Comments on: Rutgers MFA Acting Program

By: Class of 19XX

Class of 19XX — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:58:59 +0000

Well, after reading all the stories, I feel obligated to post. I was a bfa and all the horror stories that I have read in the above posts about Mason Gross are true. Of course anyone can claim sour grapes, but the prior posts all ring true. I saw the class sizes get cut by fifty percent, saw incestious relationships throughout the school. Special treatment for certain students who talent was nill, but parents or siblings carried a good reputation for the school. I was cut after a fantastic review from all my professors, except one. The other professors just sat there and hung their heads in shame, all knowing how I was mistreated. There are several wonderful actors that have graduated from this program, I am sure they would have excelled at any school. As a parent sending his own children off to college, I wold NEVER let my children come within a 100 feet of Mason Gros.

By: Dennis Baker

Dennis Baker — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:32:59 +0000

Hi Sway,

Other than David’s blog (Notes on Acting), I do not know of any other writing about University of Houston. If you have specific questions, I am sure you can email David, and he would be happy to go into more detail. Remember, everyone’s situation is different, so go in knowing exactly what you want, and don’t compromise. Best of luck and keep me posted if you find anything so I can pass it along to other readers.

By: sway6flame

sway6flame — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:12:54 +0000

Hello. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was wondering what honest impressions/thoughts anyone had on University of Houston’s MFA Acting program. I’ve been reading some of the NotesOnActing posts and have found them helpful. Not guaranteed Equity or necessarily being cast in Alley Productions, though the possibility is there. I’d really appreciate any insight.
Thank you!

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:59:04 +0000

Although my experience is a few decades old, I found this blog and topic of interest. I was a BFA for two years. The first year there were 30 students, the seond year 15, the third year 8 and 5 made it through. Most of the teachers were MFA’s who where teaching us with supervision from Professors. While I was considered an excellent student, the abuse I suffered from the Professor who was our acting teacher was incredible. I was asked to leave after my second year. There was no warning, no consult and no guidence as to transferring to a different school. It was just a “Things aren’t working out, goodbye”. I continued my studies and recieved my B.A. from Rutgers. I have followed the graduates and only one has worked consistintly in the industry. I still shudder at the thought of “what if’s” had I stayed with the mentally abusive program through the full four years. Many of my friends disappeared and or suffered addiction issues after staying there.

By: Jesse CBeav

Jesse CBeav — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:10:36 +0000

I would just like to point out that from my knowledge this is just pointing the MFA program… From what I have heard, seen, and learned is that the BFA program at Rutgers MGSA is among the top in the country. It is currently ranked on the same level as Juilliard according to many NY and LA agencies. The BFA program is HIGHLY selective audition over 1,500 a year to accept 18. Rutgers MGSA really does house one of the best acting schools in the country for undergrads. However, I have heard that the MFA program is much less renowned. I have heard the MFA actors are not nearly as talented as the BFA actors. I have heard that the MGSA focuses much more on the BFA actors than the MFA actors. So to conclude… Rutgers is one of the very best places to go for a BFA and not so much for an MFA. Just wanted to annunciate that point on here. The do have completely different faculty. I am sorry for this horrible situation you had to go through though…

By: summer

summer — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:19:31 +0000

To be fair, I do think that your experience and your fight and the fight of others in your class is the reason no one has been cut from the classes after you. So, I think you have helped many students who have followed you into the program.

I’m glad you have been welcoming the challenges to your blog. I think that any good blog writer should be open to them, and I know you are. I’m sorry if you’re receiving personal attacks. That’s not okay.

I think it is very commendable and respectable to pull yourself up from a devastating situation and continue thriving in the business.

Best of luck with all your ventures and congratulations on your successes!

By: Dennis Baker

Dennis Baker — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:37:20 +0000

I have received some emails/comments which makes it seem that I need to clarify a point about the 50% attrition rate. The blog post in no ways states that it is guaranteed that each year the students will be cut by 50%. I also praised the fact that there has been no cuts in the current classes. What the post states is that if the 50% has happened in the past, it means it can happen in the future. It also asks potential students how smart it would be to enter into a finical agreement with that knowledge.

Also, I have received more comments that did not include any new information, stated what has already been said, and contained personal attacks. Comments that re-iterate what has already been said and/or contain personal attacks will not be posted.

By: Dennis Baker

Dennis Baker — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:27:04 +0000

Scott –

The issue was that there was not a rubric which was the reason why a student got kicked out without being on probation. When we had a meeting about teaching undergraduate non-majors where we were told to create rubrics to give to the students on a bi-monthly basis. We laughed because we as graduate students were not given the same thing. We were told we could meet with teachers, but the above mentioned student did that and was told everything was fine. You are correct, this issue is not about me and speaks to a bigger problem within theater higher education programs..

By: Scott Walters

Scott Walters — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:08:27 +0000

Dennis — Let me ask you something: what were your grades like? The reason I ask is that, while I suppose Art is right that graduate programs have the “right” to dismiss anybody or fail and entire class (just as you have the “right” to warn people about this kind of behavior), in other areas students are dismissed for not maintaining a certain GPA. That’s legit, as long as the grades are based on a clear rubric and not simply intuition. But to dismiss somebody because of a “voice problem” is nonsense, or even (and here’s the more likely scenario) you brought a critical mind to the training and didn’t seem inclined to treat the faculty like minor dieties (although many do resemble the Greek pantheon as far as their arbitrariness and in-fighting are concerned). I speak as a theatre professor myself who taught in a department with several MFA tracks, and who has since abandoned that scene for exactly these kind of ethical issues. (Althought truth be told, my stepson is getting a BFA at my old school and has encountered a little Napoleon there, too, who likes to use his power arbitrarily). Anyway, don’t let this become a discussion about YOU — it is a discussion about a SCAM, and it is time that people talk about it instead of keeping quiet out of fear of repercussions.

By: Dennis Baker

Dennis Baker — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:43:30 +0000

Thanks for your post Art. I do agree with you that a department can dismiss students if they want to and that alone is not so much the ethical issue. Though I do think it is bad form. This specific post does not address my dismissal because by the school’s standards they took all the steps necessary. The issue was that they did not do so with another student, and to me that is unethical. That student was allowed back into the program after much argument, but even allowing this to happen, makes me question the integrity of the administration.

You are correct in noting that I had to pay additional fees for extra work over the summer. The reason for dismissal was vague and in the end they did not think I was a good enough actor to fit in the program. You bring up the point exactly when you say that if one is good enough to enter into a program, how bad are they to be dismissed? If a program does not think the student is fitting in with a certain type of study, then it is the program’s responsibility to have a more rigorous audition process because I doubt if they can tell from one ten minute audition whether any person is truly right for a certain style of study.