<p>I admit this school was off our radar and my daughter applied because of the location. She auditioned at Unifieds. Well lo and behold she got in, with a scholarship to boot, and they say they accept less than 3% of applicants, so I feel we owe it to ourselves to at least visit it. I’ve researched it online and spoken to Clay James, and it really sounds like a terrific program. Though not quite the bargain that Texas State is, the cost is significantly less than most other schools. I know a few years ago when we first started looking at schools, Montclair had a terrible housing problem, but apparently that is no longer the case since they very recently built and opened some gorgeous new dorms. Housing is now guaranteed. I’d love to know more about people’s recent experiences with the MT program!</p>
<p>Montclair State is very well know here in Jersey, especially their arts program, because it is a HUGE commuter school. They are building news dorms now to attract OOS students, however when my daughter started 4yrs ago approx 15,000 of the 18,000 students commute. Unlike other schools which focus on the students living on campus, Montclair has a much different feel. I really hope you visit before making any decisions.</p>
<p>Sounds like since they opened new dorms last year there are now 5000 - 6000 living on campus. That’s still a huge number, 5 times bigger than the whole population at my undergrad college… though still only a third of the total school population. I’m told that most of the MT kids do live there though.</p>
<p>I hope someone with actual experience of this school will chime in. My D knows kids who go there and I will try to get some info through her, to come back and post. She tells me it is a very reputable program and is up and coming. She has a seriously talented friend who tells her he would love to go there due to the program, but he lives a few towns over and just can’t bring himself to go to a school so close to home. Yes, it is a suitcase school - so it can get lonely on weekends when everyone goes home, but they are working on that. The program is quite good. It is 20 minutes by bus from NYC so kids go into the city regularly to see shows, etc. There is an older thread somewhere here with a student from last year posting about her reasons for going - so look down the list of threads. I would not count this school out since you got a nice offer! Go see and and then decide. Congrats!</p>
<p>Montclair State was on my D’s top 5 school choices because of its good reputable MT program and it’s location right outside of NYC. We went for a tour and to be honest it was really a very beautiful campus and very clean. They did build some new dorms and they are very nice. There was two theaters and they were very nice as well. Our tour guide who was a student mentioned some great clubs such as a dance team. She also has friends who go there and they have no complaints. My daughter has been accepted to the school as undeclared until she does her audition which she is doing next weekend on the 23rd. She hopes to be included in the MT accepted pool! Def don’t overlook this school. Best of luck :)</p>
<p>Any and all information about the acting program would be welcome…my son was accepted and we are way out of state and having a hard time getting there due to his show commitments.</p>
<p>I’ll weigh in a bit on this, with the disclaimer that I’ve never physically been to the school. That being said, I think this school is certainly worth considering. Montclair is a quiet but strong program; considering all areas of MT, my personal feeling on it is that it has a very strong acting foundation, but if your child is looking for a dance-heavy program, this may not be it (perhaps a current student or parent of a student could weigh in more here). If they are looking for more dance, I’m not sure if they could pick up some extra dance electives or do a minor in dance- might be worth a phone call! They have a strong faculty with both academic and professional experience, and because of their being close to NYC, there are added bonuses for the program (including their ability to book guest artists for master classes, etc). If it matters to your child, the program is integrated with the music department, so their voice work would be done with them- this means they require theory/aural skills, learning a bit of piano, have opportunities to do opera workshop, etc. </p>
<p>Again, my insights derive only from the research I’ve personally done, not from having any hands on experience with the school. I think it’s certainly worth considering, and if at all possible, would be worth a visit for those of you with admitted students. Hope that helps some.</p>
<p>MTCoach, Clay James told me that you can definitely minor in dance, in fact, it’s encouraged. If the MT student is advanced enough, they can take dance classes right along with BFA dance students, and be in dance shows!! This is not true at all schools (at Marymount, for example, it doesn’t matter how good a dancer you are; if you are MT you don’t take dance with their dance students, you go across town to a different studio). My daughter is a strong dancer so dance is important. And yes their program is integrated with the music program, so the vocal training is top notch. I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from someone with first-hand experience with this program!</p>
<p>Good to know about the minor in dance. Thanks for sharing that!</p>
<p>Wow, I feel kind of remiss that I never followed up on this thread. We did visit Montclair and were super-impressed!! It is such an up-and-coming program. They’ve hired more faculty this year and the students LOVE them. We met one of the new professors, Mark Hardy, and he was the nicest guy on earth, with great credentials, very responsive to our questions. The head of the program, Clay James, is VERY invested in having a serious MT conservatory – 12 miles away from NYC with easy public transportation into the City hourly right from campus! VERY strong dance and music programs, with Acting enhanced this year with the addition of the new faculty. Beautiful theater and facilities. Several kids on leave on National Tours. Real conservatory-style program. Clay said that 8 years ago when they started the program they had 47 applicants, and this year they had nearly 700. They take about 20 a year, half boys and half girls, so the program is small. Those teachers knew each of those kids REALLY well. Very friendly students, too. And there are new gorgeous dorms and housing is now guaranteed! Way more impressed than I expected to be, and my daughter is seriously considering this program. And it is half the cost of BOCO, even for out-of-state.</p>
<p>Hi everyone!! I know this is a little late and I’m sure that most of you have already chosen your schools by this point, but any student/parent who wants to learn more about the program please message me! Or reply on here!! I just finished my Freshman year here at Montclair and feel like a completely different performer! I love this program!</p>
<p>Savannah, my daughter did choose Montclair for next Fall. Tell me specifically what you love about it!!</p>
<p>Oh that’s great! I’m so glad to hear that she did! I can’t wait to meet her! She is going to love the program! One of the greatest things about the program is the fact that you are learning under true professionals! All of them have former Broadway careers and some are still a part of the workforce. The opportunities for students is unmeasureable considering the proximity to the city. It’s a great vibe for students who want to still have the “big city” feel, but not all the time. I really can’t even tell you what the program is the strongest in. Acting is phenomenal and the new professors Mark Hardy and Joe Joye are great! Our dance instructors are phenomenal and there are definitely options for advanced dancers at the school. I saw that someone posted on here that Montclair isn’t as dance-heavy as other schools, but that’s definitely not true anymore! Musical theatre students have the option to take higher dance levels AND even take classes with dance majors if approved by te instructor. If a student wishes to declare a dance minor that is also encouraged! Choosing this school was one of the best decisions of my life and for the cost, it is unbelievably worth it!! This year was exhausting to say the least, but I loved it! I even had the opportunity to be in opera which was very awesome! My dance skills have improved exponentially! My singing technique has gotten so much better! I can actually play piano now, just after one year of study! I could go on for days! The MT program here is very demanding and by the end of the year you will be exhausted! But I ant even explain what I got out of this year of study! Worth every penny of my parents money!</p>
<p>Savannah - I love that you are doing this. I was so interested in Montclair and like Calliene, was wondering why there was little info on the program. If you have the time and inclination, you might consider posting on the CC thread about the Freshman experience. That thread is so widely read:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1067706-freshman-experience-11.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1067706-freshman-experience-11.html</a></p>
<p>Yes, Savannah, please do! The more detailed, the better! And thank you so much for taking the time to post here. I imagine I’ll be meeting you and seeing you perform at some point! :). Joe Joye is the one who auditioned my daughter and she said he was really nice, then we spent a lot of time with both Clay and Mark Hardy (who omg looks just like George Clooney) when we visited. Both were SOO nice. We watched a lot of dance classes; there was one guy who was in Tap III who we were told hadn’t tapped before this year, and he was REALLY good! Dance did seem very strong. I will add that the students we met were all friendly and welcoming and VERY helpful. I hope that is your experience too.</p>