<p>My daughter is a rising senior. She is in the happy position of just being offered admission to CCM (drama) at the International Thespian Festival. She is incredibly serious about acting, and wants to attend the best BFA program she can get into.
Here is my question. We had a long list of programs to which she was going to apply (Julliard, Carnegie Mellon, BU, Emerson, Ithaca, Syracuse, SUNY purchase, Pace, Rutgers, North Carolina school of the arts, Depaul, U of Minnesota, Montclair State, U Arts, Tisch). Now, with such a great safety, I think the list can be shortened. I could use advice on which of the following schools would be considered more prestigious than CCM for drama. Some I know are more prestigious: Julliard, Carnegie-Mellon, Suny Purchase. Which other ones on our list are more prestigious? Which are some ones that we might potentially drop?<br>
Please note, she is going for "prestige" not to be snooty. She is just trying to get the best education and the best acting connections she is able to place into. </p>
<p>Congrats to your D, having an early BFA acceptance is a good feeling. Fair warning⊠what you have asked is kind of an âincendiaryâ question⊠a conversation here might become more of an argument, ranking programs is VERY subjective⊠and touchy- after all, with those of us who have gone through the process we have pretty much fought a war (at least it felt like it at the time!) to help our kids follow their dreams, and implying âprestigeâ indicates that others are âlesserâ- and that may very well bring out the claws. My D was accepted at two of the programs on you list above, and was waitlisted at two others, but did not audition for CCM drama (she did audition there, but MT only) She auditioned for 9 schools (I think, it fades) and we made the final choice based on what she wanted, and where we thought she would be happiest.</p>
<p>Oh, I see what you mean. I donât mean to cause any arguments or to offend anyone. Please ignore the topic if it feels that way. I am trying only to be efficient, and to save ourselves money in applying to endless programs. No offense meant to anyone! We are thrilled with CCM, and are only trying to intelligently explore options. </p>
<p>I completely understand- there is SO much to think about!!! Where are you located? Can you check out some of these schools in driving trips? You really donât âknowâ until you see things for yourself. Last year D and I took at 10 day trip around the eastern seaboard where we saw many of the schools on your list, then did a weekend in Chicago to check out others. D did audition for Minn (she has 2 friends in the Guthrie program, they love it), and it was the only school we didnât GO to before (b/c it isnât near ANYTHING else) But our thinking was that there is a callback weekend (as does Rutgers) so she would have seen it then. We also did a 2nd set of trips to schools (both BFA and BA) after acceptances to help make decisions</p>
<p>Take CCM and run!!! Forgo all the headache and craziness of applying and auditioning and sit back and relish the fact she has an amazing program to attend. <3 LOL</p>
<p>I would say you could drop Montclair St unless money is tight and U Arts, maybe do one but not both of Ithaca and Syracuse. (Both strong programs in the same out of the way location.) Iâm really not dissing any of these programs, but I donât think theyâre appreciably better than the bird in the hand. Also canât remember if your daughter has a classical bent, but neither Syracuse nor DePaul permits classical monologues. If weâd thought about it harder, we probably focused on schools that wanted to hear Shakespeare.</p>
<p>We live in Bucks County, PA. We have already been to Julliard, BU and Emerson. My D was at Rutgers pre-college, and is currently at CMU pre-college. So we are covering some ground, which is good.<br>
There are so many factors to consider. Today, I am sitting at a table with papers all around me, mapping out what each of these programs requires for audition, admission, etc. Oy. So, thatâs where I am coming from. Just trying to save time and money and perhaps my sanity (although that is doubtful!)</p>
<p>From your list Iâd drop:</p>
<p>Pace
Montclair State
Ithaca
University of the Arts</p>
<p>And if youâre not totally opposed to a BA consider adding:</p>
<p>Fordham (audition)
Northwestern (no audition)</p>
<p>So many of your listed schools are amazing, but they are also all very different; the styles, locations, etc. Iâm not sure there is one best program, even though humans love to make lists. As many of us have learned, itâs finding the program that best fits your daughter. Already having a wonderful program, like CCM as your safety, should give you and your daughter the freedom to explore BFA programs that fit her learning style, that sing to her⊠so to speak. Find a way to talk to current students & sit in on classes, if possible. </p>
<p>Whatâs CCM again?</p>
<p>Mostly, I agree with actingdad. Although my kid would definitely keep Ithaca. Also, there are some threads about those verbal commitments not always coming through so proceed with caution. CCM MT is the program that gets all the attention and is highly competitive which is not to say the acting program is not good, of course. Also, I agree with riptide about the different programs you have listed. BU does not really have anything much in common with UArts, for example. Does she want academics, conservatory training, or just a school with some kind of reputable acting program? which is what it sounds like but if you have a safety school in hand then you have the luxury of getting more specific criteria figured out. </p>
<p>Itâs University of Cincinatti - Cinc Conservatory of Music</p>
<p>I would keep Carnegie Mellon, UMN Twin Cities, and DePaul for sure, but thatâs just me.
Honestly, she should ONLY audition at schools she has a genuine interest in attending. I auditioned for 5 schools, and even during the audition season I was completely aware that I didnât want to attend 2 of the schools I auditioned for, whether or not I got into the program. It was a waste and I did it just to have numbers. </p>
<p>I would NOT drop Ithaca unless she visits it and doesnât find it appealing. If sheâs at CMU precollege, my bet is that sheâll hear and learn a lot about other programs from her instructors and fellow students. The undergrad TAs at my sonâs summer precollege program were a huge source of info for him as he fine-tuned his list (and in fact they were the reason that Ithaca caught his attention as a potentially good fit). Especially if youâre planning to go to Unifieds, I wouldnât prune that list too much; kids mature a lot as seniors (even kids who already ARE mature), and I think itâs wise to keep some options open if you can manage it! </p>
<p>Have you visited CCM? That may help you decide how strongly you want to pursue other options⊠you and your D might love it and she would be happy there and you change your audition strategy just to check out a few âdream schoolsâ (whatever that is for your D- is there a place she has always talked about? Go for it). Or you may be at CCM and think⊠well this is nice as a safety, but I was really hoping for a program with more _______ (whatever). As one of the others asked, has D thought about what type of environment (urban/rural, small campus/large campus, industry center/middle of nowhere) she prefers? Or are you focused ENTIRELY on the acting program itself? Obviously the program is super important⊠but donât forget to look at the big picture too</p>
<p>Congrats on your daughterâs early acceptance! As @toowonderful said above, I would make sure âyou have it in writingâ before I started slashing my original list. Then I would start by comparing the four-year curriculum at each school. I would also have your daughter try to contact graduates of the CCM acting program who have been out in the real world for a while. CCM Drama has their own alumni page . . . I wouldnât hesitate reaching out and asking for the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Best wishes! </p>
<p>My daughter will be a freshman at CCM (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music). Obviously, she is thrilled. We had no idea what to expect when we made our first visit spring of her Junior year. We saw a very impressive drama production (which I think is very important if you can time your visits to include one, this fall they are doing Macbeth Oct. 1 - 5th), had a tour and spent 3 days exploring the adjacent area. She fell in love. She began her Senior year with 11 schools on her list (2 non-audition, safetiesâŠOberlin and Skidmore). She auditioned on campus at their first âregularâ drama auditions in January and she was thrilled to be accepted 3 days later. She then withdrew from most of her other schools. It might serve your purpose if I list the reasons why she chose CCM over the others. A. Itâs a Conservatory (make sure you check other schools for what % of classes are required outside of the major). This is a personal preference. My daughter started off thinking she wanted a liberal arts education with a BFA, she changed her mind for a very concentrated Acting conservatory. B. Faculty, Facilities and CurriculumâŠCCM Facilities are amazing (CCM Village), check out the physical theaters at college choices and you will quickly see a difference between them and your daughter will get a âfeelâ for the spaces she will be in for the next 4 years. She scratched off 2 schools from her list because of âcoldâ feeling of facilities and campus. At UC, she has the opportunity to experience a large University and yet CCM is mainly housed in one huge, warm, bright and pulsing with 800 amazingly talented kids majoring in all things theater, dance, music, e-media (whew!) building one minute from her dorm and dining hall. Curriculums varyâŠwebsites will generally give you a thorough look into classes they will be taking. Curriculum at CCM appealed to daughter. I agree with JKellynh17, daughter gravitated towards schools that had a classical bent to them and ones that wanted a classical and contemporary monologueâŠsheâs a Shakespeare lover. Check the schools current production schedules as well as past productionsâŠthis was a HUGELY helpful tool for us. Make sure you also check into when kids can start auditioning for mainstage and studio productions. Some schools, not until Junior year! Faculty? I think all the schools on anyoneâs list who is going down this road will have great things to offer. Megan has met all of her faculty except oneâŠall have embraced her with an incredibly warm, professional, and supportive spirit. Our 3rd visit was to sit in on some classesâŠyikes! Very impressive and a great insight to like-minded students. C. Students and class size. My daughter did not want to be 1 of 60 or even 1 of 30. Again personal preference, but stage time and attention are of great importance to her. The kids we have met and the relationships she has already formed with her class through social media and orientation in June has been astounding. Again, after visiting schools it will just âfeelâ right. D. Connections and reputation. Senior showcases in Los Angeles and New York. 100% of the graduating seniors last year had their SAG AFTRA cards. Experience in stage, film, voice over, commercials. Extensive study abroad opportunities in the summer. Also, CCM has a super connection to Cincinnatiâs city theaters and stages. Larger cities can sometimes offer greater opportunities for summer theater options. I have probably overstayed my welcomeâŠbut I have successfully put off cleaning my kitchen. Cheers! Go Bearcats and never doubtâŠyour daughter will end up exactly where she will thrive as an actor and a young woman. Hopefully I have given you some helpful tidbits about CCM and about choosing an acting program in general. And donât forget to grab a donut at all her auditions! Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions. </p>
<p>CCM sounds amazing.</p>
<p>Yes - great breakdown as to why this student chose CCM. Looks like the OP canât go wrong from here, with this acceptance in her pocket already!</p>
<p>my d. will also be at CCM this fall - and is already best buds w/puma69s d - everything puma69 says is spot on about the CCM program. plus many of the students spend summers interning in LA for casting directors. (they also have a casting director direct their student showcase). the biggest plus for my d. though was the âfitâ. </p>
<p>Can hardly wait to see you again, BardsmomâŠdaughter is counting the days, which I wonât tell you how many for fear of opening your floodgatesâŠyou stayinâ at your same âhaunt?â</p>