<p>Overly conservative student is trying to get a feel for what top acting/musical theater programs/schools may have problems with heavy drug use and excessive partying. </p>
<p>Understand that this is not entirely avoidable especially with programs that are contained within a larger university/college setting. However, the opportunity to have a larger pool of people to befriend who are not into the drug/party scene is more available at the larger institutions. But entering a small program that is very contained on a small campus or really any program where you are essentially contained with the same core group of students for four years, seems a bit daunting if you have to tolerate peers who make lifestyle choices (only talking about drugs/alcohol use, here) that don’t match one’s own. This is a big worry/concern for my student.</p>
<p>Personally, I have a hard time seeing much success for any student in any of these top conservatories/programs who make poor choices. Is it physical possible? But I might just be naive. I know that as in anywhere in life one will run across people who don’t make the same choices. This particular area is a big turn-off for our student and will factor heavily into the decision making (assuming we have some choices to decide upon : )) </p>
<p>Does anyone have any experience, first-hand knowledge of programs with potential problems of this sort in the various theatre programs that are covered here in CC?</p>
<p>I agree it can be problematic to be stuck in an environment where there is excessive drug and alcohol use. And these are the sorts of environmental issues you often don’t get a full picture of until you’re there, and trapped. A larger program will have more opportunities for finding different peer groups. And a rigorous program will be one in which students just don’t have the time to spend on partying. My daughter is a freshman at Fordham and is so busy she can hardly breathe. There is a party culture at the school, but the serious theater students just don’t have time for it. We didn’t even really know that until she got there.</p>
<p>Webster Conservatory is very friendly environment that does not have any drug or alcohol problems. Mainly because the university is on the small side and most of the students commute. The conservatory here at Webster is almost seperate from the University and it’s like a small family. we all take care of each other and most definitely aren’t any pressure for you to do what you don’t want to do. In general, majority of the conservatory students, especially performance majors, DON’T DO ANYTHING that can put their craft at risk. That’s why I admire this place so much!</p>
<p>Doing an overnight at any prospective school is a pretty good way to learn about their culture. You stay in a dorm with a host student, and you can usually request to stay with someone with the same major (MT). </p>
<p>IMO, there is going to be drinking at any college, except maybe the really religious. But that doesn’t mean that all students do it. BUT, all students have to enter college with a fair amount of tolerance - drinkers and nondrinkers. No one wants to be surrounded by sloppy drunks, but no one wants to room with a sanctimonious tee-totaler either. Just sayin’. </p>
<p>Also, my kids have both performed in professional productions and one has been in a national tour - there is quite a bit of drinking, etc. that goes on in the “real” world of performers. Especially if you do a cruise ship! Your D needs to realize that. She doesn’t have to participate, but the culture is there.</p>
<p>AdaQuince, I don’t think your D will find it a problem. Mine was worried about this too and there is certainly plenty of drinking at the university. But among the BFA kids-- professionalism is the watchword and that means putting yourself wholeheartedly into the program. When you’re up until midnight working on a show and you’ve got a dance class at 8am… you just don’t spend that time drinking. You have to be serious and dedicated to get into a BFA program-- and you won’t stay there long if you’re not putting in 100%.</p>
<p>Drugs and Alcohol are prevalent at any university large or small with the possible exception of Bob Jones University-type institutions. And within a BFA program there will likely be a small cadre of people who take advantage of new-found freedom. The reality of the situation is that there will be one or two students in the program who can party and succeed. Those people exist. They are few and far between. The time commitment for any strong BFA program is quite high. Classes are long, rehearsals are late, and one must get to the gym at some point. It isn’t hard to avoid the party lifestyle in a BFA program.</p>
<p>When my daughter attended “Accepted Students’ Day” at certain MT schools (not where she is now) she heard the MT directors say to the students who had been separated from their parents for Q&A, “We know you are going to drink. Just be safe.” Do they really think the students are just having a nice glass of red wine with their pasta at Olive Garden? Very sorry to hear the directors didn’t use the opportunity to lecture on the effects of alcohol on the voice, using examples such as Audra McDonald and Sutton Foster who have been quoted speaking about the almost monastic life they have to lead to do what they do so very well. (Bless Sutton Foster who ended her solo performances on her recent concert tour with a warning not to use drugs.)</p>
<p>My daughter is a sophomore at Webster University…i must say i was pleasantly surprised when sometime during her first semester they had a prominent alum come talk to the whole Conservatory about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse in this profession…problems that often start in college. He was candid and informative and even offered his own phone number to those who felt they had a problem already. It was really a good thing coming from someone besides parents.</p>
<p>Drug and alcohol abuse abound in our culture, but i think the world of live performance gets a particularly heavy dose. The late night/party atmosphere coupled with the stress of always being on, can’t be ignored. However, i think that there is a place for those who abstain or at least limit…</p>
<p>I would say that the opportunities to partake are out there for all college students…its up to them to decide for themselves, same as it was for their parents 20, 30, 40 years ago! Some things just don’t change all that much…</p>
<p>There is no university that has tolerance for underage drinking and drug use. No program allows it. But this isn’t high school and we aren’t parents. We talk about how this all hurts you in so many ways. We work them hard so the free time is limited. We have nutritionists and professionals speak to them. But they are young adults living with freedom they’ve never had before. I went to college. So did many of you. All any parent can do is teach and hope they make strong decisions, the same is true of the programs and the universities.</p>
<p>This is an important topic. My D and I discuss this quite often as she is also conservative but tolerant. She added Webster as a result! Definitely agree that overnights with MT students will be helpful.</p>
<p>Though I think post #11 should be the last word on the topic (or the one that everyone eventually goes back and re-reads), I’d offer that judging a school on the drug/alcohol behavior of the kids in an MT program leaves an awful lot of other influential communities on the table. How about the kids on the dorm floor? The kids in the mandatory freshman English class? The a cappella group or other club that your student joins? The random friend of a friend and their friends? Where does it end? </p>
<p>It doesn’t end but it does start. It starts with the beliefs and desires of the student. That is the only thing that is within their control and that can be applied to whatever they encounter no matter where they go. </p>
<p>As far as worrying about the drug/alcohol culture within an MT program. Is it there? I suppose so. I have NO IDEA when they have the time for it but I’m not naive either. Those MT kids can do more on zero sleep than most. One semester in though I suspect it is a lot easier to find it in other communities that have more time and are less at risk of flunking out if they don’t show up for their 8 AM ballet class. </p>
<p>By the way. Many schools will not help arrange overnight stays with current students. The liability issues are of great concern. I wish we could, I’d love prospective students to have that opportunity.</p>
<p>My kids have done overnights at colleges when prospective students, but usually arranged it through people we knew who attended or asking around for friends of friends, because it is such a valuable experience. </p>
<p>My older kid also got to do it at the accepted student events in April of senior year, because these schools included overnights with current students as part of the open house accepted events.</p>
<p>I wondered about the whole overnight thing as well. I don’t remember it being offered as something that was part of admission in any of the programs that my daughter applied to. She didn’t overnight with MTs anywhere but managed to find some students to have coffee/lunch with at every school either through friends or friends of friends or in a couple of cases, actually through contacts that I made in CC (thank you again) who were willing to connect the dots with their student and my student prospect. But easy overnights specific to the MT programs that my daughter applied to, we were zero for zero on that.</p>
<p>My daughter had a school arranged overnight at CMU many years ago, I think they still do it. It was very valuable to us because she thought these kids were so arrogant and hostile that she decided not to apply. She also had an official overnight at Yale but that was after she was accepted. I don’t remember any others but it was 5 years ago so I’m a little fuzzy.</p>
<p>We had one school offer an overnight after she was accepted but it wasn’t high on her list and in any case at that time she really didn’t see the point. It seemed more like an effort to sell the program and by then that particular school was nearly out of the running. I guess the point is it does happen, although it sounds rather rare and wasn’t on our radar as something to seek out at all. </p>
<p>Regarding drugs and alcohol - Isn’t dealing with that part of growing up? If you look for a program that’s a drug free zone (assuming such a thing exists, which I doubt) what happens in 4 years?</p>
<p>At any school (and for any major), if you are looking for a group of drug and alcohol free friends, you may want to look into some of the religious fellowships on campus (although no guarantee that they are substance free. After all, there’s that pesky wine with communion thing! lol) There are also substance-free floors or houses at some schools. But the important thing to remember is that not everything revolves around drinking (even if you are a drinker). My D occasionaly imbibes, but she also does community service, shops, goes to movies, plays cards and games with friends, goes to the zoo, etc. Of course, mostly she just goes to rehearsals. </p>
<p>Funny story: Last year she traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia for workshops and some performances and she found out that the Russians celebrate the end of every rehearsal with a shot or two of vodka. When some Russian directors came to the US this year to work with her school - the Americans introduced them to a shot of Kentucky bourbon to celebrate the end of a rehearsal! She’s headed to Prague for a semester in January - I assume they end rehearsals with beer! :)</p>