I'm currently in the market for a school, and I've made it a requirement that the school I end up attending must have a roadhouse that employs students to work incoming shows. I looked at the $35k/yr schools, and I have to say, I didn't see a huge difference from those in the $13k/yr schools. To be honest, the competition has been pathetic from what I expected of schools nearly 3x as expensive as a nearby state school.
This is a tough requirement, and really limits the choices of places to go. Most schools bring in concerts and events that students either volunteer for or work for, often these are done in gyms or on football fields, which can give an interesting
load-in/out experience. There was a video posted in off-topic (I think) of the O.A.R.
load in at someone's school.
I think what you really want to look for is schools in locations where there are opportunities. I went to a school, Ithaca College, which is in a town that has tons of opportunities for students to get involved. There are multiple venues on campus and in town or in the surrounding area to work and get experience. You will find that if you don't limit yourself to a school that provides on-campus experience that there are many schools that fit the bill.
In summary, don't predict what you're education will be based on by how much it costs, and make sure you find a school that will provide you hands-on experience.
This is totally true, cost does not denote how good an education you will get. The most important thing is to go to a school you like, in a location you like, with faculty you like and the program you want. Then worry about cost.
/Sorta related hijack/
Often times the tech possibilities are limited in private schools for political or funding reasons. Some schools are "business" schools, some schools are "sciences" schools, it just depends on what the board of trustees or whoever want the school to be known for. Often things like the the arts are considered extra- or co-circular and don't receive the funding that may be available at a larger school with a demand for a wider variety of course work. My university is a prime example. We DO pay students an opportunity to work events, both professional
road crews, and internal events, but the Event Tech Crew is an extra-curricular activity. Actually it's considered work-study. If you want to get a degree in something technical the options are limited to Music Production and Technology (mostly recording studio work) or a
Theatre major, which is acting and technique and tech and all that. While I think the overall education is better than what someone would get sitting in a state school classroom with 300 other students, Most private schools don't have the money available to us to have the bleeding
edge technology that State schools have in their theatres. It's an uphill battle that most privately funded institutions
face every time the budget meetings come up.
Actually, I think you have this backwards, most private institutions do better financially than public. Why? Because they aren't relying on government money and they don't spread themselves too thin. Now, bear in mind that not all state school are like this, nor are all private schools.
Here is the rub, state schools (in general, but not all) try to provide affordable education for anyone who needs it in as many disciplines as possible. So what does that mean? Well you end up with huge schools with large enrollment, with most students paying the discounted locals tuition. You have lots of facilities and programs most of which always fighting for money. Money is usually given to departments based on enrollment, so the financials of each department depend on having enough students.
Now, much of the same can be said about private schools, but there are many major differences. First, the students who go to private institutions have found a way to pay for it. At $35K+ per year and going up, even small schools take in lots of money. Then consider that most private schools collect the same tuition no matter how many credits you take within the range of "full time status" which is usually between 12-18. On the other
hand most state schools only charge you for the credits you take.
Where does that $35K+ go? Well, a lot of it goes to endowments, this is important. Endowments allow schools to offer scholarships and give money to departments. Some goes to maintaining the facility, paying for faculty and staff and the rest goes into the general funds (this is a very simplified description).
Now lets compare two schools of similar size, say the University of Utah (state school) and Cornell University (private). The table below is based on non-resident enrollment costs (the enrollment numbers are total undergrad enrollment).
|
U of U
|
Cornell
Enrollment
|26000|21000
Tuition
|~$16000|~$33700
Room & Board
|~$6000|~$11200
Total Cost
|~$22000|~$44900
So, the private school takes in about double the tuition per student and still comes out ahead with lower enrollment. Now, in my opinion having had some involvement at both schools Cornell has the better
theatre program.
That being said, it isn't always true, there are plenty of state schools with wonderful programs and there are private schools with lousy programs. Yes, private schools often seem to be more specialized, but that isn't a bad thing, you just have to find the schools that specializes in what you want. You wouldn't go to a business school for an education in
theatre. However there are plenty of schools with great
theatre programs that are known for different programs. There are also plenty of liberal arts schools with excellent
theatre/arts programs as well.
This whole discussion ties back to a well known idiom: "
Jack of all trades yet a master of none." Again this does NOT apply to ALL state schools and it DOES apply to SOME private schools. When you try to do too many things it is hard to be the best at any one of them. The schools that offer courses or degree programs in almost anything usually (not always) are not the best at any of them. This is not to say that they don't have excellent programs, just not the best.
/end hijack/
In short, unless you are picking schools based on financial reasons first then
the most important thing is to pick the school that fits you. You want to find a school with a program that you like and you feel you will get the most out of. You want to pick a school in a location you like that offers the opportunities you want. Ultimately, after four years if you come out happy with the education you received then it doesn't matter if you went to East Bumblebutt College or Harvard. It doesn't matter if you spent $15K or $50K as long as you got what you wanted.
So don't judge schools by the
book and numbers. Take everything that your campus tour guide says with a grain of salt. Sit in on classes, talk to the students. If the schools offer an "overnite in a dorm" program then do it. Also, make sure you visit the town that schools are in, not just the school itself. Can you see yourself living there for 4 years?
NOTE: All the opinions expressed above are just that, opinions. You don't need to listen to me or take my advice. I do not mean to offend, and I apologize if I do.
ALSO: Facts and figures were gathered from the websites of the respective schools.