<p>At Purchase, they actually have tunnels under the ground through which you can get from your dorm to the dining hall without going outdoors.</p>
<p>@jkellynh17- Very cool that your son is at CCPA! Would love to have his contact info! My D is actually accepted there as MT/Voice emphasis. That’s part of the difficulty in the decision, as she will get to sing AND act there! We have visited there and D felt very good about the homey, friendly and welcoming atmosphere! </p>
<p>@austinmt…excited to hear your D is already at CCPA in same major my D was accepted! Would also love ANY info you could share about her experience the past year. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>KellyLJ1, yes, I am very much having these thoughts. I am also up nights worrying about costs (and days). It is a fortunate position to be in, of course, but it is still very scary. We do qualify for need based aid but I’m not sure how that will be awarded; if it is in the form of loans, that would be a lot of loans… I am definitely with you.</p>
<p>KellyLJ1, me, too. Much sleep lost.</p>
<p>KellyLJ1 - I know a kid in Emerson’s BA acting program - she’s a brilliant writer and I always thought a good actress too; now into her 2nd year there and she has yet to step foot on stage. </p>
<p>Thanks for the input! We feel very good about Syracuse but I have heard it is a very spread out campus and it is pricey so I am worrying about finances as well. Blessed to have choices though. Good luck to all making these final decisions. This site has been a true gift. A place to go and vent to those who understand what this is like.</p>
<p>@kbsmom my D is very happy at CCPA, has made lots of good friends, loves her classes and teachers and is taking full advantage of going to school in Chicago. They’ve been to many shows ( class was even cancelled one Wednesday afternoon bc the theatre kids were given free tickets to a preview showing of Once), from Broadway shows all the way to “down” to small, small theatres to watch their upper classmen friends. There are internship opportunities as well as the ability to audition for community theatre (must by approved by faculty–they keep a close watch on the kids in that way). </p>
<p>You can send me a PM with questions and I can ask my D, or I can ask her if I can put her in touch with your D.</p>
<p>@Kellylj1 - I was in New York last week and was in a shop that employs a lot of actors. A graduate of Emerson said they loved the school, but did not feel well prepared. They were a musical theatre BFA graduate. My child was also accepted to Emerson without any merit aid. For that price, it really concerned me to meet someone who did not feel prepared. Best of luck.</p>
<p>dreamer18 – I think you can be the only one to decide. I think they are very different schools with different experiences. My daughter was rejected at Purchase and wait listed at Syracuse but we looked at both extensively. Also, Purchase is probably half the cost of Syracuse so that has to be a factor as well. </p>
<p>@kellylj1 - In fact, I was up most of last night worrying about the same things. I’m a single mom and all of a sudden, the financial realties have started to set in. It makes my heart race at night. I’m convinced that I’ll be gray by August! </p>
<p>Jkellynh17 and austinmt - could you private message me with your child’s contact info? My D was accepted into MT Dance Emphasis and couldn’t be more thrilled. We will visit CCPA in two weeks. Thanks! I can’t get the private messaging thing to work on my phone since cc changed its format. </p>
<p>My D was also accepted to Emerson as well as Fordham. If Syracuse doesn’t pan out, we will have to choose between the two and I think she would choose Fordham. However, she has two friends at Emerson now, and they absolutely love it. They’re extensively involved in comedy and improv troupes, and get to perform. There are tons of opportunities to perform at Emerson with smaller groups, even if it’s not a mainstage production. They also just opened the LA school, where your child would be able to spend a semester. </p>
<p>Also, if my D had been admitted into Purchase BFA, she would’ve chosen it in a heartbeat over Syracuse. It’s a very prestigious program and the area is beautiful while only being about 35 miles from NYC. What a lucky choice you have to make!!!</p>
<p>@sherryjane73, yes we are also hearing from my D’s one friend at Emerson that the performance opportunities are extensive with the many, many student organizations. He is a freshman theater student and has been in 3 shows each of the 2 semesters. I think they aren’t even allowed to audition for main stages their freshman year. My D chose to audition for the BA because she has other interests in addition to acting, so I’m not worried about her getting a chance to participate in creative endeavors in some way. And she is very interested in the comedy stuff, which we like about Emerson. Also, the semester at the castle in the Netherlands and the semester in L.A…all great stuff!</p>
<p>Our approach with our girls is that we will support their passion for theater, but we strongly suggest that they double major (I know not everyone on here agrees with that philosophy; each family navigates this differently) so she is also interested in the Writing, Literature and Publishing program. I guess our struggle is that she also got into the BA theater program at JMU and we have been very impressed with all we know about their program. So, we are talking about $18,000 per year for in-state tuition vs. $50,000 per year. So many intangibles…hard to measure. </p>
<p>Thanks for “listening” and for your feedback!</p>
<p>@austinmt, That sounds great! I will talk to my D and get back to you! Thanks!! Btw, are you in Austin, TX?</p>
<p>@KellyLJ1 ~ me too! Many sleepless nights worrying about the futures of my 2 arts/oriented kids. I do love Emerson and it sounds like a great match for your D. My D was accepted a couple years ago and we struggled with the no merit or FA thing. She ended up making a different choice in the end (same price tag) but she knows a girl in BFA acting who LOVES Emerson. </p>
<p>Yes, kbsmom.</p>
<p>Aargh, USC mail didn’t reach us today. We’re in Arizona, was hoping admissions packets sent yesterday might have gotten here. Deep cleansing breath, wait until tomorrow…</p>
<p>@deamer18 you have a tough choice but a wonderful one. We are biased toward Syracuse because my older D is a BFA Acting student there and could not love it more. It is a beautiful campus and has that special college vibe, lots of kids sporting orange attire, always tons of things going on. Syracuse stage is amazing and there are a couple cool cafes right across the street since they are there A LOT. The film department is great too, and she is working on a couple student films right now. In the fall she will be studying in London at Shakespeare’s Globe. I hope my younger one ends up some place he is as happy. Go Orange! Congratulations and good luck with your decision. You probably can’t go wrong. </p>
<p>I’ve been focused on where my kids would go to college for two straight years, and I can’t believe I’ll soon be able to not think about it AT ALL. Next year I’ll have three in college - all out of state tuition, so it’s crazy! I’m so glad that my son has a choice about where to go, but I’m also stressing about how he’ll make that decision. So far he’s deciding between UArts and BU. Two totally different experiences. Plus, we’ll find out tomorrow if NYU will get thrown into the mix. We are going to visit the schools in April. I hope it will be clear to him then. But if anyone has any opinions on BU vs UArts, I’m all ears. (With the scholarship they offered at UArts, it’s a $90,000 savings compared to BU over four years!!!)</p>