do-what-u-luv

Satisfied Dad:
What you said about the current students warms my heart because my son was one who stayed for auditions. It says a lot about the program and the faculty that all of those kids wanted to stay and be part of the process.

mom2them:
In looking for schools that "won't break the bank" be sure to investigate what types of scholarships are available to MT's and how that will impact the bottom line. You may find, as we have, that staying close to home is not always the most affordable option.

For example, at Tx State, out-of-state students who receive a scholarship for $1000 or more, qualify for an in-state tuition waiver. While it may seem like an unfair benefit for out-of-state kids, it actually levels the playing field, because unlike in some states, the in-state kids are not competing against out-of-state money.

Also, at many private, as well as many state schools, kids with good to great academic profiles are automatically given academic scholarships that may make them competitive with even your most affordable in-state options. Some, like Coastal Carolina, also offer perks like Honors housing and a free laptop to students in their Honors Program.

Intervals

D is interested in Texas State MT and I'd love more feedback from current students and/or parents of students. We've heard great things, but I have concerns about the size of the school (had planned on a small, personal LAC college until my daughter decided to go all the way with MT!). How are the academics and the level of personal attention in the program?

singer11

I can't say enough good things about the program at Texas State!!! My D is a freshman BFA Acting major there but was an MT kiddo throughout the auditioning process. She was fortunate enough to be cast in the main stage musical her first semester so spends a great deal of time with the MT students and Kaitlin Hopkins. The university really doesn't seem that large. D's dorm is right next to the theatre building and she will be able to watch the progress on the new theatre building going up right now. The MT and Acting students and faculty really form their own little "family". With the wild fires that have been going on down there, Kaitlin Hopkins even offered her own home to our daughter if there was a need for evacuation - and she's not even an MT kid. Again, I would highly recommend Texas State to anyone auditioning for MT or Acting programs.

FrancescaBennett

My daughter's voice teacher attended a workshop this summer at which Kaitlin Hopkins spoke. The voice teacher liked what she heard and has recommended that my daughter check out this program.

I'm interested to hear from parents of current students about life on campus. According to the Common Data Set, 80% of students live off-campus or commute. I know the MT students are busy kids, but a deserted campus every weekend doesn't appeal to my child. The data set also says that only 1% of the undergrads are from out of state; would an East Coast girl feel comfortable there? The academic profile of the Freshman class is average. Would a top student find challenging classes and motivated peers? Thanks!

singer11

D certainly hasn't mentioned the campus being deserted on the weekends. I agree that the majority of the students are from Texas - D is the only out of state Actor in her class. I honestly can't quite figure that out as the programs are strong and the cost is so reasonable. The weekends seem to be jam packed with activities for the MT and Acting kids with master classes, etc. D has rehearsals for the main stage musical on Friday nights and Sunday evenings so a relaxing afternoon is welcome. She's also been line dancing in Austin and in San Marcos - even had to send her some boots!!!

MTguyMom

Hi, my son also attends TxState for Acting. He absolutely loves the school, his classes, the faculty and his classmates. As is the case at most schools, the number of BFA students admitted to TSU's theatre department is quite limited. They certainly get lots of personal attention there! They are a very close-knit group and spend a great deal of time together, which makes a large school like TSU seem much smaller.

I can't imagine the campus being deserted on the weekends. My son talks about participating in so many different activities and as Singer11 said, there are always tons of things going on! If you take a look at the Residential Life and Campus Recreation sections of the TSU website, you'll get a better feel for campus living there. The school has 21 residence halls that are fully occupied -- and it's probably safe to say that the majority of the kids living in them don't go home on the weekends.

Yes, most of the students attending TxState are in-state students. But I'd be willing to bet that the Theatre department will be enrolling many more OOS students from now on. They've received a tremendous amount of national attention because of Kaitlin Hopkins and the new MT program (the class of 2014 will be the first to graduate with a BFA MT). Plus, word is getting out that OOS theatre students admitted to the BFA programs are automatically given a talent scholarship that qualifies them for in-state tuition, making the cost to attend comparatively low. In fact, because of these factors, last year (after only two years in existence) the department had to institute a prescreen (which they now require) because of the huge number of applications they received. My son is an OOS student from the east coast and couldn't be happier anywhere else. BTW he, as well as a number of his classmates, turned down admission to other top programs to attend TSU.

With regard to academics, high-achieving students are invited to enroll in the honors program, which offers many challenging courses and unique learning opportunities. Honors program kids can opt to live in Butler Hall, the honors dorm, where they are surrounded by other motivated students. And incidentally, Butler is located right next to the theatre complex!

Good luck to you/your children who are applying this year!

FrancescaBennett

Thanks very much for the replies.