And as for the OP’s question about best or most-liked programs and notable alumni, that question may be more appropriate 9 months from now when you have to pick one among your acceptances. ALL of these programs have their fans, all have notable alumni, and the older and bigger the program is, the more you will find. All of the auditioned programs are extremely difficult to get into artistically, and NYU is the hardest to get into academically. Figure out if 2 year or 4 year or BA vs BFA or Acting vs MT matters to you. In the end, you’ll be pretty lucky to get into any of them.