DisneyDirector

Wow. This is the kind of thing that makes this site dangerous. Please, if you are just now beginning the process, read EVERYTHING on the site and get a broad look at many opinions. Most all are from personal experiences and have their own level of validity. You need to find out for yourself what you believe to be true. Best of luck to all! This is not an easy process and there are as many experts and opinions as there are kids trying to make their dreams come true.

beenthereMTdad

BRAVO. Disney Director. You are right on!!!!!

soozievt

I think it is important when posting to share personal experiences and viewpoints but to be clear that you are sharing opinions or experiences and not state them as facts.

As far as BOCO being the best of the best and one of only two programs in that category and that the other schools are a sharp drop down is an opinion.

Regarding what some agents said, I don't doubt one word of it. But you also will get different opinions depending on the agents. For instance, my D has had an agent in NYC for years who is one of the well known ones who has many clients on Broadway, etc. and I recall her telling my D that she is seeing some of the best talent coming out of UMichigan. Different agent, different opinion.

You stated that BOCO is the "most expensive." I do not believe that to be true. I have looked up the cost (and as I said, my own kid was admitted), and my D's school, NYU, costs more. So, again, it is important for readers to take posts as opinions and to always check up on what may be stated as facts.

The real value here is in sharing experiences and opinions. It would be good to share experiences such as why someone chose BOCO over their other acceptances and which schools those were and why a person felt that this school fit what they wanted the best.

There are several "top" schools in this field that are often talked about and have had a reputation for a long while (as well as there are so many other very fine programs!) but I don't believe you'd find too many who would say that there are only two top programs and the rest drop off. That is an opinion, albeit garnered through one's own investigations.

I believe my children go to very good schools that are very well known but I do not believe I could ever state that these colleges are the "best" of all colleges. I do believe I could say that both my kids' undergraduate schools have been the best fit for them and I believe my D's upcoming grad school will also be a very good fit for her. While she is heading to a reknown school, I don't think anyone could make a claim it is the best in the country (but it is ONE of the best in her field).

NotMamaRose

Glad that BoCo has worked out well for your daughter, beenthereMTdad. I truly am. I just think it behooves us all to be careful how we word our statements and posts, as all we can offer are our own and our children's personal experiences and opinions. There is no real ranking system for MT programs. Period. And even trying to judge a BFA program based on how many of its graduates are on Broadway is fallacious, as Broadway is only one measure of success. Also, opinions are malleable; they change. I recall a few years ago posts by a young man who was going to CCM and he declared that CCM was the best program out there. He got there and disliked many things about that "best" program and so he left and went to BoCo. He no doubt thinks BoCo is the "best" now, which is understandable. All that matters is that a particular progarm is "best" for a particular kid. No name on any diploma is going to get a job for someone, though it certainly can open a door or two to begin with and that's valuable.

Skwidjymom

As I prepare to write out the big check, I sure am telling myself it's the BEST school for my kid!

soozievt

I certainly agree with the sentiment of "best school for my kid"! I can relate to THAT. I think my own kids chose the best schools for themselves (now that they have been in them a long while, I can readily see why they picked the schools they did) but I can't imagine saying their colleges are "THE best schools" (even if they are well known and well regarded and rated) because I don't think that it is necessarily true.

beenthereMTdad

It's obvious to me that NotMamaRose and SoozieVT are professional blogers with over 12,286 combined posts. Ready at a moments notice to take things out of context, distort what people say so they can feel good about themselves. Do you think that the people that read this can't decipher that it is only opinion and personal experiences? You give them very little credit.
I gave my reasons why I felt the way I did and I stand by that. I encourage anyone who views these threads to glean what you can out of it, and make your own decisions. I apologize if anyone out there who feels insulted. It was not my intention. I am also sure that all of you will flourish in any environment you are in. If you were able to successfully audition into CMU, Ithaca, School of the Arts, Emerson, Hartt, NYU, Penn State, Syracuse, Elon, Michigan, FSU, UCF, Miami among others, you are truly fortunate and talented. For every 100 of you who accepted, there were 1,000 rejected. Good luck to all. This is my last reply.

luvmt222

We'll also not take this out of context beenthereMTdad and realize that just because you haven't found NotMamaRose and SoozieVT as helpful, supportive, and insightful as the rest of us, that that doesn't matter. It's just your opinion.

soozievt

beenthereMTdad,

This is a discussion forum. Now you are putting down other members. Nobody has put you down. It is turning into more of a personal argument and that was not the intention. I do not believe that anyone took your comments out of context, nor distorted what you said, nor tried to feel good about themselves. In a discussion forum, someone states something or in other cases, offers an experiences or opinion. You stated:

Others are responding to your statements. These were stated with no qualifiers about personal opinions but came across as factual. Others than gave their opinions. That's what discussion boards do.

This is not a blog. I am not a "professional blogger". I have been participating on CC for over six years. I first found CC when my oldest child was entering junior year of HS and embarking on the college process and have stayed through her college process, my youngest one's BFA in MT process, the oldest child's graduate school admissions process and continue to stay on and participate. I learned a lot from others and try to give back.

Further, I became a trained college counselor at CC through an intensive training program five years ago, and now counsel students and parents in their college selection and admissions process (and in the case of theater applicants, guide them through that specialized admissions process as well). Because I do that for my job, I am interested in reading CC's forums. I also try to volunteer for no pay many hours to answer questions on the forum to help many people at one time, as I cannot field all the MANY individualized PMs and emails that come my way on a volunteer basis as well. Sometimes I participate here as a parent and sometimes as a college counselor who knows a thing or two to help others going through this process.

Again, I think it is better to share experiences and opinions and when doing so, to make it clear that these are personal experiences or opinions and not facts (when they are not facts).

As well, the Terms of Service at CC does not allow for personal attacks and all comments should be regarding the ideas presented and not the people behind them.

NotMamaRose

beenthereMTdad, I honestly am sorry if I somehow offended *you,* as that wasn't my intention at all. As someone who was fortunate enough to stumble upon this list back when my own kid (about to head for college this fall) was a high school sophomore, I am very aware of how seriously readers can take what is said here, (even if they shouldn't always do so!!), and that's why I questioned the proclamation you made that BoCo is the best of the best. Most of us in this community avoid making those kinds of sweeping statements about any school, no matter how wonderful, for what I think are good reasons. One -- and the most important one -- it is impossible to actually quantify which program is "the best," because there are too many variables at work. And two, because making grandiose statements as to one program being "the best" ends up offending/hurting the feelings of others who may go to different schools or who may not have gotten into the school that one is claiming is THE pinnacle. (I don't see the benefit in hurting people's feelings and I apologize if I have somehow inadvertently hurt yours, beenthereMTdad.)
And soozievt and I are not professional bloggers. Soozievt has explained herself above. I have no excuse for posting so much except that I am talkative and social.

soozievt

NMR....if only we WERE "professional bloggers"....and could earn money for this! It could fund our girls' huge tuition bills! LOL

MTgrlsmom

I will just say this, the BEST school will be the school that A) ACCEPTS your child, and B) where your child ultimately feels he/she BELONGS.

To state that there are only 2 programs out there that are head and shoulders above the rest, I find incredibly misleading, even as a personal opinion.

At the end of the day, for anyone reading these threads, do your homework, find the schools that seem the right fit, and then let the cards drop where they are intended to fall. Most of all, don't think that a rejection from any school is a reflection on how successful you ultimately will be. I have seen plenty of kids from all MT schools burn and crash, but when the going gets tough, the tough simply get going!

tiffw

NMR and SoozieVT -- just sending you my support on everything you've ever posted and shared here! I personally am grateful for all 12,000 combined posts. I'm sure I've read 99% of all of them in the past year. May I just add that one of the BENEFITS of being "frequent posters" on CC is that you have been around long enough to understand how careful we must all be in our posts -- the importance of avoiding blanket statements and understanding the ten-gazillion differences in each student's individual experience.

Who DOESN'T want to think or believe that their child is going to the "BEST" program out there? We all do! The whole reason that most of us spend any time on CC is because we want to do all we can to make sure that we (or our children) get into the BEST possible MT program. I would venture a guess that every single one of us started out with the same questions when we got started -- what are the BEST programs, and how do we get in them?

As a matter of fact, either my very FIRST or second post on CC was a question asking "What are the BEST MT programs out there?" Of course, that started off a string of several thousand responses -- a few with actual opinions and lists, but most with comments about how "it's all about the right fit, etc etc etc." That's really hard to believe when you get started. But funny thing, I totally get it now.

Now, I WILL say that after everything we've learned in the past year, there were obviously schools my D ended up wanting to attend more than others. But you know what was so funny -- especially in light of the fact that this discussion is happening on the BoCo forum -- for the past two years, my D could only think of going to BoCo. It was her dream. By the time auditions were all over, she had managed to get her long-awaited BoCo acceptance. But, at that point, she had no desire to go there anymore. For someone else, it is still no doubt the "BEST" school (for them). For her, the "best" school is somewhere else.

Let's just all remember that there are a whole bunch of "bests" out there. I am also happy to say that my D is fortunate enough to be going to the "BEST" program for HER that there is!

jacksdad

Thank you all for your wise thoughts-including beenthereMTdad who expressed an opinion as fact. We have all stepped on others toes on this forum, usually unintentionally, as we have tried to navigate this difficult and complex process. I never gave much thought to the "best fit" until my son had the opportunity to choose from a few well regarded programs. I had always thought that it would be a clear cut decision and that he would attend the best regarded program. Instead he chose a program that he felt was at least as good artistically as Boco and one that would provide training within a Big college atmosphere. Only time will tell whether or not this was the correct choice.

NotMamaRose

So, folks, the bottom line is: the BEST program is the one that fits the student's needs best and to which the student has been accepted. (I would add "and that parents and students can afford, but heck, my child is heading off to a program that we cannot afford without a lot of pain, so I won't go there ... )