bettyboop

We are visiting Ithaca in about 10 days. My D reads these threads daily so, she is trying to make a decision. At least she's narrowed down from 8 to 2! That was a start! She knows the decision is hers. I think the bottom line is that she wants to put the smallness of Ithaca into NYC. None of the other programs she explored in NYC were interesting to her.

NotMamaRose

betty, you know, from what you said about your D, Ithaca might just be perfect. I am told that our kids would be one of only 12-15 freshmen (probably evenly split between girls and boys) and she might like that. She might love the regular LAC atmosphere, with grassy hills and a quad and that kind of thing. My own D could not care less about those things: she wouldn't go to a sporting event to save her own life! In fact, the thing that concerns her about Ithaca is that it is not urban at all. She has gotten very accustomed to city life because we live very close to the city and she goes to school smack dab in the middle of one now. She enjoys a pretty flower or landscape as much as the next person, but is not an "outside" individual. It's sidewalks and buildings for her. So it will be interesting to see how she takes to Ithaca. As far as your D, she cannot make a mistake here. Ithaca is a fantastic program and so is NYU.

soozievt

If a small college IS important to her (and she may know better after seeing Ithaca), then Ithaca may be the best bet. I will mention to you, however, that although NYU is a large university, Tisch is a small college within it and so much of your child's time is spent within the Tisch niche....be it studio, Theater Studies classes, productions, etc. Then, within that small college, the studio (an even smaller grouping) is their home/family for a huge chunk of their time and so that small feeling is very prevalent and it is not the same as attending NYU for arts and sciences. Of course the class sizes in studio are similar to Ithaca's BFA class sizes. But the entire experience of being at NYU....its size, campus, setting, location is very very different than Ithaca and so this is an important piece that your child needs to figure out as to what she prefers in those respects, besides comparing the BFA programs themselves.

Another difference is the general student body....at both colleges....not just in the BFA program but as a whole.....the selectivity of both colleges is quite different and may yield overall a different type of student body. I don't know if your child cares about that but my child did IF given a choice of schools. Ithaca's acceptance rate is 69%. NYU's acceptance rate (for all of NYU, not Tisch) is 29% and so this may be reflected in the general student body on campus. Your child may not care about this but mine did, again if she was given a choice and she was.

Does your daughter care about diversity of the student body? My kids did. Your child may not. Something to think about. Mine wanted to mix with kids of all types as well as from all over. They didn't have that growing up in terms of ethnicity but did socio-economically. Also, if your child is an URM, she may care about this. Just putting that out there as a consideration.

The make up of NYU's student body is:
African American: 5%
Asian American: 17%
Hispanic: 8%
White: 65%
International: 5%

In state: 34%
Out of state: 64%

The make up of Ithaca's student body is:
African American: 3%
Asian American: 3%
Hispanic: 4%
White: 87%
International: 2%

In state: 47%
Out of state: 53%

Some differences there. May matter to your child, may not.

Agree with NMR that your child cannot make a mistake here as both schools are great and both MT programs are wonderful. It really comes down to her examining what she is looking for and which school best matches that. I am glad you will get to visit Ithaca so that she will then get a feel for both places and she may end up just "knowing".

NOCCA Junior

NYU's total acceptance rate for the Class of 2012 actually decreased to 24%. I wonder if Tisch rates were lower as well...

soozievt

NOCCA....I had read that the acceptance rate for the class of '12 at NYU had gone down but I didn't have the figure at my fingertips and just quoted it from the recent past and meant to note that but forgot. Thanks for posting the current rate! Admissions to selective colleges has gotten tougher and tougher the last few years!

JennyD123

I find the whole program demanding - studio probably moreso than classes but in a different way. It's hard to split focus and aside from actual studio classes, acting majors need hours of rehearsal outside class for class, and if you are cast in a show the additional hours of rehearsal for that and homework for that and basically a third way to split your focus. The most demanding/hardest thing I find is that you literally have no spare time, maybe one hour a day, in which you're like, eating dinner or showering or something. And personally it takes me a long time to, say, write an essay. But I love that we get both and without one I wouldn't be as happy and stimulated. So it's tough and demanding but worth it. And some people can handle more than me and don't find it tough at all, some people even graduate early or double major whilst doing shows, studios, etc, so it depends on the individual.

soozievt

Jenny (hi!)....glad you chimed in as a current student. You said what my perceptions are as well....that what is tough and demanding it the whole kit and kaboodle, not the academics per se. There is very little free time. Some fit in more stuff than others, and so that is individual. It is doable. And like you, many do like having these various facets of the entire program and would not give up any piece. Still, a BFA and the schedule and demands involved is clearly NOT for all people. Some don't realize what they are getting into. Some realize once in college that this kind of program is not for them. It is not like regular college. But others thrive on this kind of life! Clearly you are one of the latter!