<p>Believersmom, I’m happy to hear your D is interested in CSF! It’s definitely not (or not yet) on many people’s radar, and it’s not in the geographical swath of the country that contains most of the schools that are generally listed as “top” for MT. But it’s DEFINITELY not in a cultural backwater! And based on how my D’s reaction and that of other freshmen there, as well as the opinions of some upperclassmen, I feel confident in saying that for those kids for whom it’s a “fit,” it’s a great fit. Several kids we met had had the option of going to better-known MT or acting programs but had chosen CSF because it felt right to them.</p>
<p>A little story: We made our first visit to CSF (our first visit to Santa Fe, for that matter) last summer. Knowing that we were coming out there from Maryland, the theatre faculty invited my D to audition while we were there. (Nice, huh? I know that other kids auditioned at unifieds.) The night before the audition, we went to a restaurant called La Casa Sena Cantina, where the wait staff sings Broadway tunes. Our 30-something waitress had been on Broadway (I’m sorry to say I don’t remember what shows) but had ultimately decided to settle in Santa Fe, raise a family and be a realtor…but of course she still HAD to sing, so she also works at the Cantina. We told her that my D was auditioning, and after all the other customers had left, she sat down at the piano and helped her with her audition songs. It was wonderful. Last week in Santa Fe we happened to bump into her, and she was very pleased to hear that my D is going to CSF. “It’s a great school,” she said. (We went back to the Cantina, too, but she wasn’t working that night.)</p>
<p>My D’s feedback – limited, of course – is almost entirely wildly positive. CSF has an interesting approach to core courses, and my D loves hers. (I’ll describe it in another post if you’re interested – right now I’m on a borrowed computer because my internet’s down, and I can’t stay on long.) She has so far also raved about her adviser (a theatre faculty member), her dance teacher and the other students she’s been getting to know. There is one red flag at this point: she didn’t like the one session she’s had with her private voice teacher. But she was confident that she could work things out, even if that meant working with her adviser to switch teachers. </p>
<p>Please let me know what else you’d like to find out!</p>