<p>While both schools look wonderful, can anyone shed light on the differences between the two programs? How do they compare in training, faculty, intensity of work, talent pool etc. Just trying to get a feel before we make separate trips to schools.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>My daughter applied to both schools in the 2006-2007 application cycle and we visited Emerson twice along the way. Here are some impressions we had:
- At the time, Emerson seemed to “showcase” its T.V., Radio and media communications facilities and programs to visitors much more so than their facilities for performing arts. At UArts, The Theater School, program and facilities were more prominent in tours and info sessions.
- Emerson’s admissions process is bifurcated and separate decisions are made as to academic admission and artistic admission to the MT program. If you are not accepted academically, you don’t get into the school regardless of the artistic outcome and you can be accepted academically but not artistically and be offered admissions to your second choice major. At UArts, the admissions process is blended in which there does not appear to be a fixed formula between the artistic piece and academics. If you are not admitted to the MT program, there is no “second choice” although occasionally in the past a student not admitted to the MT program has been offered acting.
- At Emerson, the 1st 2 years are heavier on liberal arts than MT/performing classes. The curriculum focuses and specializes more on MT starting junior year. At UArts, there is total immersion in MT from day one and students usually take only 1 liberal arts class a semester for the first 2 years.
- At Emerson, at the end of sophomore year, there is a 1 shot set of juries or reaudition that must be passed to continue to the 3rd year advanced classes. If you don’t pass, you are cut from the program. There are students who are cut. UArts has juries at the end of each semester but these are more like heavily weighted final exams, evaluations and critiques and jury performances alone do not result in anyone being placed in jeopardy in the program.
- The dance component at Emerson is not as strong as at UArts. At Emerson, to get advanced dance training, a student needs to cross register for dance classes at a school like BOCO (we were told this specifically at an info session when my daughter auditioned). At UArts, the dance program is very strong with students taking at least 2 dance classes each semester and having access to more.
- UArts considers itself an arts university, Emerson considers it self a selective liberal arts college focusing on specialized majors in journalism, communications, communications media and theater. Very different feels in that regard.</p>
<p>These were our impressions of some differences from the times we visited and my daughter’s auditions at both schools. Both are very good schools, both are very selective for admissions to MT, both have a very talented pool of students applying and attending. If you line the curricula at both schools up side by side, by semester and by subject matter, you can get a good feel for each schools programatic approach.</p>