I second that- the final decisions threads are super valuable. Also Look for this thread (l don’t know how to cut and paste it properly on this device)
The Process: Our Year-Plus Long Odyssey Getting into a Musical Theatre Program
It is a fantastic overview of one family’s journey
Thank you both 
I have done a lot of reading so far, and plan to do more tonight. Knowing to start with these threads will be very helpful. I was mostly curious as to whether your kids were now in MT school and, if so, where.
I graduated in 1992…i know…a long time ago. The program is taught by more than the three core teachers. I checked the website and there are more instructors…those are just the dept heads for their respective areas. I’m not familiar with the current dance instructor , but if u look at their seasons…they are not dance heavy. They focus heavily on acting and voice with actors who move well. That being said, my best friend was a dance minor and she was quite good.
I don’t think people mention it because it is a small safety type program. However I now live on the west coast and I don’t see a lot of great programs out here mentioned. Some are regionally known and some are just hidden gems.
I received full scholarship after my first semester. They are awesome at finding money for you.
Fyi…Wayne just posted on fb about a former classmate (and my lieutenant cable in south pacific when i played Nellie forbush)…he has a great role in homeland the showtime series.
If you visit let us know what you guys think.
My daughter applied and was accepted at a mix of MT and straight acting programs at both BFA and BA schools. We weighed pro and cons of options the end she chose NYU (Stella Adler studio) and is fabulously happy there.
Our D was accepted to a number of schools/programs and ultimately decided upon the MT program at OCU (Oklahoma City University). She is now a sophomore there and absolutely loves it
Here you go, here’s my story (page 3). Of course there was WAY more to it so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. 
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1490256-final-decisions-background-class-of-2017-p3.html
I’ve just finished reading the whole “final decisions/background” board and WOW. Thanks for the suggestion @pghmusician. Feeling like there’s not enough time in the world to do everything I need to do, since quitting my job isn’t an option 
but I think this is the place to go for info and to keep me somewhat grounded while going through the process! Thanks again.
mspamela- You can do it!!! Many of us came late to the party, ie. child who is a Junior in HS and realized the theatre life was for them. I knew absolutely nothing until I found this and the Theatre/Drama forum. Son is a freshman BFA Acting major at Otterbein after being accepted to a BFA MT, BM MT and the program he is now attending.
Thank you @entertainersmom I need all the encouragement I can get! I have become very interested in Otterbein through my research. I assume your son likes it?
If you D has questions about JMU, I would be happy to answer them for you. Our students take MANY more credits in the major than are required, and end up with approximately a 65/35 to a 75/25 balance between credits in the major verses outside of the major, depending on the # of credits they take, and the classes that they take a semester, and and AP, IB, Dual Enrollment credits with which they enter JMU. If you are in VA, please have your daughter come for a visit, sit in on classes, meet with current students. This will help her get a sense if this is an environment in which she would like to learn and grow as an artist and a person.
In VA, you may also want to look at Emory and Henry. Small school, but a good program… finishing up a new performing arts center… connection with the Barter Theatre.
Please feel free to contact me at areccchkm@jmu.edu with questions.
Kate
mspamela - son is very, very happy! He has one class per semester that is not theatre related, and this is the type of curriculum he was looking to have. MTMajorCook’s son is an MT Dance Concentration Freshman and Times3’s son is a Sophomore BFA Acting major, so we have a variety of information to share with you. Feel free to PM me if you like
Thank you @entertainersmom I will most likely take you up on that and PM you questions. It looked as if Otterbein is pretty generous with aid/scholarships, at least based on the Net Price Calculator. (I know those aren’t completely accurate, but I have been using them for reference.) Did you find that to be the case?
And thank you @KatMT for the extra info! We actually did come to JMU for a visit this fall. My husband and I are alums, and our son is a junior there now. We would LOVE for D to become a Duke too, and I think she will apply. However, she feels “set” on a BFA, I am working on trying to convince her to be open to other options, and will continue to push JMU and other BA schools. As a legacy student with a decent transcript, I am fairly confident she’ll be admitted academically to JMU. But, as with every other school, I’m worried that she won’t be accepted artistically, b/c of the level of competition. Do your students have room in their schedules to take voice and dance every semester?
mspamela - Net price calculator was accurate. Son actually was bumped up to the next scholarship level for merit and also received a generous talent award. I think his experience with scholarship awards was similar to other BFA students at his school. It sounds like your daughter is in good hands. You will be amazed at the amount of knowledge you will gain in the coming year. To echo many before me, it is all about fit, and the original list may change by next year and new schools may be added. Two years ago I had never even heard of the two schools that ended up being my son’s top choices and luckily two of the three he was artistically admitted to.
That’s great to hear about Otterbein @entertainersmom! Did you visit campus before his audition? I need to look at their website more closely to learn more about the school. My head is spinning trying to keep all of this straight
I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this but have you considered George Mason or VCU? I’m more familiar with theatre as opposed to MT but I know Mason has an excellent BFA program & VCU is well known for their arts programs. Both are great schools and located in more urban areas then Ferrum so there are plenty of cultural opportunities outside of the campus.
@bksfan I had not realized Mason had anything MT related, until your post. It says on the website: Students pursuing the Musical Theater Certificate: Theater Concentration must satisfy all requirements for admission into BA or BFA in Theater with a concentration in performance." I’m not even sure what that means. If anyone can enlighten me, I’d really appreciate it. (In the meantime I will contact Mason.) As for VCU, I was just looking at their website today, as I grew up in Richmond and I know they’re well-known for their arts programs. I do not see anything on their website indicating they offer a musical theatre degree, minor, or concentration/certificate. I find this really odd since they have a great music and dance program. Thanks for the post though–will look into Mason more closely.
mspamela- We did not visit prior to audition, and son’s audition was at the Chicago Unifieds. Otterbein has on-campus auditions, and by all reports, it is a great experience for the kids auditioning. We are in Maine, so travel was limited due to time and expense. Luckily, son wasn’t keen on visiting schools prior to acceptance, though I would have enjoyed the visits There are a few schools in Ohio you may want to visit: Baldwin-Wallace, Wright State, CCM, and of course Otterbein! Others may have more suggestions.
@Mspamela – in addition to the schools @entertainermom recommended which are all wonderful – Another BFA program to consider in OH is Ohio Northern. There are also some great theater BA programs in Ohio – Kenyon, Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan come to mind.
The Musical Theatre students at JMU can take one -three dance classes each semester, depending on their desire and schedules. They also can take voice each semester. Freshman take a small group voice class, which includes one-on-one instruction, two days a week, and a Musical Theatre Performance Lab two days a week. So, they have approcimately 5 hours in voice per week. Sophomores and juniors are required to take private voice. Some seniors choose to continue with private voice, and some freshmen also choose to work privately with a graduate student in addition to the required voice class.
Most MT students at JMU graduate with many more than 120 credits because of the large number of elective classes they can take in the major… these include additional dance, acting, music, and support courses in other areas of theatre (ex. Directing, Playwriting, Design, etc…)
@Mspamela, yes, Otterbein’s scholarship system is transparent and consistent; we were able to count on affording it if my son won the acceptance lottery (it was his first choice school). JMU was also a strong consideration–we live about an hour from there, in central VA–he liked the program and faculty but strongly preferred a smaller, more intensive conservatory-style program and wanted to be out of state if possible. Otterbein is about an 8-hour drive for us, and we had visited several times, so he knew it was an environment where he could thrive. He was overjoyed to be accepted and has loved it; I was grateful that they made it affordable as well. If you can make a visit this spring, try to get there for the musical (Into the Woods), which should be wonderful.
Re: vvnstar’s suggestions above–my daughter was a BA theater major at Kenyon and loved it. It isn’t at all like a BFA, however–very academic, and the department rarely mounts musicals (although student groups do sometimes). Dance training is not MT-relevant in their dance program. It would not be a desirable choice for somebody wanting conservatory type training in musical theater.
Definitely feel free to PM me with questions–it’s always nice to see another Virginian on board!