herdad

Compare and contrast, please, from the BoCo perspective?...feel free to PM

tom<3avenueq

Well, BoCo is hands down better than Emerson in my opinion.

Amazing alumni, great city, FABULOUS dance program, and just overall a great program.

lynnm

Different type programs...BoCo is a conservatory. Not many liberal arts classes at all (though I believe they have added more for the newer students). All MT training based. Emerson has more general ed requirements, offers a study abroad option, maybe you'd come out more well rounded but not necessarily trained quite as thoroughly? Both highly regarded, but I'd say you see more BoCo names in Playbills (possibly, though, because they graduate more students?)

herdad

I thought both schools were in a great city :<) , and I should be more specific. One point on the "cut/evaluation" system...I have the impression that the large attrition rate at BoCo is mainly due to students who find that the conservatory approach is not for them, whereas at Emerson they cut to a achieve a number. Is that an accurate assessment?

Secondly, if you do not make the grade at BoCo, do you have any options other than going on American Idol. Are those credits accepted in the 5-school program or easily transferred to another school? At Emerson, if cut, one is offered the BA option. Anyone have a more informed perspective? Thx

tom<3avenueq

They usually don't cut people at BoCo, the one people I have heard being cut are those who slack off and don't work; not due to a lack of talent or not being "good" enough. For those who have been cut, they have also apealed there case and have been brought back in.

lynnm

hmmm.... I wouldn't say they don't usually cut at BoCo. Yes, you can appeal, but that is not any type of guarantee that you'll be brought back. And you could be working really hard, but simply not have "what it takes" and they could let you go, so even if you don't slack, you could be gone. I'm not saying it happens to a lot of people, but I wouldn't discount it either.

MichaelNKat

If you are looking for a strong mix of liberal arts with MT training, Emerson offers what BOCO does not. If, however, your priority is MT with less of a concern about L.A., BOCO is a better fit. In addition, for what it's worth, when my daughter auditioned at Emerson last year, I asked how students could get more in depth training in voice and dance than what is offered at Emerson. The response by a rep from the admissions office was that if you want more voice and dance than that offered at Emerson, students are able to take classes at BOCO.

herdad

Thanks everyone for the responses. Helps pass the hours even if a mute point by the end of the week. I heard at Emerson the representation about the ProArts consortium. If you look at the proarts.org website now, you can see the list of shared courses offered by BoCo, which ironically are mostly liberal arts unless I am misreading. Does seem like a great selling point though for all of the schools involved to share their respective specialties in some way.

NotMamaRose

FWIW, when my D auditioned at BoCo, the subject of cuts was addressed. One of the instructors noted that students do have to pass evaluations and that those who do not don't continue in the program.

MichaelNKat

But is it an actual cut system i.e. the freshman class is larger by purpose and design than the number of students which the school will retain for the sophomore class and at the end of the freshman year students are culled from the class to bring the size down to the actual numbers the school intended to keep in the first place. Many schools have evals or juries which must be passed. The latter gives a student a good degree of control over their destiny based on their commitment and work ethic. And very often, a jury or eval system has a remedial component to it so that a student is given an opportunity to bring their work up to expectations . The former takes all control out of a student's hands. No matter how hard the student works or how much progress the student has made, if your relative ranking falls below the arbitrary cut off number of students, you're gone. And given how subjective it all is, attending a school with an actual cut system is a very expensive roll of the dice.

kimoki

Just a thought. Hasn't there been a discussion on CC about how Boco had a bigger class than they wanted last year and how that was going to have an effect on how many they took this year. If they had a true cut system wouldn't they just cut some students and move on?? I could be wrong maybe it's another school that I am thinking of.

MomsterofM

Boco did say they had a bigger acceptance than expected last year, so they would probably take a few less kids this year.

Unlike Emerson, they don't cut to an a number, it's just if you're not meeting the criteria. So I don't think they would cut anyone, just because they had too many in the class.

Most of the top schools we've researched have some sort of evaluation system during the first two years to determine if the students have the talent and drive to continue. While it may seem scary, so do finals! Most schools have seemed to have the attitude that if the students had the talent to get in, and they're working hard and learning, they will stay there. It seems like it would reflect on the staff if a lot of students were getting cut or dismissed.

lynnm

I don't believe they cut to get to a certain number. In December I'd say about 1/3 of the class passed Sophomore promotionals on their first try. The others may not have passed for either Acting or Voice. If you don't pass one, you still have to re-audition in May for both parts. Many of those who didn't pass only failed one section, not both. Once the reauditions happen in May, letters will be sent out to those students. There's an opportunity (from what I've heard) at that time to question with the chair of the department and get a reevaluation. Some are allowed to continue on, others are definitely gone. It seems like a fair evaluation process (but my daughter passed - would I feel that way if she didn't? who knows?)

cktsing

Good news- Boston posted their acceptance letters on-line today and my daughter got in. Bad news- even with a decent scholarship, the cost is probably over our heads. Has anybody heard from Emerson yet?