Where to find acting schools?

How can I find the best acting schools in New York?

• Answer:

  First, there's a whole conversation around how to define best. There is no objective standard. Of course, acting programs are going to vary in quality, but it's more  complicated than that. The quality within a school will also vary, and  the quality from year to year and administration to administration. It's  important to keep in mind that schools are selling a product--their  training--and like any product, any claims should be taken with a  healthy degree of scepticism. And your results may vary. I think a better question is "What's the best program for me?" It's not enough to look at the list of famous alumni. Some schools include people who didn't even graduate, or did and have negative feelings about the experience. What kind of teachers are you looking for? Do you have a particular acting approach you want to study?  Are you sold on Meisner, for instance, or do you want to be exposed to lots of different techniques? Do you know under what conditions you learn best? What kind of environment do you need to thrive? Many students need to work while they're in school. Some programs assume that and schedule accordingly, some have schedules so demanding there is no way you'll be able to keep a job. Many programs will leave you in so much debt you won't have a snowball's chance in hell of paying it off with a performing career. This is not meant to discourage you from getting the best training you can. Your first question is fine, as long as you keep asking questions, and that the questions get more and more specific. Specific to you. Good luck!