The American Musical Dramatic Academy, also known as AMDA, is one of the world’s most prestigious and sought-after performing arts institutions. It is one of the most innovative academies for emerging performing artists.
Philip Burton founded the Academy with the help of other dynamic artists and educators. AMDA has been in existence for nearly six decades. The school was founded in 1964.
The Academy has offices in both New York and Los Angeles, California. It is located in the heart of Hollywood and Manhattan, the world’s two creative capitals. As an aspiring artist, you will have the opportunity to be close to your favorite Hollywood stars as well as meet them in person.
One of the benefits of attending this school is that you can fully express your creativity. You are also open to an infinite number of possibilities.
An Overview of AMDA
For more than 50 years, performers of all types have turned to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) for a high-quality arts education.
AMDA was founded in 1964 in New York City and opened its Los Angeles campus (AMDA College of the Performing Arts) in 2003. This puts its students in great locations not just to learn in the classroom but also to see professional performances in the area to supplement their studies.
The alumni of AMDA are frequently seen in television and movies, as well as on Broadway stages, and their names frequently appear on award nomination lists.
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AMDA’s Degree Programmes
AMDA gives three degrees; which are: the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), the Bachelor of Arts (BA), and the Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS).
Students at the Los Angeles campus can pursue the BFA in nine concentrations, including acting, musical theater, and dance.
Meanwhile, there are two specializations in the BA program in Theater Arts: general and performance. Students in the BFA and BA programs can complete their degrees in four years if they take the regular route, or two years and nine months if they take the accelerated route.
Other study options at AMDA include the AOS degree, which offers majors in acting, dance theater, and musical theater. Traditional and accelerated programs are available in the AOS program.
Meanwhile, students who have achieved an AOS can use the AOS Acting for Camera to BFA program to complete their BFA. In addition, the college provides four conservatory certificates in various parts of the performing arts.
Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate for AMDA is low. The acceptance rate of the academy is 31%. In other words, if 10,000 people apply for admission to the academy and you are one of them, you must be among the top 3,000 students with exceptional grades to be accepted.
The Grade Point Average (GPA) of AMDA
Because the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) is such a competitive school, you must have great grades. You must have a 2.0-grade point average (GPA) or a corresponding grade in other grading systems.
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Admission Requirements
The admission requirements for each program are different. They must take the following steps to gain admission:
Following your acceptance, you must complete the following tasks:
- You will need to meet with the admissions team.
- You must create a student portal.
- You must submit a financial aid application.
- You must make a refundable deposit.
- You must go to the student reception.
- You must attend an orientation session.
For international students, they must meet certain admissions requirements.
The following are the standards that must be satisfied if you are a student from another nation requesting admission:
- You must submit a fully completed application.
- You must schedule a phone interview with admissions for the AMDA Audition.
- You are required to submit personal essays.
- You must submit a recommendation letter.
- You must submit your academic transcripts (Transcripts)
- You must provide confirmation of your English skills.
AMDA – Acceptance Rate, Ranking, and Scholarships
AMDA is one of the most renowned and sought-after performing arts colleges in the world. It is currently regarded as having one of the most inventive programs for up-and-coming performing artists among academies.
Philip Burton and other inspiring artists and educators formed The Academy. AMDA has been around for almost 60 years. The institution opened its doors in 1964.
New York and Los Angeles, in the USA, are home to the Academy. As an aspiring artist, you have the chance to be near to your favorite Hollywood stars and get to meet them in person, because it is located in the middle of Hollywood and Manhattan, the two creative capitals of the world.
Since its inception in New York City in 1964, AMDA has grown to include campuses in Los Angeles (AMDA College of the Performing Arts), putting its students in enviable positions to not only learn in the classroom but also to attend neighboring professional performances to further their studies.
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Degrees at AMDA
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Arts (Banand Associate of Occupational Studies are among the degrees that AMDA provides (AOS). Students at the Los Angeles campus can select from nine concentrations under the BFA program, including a variety of acting styles, musical theater, and dance.
They offered the general and performance specializations in the BA program in theatre arts. Students in the BA and BFA programs can complete their degrees in two years and nine months if they choose the accelerated track, as opposed to four years if they choose the standard track.
Additional study options are available through AMDA, such as the AOS degree, which offers acting, dance theater, and musical theater concentrations. The AOS curriculum offers both conventional and accelerated tracks.
Meanwhile, through the AOS Acting for Camera to BFA program, students who have achieved an AOS can complete their BFA. The college also provides four conservatory certificates that focus on various performing arts topics.
American Musical and Dramatic Academy Acceptance rate
AMDA received more than 7,700 applications for admission to the class of autumn 2020, and it accepted about 2,400 of them, for an acceptable percentage of about 30%. That term, more than 530 admitted students enrolled.
When choosing which campus to attend, performers interested in attending AMDA may wish to consider the total enrollment at each site.
AMDA’s Rankings
Niche ranked the New York campus No. 109 on their list of the “Hardest Colleges to Get Into in America” out of more than 1,700 institutions.
Numerous organizations have praised AMDA’s campuses, including Niche, which placed the New York location fourth on its ranking of the nation’s greatest performing arts colleges.
The New York campus ranks No. 89 nationally among theatrical schools and No. 16 in New York State, according to Theatre-schools.com.
In contrast, AMDA’s Los Angeles campus ranked No. 319 nationally for drama schools and No. 40 among the best in California.
In addition to receiving a “B+” overall grade, AMDA New York also received strong grades from Niche for key features that can influence students’ application decisions.
AMDA received an “A” for student life and diversity, as well as an “A+” for location (minorities make up 23 percent of its student body).
The college received a “B+” on the website for both academics and security. Niche did not offer rankings for the campus in Los Angeles.
AMDA’s Scholarships
AMDA provides grants and scholarships for international students. It is crucial to submit all essential documentation on time because these cannot be provided until you have been accepted.
AMDA offers about $500 to $1000 scholarships per year.
Additionally, AMDA takes into account applicants for talent-based scholarships that can drastically lower annual expenditures, from $1,000 to $16,000. Students must complete the Federal Funding Application ( in order to be considered for need-based aid.
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AMDA Conditions
In their final two years of high school, prospective students 16 and older apply to AMDA online, via the CommonApp, or via Royall VIP.
Although auditions are not necessary for candidates interested in obtaining a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts (general), they are necessary for other programs and to be considered for scholarships. Students can try out live online or by video in addition to appearing in person at any AMDA regional audition or at their school.
Through personal writings and an interview, AMDA also aims to learn more about applicants.
All program applicants must submit one letter of recommendation from a professional, such as a coach, teacher, or guidance counselor. Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts will need to submit two letters.
AMDA Tuition For the 2021–2022 academic year:
Students at the Los Angeles and New York campuses each paid $42,660 in tuition and $300 in fees.
Due to AMDA’s location in two big cities, students should prepare to pay a sizable amount for housing. In Los Angeles, students had to pay $10,280 for on-campus accommodation in 2021–22.
The college calculated that students at the New York location would spend $10,280 on off-campus accommodation during the same academic year.
According to AMDA, students at both campuses will spend the same amount on other expenses throughout the academic year, including $1,200 for each student’s transportation and textbooks.
Famous Alumni From AMDA
Graduates have found outstanding success on both the stage and the screen. On Playbill’s “Big 10” list of colleges with the most actors working on Broadway in the 2018:19 season, the school came in fifth place.
Alumni have gone on to make significant television and film appearances in movies like “The Hunger Games” and “Goodfellas” as well as television series like “Pretty Little Liars” and “Glee.”
The Alumni have received nominations for prestigious honors in 2021, such as the Grammys, Golden Globes, and Emmys.
Christopher Jackson and Anthony Ramos, two Broadway veterans and stars of the groundbreaking hit musical “Hamilton,” both received degrees from AMDA.
Former students include actors and singers Jason Derulo and Janelle Monáe, as well as “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
The reason Derulo went to AMDA was in order to hone his acting and singing skills.
AMDA LA and AMDA NYC
At both AMDA sites, students receive identical instruction, yet the quality of life is as varied as the cities themselves.
The New York campus, is several blocks long and is based on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Which offers students a place to learn and develop close to Broadway and a strong local theater culture. Students from Los Angeles attend lessons in and near Hollywood, in areas that are close to the motion picture and television industries.
AMDA provides the same performance-based learning environment overall, albeit, on both coasts.
Directors, performers, and casting directors are just a few of the working professionals who teach the next generation of professionals through AMDA.
Additionally, students apply their learning while participating in AMDA’s 150+ performance opportunities offered each year.
Similar academic facilities are available on both campuses, including areas for performances and rehearsing as well as equipment for editing, filming, and broadcasting. A performing arts library is located in each school and contains items including music, scripts, and DVDs.
In order to provide the institution with a better understanding of the applicants’ personalities, AMDA advises candidates interested in the Bachelor of Arts degree to submit a two-minute personal video in which they discuss specific topics.
The college also provides a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), which costs $1,100 for two semesters and covers student health care in New York City and Los Angeles. Additionally, food plans are offered for a variety of prices depending on the campus and other elements.
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Comparable Schools And Ranking
One of the performing arts training institutions in New York and Los Angeles is AMDA. The famed Juilliard School is likewise located in Manhattan; it has a comparably low undergraduate enrollment of 588 students and charges $51,480 in tuition and fees.
In its rankings of schools and universities in New York City, EduRank ranked Julliard 38th out of 92. No. 52 on the list was AMDA.
Meanwhile, students can find comparable degree programs and selective admissions at the University of Southern California. Only 18 students were expected to be accepted into the university’s BFA degree in acting for stage, screen, and new media in a recent academic year.
Additionally, USC benefits from being one of the nation’s top universities; according to U.S. News & World Report, it is ranked 27th.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of this article, you have seen what AMDA stands for, and the impact it has contributed on the lives of many remarkable artists. We have seen AMDA’s ranking, acceptance rates, scholarships, and GPA.
AMDA will undoubtedly provide you with virtually all that you need to hone your music and creative skills.
If you are looking for the best institution to harness your music and creative skills, then AMDA will give you all that you need and more. You can equally go through the Frequently Asked Questions for more clarifications.
Frequently Asked Questions About AMDA
AMDA is a great choice! Learning and performing side by side with other great artists will give you a boost in your career.
The acceptance rate for AMDA is not very high. The admittance rate for the Academy is 31%.
Being a student at this institution with other successful artists is enjoyable because you will have plenty of opportunities to perform so that you may get better at what you do
Modern amenities are available. They have top-notch theaters, film, television, and art galleries as well as libraries and museums.
The AMDA’s programs need a 2.0 out of 4.0-grade point average (GPA) or its equivalent in other grading scales.
Reference
- AMDA – Acceptance Rate, Ranking, and More – collegegazette.com
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