Skidmore vs Wagner

soozievt
Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:52:58 +0000

Your daughter wants Musical Theater. Did she get into the BA in Theater Performance with a Musical theater emphasis at Wagner (the audition based program)? If she did, there are major differences between your D’s two options. At Wagner, she’d be in a musical theater training program. At Skidmore, she would not. While Wagner is not a BFA, it is an audition based MT program. They offer lots of dance, six mainstage shows (three of which are musicals) plus workshop productions (total of 11 productions) and a senior showcase. I know several kids who have or do go there for MT.

Skidmore, where ironically I took a literature class last week, is a fine liberal arts college with a very well regarded BA in theater department. This is not a MT department. There is a student run theater club that does put on musicals, however. And the school has lots of dance and lots of arts available. For someone seeking MT, I would say Wagner over Skidmore. BUT Skidmore is a more selective school in terms of academics and a BA degree and still is a great option for studying theater. But if your D truly wants MT and apparently was striving to get into BFA programs, Wagner fits that bill a bit more closely. Wagner, of course is by NYC and Skidmore is in a fun college town. Theater is good at Skidmore. But it is totally a BA program with no emphasis on MT, though a student could piece together theater courses, music/voice, dance, and do dept. plays and also the student run musicals, as well as other theater opportunities in the region for credit. Skidmore has an interdepartmental major in dance/theater that may appeal to your D. She also could self design a major that combine with music. So, it is a wonderful theater BA option. Wagner’s program likely correlates more with what your D was wanting in a BFA in MT program. Skidmore is a more selective college, but Wagner’s program may be the better fit and is also by audition so is selective within the program itself (not easy to get into). Skidmore’s student body or learning environment might differ from Wagner’s. It comes down to which type of program or school meets what YOUR D wants. Neither one is better but they clearly differ.