Sure there are differences in NU's program, and MT students at NU tend to take way more of a courseload than what's required for the BA/Theatre/MT. They also get more than the average number of performance opportunities. Most MT students (at any school) spend almost every waking hour involved in some MT activity, and only a small percentage of that is in class, so curriculum is not the only factor to consider. Performance opportunities are critical.
My point is that NU is in a position now to give the top programs some serious competition. If that hits a nerve, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit back and watch someone ridicule an excellent program at an amazing school that is working so hard to get through a huge growth phase. There are too many high-schoolers and parents craving information, and some of what has been written here about Northwestern is just plain false.
The AMDA comparison to Northwestern is too silly to even respond to. Any degree from Northwestern will give you an edge when looking for jobs in any industry -- that's not true of all schools mentioned in this thread. Some schools do MT fairly well, but not much else. With the exception of the "top" MT schools, Northwestern's program is at least as good as others mentioned, even prior to AMTP, no matter which degree is awarded.
RockyRoad and Chitty, are you students, faculty, other? Which college do you attend, if any? If you're at one of the big dogs, then congrats -- you must be talented, or else had a good audition. As you know, there are many people out there who weren't so lucky, and it's a good thing there are a lot of great options.
In all fairness, NU doesn't audition for MT until the end of freshman year, which puts a lot of people off. By the time of auditions, however, the directors have seen the freshmen try out several times for shows and have worked with many of them, and don't have to make a decision based on one 4-minute audition. How many super-talented people do you know who haven't gotten into any MT programs because of that one audition, and how many mediocre ones have? And how many BFA graduates are unemployed for years, left with BFAs from relatively unknown colleges to find work in other areas? My point is that there is more to think about when planning your career than whether one school has more MT classes than another.
For anyone who wants to judge for himself, I don't expect you to take my word for it -- speak with casting agents or MT coaches who have no ties to specific schools, speak with one of the program directors at NU about the changes that are happening (Rives Collins is a great contact), follow up on how many NU alums are successful in the field, and talk to current NU students.
NU is not for everyone -- it's tough academically, and its philosophy about MT is different, but it works. Glance through some of the College Confidential boards. Here are a couple:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=187340 http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=255047&highlight=edmondsg I understand how there is misconception about Northwestern -- they do things their own way, and they don't care who agrees or disagrees. You'll hear more about their MT program soon enough. Good luck to everyone who is trying to make a decision or is waiting for results. PM me if I can help. Sorry this got so long.
