<p>Hello Denise - congratulations on your acceptances! Do you mean that you are currently living in Spain? Have you visited the campuses?</p>
<p>I can’t tell you much about Hofstra except that it is true that you start as a BA student and audition into the BFA later. This is very different from starting in a class that have all auditioned in as freshmen. It’s not better or worse, but it is different. At Adelphi, there are usually about 20 Acting majors who follow a pretty structured 4-year program together. Only Theatre majors can be in plays. There are virtually no musicals. The experience, I feel, is quite comprehensive, both in performance and in other areas, including design (although there also are BFA Design majors), directing, writing, and other areas of theatre. There is an opportunity to study for a semester at LAMDA in London. The BFA takes about 50% of your credits over 4 years. The other 50% are general education requirements (which you can place out of) and electives (which can be more theatre courses). There are excellent dance and music departments, and many theatre students take voice lessons and dance classes.</p>
<p>They are supportive of summer internships, outside theatre work, and other interests. There is playwriting offered through the English Department. You can minor in another subject, but you can’t double major. If academics are important to you, you can apply to the Honors College for an intensive 4-year Great Books-based program and degree. </p>
<p>The facilities are new and the productions are excellent. There are many theatre professionals who teach classes and do workshops there. At the end of senior year they have a showcase with agents. There are no promises that students will come out with representation, but it is another great way to network. There is a film/TV/media department where theatre students can take classes or act in film projects.</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior. She knows many graduates, and they are working in theatre - maybe not supporting themselves yet, but working. I consider this a sign of a program that prepares students for a career. My daughter has achieved her goal of excellent training (including the LAMDA semester) and rewarding academics, plus making connections in NYC. For both schools, Manhattan is a reasonable train ride away, and students go in for jobs, classes, and entertainment. My daughter averages about 15 plays a semester with great discounts.</p>
<p>I recommend making a 4-year plan for yourself from the course catalogs. See what they offer and what you would want to take. Think about how much academics matter or don’t matter. Think about the size of the department and who your professors and peers will be. Think about what matters to you about being in productions - students do leave Adelphi when they realize they miss being in musicals (or they do them in the summer, elsewhere). </p>
<p>I think both campuses are similar in size and in campus life. Both have a lot of local students and commuters, and at Adelphi this means there aren’t a lot of campus activities on weekends - students go home, or they go to NYC. But theatre students everywhere tend to be very busy in their departments, so this isn’t as much of an issue for them. It can make the “college experience” that many people imagine a little less prominent. Adelphi does have fraternities, sororities, and a lot of sports, so some of those kinds of activities exist. </p>
<p>Good luck with your choice - I’d say the biggest question is about having the BFA from the beginning (or at all, since you could stay in a BA at Hofstra), differences in how productions are cast and put on, and what you want from the rest of your college experience - academics, student life, etc. You can ask me more in a private message if you wish.</p>