I posted in another discussion about my D and I having to narrow down her list of schools (she is a rising junior). The problem I am having is the more I look up schools, the more I am running into what I would call smaller, obscure programs everywhere! Now instead of narrowing down, I am adding… “well, maybe this program is good” etc!! UGH! Plus I pulled the list of schools that went to SETC this past March and there are several on there that I never even knew existed!! It is so much work to look up every school and their curriculum and some don’t have a lot of info. My D keeps saying "If it is some small school they won’t have the opportunities a larger more well known program will provide. " Like NY showcase, connections, summer theater/stock opportunities etc. Plus the faculty might not be great but how will I ever know that!? I know the school is what you make of it, etc but to some degree I think the larger well known programs might be better…so confused…it is such a huge decision and so expensive…
This is a super long, multi faceted topic with lots of sides and arguments, but bottom line is this- open up some Broadway playbills, look up or see the alma maters of the actors. There is pretty much always a mix of big name schools, no name schools, and no schools at all.
My own personal observation is that if I were in your boat, I would start with checking out unknown schools that are geographically desirable for you – there are hundreds, and more added every year, it seems, and you could drive yourself nuts trying to check them all out.
You might also want to check out any religious affiliation - if that matters to you one way or the other. Also what percentage of students are from a limited geographical region; is it mostly a commuter school (those campuses tend to be empty on weekends); what are the top majors at that school; what are the stats on HS GPA/class rank. You can find most of this stuff in the giant Princeton’s guide (or others) that lists all schools. By looking at some of this stuff we could get an idea for whether S felt he would have a chance to fit in, or not. That’s only very general info and will tell you nothing about how terrific their MT program might be. One thing we DID look at, was what percentage of students were Arts majors. We figured any school with a larger than “typical” number of kids in the Arts would more likely have a “community” of students with similar interests, and have Arts program(s) highly regarded enough to attract serious Arts kids - this does not necessarily track with more competitive GPA/rank/SAT stats of entering freshman.
I think it would help to figure out what type of schoo/program you really want and try to narrow it down that way. Ask yourself - what sort of curriculum do I want? How much dance? Voice? Acting? How many gen eds can I take/do I have to take? What sort of campus do you want? Traditional? Urban? Big? Small? How far from home do I want to be? Our D took off a number of well regarded programs from her list because she decided she wanted a traditional college experience and the opportunity to do things like be in a sorority. But she also wanted the vast majority of her classes to be MT related. Answering questions like those I mentioned helped her remove some schools from her list. It can be hard because she cut some schools that “people” thought she should apply to – but in her heart she knew they weren’t the right school for her.
Unfortunately I don’t think you can get away from the research. Each school and program is so different. You really need to make sure you understand what each has to offer. But I think fine tuning what you really want in a program may be the first step in helping whittle down your list. Good luck!
When I was looking up some of the lesser known schools we looked at geographic location first because she knew she wanted the four seasons. Then we looked at the program. I also threw in a couple financial safeties for her to check out the program just in case scholarships didn’t pan out. Her hidden gem allowed her to perform her first year and they do a ridiculous amount of shows so there would be plenty of opportunities for her. Once she was able to visit and sit in on classes she knew it was her fit
@broadway95 & @vvnstar do tell! what schools did they choose?
@theaterwork I am in your boat!! A little easier bc we want a BA program and good academics so the list is not large but I keep confusing myself the more I look the more confused I become ! It doesnt help that my D wants no part yet in researching or talking about college, yet she does want to go and to go away she said.
Have you looked at Kenyon college in Ohio? An LAC with excellent academics and a strong theater program.
@joyfulmama Our D is at OCU in the MT program and adores it.
You do have the option of doing a BA program there if that is a concern or a desire. There was a student who turned down some fantastic programs like Michigan and opted for a BA at OCU instead. I think the initial plan was a degree in some sort of science in preparation for med school. At least parents wanted a degree in something more practical than MT 
This student was still able to be in shows and also able to participate in the NYC showcase. I would check with other schools to see if this is possible if you are not part of the actual MT program. Some will allow you to audition and participate in things like showcase. Others will not.
As far as some strong Midwestern BA programs – you might consider Kenyon, Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan. None have an MT focus but all have strong theatre programs. In the East, I think Skidmore also has a strong theatre program but again, the emphasis is not on MT.
@Joyfulmama we are in same boat. My D isn’t totally against a BA program but she seems to not want the general classes that go with it. My D is also lazy in the research part but I am ok with searching for a core list and then having us all sit down as a family and whittle it down. She is also just ending her soph year so I think she’s a little on the younger end where she hasn’t even taken the SAT yet & knows “she has some time” to look. Yeah but MT is like the amazing race to do all the work. No kid applies to 12 colleges for nursing! I do like the Catholic schools since we are, but that’s not a deal breaker by any means. But yes @mom4bwayboy we did think about that. So…everyone seems to think small lesser known schools will be ok to look into if the curriculum online looks like a fit?
@Joyfulmama my D just finished her sophomore year at Nebraska Wesleyan and absolutely loves it!. In addition to the regular curriculum they have had many opportunities with guest choreographers, directors, workshops and casting agents
I think as others have said you can drive yourself crazy looking at every program. Limiting choices by geography, type of school ( size can make a big difference to many students. Do you want a large university or smaller LAC for example?) Also finances. Maybe a couple you know you can make work financially for your child, a couple non audition to ensure a back up plan, some which are audition but maybe not at the very top tier, and yes one or two reaches- academically, financially or audition wise. After all, no student in this area can guarantee getting into a very top program! Pick a mix of schools any of which you and your child can live with. You are both lucky to be starting prep relatively early. Best of luck
@toowonderful i have not heard of that one, I will look into it.Thanks!
@vvnstar OCU is Oklahoma City?That is a BM correct? I think Oklahoma may be too far but I will look at it too. The school must have MT she sings, dances and acts and wants to continue that in college.
@ you have some time! Yes I feel the same, I do not mind researching and when she is done with showcases and finals/regents then we can go over list.
@broadway95 That sounds like a great program!
@lcoulter32724 Trying to categorize the list just as you suggested.
OCU is pretty far away – about a 13-14 hour drive from us - but she loves it. Like Baldwin-Wallace, the MT program is a Bachelor of Music degree. And as I mentioned there is a BA option and an acting BFA as well.
I’m not sure where you are located but Indiana has always had a strong BA program. I’m not sure how it works with the BFA program which is relatively new. But it is a great school with strong academics and terrific training.
My non-theatre daughter just finished her Junior year at a small LAC and has had more theatre opportunities than her friends who are theatre majors at NYU. She’s acted, directed, written plays that were performed as a table read and entered in a competition where she was critiqued by a top guy (forget who) at Steppenwolf, she’s done costumes, makeup and props, etc.
There are real advantages to small LAC for any major. That being said, you could drive yourself crazy with all the possibilities. As others have suggested, start with more conventional crateria - location, size, male/female mix, etc. and then work backwards and look into their theatre program.
Good luck!
Just a thought about those kids uninterested in doing the research…my son didn’t get interested until we’d actually visited a college. We just toured the nearest one. It didn’t seem real to him until he’d seen it and realized those students were only a couple of years older than he was. Also, both of my kids and several others I helped turned out to need a LOT of coaching before they could navigate a college website and find what they were looking for. They may think they’re “digital natives” and that they’re so savvy about the online world, but they aren’t great at digging through layers of information. The difference between clicking on “admissions” or “academic” or other tabs on a college website really stymied every teen I worked with. They got frustrated very easily, too. Spend some calm time with them exploring HOW to navigate a college website.