<p>My D has been accepted as a Musical Theater student for 2011-12 and she would like to know what Montclair is like now. She's read lots of old posts...have things gotten better? are the new dorms nicer? is there a social scene? is it a fun college to go to? how hard is it to get to NYC? is there any school spirit?
any input would be helpful!</p>
<p>My son transferred this past year and changed majors so he’ll be a 5-yr. colleg student. He’s in the BFA program focusing on photography. At first, he didn’t like it at all, but does now - thanks in large part to the professors, the other art majors and I guess just getting acclimated to a new setting.</p>
<p>He was put into a dorm room that’s supposed to hold two people, but was turned into a triple. That’s not been fun. The dorm is new, laundry is “free” and the kids seem to not bother each other too much (if that makes sense.) </p>
<p>The train doesn’t run on the weekends through Montclair (which was a huge bummer.) I think there is a bus within walking distance that drops off @42nd street. My son has a car ($300 parking pass + make sure you park in “your” lot or risk a $40 ticket) so he usually drives to Paterson (I think) to catch the train into the city. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour by train - I think the bus is quicker, just not sure where the stop is.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about the school spirit. I’m guessing it exists, he just doesn’t take part in it - very focused on photography and seems to be in the studio until all hours of day/night - along with many others.</p>
<p>His classes have been small and he’s not too many negative things to say about any of his professors. Personally, I’ve had some questions about financial aid, housing, etc. and can honestly say that every e-mail I’ve sent has been answered within a few hours. Everyone has been quite willing to help and very patient with me.</p>
<p>Hope this answers everything. PM me if you think there’s anything else I might be able to help you with. Good luck with the decision!!</p>
<p>T</p>
<p>Hey nbmom,</p>
<p>My three suitemates are all Musical Theater majors, and from what I’ve observed, it’s the only major that guarantees an exciting and action-packed four years of college. With all the auditioning and classes the MT’s share together, it’s impossible to not form an incredibly tight group of friends. They’re always going to parties together and going on group trips to New York (and yes, like TZMOM said, the trains don’t run on weekends, which sucks, but you can take the 28 bus to the Bay Street train station which is a minor inconvenience but really not so bad).</p>
<p>As for the program itself, it’s one of the most prestigious Musical Theater programs in the country. They work HARD and it really shows. If your daughter was accepted into the program, both you and her should be very very proud; it’s NOT easy. I’ve seen a bunch of the shows to support my suitemates and I am stunned at how professional the productions are. What’s really nice is that Montclair is constantly putting on shows, so there are A LOT of opportunities for anybody interested in acting (not just the acting majors) to get involved.</p>
<p>While I’m not an Acting major myself, I really do love the school, and yeah, the school spirit is lacking, but when you’re a Musical Theater major then that really isn’t a big deal. Your daughter will never be bored.</p>
<p>P.S. Being close to New York City can be incredibly useful if your daughter uses it to her full advantage.</p>
<p>To be honest, I hated montclair. I left after 1 semester. I went to study theatre as well, and I was NOT at all impressed with the program. I was told the shows were Broadway quality…they were not even close.
One show I saw, the actors sat in chairs and read from scripts. They acted out random parts from memory. It was not good.
The second show I saw was okay, but during intermission I saw 6 techies changing the set! That isn’t something that professionals do.</p>