Academic Record vs. Audition & Theatre Resume

<p>How do we learn how heavily university Acting B.F.A. programs weigh an applicant's academic record against the Audition and "Artistic Review?" I've heard that Tisch/NYU is a "50/50" program, while Theatre School at DePaul is much less fussy about the record (provided the student meets minimum requirements). My son's grades are nothing great, but his boards have usually been respectable (PSATs were not spectacular, but would be passable for most schools aside from Yale and Northwestern; he hopes to bring the scores up a bit). He attends a respected private boarding school, though, and should have excellent recommendations. Nobody can predict just how he'll measure up against the competition at auditions, but I want to determine whether he stands a shot at, say Fordham or Rutgers (we are NJ State Residents), before committing to the ordeal of applying there. I think it's worth trying, if auditions count for at least 50%, but some places like Fordham and Rutgers require acceptance to university first, if I understand correctly. Any insights?</p>

<p>The answer to your question is not a simple one. </p>

<p>First, there are some audition based acting programs that have a bifurcated process whereby admissions to the university is separate from admissions to the acting program. In such a case, a theater applicant would need to be considered qualified to be admitted academically just like any other applicant to that university. It won’t matter if the applicant is qualified to get into the acting program if the university won’t take him/her.</p>

<p>Second, there are programs where the admissions for acting is ONE decision, either you are admitted to the university AND theater program or not at all. In many of these cases, the audition counts a larger percentage of the admissions decision than the academic review. This varies. Perhaps at some schools, the audition may count 75% of the admissions decision. At NYU, it counts 50%. But typically in these all-in-one admissions situations, the audition counts more. HOWEVER, academics count! Even if academics counts 25% of the admissions decision, the applicant must pass muster with the level of qualifications necessary for that college. Also, when BFA admissions are so highly competitive, and there are more artistically talented applicants qualified enough to get admitted to the program than slots in the class, those with a stronger overall profile including academics will have an edge over talented students who don’t measure up academically. Also, academics will matter for scholarships. Now, if a school really wants an artistically talented student who is not that strong academically, they may bend a bit on academics, BUT the student still would have to at least meet the low end of that school’s standards of admission academically. They won’t just accept any sort of academic record! </p>

<p>Thus, I suggest when building a college list, that for EVERY school on the list, examine the academic qualifications of admitted students to that college and the regular acceptance rate to the university, like any college applicant should do. Only apply to colleges where your academic profile is remotely in the ballpark, not ones where they don’t accept students with such a profile. Balance the college list with schools that are reaches (I mean reaches that are remotely attainable), matches, and safeties ACADEMICALLY (like any applicant should do) and ALSO balance the list with a range of ARTISTIC odds schools (more competitive ones to less competitive ones), and include non-audition academic safeties.</p>

<p>By the way, Fordham is a BA by audition, and admissions to the university is separate than to the theater program.</p>

<p>I often see a big mistake when some people make their college list and they simply look for colleges that offer Acting (or Musical Theater) with no regard to the academic qualifications for admissions to the university itself. </p>

<p>To be perfectly honest, I am glad academics count. I have taught college myself. A theater applicant is entering COLLEGE, not simply a training program. It is a SCHOOL. Schools want to accept students whom they think can succeed at their college. Even if the student is focusing on theater, they also take some liberal arts classes and need to be able to handle the level of the ones offered at that college. But even with that aside, it is not enough to be able to act, but one needs to be able to be a STUDENT on the college level and colleges will look at an academic record as it speaks to the KIND of student one is…it doesn’t matter if the subject was English or Acting…how the student approaches schoolwork matters even in conservatory training classes. </p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

<p>soozievt’s response is so thorough! It is important to ask the programs what the process is and keep track of each school’s response for when you apply. FSU, for example, has you apply to both the university and the theatre program. Audition slots are given out in October BUT admissions decisions to the university (separate but required) are sent out in November and the theatre school drops you from the audition slot if you are rejected from the university. </p>

<p>DePaul, on the other hand, told us they didn’t care about my son’s high GPA and AP scores–except perhaps for scholarships.</p>

<p>A friend of mine who is an acting teacher at a local university told me that GPA and test scores also give an indication of how hard a student is willing to work when artistic talent is the same between candidates. Also, they look at what else the student has done as an indication of how they can balance and withstand the grueling commitment of theatre.</p>