This non-profit acting school in NYC offers a 2-year professional acting workshop and a 2-year musical theatre workshop.
Performance opportunities: Students benefit from the school sharing a space with the famed Circle in the Square Broadway theater. First-year students perform in a scene night in front of an invited audience. Second-year students appear in a showcase in front of industry professionals (plus a cabaret event for musical theatre students) and are cast in a series of plays and musicals for their final project. Some graduates can also join the Alumni Performance Ensemble and be paid to perform in children theater.
Career preparation: Acting students attend seminars with successful playwrights, directors and actors. Internships assisting the Performance Ensemble‘s stage manager are available.
Degree: Students who graduate receive a certificate of completion (admission into the second year is by invitation only). Credits are transferable, although the number of credits successfully transferred varies from one college to another.
Financial Aid: Federal grants, work-study programs and loans are available.
What you’ll need to apply: A picture and resume, 2 letters of recommendation, interview, audition. International students are welcome. Auditions are held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle.
Acceptance rate: About 54 students are selected from 600-700 applicants.
Audition policy: Auditioning while in school is not prohibited but attendance in the full-time program is considered paramount.
Website: www.circlesquare.org