<p>Guys, here’s what I can tell you: The undergrad MT program is very small–I think they took no more than 4 undergrads last year and it may be less than that. There are no more than 2 musicals done by the MT program each year (this year I think it’s only one–“A Funny Thing Happened…”) and auditions for their Fall shows occur on the first or second day of school. Most parts will go to either upperclasspersons or MFA students. Facilities are wonderful, the campus is beautiful, it’s a great school academically and a nice mixture of a large school in a small town. There is a new dean of the Fine Arts School this year and I sense that UF’s President has made UF’s liberal arts and fine arts programs a priority as he knows these programs have to be top notch in order for UF to be recognized as a preeminent institution. Our younger daughter, as many of you know, made the MT audition tour last year and had to “settle” on attending UF and pursuing majors in Theatre Arts and Public Relations and minoring in Dance. She is very happily in the midst of her first semester and it sounds like she is being challenged in her theatre and dance classes and landed a role in “B and the B” at Gainesville’s local community theatre the same week that she auditioned for (and was not cast) UF’s Fall productions. There is a very good equity theatre in Gainesville (The Hippodrome) that put on a fantastic production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” this summer. Several of the cast members were UF students. There are also a number of “unofficial” performing groups at the school–Florida Players does shows (such as last year’s “Urinetown”) and there is an improv group called “Strike Force” that my older daughter worked with when she was a freshman and sophomore there.</p>
<p>A word of caution: because of our state’s scholarship program for in-state high school students that meet certain academic and community service standards (“Bright Futures”), it has become increasingly difficult to qualify academically for admission to UF. The school is certainly worth exploring especially if your student wants a strong education outside of the MT experience.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and the Gators’ basketball and football programs aren’t too shabby, either…</p>