. </p>
<p>It's like having someone rank a Laborghini, Ferrari or Lotus. Individual tastes would make everyone's list different. Financial cost consideration could make one person's #1 sports car be none of the above. These schools are so different - different emphasis and resources on voice, acting and dance. Urban or rural, large campus or small, cut program or not...all these factors weave in to finally create your own personal preferances that can end up a totally different list from someone else. </p>
<p>Just for example of our own experiences. One school near the top of the list fell to the bottom after visiting the campus. Another fell off the list after meeting the faculty. One in the middle of the list rose to the top - and would now if given the luxury between deciding the top and this school my daughter says she would have to think long and hard. </p>
<p>Explore and visit as many schools as you can afford.</p>