Would you please peruse this list?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Hi! Although this is my first thread, I've spent hours and hours and hours in the past 6 months pouring over this site, particularly the MT section. In fact, I can sometimes tell who has written a post in their first sentence without even looking at the username of the person, lol! I've gained a lot of insight in all of this research here, so I'm appreciative of it and those who share their experiences. </p>

<p>My d is a junior who will be auditioning for conservatories next year. She's been onstage almost continually since she was 5 in regional and community theatres. (She's homeschooled, so she hasn't been in school shows.) She loves singing, acting, and dancing equally, although, if hard-pressed, she says she's an actor/singer/dancer. (It's a bit of a hard call between that and singer/actor/dancer.) She's a legit soprano with a bit of a belt and a big range, and she's classically trained vocally and would like to continue that training in the conservatory (at least as the base). In dance, she eagerly does all types (pointe--although that has had to stop because of scheduling, tap, jazz, modern, and her favorite: ballet), and she'd like the conservatory she ends up at to be strong in dance with the opportunity to take many classes. Acting-wise, she'd like the training to include different philosophies and tools, so not too heavily Meisner or whomever.</p>

<p>Academically, d is a good student. She takes some college courses at a local college (often talked about in this forum ;) ), and gets As. However, she would like a conservatory program that is mostly hands-on theatre courses and that requires only one gen ed a semester; she'd like most courses to be related to theatre. Oh, and she'd love to never have to take a math class again in her life! :) Obviously, then, she's only interested in a BFA or BM program or a BA that mimics those. (We haven't found the latter, though.)</p>

<p>As far as location, she'd prefer to be near a city, but the city could be small, and training is more important than location. </p>

<p>She'd like to not have a cut program or the threat of any such thing over her head. (She realizes that juries are in most programs, and that's ok; it's the environment surrounding such things that she's concerned about.). She would also like to stay away from places where only a small group of select people are included in showcase situations. </p>

<p>D hasn't expressed this, but I personally believe she'd be better off in a supportive environment rather than a cut-throat competitive one. She can take tough directors/instructors (especially if she knows they ultimately care about her development), but I think a strong sense of support along with the inevitable competition instead of only intense competition among her peers would be a better environment.</p>

<p>Below is her list of schools she's considering. Are there conservatories she should include or remove from this lis</p>

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<p>We are certainly not as experienced as the rest of the members so I’ll let them weigh in on most of this but I wanted to add my 3 cents.</p>

<p>Before I scrolled down far enough to see the list of schools my first thought was “Baldwin Wallace” as far as the description of the program she’d like and the environment you believe she’d do best in it seems to fit the bill. BW is located very close to Cleveland.</p>

<p>My S has a very close friend at CCM who indicates she has never been so supported by her peers in her life, she’s a MT sophomore. CCM Village is beautiful, its like they plopped a few castles down in the middle of a university lol. And its very close to Cinci.</p>

<p>I also thought of Rider, we will head there next month. And maybe another member can clear this up but I think they take vocal lessons at the Westminster Choir College, which would lend me to believe this is more classical training. But again I could be wrong, its on my list of questions when he auditions. Its an hour train ride to NYC.</p>

<p>CMU - Pittsburgh has a thriving theatre scene, many people don’t realize this. I often hear “I didn’t realize Pittsburgh was like a real city”. I only know Vocal Performance majors at CMU and they are thriving with their classical training. </p>

<p>Best of luck in your search and congrats on getting an early start. If I could do it over I would have found this site a year earlier and saved myself some stress.</p>

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<p>I do not see a list of schools here (did you edit them out?), but the first school that comes to my mind when reading your post is Boston Conservatory. Some of the friendliest, most supportive students and faculty we’ve met in our search.</p>

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<p>Maybe my post was way too long, but it got cut off at the list, I think. Here it is again:</p>

<p>Baldwin-Wallace
Belmont
CAP21 (2 year program or one of their degree programs)
Carnegie-Mellon
Cincinnati
Coastal Carolina
Illinois W
Montclair
PACE (although someone just posted that they don’t have emphasize classical voice training)
Otterbein
Shenandoah
Texas State
Texas Christian
UArts
SUNY Fredonia
U of Oklahoma
Syracuse
Florida State
UMich</p>

<p>I realize there are no safeties here; we haven’t found any that meet D’s desires. Suggestions for this or anything else?</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>That’s so odd because I saw the original list. I see it now too. Interesting.</p>

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<p>Thank you, MTMajorCook and AsstToTheMT! </p>

<p>MTMajorCook, although we’re trying hard not to have favorites, BW is one of mine. It helps that it’s somewhat close in an area I love. :). We’ll have to check out Rider.</p>

<p>ASSTToTheMT, Boston Conservatory was high on her list, but the cost with little or no anticipated financial aid there struck it off.</p>

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<p>I wasn’t buying the whole danger of on campus auditions until we went to Baldwin Wallace. We both really love everything about it. If he’s not accepted it will sting much more now that he’s been there. Cost is a huge part of the decision process for us so even if accepted it may not work out in the long run but…would be great to have BW as an option.</p>

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<p>Totally strange! I still do not see the list in the original post – the end of the first post as I see it is this:</p>

<p>"Below is her list of schools she’s considering. Are there conservatories she should include or remove from this lis "</p>

<p>Anyway, I see the new post with the list–you’re doing your homework early which is great! Totally hear you on the prohibitive cost for Bo Co. I also love the suggestions GSOMTMom gave.</p>

<p>Definitely check out some safety schools though – there’s a wonderfully compiled list around here somewhere.</p>

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<p>Western Carolina University, 45 minutes from Asheville might be a good addition. A bit less competitive as it is newish, but with shows directed by Terrance Mann! Can’t count it as a safety as it is audition.</p>

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<p>Personally, I think you should take Pace off b/c of the fact that there is no music department there, and they do not concentrate on classical singing. Also, if acting is one of her fortes, look at the number of acting professors that BW has…only one. I have heard from people (including students attending there) that acting is NOT their strength. Why aren’t NYU and Ithaca on your list? I guess NYU might be cost prohibitive if BoCo is…but maybe look at Steinhardt? Also, what about Ithaca? Their acting training is strong, especially with the new head of the department from DePaul, and they have very few gen eds for their MT students. Syracuse only lets some of the kids do the showcase, and that may encourage competition among the students (although maybe they will change that). And FSU only has one voice teacher, and has grad students teach the students the first two years of school (I think UMich and CCM also use grad students to teach voice, but only for freshman year). Some people think this is okay…and I’m sure in some cases, grad students are fine. But if I’m paying tens of thousands of dollars each year to have my kid taught voice, I want it to be from a vetted professor. Maybe that’s just me. CMU is, of course, a fabulous school with fabulous acting and voice training…but again, if BoCo is too much, CMU probably will be, too. I hard TSU doesn’t really concentrate on classical voice either, but you may want to ask that on the TSU thread…</p>

<p>So I would look into adding Ithaca and NYU (NYU can be generous…at least that’s what I’ve read from others), and think seriously about Pace, BW, Syracuse, TSU and FSU before you keep them on. And what about Hartt as a possible addition…? Good luck to you and your D.</p>

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<p>I’m happy to see Coastal Carolina on your list. I truly think it offers what your D is looking for!
It is a small and very supportive program. This year’s freshman MT class is 12, which is slightly larger than planned because more women accepted their offers than anticipated. There is a real bond among the students, and the faculty are very open and accessible. But they are also very demanding and have very high expectations of the students. There is no coasting by at CCU! They do not have a cut program. There are juries each year. </p>

<p>The voice faculty are outstanding! They are actually from the music department, so their bios don’t show up on the theatre department page. There is a collaborative spirit between the 2 departments. In September, I went out to CCU to see the music department’s production of Sweeney Todd in concert. Many MT majors were in the show. They brought in a couple of amazing opera performers to play Sweeney and the Beggar Woman, while voice faculty Ann Benson played Mrs. Lovett (my D is in her voice studio and was thrilled to be her u/s. Wow what an opportunity!) These bios are the voice faculty my D has trained with so far.
<a href=“http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=415[/url]”>http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=415&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=92[/url]”>http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=92&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=273[/url]”>http://www.coastal.edu/humanities/faculty/details.html?x=273&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The dance faculty are new this year and my D is LOVING working with them. The students come in at all different levels of dance training, but they all grow while in the program.
[CCU</a> Department of Theatre](<a href=“http://www.coastal.edu/theatre/html/faculty/adam-pelty.html]CCU”>http://www.coastal.edu/theatre/html/faculty/adam-pelty.html)
[CCU</a> Department of Theatre](<a href=“http://www.coastal.edu/theatre/html/faculty.html]CCU”>http://www.coastal.edu/theatre/html/faculty.html)</p>

<p>CCU trains theatre artists. There is a very strong emphasis on ACTING. There are lots of performance opportunities. They do a lot of cross casting - MTs in plays, Acting and PT majors in musicals. CCU casts through season auditions at the beginning of the fall semester. Freshmen do audition and they are cast in mainstage shows. And everyone techs. My D was assistant stage managed a mainstage musical with an outside professional director. This fall she assistant directed a mainstage play. She gained so much from both of those experiences.</p>

<p>There is a senior showcase in NYC and all the BFAs are eligible to attend. They also bring professionals in to teach master classes on campus, so they go to NYC already knowing some of the casting directors and agents. And they have brought in creative teams to workshop new works with the students. Those have been really wonderful opportunities.</p>

<p>As you can tell, I’m a huge CCU fan. My D is a senior this year and she has loved being a Chanticleer. I’m always happy to answer any questions! Best of luck to you and to your D on your journey!</p>

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<p>Oh, yeah! Hartt and Indiana are on her list. I’d forgotten about them. So is Indiana U. Whew. That’s a lot of schools, which is why we’re turning to the helpful people here to help us work through it! Plus, we’re gradually getting a little advice and opinions from people she works with, including her voice teacher, who is connected to one of the programs. It helps to get many views instead of relying on one or a few!</p>

<p>I hadn’t heard that about Syracuse and the showcase. We’ll have to check that out more. </p>

<p>I also hadn’t heard that FSU uses grad students as voice teachers the first 2 years. That does make a difference to us. We knew UMich uses them the first year, and it did make her hesitate to include them on her list, but, the students come out with amazing voices, so maybe that year is okay? I wasn’t aware that CCM was the same, but I think she’d feel the same as she does with UMich.</p>

<p>NYU used to be on her list, but they seem to require more gen eds than she’d like, and they seem to be more academic than she’d like.</p>

<p>CMU might be cost prohibitive, but we’ve heard that they may be more likely than BoCo to give aid. Is that true? (We won’t qualify for need-based aid, btw–unfortunately.)</p>

<p>The lack of acting professors at BW is something to think about. I’ve heard they incorporate acting into all areas, though. Does anyone else have differing opinions from students about their acting?</p>

<p>I’ll definitely ask about TSU’s voice training.</p>

<p>I hadn’t heard much about Western Carolina, but we’ll check it out.</p>

<p>D has decided not to visit most schools until auditions and/or acceptances for that reason, MTMajorCook! I can totally see that happening. Perhaps your S will fall equally in love with more schools as he auditions more. That’s what has happened to us just looking at the schools and why d’s list is so long. As we’ve researched new ones, we’ve found ourselves thinking, “This one sounds great! I can see you/me there.” </p>

<p>The only time the above hasn’t happened was with the safety schools. Maybe I didn’t look at them carefully enough, but I just haven’t found one that fits yet.</p>

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<p>myloves, I’d add Point Park to the list because it is a very good program and because if you come to Pittsburgh to visit CMU, you’ll be a couple of miles away from Point Park and with the way you will have to fit in visits, auditions and so forth, whenever you can get two birds with one stone, it’s a bonus. Plus, PPU as competitive as many schools on the list, but a little less competitive than others. </p>

<p>I will also piggyback on MTMajorCook’s comments regarding Pittsburgh’s theatre community. It is very strong, and under the radar, but the city is not overwhelming to a new college kid. Lots of performance opportunity, and lots of opportunity to see great musicals and plays at student prices.</p>

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<p>I’m in the camp that it is important to visit the schools before applying if possible, for two reasons. The first is that there are some things you just can’t learn on a website that you will pick up when visiting. My D eliminated 2 schools after a visit… or actually during the visit… both times leaning over and whispering “That’s no good. Can we go now?” The session wasn’t even over. (I made her stay of course)
The second is that it may not be possible to fit in visits to the schools that accept you. Many acceptances come in the second half of March and you have to choose by May 1. That is not even six weeks to schedule and travel. The visit schedule has to work out between your schedule and the college’s schedule. If you are only accepted to one school that’s easy to handle but what if you get accepted to 3 or 4?
I’d try to visit half your schools if possible. Cut down your odds.
We live in the northeast which makes it easier, and managed to visit all but one school. She’s going to that school to audition though.
My D did not have a problem “falling in love” with one particular school. She likes some more than others but since you have to apply to so many she is kind of reserving her attachments. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I would also recommend cutting Pace off the list. My son is more of a classical singer, too, and his coach told him not to bother applying there. But he loved the campus and wanted to give it a shot. Pre-screen returned 48 hours after submission- No. Should’ve saved my money.</p>

<p>Definitely visit as many schools as you can while your D is a junior. We did, and glad of it! He’s visited about 65% of the schools on his list, and has crossed off several others because he didn’t like them. The other 35% will be Unified auditions, and if he’s lucky enough to get a “Yes” then we’ll go there. (They are the schools that are farthest away from us.) Re: Pittsburgh-- we’d never been until our visits to PPU and CMU, and it was cold and snowy when he visited, and he still loved it. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>I would add OCU (Oklahoma City University) and Ithaca to the list.</p>

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<p>Oklahoma City U comes to mind when you talk about classical voice training. I would definitely check them out!</p>

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<p>Have you taken a look at Ithaca? They have good programs in MT, Acting, and Vocal Performance (the latter is in their music school). As noted above in a discussion of CCU, Acting is the primary element of their MT major as well as the Acting major, and the two groups are commingled in acting class for at least the first two years.</p>

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<p>Actually, in an earlier post, I mistakenly referenced Indiana twice instead of Ithaca as a possibility. That was actually one of the first schools she considered.</p>

<p>I’m full of mistakes today, I think. I also forgot Elon and Roosevelt. (D has a file organizer with info for each school. Those sections must’ve stuck to others when I went through them this morning.) So, any thoughts on them would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Everyone is offering such great advice and opinions. Thank you! </p>

<p>I think we may have to go on at least some college tours in the next months. We can’t visit all the gazillion schools on her list; that’d be costly in time and money (money that will be spent next year auditioning and applying and now on lessons), but we can at least get a better idea of what she wants, perhaps. And, maybe she’ll be able to focus her list more on places that will truly fit her (based on insights here and elsewhere). I hope she’ll stay level-headed and not totally fall in love with one like dramamama’s d was able to do; maybe she’ll see that a number would fit her.</p>

<p>I’ll check out OCU, too.</p>

<p>I thought I’d read somewhere that Coastal Carolina only took select people to their highlighted showcase. That’s not true, then, austinmtmom?</p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestion about Rider, MTMajorCook. I think they require too many gen eds for her liking, and one is that hated math. ;)</p>

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<p>It looks like you have 22 schools on the list. Having just finished applying to 14, which at points seemed a never ending job, I’d say you need to cut 5 or so. There’s only so much time between when the apps open and wanting to get auditions scheduled.
And your D will be ready to scream when you tell her you need one more essay saying why does she want to go to “such and such” school or describe an obstacle she overcame or who inspires her.
You will probably spend around $100 per application as well, between the app fee and the audition fee unless you qualify for waivers.
Good luck!</p>