@toowonderful - that’s soooo cool!
Amazing @toowonderful ! What a great thing to have on her resume!
So we went through the dorm choices yesterday - slowly and carefully, looking at location / proximity to studio / proximity to campus / proximity to Palladium (and Trader Joes)! 
Read up on food options and suite vs apartment style, watched all the walk-through videos. Agreed on the order to put on the housing form and after the button was pushed… found reviews stating ALL the “Artsy” kids end up in Brittany (her top choice). LOL. SO much for thinking we were doing an objective, independant evaluation. We’re ending up with the crowd anyway - but it sounds like her kind of crowd.
@CaMom13 Is that because Brittany houses some Explorations floors? That may not necessarily mean Tisch kids. Not that you need to room with fellow Tischies (my D did not in first year).
@alwaysamom - actually, she was thinking she didn’t want to room with an “arts” person, just so she could branch out a little from her classmates. But if you read the “cons” paragraph of the below review, you’ll see why we laughed.
https://nyulocal.com/nyu-dorm-guide-2016-brittany-5d116c443b10
Those are definitely her peeps.
@CaMom13 - I know D had Brittney on her Freshman list… but ended up in Palladium - which was NOT on her list (it wasn’t supposed to be a freshman dorm that year). Union square turned out to be an ideal location for her - and I liked that apt style dorm b/c it had a common room… therefore if roommate had people over (which her freshman roommate often did - there was somewhere else for them to be.
NYU assigns freshman housing- my D’s room did not have any other Tischies. They did fine together (Normal hiccups - esp as D is an only child and had never had to deal with sharing space) did not become best friends for life - but part of the point is to learn to live together. And it was nice for her to have an occasional glimpse into other types of majors
@CaMom13 My freshman is in Third North and the location has been great for her. The freshman dorms are all nicely located and the Tisch kids seems to be pretty evenly distributed throughout them. The dining hall options are really quite something at NYU. She has very good friends at Brittany and Founders and Lipton. Everyone seems really happy! I would be too with that prime real estate!
I have a question. We couldn’t attend “Weekend on the Square” but will be going to NYU on 4/23 for “Day on the Square.” NYU didn’t share an itinerary for the day. I called Stella Adler (they said we can come to visit (which we will) - but they won’t let us observe a class). Is there something else we should be scheduling? We’ve done two other accepted student school tours- and they treated my S like royalty. Do you think NYU’s Day will be similar or do I need to be assertive and go find the people that I think he needs to hear from? If so - who??? Thanks!!!
Hey @MomofJ5 ! We went to Weekend on Square. I kept freaking out because I felt like Where’s the itinerary. Called ETW (daughter’s studio) etc. They know what they are doing. Once we got there (a bit early- we wandered around) and checked in. They were all over it. Very organized. I think you can go and they’ll guide you. My daughter did Adler Teen Conservatory. Such an inspiring studio- congratulations! We are getting close to saying 100% yes to Tisch. Extraordinary place . We are hanging on to Purchase waitlist because my daughter also loves that program- sat in on classes at Purchase Monday but I think even if she gets a spot she’ll choose Tisch. Have a great day : ) !
@laylamom - thank you! I don’t think we are as close to a decision. I have my reservations with the “fit” for my S and his personality to date. But I think the program is AMAZING and I think the name, training and opportunities (acting, playwrighting, camera acting with film students) can’t be beat. So I want to give the school as much of a chance as I possibly can (to convince me that my S can handle this intensity). Did they give tours of the dorms, etc?
@MomofJ5 - We did Day on the Square two weeks ago and this is the basic format. Theres a welcome session where the director of admission and a few other folks extend a welcome to the class of '22. Then they separate the attendees by school and you walk over to a smaller group room where the Tisch folks talk about going to Tisch. Then they set you free to tour dorms (they had 3 open), the gym and… I think there was another tour I am not remembering. It was all very well organized and fun but NOT the super high energy of the Weekend on the Square.
We didn’t know her Studio assignment and we already knew she was 90% going to NYU so we didn’t ask for a studio tour and I think you would need to arrange the visit with the studio.
Keeping in mind that my D was not accepted to any small, conservatory-style programs so I don’t have that to compare to but I would definitely say the tone at Tisch isn’t to treat the incoming class like royalty! It’s more YAY - you’re here! We love all 400 of you! Have at it! Which at a school as large as NYU is pretty much appropriate - my perspective is it’s a place for students who aren’t afraid to self-advocate. They take care of the students in class but the amount of freedom outside of class is both stimulating and terrifying. You need to “own” your own path - and that’s perfect for my D but I can totally see where it would not be perfect for everyone.
Hope that helps!
@MomofJ5 We did not see the dorms on that visit. I lived in the neighborhood 1000 years ago and there’s lots of info on line. Virtual tours on Youtube and that part is all good for us. It is not a school for everyone and thats for sure- totally get that. I sometime wish it were smaller. I am hoping she will do well with the self advocacy because she loves what her studio offers and has been communicating with a few people who are in it. It’s a biiiiiig step but we’re excited!
One of the things I love about NYU is that I feel like it provides students with “real world” skills prior to graduation. You need to find the things you are going to do - there is variety and choices. Students create their paths (rather than have every step laid out). There are virtually endless options - you just have to choose, and work. I think of @soozievt 's D - who made writing her own material a priority - and that helped spark her post-grad career. For my own D- it has been her passion for stage combat (she took every level, and became certified) that has been really sparking some interest. (I think it’s an unusual skill for a willowy blonde ingenue to have!)
@toowonderful could you expand on the Real World skills? what also do you mean that it’s laid out for some students (perhaps at other schools) ? We’re still weighing
@actingdreams - there are a number of small programs that seem (to ME - I only know what I read on CC) to hand hold students through the process… There is guaranteed main stage casting, pausing/cancelling class so kids can all fill out straw hats/MWTA applications the moment they open, traveling en masse to get headshots taken, or to summer stock auditions where professors “introduce” kids to various theaters…
Please understand - NONE of those things are inherently wrong or bad… in fact, I have been jealous of them MANY times over the last 4 years. But in the end - idk if having roadblocks removed will help the kid later down the road. There is an awful lot of perseverance and hustle needed in this business. Being introduced to someone and having it spark work is GREAT - but actors need to be able to cold call and self submit too. They need to be able to look at multiple options and be confident in their type/brand - to know what to pursue for the best chance at success. B/C of the massive variety of options available at NYU - kids learn how to handle, manage, and market themselves.
Again - this is just my opinion - and it is NOT meant to disparage how any other program does anything. In HS my D was shy and introverted. (in real life, not on stage, I always supposed it was part of being an only child) I loved the idea of a tiny conservatory, or a small LAC would be the perfect place for her - a wonderful bubble. But, as we started to look at schools, D made it VERY clear that she wanted a large, urban university, preferable with a larger theater program. She said she wanted someplace that would push her to find her own path - rather than always having one laid out for her.
If kids are required to do all this on their own and have no hand holding what are we paying the universities for? I truly appreciate industry professionals coming in and walking my kid through what she will encounter at an audition. I love that these people who have been through this before can explain why it is important to wait before getting your equity card and the why and how it’s all done. Having to stumble around in the dark and making them figure it out on their own seems a waste of time and money.
The hand holding my daughter is receiving is not making her less aggressive, or have less of a desire to pursue her path. But having a school that can provide opportunities for a leg up in a business that is so incredible difficult seems like a plus to me.
Doing showcases where industry professionals can get an eye on your kid before the enter the cruel world seems like a benefit even if nothing comes of it.
I guess I don’t consider it hand holding as much as giving them every tool and opportunity to be successful. If that means smoothing the path a little I am all for it.
@Actingdreams I would look for a school that will help you son reach his full potential and give him as much of a leg up as possible. JMHO
thanks for explaining your perspective @toowonderful and @bisouu I agree and you may have just confirmed my S. Decision! I for one keep mentioning this to be a financial investment and I want every $1 that I spend to be worth it! Thanks again for explaining!
MY Kids ultimate goal is to make it in the film, tv/ theatre industry. He doesn’t plan on getting in lines and he hopes to have representation prior to graduation. This is the plan. sure plans don’t always go the way they were set out to be but I do know that we would love a strong conservatory program that produces results…
DePaul faculty over the accepted weekend stated that they look after their own and since last years graduating class The Theatre school (Formerly The Goodman School of Drama) alumni have worked in more than 500 productions including 69 Broadway shows and over 173 films and TV shows. Atlantic sounds like an amazing Program and I guess my S was trying to get down to Who will help him get where he wants to be AND would he get a solid conservatory style training. Nyu was about 4th on his list because of it. He was surprised to have received an acceptance from NYU but even more Shellshocked to get an acceptance from The Theatre School. Both with Great Scholarships I may add. Thank you once again for elaborating and you’re so right @bisouu, he needs to be where the school will help him meet his full potential and for the price of these tuition bills, the best leg up as possible!
@bisouu - we seem to be a cross purposes again. I am not talking about industry people coming in to talk about work/business. I am not talking about masterclasses. I am not talking about showcases. Those are all incredibly valuable. I am talking about professors who set up carpools for ferrying students to a regional audition. Sorry, I think the kids need to make a plan for how to get there.
@actingdreams I am sure that there are kids out there that don’t need any help. They have friends in the business or family members who know the ropes. But for many of us college is where we are going to get the information and contacts we need to manuever this crazy profession. I am so grateful to her professors who showed her how to get her EMC points before leaving college. We would have never known how important this was if they hadn’t directed her in the right direction. They have also helped with apprenticeships and internship opportunities that she never would have found on her own. So much is gained by the schools willingness to help.
@actingdreams - DePaul met every one of my D’s criteria (urban, larger size etc) but it was in Chicago - and D doesn’t like Chicago (which is CRAZY - but there you go) I strong armed her into applying to Northwestern, but couldn’t slide DePaul in too.
Their website says they accept 92 BFAs - how do they break down the class sizes?
Sorry, don’t mean to derail the thread