<p>Thanks Chris. You are definately right. It seems to me that many people get attacked for their opinions. But thats what a message board is for, opinions. Good on you for keeping such a level head amidst it all.</p>
<p>The other hard truth is that the "best" school for a given student may be the school at which he or she gets an offer of admission. It's easy, before going through the process, to discuss which are the top 5 schools, etc. It's harder -- much harder, they tell me! -- to get into those schools. As people who have been through the process constantly remind us (for good reason!), kids who were always the "stars" of their schools and/or communities and had every reason to think they would be successful in the college admissions process can find themselves high and dry when it comes to offers of admission from actual schools. So, when it comes down to it, this discussion of "top" schools is really just theoretical for most people.
I don't mean to be discouraging, but I did want to frame the discussion in that context.</p>
<p>Thank you NMR for your post. You stated exactly what I think while reading discussions about each student deciding what's best for them. What's "best" in July, may not be what's "best" in April 2007. (depending on thick or thin envelopes in mailboxes)</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Let me add here that I hope my silly little post was not taken to be discouraging, because that is not how I meant it! When I stumbled across this board less than a year ago, I had little to no idea just how competitive admissions to the "top" MT schools would be. I figured it was about as competitive, as, well admission to any other major, and probably less challenging and competitive than medical school admissions. WRONG!! (Wasn't the first time I have been in error and sure won't be the last! :)) I now know how much I didn't know, but one thing I do know ;) is that admissions to most of the well-known programs is fiercely competitive and it's almost anyone's guess who gets in each year to where and why. That said, some students will, at the end of their auditions season, have choices, and others won't. My earnest hope is that ALL of those students will, in the end, believe they landed at the program that is right for them.</p>
<p>Yes, acceptance rates of less than 10% can be hard to manage. But when you get in that means you know you are the more talented for it. And if you don't..... Oh well! Take some lessons and try again next year.</p>
<p>I thought your post was neither silly nor discouraging; you hit the nail on the head with accuracy!</p>
<p>Hey, I found a rankings list! You might have to sign in on Princeton Review to see it, but they have rankings for Best College Theatre. You Juilliardians and Carnegie Mellons better remember to salute when you pass a Wagnerian or Stephensite ... or anybody else on the list. ;)</p>
<p>fish, it would be interesting to find out how they arrive at those rankings. By Stephensites, do you mean people from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri? Exposing my massive ignorance here, I am sure! :) (Many, many years ago, when Stephens was a women's only college, my mother graduated from there with an AA degree in opera performance.)</p>
<p>I believe when this list has been shared in the past, it was pointed out that it is based on student feedback. This particular list comes under the heading of extracurriculars. So it is more about the best theaters and their productions and not about the best training programs for theater and/or MT. My sense is that it is a reflection of how much the kids and the community enjoy the shows at their schools. Now I know that those enjoyable shows are also a reflection of that training, but not necessarily so in every case.</p>
<p>I believe this list is under "extracurricular" best theater. While it is a great list with undoubtedly the top schools in theatre, I am not sure it is for the "theatre major programs".<br>
I do agree with notmamarose...I have said all along, it seems with this degree it is a match, not a ranking. D was offered more money for other places, but chose the school that she did because it really WOWed her...all of us. But, you may come for a visit, and not even want to audition! D did that with a lot of the "top" schools-they just weren't top on HER list...and that is the list that matters!!!!<br>
So, enough of the "rankings"...I'd rather see a list of why you chose the school you did, or why you think the school is such a match for you! AND NO BASHING OTHER PROGRAMS ALLOWED!!! :) If asked why you did not choose a program, then present your opinion tactfully...remember, that school is someones match!! Sorry, just had to say that! It is great to have school spirit, and to be proud and love where you are going, but this is such an, should I say, intimate, degree. I believe it is not like pre-med, accounting, engineering....it is a love, a passion. It is what makes most of our children who they are! So, your selection should be a "feeling" instead of a ranking, do you agree? </p>
<p>Well, best of luck!</p>
<p>
[quote]
By Stephensites, do you mean people from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri?
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That would be the one! Well ... number two, actually. LOL
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I believe when this list has been shared in the past, it was pointed out that it is based on student feedback.
[/quote]
True dat! It seems that it was based on a survey to determine, "How popular are college theater productions?" Hence the winky. ;) But hey ... It's a published list from one of the major college publications, so why not? I remember one school I looked at last year using it as a recruiting tool as if it were authoritative.</p>
<p>Fish, what can one say except wink, wink? ;) Of course, when people see "Princeton Review" they automatically think "wow, they must know what they are talking 'bout." </p>
<p>Your post was the first time I recall hearing Stephens College mentioned on this list. </p>
<p>Back when my Mom matriculated, it was (apparently, and according to her) somewhat of a "finishing" school for young ladies of a certain class and income level. That said, she told us that the opera performance program was pretty rigorous, at least by her standards. </p>
<p>But second in the nation for theater? That would surprise me, though I am certain that there are probably many happy students there who love their program. <em>That</em> is the trouble with rankings.</p>
<p>Excuse me, but have you done your research? The world-renowned Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam is one of the leading music schools in the United States. The Crane School was founded in 1886 by Julia Etta Crane (1855-1923) as the Crane Normal Institute of Music and was one of the first institutions in the country to have programs dedicated to training public school music teachers. Julia Crane petitioned the Juilliard Foundation to purchase her school. The Crane Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1839, the second earliest college orchestra in the country after Harvard. Crane is an All-Steinway School following the acquisition of 141 Steinway pianos beginning January 24, 2007. This $3.8 million dollar purchase includes 3 new concert grand pianos and coincidentally makes this the largest purchase order that Steinway has ever received in the history of the company.</p>
<p>Notable faculty & alumni</p>
<p>Ren</p>
<p>musicalmind…excuse me, but this thread is over five years old, and Crane School of Music doesn’ t offer a BFA (or BA) program in Musical Theater which is what this thread is about, not music programs.</p>
<p>It was a response to icekiss, not you. This website doesn’t show the responses to specific comments even though I specifically clicked to reply to that person’s comment. It was the point that a SUNY school actually can be much more prestigious than a school such as Syracuse.</p>
<p>SUNY Potsdam is irrelevant to the topic of this thread. This thread is about BFA in Musical Theater programs and in fact, this entire forum is about MUSICAL THEATER MAJORS. SUNY Potsdam / Crane doesn’t offer a degree in musical theater. Nobody is debating the prestige of Crane School of Music. This is not about music programs. It’s about Musical Theater programs. I don’t care whose post you were responding to. And even with that, you are responding to a post that is FIVE YEARS OLD. That member doesn’t even participate here any longer. Nobody is debating which MUSIC schools are prestigious or “best” or “ranked.” There is a Music Majors forum on College Confidential if you wish to discuss Crane. Nobody pursuing Musical Theater is looking into Crane as it doesn’t offer a degree in it.</p>
<p>Crane is not more prestigious than Syracuse for MUSICAL THEATER. Syracuse offers a highly regarded MT program. Crane offers NONE. That is the topic of THIS thread discussion, not schools in general. Likewise, Syracuse is more prestigious than Harvard when it comes to Musical Theater because Syracuse has a BFA in MT program and Harvard has NONE.</p>
<p>Lol! You tell it soozievt! Love your posts. Totally true!</p>
<p>Was that Rip Van Winkle ?</p>
<p>Any discussion on ranking the best programs in MT is bound to get contentious. I would like to go on record as stating that the Princton Review or US News & World Report are not remotely qualified to comment on the state of MT in the academy. They simply do not have the a good perspective on something as relatively new to the academic world as MT. Many of these ratings folks do not get the difference between acting programs vs. music programs vs musical theater programs.
Soozie - I agree that Crane does not have any standing of great note in MT world. I do have to wonder about the many other discussions about other programs on these boards that do not offer BFA degrees in MT, for example, Northern Colorado, Northwestern, AMDA, CAP 21, and so on.
While I believe there are programs that should be considered as “first tier” because of sustained excellence of their alumni and recognition amongst producers, casting directors, and other industry professionals, I also believe that one can get a great preparation from various state and smaller institutions. It still, as always, depends on the “fit”, the work ethic of the student, the possibility of great triple threat instruction, and good mentoring.</p>
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<p>I’m not exactly sure what you mean. Can you elaborate on just what it is you wondering about? Since at least one of these schools is on D’s list and I SO respect your input on these boards I would like to know what you mean. </p>
<p>I assume you are referring to the fact that since these programs you mention are either BA programs or certificate programs they wouldn’t be discussed by the “ranking services” in discussions of BFA programs but I’m not sure.</p>