Although I am still waiting to hear back from a few more schools, I am currently deciding between two of my acceptances: Viterbo Musical Theatre BFA and Northwestern BA Theatre. I have been trying to create a pros and cons list, but I would love to hear outside opinions in the hopes of finding new viewpoints to add to my list.
I truly love both programs. I love the small class size and individual attention that Viterbo has to offer, and I love the level of education that I would be able to receive from Northwestern. Honestly, what is holding me back from NU is the fact that I would have to audition for their highly competitive Musical Theatre Certificate program during my sophomore year. I have been so set on MT that this seems like a large risk to take; however, at the same time, their theatre department for straight acting is one of the best in the nation.
I know that this decision will ultimately come down to what I personally want for my future, but I would love to know what YOU personally would do if you were in this situation (all money aside for this hypothetical purpose).
Do NOT let fear hold you back! This business is filled with risks and uncertainties…get used to going out of your comfort zone and pushing the worries out of your mind. Go forward with the belief and hope for success and if it doesn’t happen, reevaluate and move on. It will be only one small glitch in the process of becoming a true artist.
Would you be as fulfilled in an acting program should you not get accepted into the MT program at NW? Would you be able to get much of the same training and experiences, anyway, if not accepted? When you close your eyes, relax, and picture your ideal college experience, what comes to mind? Those are the things that I’d encourage my D to think about if she had been confronted with this. (Full disclosure: she didn’t apply to either program, and one reason she didn’t apply to NW was because of the uncertainty of getting accepted into MT later. However, her decision may obviously be different from yours; this is all about individual fit.)
They are two very different schools and programs - which actually should help in your final decision. When all else fails, make a T-chart - one for each school. List the pros of the program on one side of the T, and cons of the program on the other side of the T. Seeing it all written in black and white can sometimes help you see which choice has more positives for you. And although it is valuable to hear others’ opinions, the final choice needs to come down to what you personally feel about each program. The T-chart should reflect your own personal thoughts on each school. The good news is You have 2 wonderful choices.
p.s. I think you can get valuable training and still be successful with a theater degree from Northwestern whether you end up in the certificate program or not. I know of some people who chose not to do it because they had other things they also wanted to pursue on campus. But they sang in acapella groups, did a lot of theater and were able to participate in musicals. So I agree with @bisouu - don’t let the fear of what might happen sophomore year keep you from Northwestern if it is your top choice otherwise.
Completely biased here, because I live in Chicago and don’t know much about Viterbo - I’d say Northwestern, Northwestern, Northwestern! Congratulations on your acceptance - it’s not an easy school to get into. My D spent a wonderful summer in their Cherubs program, but was not accepted into the school. As previously stated, a degree from NW does carry a lot of weight, not to mention the connections you would make in the vibrant downtown Chicago theatre scene - a 15 minute El ride away, and the gorgeous campus on Lake Michigan.
(Full disclosure: My kid got into Viterbo MT program, but did not attend, and did not apply to Northwestern.)
Viterbo is a great program with an excellent faculty, so it’s nothing against them, but I would choose Northwestern. Here’s why: Because of the outstanding theatre that takes place in Chicago, it would be a great place to start forming relationships with professionals in the community. Even if you didn’t get into the MT program, you could take voice, dance, and even acting classes in Chicago.
After seeing the competitiveness for work increase exponentially in the last few years, any way that you can be hooked into a theatre community before you graduate is a very good thing. The adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” has never been more true in the theatre world.
In fact, a new criteria that I would add to our list if had another MT-seeking-actor would be to apply to programs that had strong relationships with professional theatres. What I mean by that is that there are theatre companies work with schools and provide opportunities for internships or summerstock work.
In that same vein, I would highly recommend seeking out those choose programs that were in/near theatre-rich cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, NYC, and Washington, DC.
Depends how much you want to do MT right away! It will be all-consuming in the BFA and you will likely get all of the singing, dancing, acting training and performance opportunity that you would want, inside that curriculum. If you took that route. However if you did the theater degree, you would have to seek out other places (extra classes) and set aside time to fit in dance and voice and acting for musical theater, outside of your major. It depends what you are currently most passionate about, because the BFA in musical theater would cover all that ground, unless you want more of a challenge to take the initiative to go get those things yourself outside of your current program. The acting training would be good though either way! It’s a thinker.
The decision is one only you can make. I hope you have or will visit both. I list of pros/cons for each on paper will also help you. As well, a list of how each one matches up with your selection criteria’s a beneficial exercise.
That said, I hear your one concern with Northwestern is what if you don’t get into the MT Certificate program after freshman year. It’s true you can’t count on it. It could happen though. You have a BFA acceptance and you are likely quite competitive in MT. But even if you didn’t get into the MT program per se, you’d be in the theater program and it is my understanding that such students can take voice and dance and so you can piece together your own coursework in this fashion. Further, you can be in musicals, as well as dance groups and a cappella groups. You will be networking with an array of theater kids at NU, as well as have chances to network in theater-rich Chicago. You are obviously an accomplished academic student and need to think about how much you care about the overall academic level of the coursework and student body where you go to school and what would feel like the right fit for you.
I would urge you to talk to current NU theater students and recent grads and ask about the opportunities to be involved in voice/dance training and musicals for those who don’t get into the MT Certificate program. There are also several NU theater/MT parents who participate on this forum who could shed light on what MT kids who are not in the MT Certificate program do in this regard. You may be surprised that you might actually be able to fashion a MT curriculum for yourself at NU if you don’t get into the MT program itself, but are in the theater program. As an aside, I know a lot of acting students at my D’s alma mater, NYU/Tisch, who were in musicals and a cappella on campus and are working in the MT world today. You won’t be saying goodbye to MT if you go to NU.
It probably goes without saying that our D would choose Northwestern, since it was her top choice school (she appied ED) and Viterbo wasn’t on her school list (which did include BFA programs). While it is of course a personal decision, I second those who have said that many NU students can and do design very rich MT training without being in the MT Certificate program, and also are in many musicals including mainstage, so D (a die-hard MT) did NOT consider the MT Certificate auditions during freshman year to be that important. As others have said, fear is not a good reason for future performers to shy away from a wonderful opportunity like Northwestern, though of course there may be other reasons.
While @destiny95 might by correct for some BA/BFA programs I don’t think her comments apply to NU, where curriculum is VERY flexible and the MT and Acting programs are VERY tightly coupled. If you look at a list of Northwestern alums you will see that philosophy in action.
D graduated in June, and already has Theatre classmates on Broadway, at Harvard Med school and everywhere in between. She got a great agent a year before Showcases and has booked steady contracts for the past 2 years, so in my opinion NU has been wonderful for her and her friends.
Best of luck with your decisions everyone, and special congrats to those with Northwestern on your menu of choices!
I vote for NU as well! (with all due respect to Viterbo, which is a fine program). NU is a straight pipeline to Chicago theater, and if that doesn’t work out, you still have an NU degree, which is worth about as much as an Ivy. And you’ll be surrounded by extremely smart, interesting, motivated people for four years, which is always fun.
Have you sat down with your parents/ guardian to discuss the 2 schools? They I’m sure can help you come up with a list of pros and cons as well as the other considerations like finances (although you did say all money aside ) and not sure if location is a factor to put into play with travel home on holidays etc.
perhaps you are visiting them again and that will help you decide on personal fit? Especially if you’ve not been to the schools campus etc if you auditioned at Unifieds etc.
I’m sure Northwestern has the excellent reputation to go with it but if you visit and it doesn’t feel right well there you go… Name is one thing but it’s a very personal decision in my opinion .
I agree, @theaterwork . What happened to personal fit? What if the OP visited both campuses, spoke to many people, and felt that Viterbo fit her better?
I’d still have my D visit both campuses and really dig deeper into both programs and schools if she seemed as torn as the OP. We talk about how it’s the person and not the program that ultimately matters, yet that’s not the message that seems to be coming across in much of this thread. I’m sure that’s unintentional, and the OP was asking for people’s opinions, after all, but…
I’m not saying I disagree with the majority. (Nor am I saying I agree. Actually, I think my opinion is irrelevant here.) However, I do think that this is a personal decision. The OP seemed enthusiastic about Viterbo; at least in this post, I’d personally think she was truly torn between them or maybe even warmer towards Viterbo based on what she wrote and the tone of her post. (I could be reading that wrong, I know.) For that reason, I think it’s worth exploring both options further and finding out which she thinks fits her better, and taking that heavily into account.
My kid was accepted to Northwestern and turned it down for NYU. I fought hard for NU, I love Chicago (lived there for 3 years) and it is a top notch program and education. But NYU was more of what my kid wanted. In the end, we listened- and she made the choice that is best for HER. She loves it there
