Does anyone have thoughts on which program provides better training and/or sets their students up better professionally for acting? Younger brother got accepted to both and both look to be affordable!
Mason gross at Rutgers is considered one of the elite programs. Which program is it at Emerson?
The BFA theatre & performance with intention of ending up in the BFA acting
SO if i remember correctly you have to be selected into BFA acting from theatre and performance and not everyone is chosen. The program is also quite large. If he doesnt have a preference Mason Gross is probably the better program
Yes you audition at the end of your sophomore year for the bfa acting program.
Is this the only thing that makes rutgers the better program in your eyes or are there additional factors?
Emerson. Not even a question. Very hard program to get accepted into. Many accepted students come from highly regarded acting high school programs. Congrats. Compare both programs side by side.
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Both are nicely ranked and considered.
Which is more affordable?
Thanks! It’s a bit hard to compare side by side. Emerson doesnt publish the yeat to year curriculum and neither school makes outcomes easy to find
A good amount of kids from this known performance high school end up there. My daughter was accepted into their theater design BFA at Emerson but merit gave her another opportunity elsewhere.
Many students from similar schools like the New York high school tend to go there
I think the training is equal, just a little different. Does he have a preference for type of training? Mason Gross is heavily focused, though not exclusively, on the Meisner technique whereas Emerson is more a toolbox approach focused on teaching multiple techniques. Also, studying Shakespeare abroad in London for a semester at The Globe Theatre is built into the Mason Gross curriculum. There is not time to study abroad in the Emerson BFA, though that’s an option if he sticks with T&P, and Emerson does offer a semester in LA for T&P. Both Mason Gross and the Emerson Acting BFA (not T&P) offer a senior showcase in NYC. Emerson also does one in Boston, though of course you’ve got easier proximity on an ongoing basis to NYC at Mason Gross. Has he visited? Although Mason Gross is close to NYC, the on-campus location of the theater program is somewhat isolated and definitely not urban in feel, whereas Emerson is in the heart of Boston.
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While it’s not broken down year to year, if you scroll to the bottom on this page, there are links to the required courses in the various BFA Theater programs at Emerson: Department of Performing Arts - Emerson College - Modern Campus Catalog™
I personally don’t find rankings and lists to be truthful about what schools are “the best”. You don’t know how these lists are being curated beyond who publishes them. Schools like Juilliard and Yale always top the list (rightfully so-- they have incredible programs but also huge endowments).
Both Emerson and Mason Gross are phenomenal programs with solid connections in the industry. Boston is not an “agent” town like New York and LA. It’s community is strong and supported by local actors where you don’t need an agent to get in the door like NY/LA. Where does your brother want to end up? LA, Boston, New York, London? While many programs push a showcase for agents for final-year actors, Boston schools don’t always do this (not sure if Mason Gross or Emerson do.)
Your brother should look at course sequences for training to see how he will progress through the program. Like others have said, some schools offer a wide range of techniques (a “toolbox” to pick from), while others focus solely on one methodology or pedagogy (Looking into the background and education of the faculty is also important for this reason. If all the teachers went to the same grad program… the teaching will not be very diverse, in my opinion). Some schools have long-standing tenured professors, while others rely on a massive pool of adjunct faculty that shifts constantly (NYU). Some schools may allow you to take a few electives outside your major, while others only allow you to take electives from a curated list within your school. Some schools solely focus training on acting, while others allow students to explore other avenues like directing, production, film, creative writing, etc. Many programs are shifting their focus to incorporate film, digital media, and production into their performing arts programs. Some are not. Mason Gross incorporates a semester in London into your program. Others do not. There’s a lot of digging your brother needs to do into what he wants to study and what schools will suit him.
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