Best Non Audition Schools

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 11/18/07 at 3:44pm

What are the best non-audition schools for MT?
I heard University of West Florida is good.

Posted: 11/18/07 at 8:03pm

well, northwestern doesn't audition for the THEATRE part, and once you're in there, you can audition for the MT certificate program end of freshman or sophomore year.


hope that helped!

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/18/07 at 11:08pm

this might come off as sounding rude but, why would you want to pay money to go to a college that doesn't make you audition for MT? A program like that could be dreadful in many aspects.

[RunningInTheDark]

Posted: 11/18/07 at 11:32pm

well, not to get off topic, but Northwestern has an incredible Musical Theatre program, regardless of how they do it. I live close to NU, and have seen ridiculous amounts of success and talent come out of that school.

But, Columbia--If you really WANT it to be a good school--in Chicago is great. Plus, the city itself oozes opportunity. Chicago is the Dance capital of America, plus the Lyric Opera offers 20 dollar tickets. I haven't heard the greatest things, necessarily, about the school, but the surrounding city can be the best educator of all.

I've also heard Indian's BA program is great since it's BFA is so new.

[beyonddizzy31]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 5:27pm

I second Amneris, I also don't want to get off topic buit I'm always curious as to why people would want to be part of a program that doesn't require an audition. Could you please explain?

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 5:49pm

--I'm always curious as to why people would want to be part of a program that doesn't require an audition. Could you please explain?

First of all, I will admit that I was a bit skeptical when it came to the talent of the students in the theatre program at Northwestern. But, lo and behold, the theatre majors here are SO talented. I somewhat expected to get here and to continue getting every leading role because of a lack of talent, but it is quite the opposite. There is so much competition, so much talent, so much desire and drive. What a snobbish thing to look down upon such a program for the mere reason that it does not audition its students.

Getting past the realization that there actually is enormous talent here (as I'm sure there is at other non-audition schools), Northwestern has no cuts. The program is based more on collaboration than on constant, biting competition. I understand that competition is a large, inevitable part of theatre in "the real world," but I find it much easier to thrive in a community where you can explore other tracks of theatre or spend a quarter focusing on a specific aspect of yourself as a performer without getting wildly behind and at risk of being cut.

By the way, I think the rationale behind Northwestern, Yale, and others being non-audition schools is that students are intelligent enough to gain admission into the university itself...so they should have the ability to choose a major corresponding to their talents.

Seconding what runninginthedark said, Northwestern's MT program is spectacular. It's not the kind where you just slide on in and create mediocre works. No. The people in program are AMAZINGLY talented. I came to Northwestern thinking I'd be a shoo-in for program. Now, I've realized that's a foolish thought to have. But I'm not worried, since I can still take many MT-focused classes and be in musicals here. At any rate, there is a reason that Northwestern's theatre program is considered one of the premier programs in the nation.

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 6:52pm

Why not try Marymount though? Their audition process was the most AMAZING and FUN process ever. I learned so much from being there. It was run like a class instead of an audition so you got to see everyone else audition, have a director work with some people and fix things. Just seeing all these performances and adjustments were wonderful. They make NO cuts in their BA program plus you learn every aspect of theater as well as having a well rounded degree in Liberal Arts at the end of it.

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 6:53pm

I'm sure Marymount's program is wonderful.

I'm certainly not making an argument against schools that audition (cut or no cut); I'm just defending non-audition schools.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 10:35pm

Do you have to audition for Marymounts BA in theatre?

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 10:11am

I have a couple of friends who are very talented that go to Northwestern and I hear nothing but the best about their program.

That being said, non-audition program are dangerous in that they ignore the fact that real world theatre is based around cuts. When you go to an audition, especially in a big city like New York or Chicago, they're not just going to call you back because you seem like a nice person. They want talented people and people that fit the types their looking for. That's the reality.

If someone is a mid-level performer and honestly can't progress from there, or gets a bloated sense of themselves from a program that doesn't audition, then that can be dangerous later on. If they never had a chance in the first place, then an educational institution shouldn't just take their money.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 10:48am

Im a southern baptist,born and raises, and I've always had a fear about going to a Chrisitan based school because I didnt want it to be so pushy...know what I'm saying? Is Columbia in Chicago a MT program?
Updated On: 11/23/07 at 10:48 AM

[RunningInTheDark]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 1:17pm

I'm sorry Vespertine, but that's absolutely NOT true. All students at non-audition schools must audition for shows, and in that respect they are still preparing for the "real world" It's absolutely ludicrous tot hink in order to learn you must constantly be afriad you will be cut. Obviously, that's the "CCM" approach, but I think in an EDUCATIONAL environment, you should be allowed to learn, strew up, etc. I think non-audition schools allow you to fully come into yourself as a performer. Obviously, BFA programs are better only because they are fueled by more talent, but that doesn't mean a student at a BA school can't learn as much, if not more.

Columbia College in Chicago is a BA musical theatre program. I suggest looking on their website because I'm not sure how many musical they put on a semester. It is a BA program, though.

[Amneris]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 3:26pm

marymount is by audition but, they are unlike any other college audition you will go to. It's so amazing. and they DO NOT make cuts.

[theatrejock310]

Posted: 11/25/07 at 11:55pm

Cal State Fullerton!
but you audition at the end of Sophmore year... Updated On: 11/25/07 at 11:55 PM

[joshual]

Posted: 12/23/07 at 6:56pm

I always heard Cal State Fullerton was a good non-audition based MT program too.

[i_love_megan]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 8:36pm

if your not willing to audition for a musical theatre program, you shouldn't be pursuing musical theatre at all....unless of course you happen to love the schools themselves that dont have auditions but if ur too scared or unsure or unprepared to audition then u relaly wont suceed in mt because all it is is auditions thats what makes me confused...

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 11:09pm

I disagree. Some people might need more training on auditions and hope to prepare for them, etc. Just because they want to be in a program before having to jump into that kind of stuff doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing musical theatre. I do admit that you've to wonder what they've done the rest of their MT life in terms of auditions, but it's not fair to say they shouldn't be doing it if they don't want to audition.

What people tend to forget is that...you're auditioning and/or applying for SCHOOL, where you LEARN. You don't have to go in perfect. It would be easier to have good auditioning skills under your belt before school, sure, but good programs will prepare you for that either way.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 6:54pm

People might want to know about the best non-audition schools, in case thay don't get into any audition schools, for whatever reason. Who cares if you had to audition for your training or not as long as you get good training, and learn, and improve as an artist?

[Juliash]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 8:58pm

Salem State College is good.

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 12:31am

Thank you, ILMD, my point exactly. Although you said it in half as many words. =P

[PeaceFrog]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 9:01am

If you have the kind of academic stats that would make you a reasonable candidate for Northwestern, you might also want to look at Brown, Vassar and Bard. Another non-audition program a lot of MT types apparently like is Muehlenberg. One that is supposedly pretty decent where you don't need outstanding academic stats to get in is the College of Charleston in SC. UNC Wilmington and East Carolina University might also be worth a look. There are also some where you don't audition for the BFA until later like Fullerton, Catawba College in NC and Southern Oregon University.

My advice on looking at this type of program is to take a VERY long look at the upperclassmen. If they aren't on average noticeably better than the freshmen and you think you have a chance to get cast in any kind of significant role your first year, you might want to ask yourself exactly what the faculty have had them doing the past few years.


Updated On: 12/31/07 at 09:01 AM

[wickedbway]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 2:11pm

I went through the whole college audition process last year for a BFA in Musical Theatre and didn't get into any of the schools I wanted. Instead, I got accepted to Sarah Lawrence College and am now pursuing theatre there, in addition to many interesting courses. Someone once told me that in order to express more in their art, they wanted to learn more outside of their interest to have a broader view of the world.

I can't express enough how amazing it has been to be in a directing class, a theatre history class, the Alexander Technique class, a musical theatre lab, a tech class, a voice lesson, and now an acting class as a first year at Sarah Lawrence. I'm also in a couple history classes, including Opera and Art history. If you're looking for a real education PLUS a fantastic theatre program, I would suggest looking into this school