UCLA v. Cal Arts v. CCM v. Emerson

College Majors Theater/Drama Majors
1

<p>Decision time!</p>

<p>My D is REALLY torn. We are heading to CCM and back to Boston (again) next week. We are going to Cal Arts tomorrow for the accepted student event. We are going to the UCLA accepted student event on the 17th. </p>

<p>But what should she do?</p>

<p>Each has pluses and minuses. She always wanted to get out of California, but she has to admit that UCLA and Cal Arts are probably considered more highly for acting than Emerson and CCM. Do y'all think this is correct?</p>

<p>She prefers to be a film/television actor, but still loves theatre.</p>

<p>She is concerned about the fact that UCLA is only a BA, and doesn't let you do any abroad program. (I told her that RADA has a summer abroad we could send her to.)</p>

<p>Thoughts? Questions you think we should ask? help?</p>

2

<p>Although she may want to spread her wings a bit, which is an integral part of the college experience, and she may get equally good acting training and general education at any of those schools as they are all phenomenal institutions, the connections she will make and the opportunities and doors she will have opened for her studying with working theatre professionals in LA, are unparalleled anywhere else in the country. I definitely wouldn’t lose sight of that if I were you. The location your training takes place in determines the people who will be training with and around, and the opportunities that will be there for you when your training wraps up in 4 years. This industry is after all, all about who you know, and the connections you make. </p>

<p>She is insanely fortunate to be faced with 4 such amazing schools to chose from, I thought I’d just throw in my two cents, good luck with the decision!</p>

3

<p>Chrissyblu,
To my somewhat conservatory-biased understanding, CalArts is probably the most highly regarded of her choices. From other things you’ve mentioned about her, it also seems that their style of training would be a very good fit compared to the more traditional approaches offered by the others. However, you’ve also in the past mentioned that she would like the option of taking high quality academic courses and I can’t vouch for those necessarily existing at CalArts, so she should make it a point to ask students about them and maybe try to sit in on a couple during her visit. To my recollection, they require more of those than most of the other conservatories, but I have no idea of their quality or the time afforded to students to invest a lot of effort in them. Cost must also be a factor and CalArts ain’t cheap, but I think you have previously stated that you and your husband are both lawyers and you at one point didn’t seem too concerned about the cost of the dramatically more expensive NYU and CMU. Of course, I realize not all lawyers are rolling in money and I don’t know how many other kids you might have for whom you may one day be footing the bill … Bottom line is which one she feels most positive about …</p>

<p>I might say more later, but I have another all-day rehearsal looming and need to get warmed up …</p>

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<p>Congrats Chrissyblu on four great options! My D is in a somewhat similar quandary of trying to decide between four choices. We are going on the road week after next to visit the schools and hope that one more than the others feels like “home”. Again like your D, she has a good BA option that I like, but I don’t think she will be talked out of a BFA. I agree with burningbright’s comment – where you go may determine where your future opportunities may lie. Even though it seems a long way off for them, they should think about where they want to land and which school might best get them there. If my D (hypothetically) didn’t want to live/work in LA, makes less sense to go to USC no matter how much she might like it (IMO). Finally, I’m sure money will factor in. Her options have a wide range of costs – USC being the most expensive at nearly $50,000, and others being less than half that. We will certainly make any of the options work, if there is one that she REALLY wants — but if there are two schools that she would be equally happy at – money will matter.</p>

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<p>Congrats on 4 great options and I hope your road trip gives you clarity.</p>

<p>We are in almost the same situation as we live in SoCal and dd has 2 CA options and 2 East Coast options. She always wanted to live on the East Coast (more for the adventure I think) but now that we are discussing what/where she wants to be in 4 years the options in CA are looking more practical. She already has 2 agents and her SAG card so she thinks it might be best to bloom where she’s already got a good start. Hard choice though, huh?</p>

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<p>Mama Bear: NYC has some good options for your daughter too. LA obviously has more auditions for film, but your daughter will still have plenty of opportunities in NY. Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Nashville, The Carolina’s, Louisiana, Texas, etc also are great for building up your resume. I have two agents in Atlanta and Nashville, but here having a SAG card is a con. You will get more auditions for Non Union and it’s different here. I know a kid who has an occurring role on ICarly and has an agent in ATL. My agent told me it is hard for him to get jobs here since he is part of SAG. His dad is a pilot though, so go figure. She may not have much opportunities here, but she should do fine in NY. If she would be going to Boston, she could still have an agent. My two sense.</p>

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<p>Since I posted 40 minutes ago, D already eliminated one of her choices!!! Woo Hoo! Means one less trip. We talked through the issues that have been presented here and she decided that one of the schools, while offering great acting training, had other disadvantages (location for one) that where important to her. What is interesting is how bad/conflicted she feels about rejecting these wonderful schools that accepted her. Hard to pull the trigger and say no . . . .</p>

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<p>One thing that made an impression on us at Emerson is that they consider a 15-hour a week studio course a huge deal—but to us, after hearing about other BFA programs, it didn’t sound like nearly enough acting training. Regardless of whether or not you are "accepted’ into the Emerson BFA, you have to reaudition at the end of sophomore year and the program is cut to 16, regardless of the talent pool. You can be moved over into the BA theater program and stay there, which I guess is what most people do since they’ve already “lost” two years if they don’t. </p>

<p>One other thing that I noted about Emerson was that almost all the kids we saw were smoking. It was raining while we were there and they all ran outside to smoke just beyond the building doors… the sidewalks for those two blocks are absolutely littered with cigarette butts. It is a truly disgusting habit that is unfortunately still “in” on some campuses and Emerson looks like it is one of them. Obviously, one would not make a school decision on such a factor alone, but it is something to consider if part of the pervasive culture of a particular program.</p>

<p>This decision can’t be easy, but your daughter must be very talented to have such wonderful choices. Good luck to her!</p>

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<p>Two more things :slight_smile: We asked to see the gym at Emerson and they took our group to an area that overlooks a basketball court. Off to one side behind a wall of glass is an impressive array of cardio and weight training machines. The tour guides informed us that these are for the EXCLUSIVE use of athletes. Do the students have access to anything?, they were asked. Yes, there are a few machines in another building over there, gesturing vaguely. We didn’t see it, they hadn’t been there. It did not seem as though there was a focus on a healthy mind/body relationship. </p>

<p>The admissions officer who led our session at Emerson referred to both the Washington, D.C. semester and the semester in Los Angeles as “programs abroad.” He said this several times, and obviously did not know what “abroad” means. I would have been embarrassed for him but he wasn’t even aware that he’d said anything wrong. He also said that admissions to the audition programs were based “mainly on the academics, because Emerson is an academic school before anything else.” Hmmmmm. </p>

<p>Neither of the above is a dealbreaker all by itself, but the combined vibe was of a school with an identity problem, to us, anyway.</p>

10

<p>Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments so far. We just got back from Cal Arts… no more clarity… Only more love for that school. </p>

<p>A couple of things. We have two schools that have cuts. Both Emerson and CCM Acting still utilize cuts. CCM Acting does them in Freshman year and calls them “boards.” Emerson does them at the end of Sophomore year. I have asked my D how she feels about these, and she does not care. She feels confident that, although scary, cuts will not cause her to eliminate a program. She feels if they cut her, its because she is not good enough and should move on to another option for her career. I think this is a healthy attitude.</p>

<p>Emerson does have a MAGNIFICENT abroad program called the Castle which has always been a drawing point. Emerson owns a castlen in Europe and the students attend in sophomore year and do their general ed courses. Big deal. She has always been very excited about doing this. </p>

<p>We just learned Cal Arts also has great abroad programs, including one in Scotland in junior year which got my daughter very excited.</p>

<p>UCLA, however, prohibits any study abroad, except in summer. This is a negative. I have countered that negative with an offer of RADA in the summertime (assuming she was accepted.) RADA has a 6 week summer Shakespeare intensive for actors age 18 and up. She would kill for this opportunity. Problem solved. We don’t know yet about CCM. </p>

<p>(I’m not doing a very good job of eliminating anything yet, am I?)</p>

<p>Cal Arts, of all the schools, has done the most to convince her to come. Long phone call from the Dean. The head of the acting program spent time with her today and told her that they auditioned 900 students, both BFA and MFA. My D was on the first day of these 900 auditions, and she (the head of the acting program) still vividly remembers her audition. She told my D how much they want her to come… this made my D feel valued and wanted. We also liked how much the BFA and MFA work TOGETHER. I have never heard of such a thing.</p>

<p>Fishbowl… academics… Interesting issue. Cal Arts does not give grades. But they do have 46 units in “critical studies” which are like general studies. Luckily, with her AP units, she will have a lot of these done, and the head of the program said she can audition to study with an MFA in the voice program for her singing (she has an awesome voice.) Voice with an MFA music student has ALSO been offered to her by CCM which has given her nearly 2 full quarters for her AP units. Still, she will have to become a well rounded student at UCLA, Cal Arts and Emerson. Don’t know yet about CCM.</p>

<p>Money? Yeah. Problem at Cal Arts. SOOOO EXPENSIVE because she will have to take her car, which means I have to buy her little sister a car in the next year, an expense I did not count on. And honestly, it is as expensive as NYU/CMU, and although we don’t have to pay for airfare, now I’m buying a car for her sister that I wasn’t planning on buying. Yes, we are both lawyers and I have enough saved up to pay for two years of Cal Arts, but that is also 4 years at UCLA…hmmmm…</p>

<p>I also have just learned the other issue of which you all speak: you buy the connections at the school which you attend. Clearly, at both UCLA and Cal Arts she will make amazing connections for film, television and voiceover work. I never realized that until we went to Cal Arts today. </p>

<p>As you can see, we are no closer to a decision than yesterday. I envy you, IMHopeful!</p>

<p>We leave for Cincy on Monday, and will be in Boston on Wednesday. We then will see UCLA on the 17th… Much to figure out before then.</p>

<p>If we are missing good questions to ask, please let me know before we leave.</p>

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<p>Chrissy: I have a feeling it’s going to be CalArts for your daughter. From your very first CalArts post after your daughter’s audition, it was easy to tell there was a ‘connection’ between your daughter and the auditors. </p>

<p>Plus, I don’t want to skew your perspective before you re-visit Emerson and CCM, but I have a feeling you and your daughter will feel like those programs don’t even begin to touch what CalArts offers. </p>

<p>I can’t really speak to UCLA because I don’t know much about the program, but I do know (from experience with my own child) that the RADA summer programs fill-up VERY quickly. So to have comprehensive study-abroad integrated into the program at CalArts is definitely a plus.</p>

<p>Anyway, enjoy your travels with your daughter. And of course, let us know what she ultimately decides!</p>

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<p>I will… know anyone who can give me a good deal on a Prius for my other daughter? ugh…wasn’t expecting on having to buy another car! But at least I will get to see her more often! :slight_smile: I must say, her little sister is very excited on the prospect of getting a new car!</p>

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<p>Its always something, isn’t it? I envy your possibility of being able to see your daughter more often, especially her performances. We are almost certain now to see ours half way across the country . . . although dad is still hoping (with no real chance) that D decides to go to the local university in music – where she was also accepted but has no interest. She is very close to eliminating another option – will sleep on it, but then we are down to two, with one definitely leading by quite a margin. We are closing in . . .</p>

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<p>All the schools have an “evaluation” at some point in freshman year—at least, that’s what they all say. There’s a difference between a school that is evaluating your progress to make sure you are on the right track and a school that has a target number of students they want and they cut for that number. Those are two entirely different propositions. At CCM we asked directly if they have a cut system to achieve a certain number. The answer was a resounding “No.”</p>

<p>We were also told that BFA students at Emerson were not “encouraged” to go to the castle program in sophomore year because it is right before the cut audition and those who go won’t have the benefit of being in class right before they are evaluated. Then, according to our group leader, they can’t go once the BFA program starts because the curriculum is proscribed and its sequence is important. She said this by way of pointing out that BA Theater arts majors are free to go to the castle any year and semester. That said, the program looks outstanding and the students are free to travel three days each week! The Netherlands is a great central location in Europe from which to explore… I lived there for a year and loved it.</p>

<p>CalArts seems to REALLY want your D----how wonderful is that? Have a great trip!</p>

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<p>If your daughter goes to CalArts maybe her sister would be satisfied with a nice little used car, especially since she wasn’t expecting to have a car anyway?</p>

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<p>NYTheatreMom: I was just going to say the same thing. I’m probably going to get my fathers old car and I have to share it with my brother. He is just a year and a half older though. She gets a cheap car and then it will save you money. When she is an adult then she could buy herself a nice car.</p>

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<p>but you know, with this economic climate, you can get SUCH good deals on Priuses right now and I’m one of those Berkeley girls… big on hyrbrids… ya know the type (Birkenstocks, tie dye) I’m trying to replace all my cars with hybrids. I don’t think I would feel comfortable buying a used hybrid.</p>

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<p>It’s up to you Chrissy, but it would save you some money.</p>

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<p>Hi!</p>

<p>I’m a student planning on attending CCM Drama in the fall, and just wanted to let you know that I’m really familiar with the school, because I have a close friend there and have visted U of Cincinnati probably 4 or 5 times. If you have any questions, feel free to ask :). I feel really strongly about CCMs program. I know it’s not as highly regarded as say Cal Arts but I really feel like it will be extremely highly regarded in the years to come. I was very concerned with reputation at first, but after I looked more into CCM and found some of the opportunities they had that I couldn’t be offered at other schools, I realized that is what matters the most. I feel very confident in CCM’s approach, and I really hope you guys enjoy your visit there :slight_smile: let me know how it goes!</p>

<p>Caitlin</p>

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<p>Thanks! We will bug you! I have read some of your comments before. I’m just hoping we get our tour booked on such short notice!</p>