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Hi everyone.
I recently decided to apply to the 2 year musical theatre program in the New York Film Academy. However, I saw plenty of bad reviews about the school, but nothing about this particular department. So I was wondering if any of you knew anything about this program and could help me out.
I mostly want to know if this is a good program and if I would be flushing my money down the drain by attending it. If you have any stories of your own, please share them!
I'm from Iceland so I don't know a lot about schools in the United States, so it would be a big help if you would give me some advice!
Hi everyone.
I recently decided to apply to the 2 year musical theatre program in the New York Film Academy. However, I saw plenty of bad reviews about the school, but nothing about this particular department. So I was wondering if any of you knew anything about this program and could help me out.
I mostly want to know if this is a good program and if I would be flushing my money down the drain by attending it. If you have any stories of your own, please share them!
I'm from Iceland so I don't know a lot about schools in the United States, so it would be a big help if you would give me some advice!
Best,
MarÃa
Based on what I have seen Maria I would waste your money. The school as a whole is not really very well respected locally--- My daughter was a musical theater major at the Tisch school at NYU--- a good school but very very expensive. It really depends on your goals. I would keep looking and post here... One good program I know about is the State University at Purchase--- not New York City but much cheaper.
Hi everyone.
I recently decided to apply to the 2 year musical theatre program in the New York Film Academy.
It’s a for-profit school. I work in the musical theater industry and it’s not respected—at all. Don’t waste your money. If you have money to spend, go to NYU.
I remember applying to NYFA musical theatre program myself and trying to find some information about it but not really finding anything. So this is my attempt to help people to know how the program is.
First of all, yes, there's a lot of negative buzz around NYFA in the Internet. And I'm sure that in most of those cases, the reality is not far from the truth. BUT, the comments are often about the other programs, not musical theatre.
So. To start with the applicants and the accepted. The fact is that pretty much everyone is accepted. This is sometimes an issue in the acting classes since no English proficiency test is required. And yes, pretty much everyone gets some sort of a talented-based scholarship. This might vary, but initially everyone gets it. You gotta remember that in the US schooling and educating people is BUSINESS. It's not a bunch of folks trying to act all non-profit. But then again, why couldn't it be? If they have something you want, they can ask for a price and it's all up to you whether to pay it or not.
So is it worth the money? The opinions about this obviously vary between the people studying in the school, but based on my personal experience I would say a great majority of the people are incredibly happy with the educational aspects, meaning that the teachers and the actual classes are really good. I personally agree with that 100%. They've really managed to attract some of the really best teachers in the program. I don't have one single teacher who wouldn't know his or her specialty really well and actually also know how to teach it to others. And that is the most important thing, isn't it? You can really learn musical theatre here, but you have to be ready to work hard and be very disciplined with it.
So what sucks? Basically the biggest problem in the school is the administration. And the lack of both, internal and external, communication. Nobody ever knows anything. The teachers know only as much as the students know, which is really not much. As the second semester is starting in a day, we still don't have proper schedules sent to us. This makes planning the other parts of life really difficult. The staff members dealing with musical theatre folks are nice and try to be helpful but most of the time, they don't really know much about future plans either. It's not their fault but mostly only a consequence of the previously mentioned non-existing communication. Apart from all that, the lack of practice rooms is often an issue discussed among the students. The teachers seem to be on the students side on this.
Basically, to sum it up: NYFA is a money-making machine in many ways and undoubtedly many of its students won't benefit much from the various programs they're now attending. However, the musical theatre program really tries to be different and all the current students are really into rehearsing and succeeding in the field. There are some youtube clips showing some of the work of the previous and current students - I guess one can judge also based on them what to expect from the school. I would say: go for it, be ready to work hard and don't let the annoying parts of the school turn you down (the best and the most important thing is the amazing level of teaching anyway) and demand good quality of education for the money. Since musical theatre seems to be the best program in the school, they actually want to invest in those students.
I agree with this and would even tell you based on my daughter's experience that even Tisch does not open that many doors... lots of work at good summer stock programs on the resume in addition to the things listed here are much stronger ammo.
I remember applying to NYFA musical theatre program myself and trying to find some information about it but not really finding anything. So this is my attempt to help people to know how the program is.
First of all, yes, there's a lot of negative buzz around NYFA in the Internet. And I'm sure that in most of those cases, the reality is not far from the truth. BUT, the comments are often about the other programs, not musical theatre.
So. To start with the applicants and the accepted. The fact is that pretty much everyone is accepted. This is sometimes an issue in the acting classes since no English proficiency test is required. And yes, pretty much everyone gets some sort of a talented-based scholarship. This might vary, but initially everyone gets it. You gotta remember that in the US schooling and educating people is BUSINESS. It's not a bunch of folks trying to act all non-profit. But then again, why couldn't it be? If they have something you want, they can ask for a price and it's all up to you whether to pay it or not.
So is it worth the money? The opinions about this obviously vary between the people studying in the school, but based on my personal experience I would say a great majority of the people are incredibly happy with the educational aspects, meaning that the teachers and the actual classes are really good. I personally agree with that 100%. They've really managed to attract some of the really best teachers in the program. I don't have one single teacher who wouldn't know his or her specialty really well and actually also know how to teach it to others. And that is the most important thing, isn't it? You can really learn musical theatre here, but you have to be ready to work hard and be very disciplined with it.
So what sucks? Basically the biggest problem in the school is the administration. And the lack of both, internal and external, communication. Nobody ever knows anything. The teachers know only as much as the students know, which is really not much. As the second semester is starting in a day, we still don't have proper schedules sent to us. This makes planning the other parts of life really difficult. The staff members dealing with musical theatre folks are nice and try to be helpful but most of the time, they don't really know much about future plans either. It's not their fault but mostly only a consequence of the previously mentioned non-existing communication. Apart from all that, the lack of practice rooms is often an issue discussed among the students. The teachers seem to be on the students side on this.
Basically, to sum it up: NYFA is a money-making machine in many ways and undoubtedly many of its students won't benefit much from the various programs they're now attending. However, the musical theatre program really tries to be different and all the current students are really into rehearsing and succeeding in the field. There are some youtube clips showing some of the work of the previous and current students - I guess one can judge also based on them what to expect from the school. I would say: go for it, be ready to work hard and don't let the annoying parts of the school turn you down (the best and the most important thing is the amazing level of teaching anyway) and demand good quality of education for the money. Since musical theatre seems to be the best program in the school, they actually want to invest in those students.
The real question is what do you want to do with the education. Do you want to work in the industry after you graduate or are you just there to have fun. The bottom line is that if you are talented you
could make it but the money spent on NYFA is not really a good investment. I don't want to shatter your dreams but even at NYU Tisch the vast vast majority of the kids who go through that program 3-5 years out are no where to be seen in musical theater. I'm glad you think your instructors are good but as for the students being happy--- they are just kids who really don't know what they are doing so that does
not count for much.
The real question is what do you want to do with the education. Do you want to work in the industry after you graduate or are you just there to have fun. The bottom line is that if you are talented you
could make it but the money spent on NYFA is not really a good investment. I don't want to shatter your dreams but even at NYU Tisch the vast vast majority of the kids who go through that program 3-5 years out are no where to be seen in musical theater. I'm glad you think your instructors are good but as for the students being happy--- they are just kids who really don't know what they are doing so that does
not count for much.
I'm not quite sure how you get the opinion that the money spent on NYFA is not really a good investment? As I mentioned, there are various things that completely suck in the organization and when it comes to management, planning and communication aspects, but I wouldn't say the money is really not a good investment. I'd like to know, based on what information and experience you think that way?
And about dreams - there's no worry about shattering them. I'm very realistic of the severe competition in the field, yet aware of my own potential and also of my flaws. But maybe that comment wasn't targeted at me, but stated as an overall opinion? Since absolutely there are always people with unrealistic goals, but at least talking with my class mates I feel like they all have an idea of the reality. I remember one of our teachers even asking us "how many of you (ten students) will actually end up having a career on Broadway and in such level musical theatre?". We replied "One". And he said "Maximum, one".
And students being happy? Like I said, a great majority of the students are extremely satisfied with the teachers and their ability to teach - and I must disagree with you, a lot of the students might be "kids", but a great number of them are mature young adults and they are completely aware of what they're trying to pursue in their lives.
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