My daughter is at Drew University
I was talking at NETC with a couple of moms about the adjustment to sophomore year, which seemed from a small sample (3) to be a very difficult year – lots of hard work, some casting disappointments, etc. (S’s classmates call it “sophomore slaughter”). My experience is second-hand (you hear less sophomore year, or at least I do) and related to acting rather than MT, but that might be an interesting discussion, too.
Update after Spring Break - D is still very much in love with BW.
Freshman year is very heavy on the Music part of things (That Bachelor of Music, ya know!) and so her time is spent at the Con in the practice rooms playing the piano - practicing listening for the difference in 7th chords (I have no idea - but there are something like 5 kinds… and it’s hard to hear the differences… I’m sure I couldn’t hear a thing!) and other music theory type stuff. She also has Choir twice a week - which she really, really likes. Her HS had virtually no choir program - and so this is her first experience in a choir - and the Women’s Choir (which is where she was placed) has a new director this year that is doing some really cool music - of all different types - and she’s loving it. Finally in the Music department - she has a performance attendance requirement - so she’s seeing lots of all kinds of music -not just shows! She gets credit for things she’s involved in as well as things she just goes as an audience member. the hardest part is remembering to save the correct documentation in order to get credit.
Acting for freshman is covered in the MT Workshop classes. More acting classes from the theater department come into the curriculum in later years. First semester the MT workshop was acting focused - monologues and scene study - Second semester has been acting through song - they started with Sondheim - currently working on duets - and then I believe they will put together their freshman showcase in that class. Additionally, first semester she had Stagecraft, which involved a lot of work on the sets for A Chorus Line. Because she was in the show - she had difficulty getting in her tech requirement - and so she took an incomplete - and ran a spotlight for the Opera this semester to finish out her requirements for that class.
Dance was Ballet and Jazz first semester, Tap and Modern second semester. She’s surprised that despite the classes not being leveled (she dances with her cohort of 18 freshman of varying prior experience) that she’s learned a lot, and grown a lot as a dancer (she came to BW with a lot of prior dance). All year round Ballet Bootcamp is at 7am, 4/days week. She’s required to be there 1 day/week - I know she likes to go all 4… but sometimes sleep wins.
Gen Ed - she took English first semester, and has Math this semester. She took both AP Lit and Lang - which placed her in a higher English - but didn’t get her out entirely - but she easily got an A. She did not take AP Calc - but she took all the way through Honors Pre-Calc, and then AP Stats - and so this math class has been very very easy.
She was cast in the Fall Mainstage - which made that first semester quite a whirlwind. When she wasn’t cast this semester, her first concern was “What am I going to do with all my time?” - she filled it with visits to the gym, and finding other performance opportunities with her friends. Despite not being cast in a role - she found out the day before the first rehearsal of the final show of the year that she had been cast as the female swing - so she’s back in rehearsals, and back to the whirlwind.
Master Classes - this is not technically part of the curriculum - but I’ve been amazed at how many master classes BW brings in - usually twice a month she spends her Saturday afternoon in a Master Class. Freshman don’t sing in Master Class - they observe and learn - and she reports that she’s learned a LOT - and she can’t wait for the Fall when she gets to sing in her first MC as a sophomore. Most master classes are casting directors - and we sat in on one during Family weekend this fall - and they don’t sugar coat. If they don’t like the song you’ve picked - they tell you. If they think you picked a good song - but aren’t presenting it to your best - they tell you.
We took her back to school yesterday after her spring break. Midterms were right before break - so it was nice that she really truly got to spend the week relaxing. The only school type thing she did was practice a lot of piano - which I loved hearing! It’s amazing that at this time last year - she could basically just pick out “Mary had a Little Lamb” with one finger and now she sits down and makes music! We went back early yesterday morning so that we could catch the matinee of the BW production of Dogfight - the entire run sold out - they added another weekend and it also sold out - and so if we hadn’t purchased these tickets back in January - she wouldn’t have gotten to see it! It was a collaboration between BW and the Beck Center - and so the performances were not held on campus - which added complexity for my car-less daughter to get there. The performance was incredible. Not enough positive adjectives to describe it… and then to watch her greet the cast afterwards (mostly upperclassmen - including “her” senior) and the support they gave to HER as she was congratulating them. Just reinforced to my husband and I what a supportive and collaborative environment she’s in there at BW.
I know BW is on a few of your lists - and some of you are comparing it to some other names out there with more of the “status” with the general public… but I strongly encourage you to take a really close look at this little school in Ohio - and the professionals they are releasing into the world at the end of their four years in this program!
S goes to Wright State. One other note, WSU MT does not have a vocal ensemble requirement, as in required to be in a choir of some sort. Many conservatory programs do. The opportunity exists, but scheduling would be next to impossible - at least for S who is cramming in extra dance. They do have an MT ensemble singing class. He is hoping to get into dance major classes next year (no freshmen allowed), as well as music theory leveled above the standard required for MTs. He took music theory in HS and also had some private experience.
@kategrizz thank you so much for posting that information about BW. That sounds just like the type of music heavy program that my daughter would really love. BW is definitely high on her list!
Never really been a poster on CC, but thought I’d share some info about Ds experience at Ohio Northern University. She is finishing up her freshman year at ONU (MT BFA) and loves it there. I was more interested in this school than she was at first. I really wanted her to visit the school and hoped she would like it because they had offered her the best financial package, and her few other options were not exactly options I wanted to consider financially. We fly from Los Angeles to Ohio, and then start driving to the middle of nowhere, and I know she isn’t exactly feeling it. She hadn’t really heard much about ONU’s musical theater, and she always thought she’d go to college in a big city. I told her to go in with an open mind and if she didn’t like it, we’d check it off the list and move on. We did the campus tour, met with the dept chair, she talked with MT students and sat in on a couple classes, and as we were walking to the last appointment, I remember her turning to me and saying ‘I love it here-it feels so comfortable and I really like the people.’ I was so dang happy!!
Now she’s nearing the end of her freshman year and I know she still loves the school and her ‘MT family.’ There are about 20 freshman in the MT BFA program this year (bigger than past years). She’s made lots of MT friends and many friends from other majors as well. Her first semester classes: play analysis, music theory, ballet, acting, a gen ed, plus voice and piano lessons weekly. This semester: writing lab, MT dance styles, voice and speech, music theory, liberal arts math, plus the weekly piano/voice lessons. They’ve had a few master classes with various guest artists, and I think the whole theatre arts dept meets pretty regularly. She says her classes are small and her teachers all know her and are very interactive and engaging.
I believe everyone auditions for everything and so far there’s been many productions - A big 2 weekend holiday show they do every year on campus and also take to a nearby city, a few plays and dance shows, and the spring musical (the fall musical gets cast at the end of the year before so they’ll be auditioning for that soon). There are many audition and performance opportunities, and I think you can get involved in productions in various ways if you are not cast. D was in the holiday show, dance show, and in the musical scheduled for next month. With all the rehearsals, classes, studying, and fun stuff, she’s got a LOT going on. The campus also schedules a wide range of events for the students, plus there are sororities/fraternities and those activities, sporting events, improv group, etc. Some of her friends have cars and they drive into nearby towns every once in a while. It hasn’t really mattered to her that she’s in the middle of no where.
It does take an hour and a half to get to the nearest airport from campus, so this is not ideal. But ONU offer shuttles for $50 to or from 3 airports when it’s break time, and they also help by giving a travel award to those out of state. D came home for Christmas and she was able to get airport rides from friends and I paid for gas and a little extra. This and the extreme winter aren’t the greatest, but doable!
Many may pass over ONU because of it’s location, but for my D it hasn’t mattered and she really likes the program and what she’s getting out of it. And it’s not a big name school, but I know some of the graduates from last year are working, and a senior this year was just cast in the 42nd Street national tour for the fall. Take a look at the program on line (although it’s not a great website), and visit the school if you can to see if it may be a good fit - surprisingly it ended up a great for us.
We really didn’t know what to expect while going through this crazy process, but as cliche as it sounds, I really believe my D landed exactly where she should be! Good luck to all. It’s not an easy ride, but I think it all works out in the long run.
My D is at OCU as a double VP / MT major. Absolutely loves it and could not say enough positive things about her experience. We live on the East Coast, so there was a bit of homesickness initially, but she seems to have worked through that. Especially positive things to say about Dr. Herendeen, her voice teacher and the dance program. They have lots of opportunities to perform (all MT’s and VP’s must audition for all the operas and musicals, and the school puts on 6 a year). Plus, there are the student run productions - Stripped (the student musical) and Operations (students run operas / opera scenes.) She’s made several really good friends and has learned tons. Her only complaints have been 8 am theory (doesn’t like to get up that early 
and her required freshman English class ). We are very happy that even though she is so far away, things seem to be working out really well.
I hove hearing all of these accounts. Thanks to everyone who shares, especially the name of your child’s school! Very helpful information. :-bd
My D is very happy at Rider. She is thrilled with the classes, professors and her fellow MT students (loves her roommate, two peas in a pod sharing the same brain most of the time; it’s adorable). Could not be more thrilled to spend her days acting, singing and dancing. She is at exactly the right program for her.
She also is in the Honors College so she gets to meet a few “regular” Rider students with her honors and gen ed classes but most of her time is spent doing what she loves. Her two acting professors have been “amazing”, her ballet and jazz instructors have been “fantastic” (extremely happy with her acting and dance experience in particular) and she is happy with her voice teacher and studio.
Rider puts on puts on at least 3 mainstage musicals per year and 3-4 plays plus dance ensemble events and 2 cabarets. MTs audition 3 times a year (they are required to audition for all musicals and plays and cabarets). Freshmen have been cast in lead and ensemble roles from the beginning. Talent and fit seem to be all that matter so lots of opportunities to perform.
The large size of the freshman class (49) was a concern initially (more so to me than to D I think) but 6 girls left after first semester (combo of finances, no longer interested in MT, homesickness) and more are leaving after this semester so the program will be down to the 30’s by the end of sophomore year I think and this years class should not be as large ( the 3 classes above my D’s class are A LOT smaller - whole program has like 110?), fewer acceptances and shorter waitlist.
All & all my daughter is one happy camper and cannot believe her freshman year is almost over!
Cellomom, nice to hear that your D is so happy at Rider! It’s such a good feeling to know that they are happy and thriving. Do they divide the class into smaller groups like they do at Tisch? If so, that should soften anyone’s concerns about numbers. 
That attrition number does sound very high. Are they really likely to lose approximately 20% of their current freshman class?
@Sunnyomma Thank you for sharing! My D is starting the ONU MT program in the fall. We are from the northwest and would LOVE to hear more about your D first year experience. Please PM me at your earliest convenience.
@LunamomMT Congrats to your D! My D loves the program at ONU and I’m happy to share info. I’ll send you a pm.
@LunamomMT I will be starting the MT program at ONU this fall as well. So exciting! I can’t wait to meet your daughter, and please feel free to PM me if she’d like to get into contact before schools starts.