Hi, I have just graduated from Pepperdine University and am starting my acting career. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial for me to take some intensive technique classes at acting studios or to take college classes like the UCLA Extension where they have industry professionals teach. They have a certificate program for $6500 where you take 48 units, but have the option of stretching it out to from 1 to 3 years if you want. The plus to this or taking community college classes is that if I go back to "college" I can defer my student loans from Pepperdine, but I can't do this with studio classes.

On the other hand, I'm auditing places like Howard Fine, Playhouse West, Aaron Speiser, Stella Adler, and the Strasberg Institute. These classes seem more focused on the working actor, rather than theory-oriented. They are a little more expensive, though. I have no idea which route to take. Anyone have any ideas?? Please help!

My personal opinion is that if you want to get out, start auditioning and meet other actors in Los Angeles I would suggest taking a studio class. As you eluded to in your post, there are lots of excellent studio classes in the Los Angeles area that are well known.

If it is important to defer your student loans, which I completely understand, then I guess taking classes from an academic institution is something to consider.

And as you probably know, credentials don't mean nearly as much in acting as they do in other fields so I don't see a certificate from UCLA Extension meaning anything to a cd or agent. About the only credential that may open a door is an MFA or BA from certain schools but at the end of the day what really matters is whether the training you ultimately decide upon makes you a better actor.