<p>Our daughter, who has been accepted at Wisconsin - Madison and Muhlenberg (among others), is waitlisted at Minnesota, her first choice (she will be a theater major). If not accepted, she will go to Muhlenberg (a long way from California). For the last four weeks on the UM website it has said she is waitlisted and will hear by April 15. This afternoon that changed and it now says, "Your application is being very seriously considered." This sounds like potential good news because the Wisconsin website (she was never waitlisted) said the same thing before accepting her. Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this? I'm simply an anxious dad (who wouldn't mind spending $20,000/year less with the extra added bonus of having my daughter attend her #1 choice).</p>
<p>Going ot Muhlenberg over UW sounds pretty nutty to me as she also was looking at UMinn which is generally a lower quality school than UW. Plus Madison has much more theater going on than Allentown, PA which is a pit. Just wondering.</p>
<p>Barrons, my impression is that Mulhenburg is a theater powerhouse. I can imagine that with the VERY lively theater scene in Mpls and St Paul, the U of MN offers many opportunities.</p>
<p>Yes, but UMinn is out and in reality for a young student there are plenty of theater opportunities right in Madison without trying to compete with the pros who live in Minn. I have been to Allentown many times. It’s depressing.</p>
<p>Minnesota’s theater program, with close ties to the Guthrie (perennially rated one of the nation’s top “regional,” i.e., non-New York theater companies), is outstanding, far outshining Wisconsin. Lots of professional actors in the Twin Cities have followed that path, and the local professional theater scene is among the very strongest in the country—no New York, to be sure, but vying with Chicago for #2. Hang tight until there’s clear word from Minnesota. Don’t listen to Barrons, an inveterate Wisconsin booster even when it comes to programs he knows nothing about.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses. Barrons, you don’t have to sell me on UW. I’m a proud graduate and as a member of one of UM’s advisory boards visit Madison twice a year (I was there the weekend of the big Ohio State victory but I digress). Muhlenberg actually has a top rated theater program. We visited the three campuses (Madison twice) and I have to admit that Madison is a clear third when it comes to theater (first in pretty much everything else but I’m biased). Bclintonk, you’re right, only NYC has more theater seats per capita than Minneapolis.</p>
<p>I went on a search for famous actors/directors/playwrights coming out of UMinn and the list was shorter than UW’s by a good margin. Just saying. Loni Anderson was near the top of the list–along with the Playboy Twins. So I guess i was just not familiar with all their success.</p>
<p>Of course it’s called the unintended consequences of alphabetical order. Comparing the two facilities, there’s no comparison. Comparing the opportunities in the two cities for theatrical experience, there’s no comparison. I’ve talked with folks in and around UW’s theater department. Privately they admit UM is superior and rivals Northwestern. But thanks for pitching well for the home team.</p>