New York Colleges for Acting

New York University

• With more than 42,000 undergraduate and graduate students, New York University is the largest private university in the U.S., according to the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. An audition is required for admission to the school's Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama or Master of Fine Arts in acting programs. Students in the baccalaureate program focus on traditional acting, experimental theater or musical theater performance. Intensive acting courses, internships or study abroad are required for graduation from the undergraduate program. Notable alumni of the college's prestigious Tisch School for the Arts include Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, Debra Messing and John Cusack.

  New York University
  70 Washington Square South
  New York, NY 10012
  212-998-4500
  nyu.edu

Vassar College

• Vassar College has the distinction of ranking 11th on U.S. News and World Report's 2010 list of the best liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Although the drama department does not require an audition for students to enroll in its programs, only one-fourth of all students who apply for admission to Vassar receive an invitation to the school. The program culminates in a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and provides students with the opportunity to spend a semester abroad studying theater in Europe or Asia. During their senior year, students complete a final project---a role in a piece of experimental theater or a research paper. Famous alumni of the drama program include Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow and Justin Long.

  Vassar College
  124 Raymond Ave.
  Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
  845-437-7300
  vassar.edu

State University of New York at Buffalo

• A member of the State University of New York system of schools, the University at Buffalo is a public institution with more than 19,000 undergraduate students. The college requires an audition for admission to its Bachelor of Fine Arts program in theater with a specialization in performance. All students in the program study technical theater, voice training, audition techniques, mime, Shakespearean acting and modern dance. The program allows students to pursue a second degree in a liberal arts major. Upper-level courses in the theater department are typically limited to 10 to 15 students to provide actors and actresses with individualized attention. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of department-sponsored and student-produced shows throughout the year.

  State University of New York, University at Buffalo
  3435 Main St.
  Buffalo, NY 14214
  716-645-6900
  buffalo.edu