<p>Today (over the course of 10 min.) I got e-mails congratulating me on my acceptances at both UMich's MPulse program and CAP21's Pre-College Musical Theatre Program.</p>
<p>The only problem? I have no idea which one to go to.</p>
<p>There's multiple reasons why I'd want to go to both. MPulse is sponsored by the University of Michigan, but is only 3 weeks long. CAP21's program is not affiliated with a university, but is in NYC, 5 weeks long, and the same price as UMich. </p>
<p>I'm very confused about what I should do, and hope that someone here might be able to help me answer some questions/help me decide.</p>
<p>Which program is valued more highly in the professional/college musical theater world?
Which program allows for the forging of better connections that would help me in the future?</p>
<p>Any help or advice you can give me is greatly appreciated :)</p>
<p>I attended Cap this past summer, and while I could give you endless details, I think one of the major differences is the fact that CAP is basically 5 weeks on your own in NYC studying MT and UMich is 3 weeks in a rural town studying MT all day with your days basically laid out for you. I think you should chose based on what kind of experience you want to have and while I think MPulse is very highly regarded I felt like I got quality training at CAP that I would not replace for anything.</p>
<p>I do not have specific information on either program. Both look great!</p>
<p>“There’s multiple reasons why I’d want to go to both. MPulse is sponsored by the University of Michigan, but is only 3 weeks long. CAP21’s program is not affiliated with a university, but is in NYC, 5 weeks long, and the same price as UMich.”</p>
<p>I believe that the MPULSE cost includes room… not sure about board (meals)… those who have attended, or otherwise in the know, PLEASE correct me if I am mistaken. CAP21 does not include either, so the actual cost of the programs will differ (unless you reside in NYC area and can live at home).</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is not a rural town. It’s a lovely college town. But NYC is, well, NYC. That said, I would choose the program that you think will help provide you with the best experience for YOU: do not try to suss out whether one or the other is “more prestigious” or will confer upon you an admissions advantage for college. Why not? Because chances are, the auditors at the colleges you will apply to/audition for won’t really care which one you went to. They will only care about how you do in your audition.</p>
<p>I can’t offer a comparison with CAP21, but our D LOVED her experience at MPulse! She had so many great experiences, learned a LOT about what she wanted from her college years (our main objective in sending her there), and formed many friendships that I’m guessing will be lifelong. I do think it is an impressive addition to your resume that actually makes a difference in how at least some people view your auditions. Brent Wagner is very well respected, and I get the sense that the fact that he chose you to be there does matter to many people in the industry.</p>
<p>Both are great programs so you can’t go wrong. Per KatMT’s comment, be sure you are comparing the total costs of each program if that is a factor. My D did CAP21 and loved it but housing was expensive (the NYU dorms were not available to us that year due to construction and finding temporary housing on our own from outside the region was a challenge). Also think about your game plan for the following year. My D wanted more than anything to be in NYC so this was a chance to experience the city and confirm that she could thrive there. The length of the program may impact how much you can work at a summer job. Brent Wagner has a huge rep and if Michigan is one on your list for next year, also a factor to consider. Good luck and either way, you will have a most amazing summer. Congrats!</p>
<p>No question but that MPulse is a wonderful program and Mr. Wagner is well respected. But please be aware that attendance/acceptance at any summer program is not a guarantee of getting into that college’s BFA in MT. That goes for CAP21, too.</p>
<p>That is certainly true at MPulse. Last I heard, only 2 of last summer’s MPulse kids (30?) have been accepted at UMich so far. But according to D, EVERY person at MPulse was exceptionally talented and they are getting into all the top MT schools in the country. I know that at least 3 of last year’s MPulse kids didn’t audition for UMich as they decided they wanted tougher academics (and in D’s case also wanted the strongest possible acting coaching since she’s never had any) – 2 were accepted ED to Northwestern, and 1 EA to Yale (though she is apparently also hoping to be admitted to Northwestern).</p>
<p>I did not in any way mean to imply attendance at a program “guaranteed” admission into the related college, but if it is a school you are interested in, it’s a great way to attain some familiarity with the instructors and/or location and that it is a factor to consider. Apologize if my post was misleading in any way. And PS - I know of a third from last year’s MPulse who was just accepted for UMich MT.</p>
<p>Great news… D will be exciting to hear who else is headed to UMich. She has many good friends who are there and it is a fantastic program!</p>
<p>@ccsmom – I didn’t take your post that way at all, but it’s good to clarify as some folks might assume the summer programs put a lock on that school.</p>
<p>@rjkofnovi - UMich is an absolutely FANTASTIC school, but in D’s opinion it is not comparable academically with Northwestern.</p>
<p>From an academic standpoint, UMich accepts ~51% of applicants, while this year Northwestern will accept ~19%.</p>
<p>Average ACT scores at UMich are 27-31, while at Northwestern they’re 31-34 on average (probably higher this year due to large increase in applicants).</p>
<p>Northwestern is also much smaller than UMich, so they offer very small academic class sizes and many more research opportunities per capita.</p>
<p>It is far easier for an MT to double major in 4 years at Northwestern.</p>
<p>These differences would not matter to most MT students, but to some they are critical.</p>
<p>That said, from an MT-only perspective it is tough to find a better school than UMich and D LOVED it there. The MT’s there are a lucky and talented bunch, no question!!</p>
<p>I know of at least two who went to MPulse who didn’t audition for UMich because they were accepted in the ED round to Northwestern, but would have auditioned for UMich if their ED acceptance had not come through (had even applied and lined up audition appointments).</p>
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<p>Well, I won’t qualify the term, “good,” but will say that Northwestern is much more selective academically for admissions than UMich. Both are fine schools academically speaking.</p>
<p>D has a friend who’s a current MT at UMich whose first choice was NU, but they were not accepted academically. They are, of course, ecstatic with UMich… once again demonstrating that most kids land where they belong! She knows another MT at UMich who was accepted to Northwestern but chose UMich, in part because he didn’t want to risk having to audition for MT at NU at the end of his freshman year when he had a sure thing at UMich. I have no doubt that there are some kids at NU who would have loved to have been MTs at UMich, as well.</p>
<p>If D had not been admitted to NU ED, she certainly would have auditioned at UMich (it was all lined up) and would have happily attended if she were lucky enough to have been offered a spot.</p>
<p>None of this is to say that one school is better than the other, only that they have different strengths which make one or the other a better fit for certain students.</p>
<p>I attended MPulse, and highly recommend it. You get REALLY good master classes and teachers (most amazing teachers I have EVER had). The largest amount of time is spent on acting through a song and preparing for auditions with 16/32 bar cuts. There also was a LOT of time spent on how to analyze a song. There was 3 day class on vocal technique and a 2 week “straight” acting class, but just be aware, we never ONCE performed our monologues for the class or were critiqued on them. The acting training focused solely on movement and basic acting fundamentals.</p>
<p>It was a great experience. Here’s my recommendation if you go to MPulse. DON’T THINK OF IT AS AN AUDITION! DON’T TRY TO PLEASE MR. WAGNER or anyone else for that matter by being someone you are not. MPulse is not an audition, it is a wonderful introduction into the area of Musical Theatre and you will meet some wonderful, talented kids and make friends you will keep forever!</p>
<p>Then again, CAP21 could be great too, I just wouldn’t want to spend my summer running around New York City. The wonderful thing about Michigan was that they took away our cell phones and computers (for the whole three weeks!) and gave us set schedules. This sounds horrible and not wonderful at all, but in retrospect, I have never been so relaxed or focused on one thing at a time. I really found myself at MPulse. Your choice!</p>
<p>As to post #16, CAP21 students also have the optiono of staying in the New School dorms, that have security. They are also air conditioned, which is a huge plus! That is not the case with all NYU dorms. The downside of New School dorms is that meal plans are not included, but each dorm suite had a full kitchen and the kids got really, really good at cooking easy meals and living on a budget. We were so worried about that aspect, but it worked out great and the kids learned a LOT about living on their own. They had a great time. As to the training, I can’t recommend it enough. We were extremely impressed with what we observed in the classes and in all the students. It is an intensive environment where expectations are high to work hard, however, off time was just that…off. They were able to catch tons of shows with student discounts, and really made the most of their time in the city. You cannot go wrong with CAP21.</p>
<p>Hello! New too cc and hoping I’m in the right spot… Wondering if any of you can tell me how competitive cap 21 studios and mpulse are to get into? How many apply? How many they accept? Teacher/student ratio? Now that sones years have passed can anyone compare the two?</p>
<p>Our D had to choose between mPulse and BTP a few years ago (before there was also TPAP). We chose mPulse partially because of her age (16). We felt living on campus with good supervision and oversight of her safety was the best choice for us that year. It was a great experience. I think it is useful to see what it’s like to study this field all day every day and to live on a college campus. Ann Arbor is a delightful town and they did have some free time to explore. But I think you will get good training at either. The environment (college campus vs. NYC) is a huge difference. Where will you be happiest and most comfortable. also the age of the participants was another thing we considered. mPulse was all high school kids. BTP had people up told to late 20s. I think CAP 21 also has older participants. So the age of your fellow students is something to consider. Good point also about room and board. MPulse fees include everything except spending $. I believe in my daughter’s year there are only a couple of mPulse kids who actually ended up attending Michigan for college. </p>
It’s a lovely college town. But NYC is, well, NYC. That said, I would choose the program that you think will help provide you with the best experience for YOU: do not try to suss out whether one or the other is “more prestigious” or will confer upon you an admissions advantage for college. Why not? Because chances are, the auditors at the colleges you will apply to/audition for won’t really care which one you went to. They will only care about how you do in your audition.</p>