B.F.A at small school vs. B.A at well known school

I’ve recently been admitted to two schools, one of which is Ball State University as a B.A in Theatre Arts and the other is Central Michigan University as a B.F.A in Musical Theatre. My question is which one would be the better option. I’d really prefer a B.F.A over a B.A as I am more interested in the performance side of theatre over playwriting, directing, casting, etc.
My concern is that if I went with the B.F.A from the smaller, lesser known school that this would impact my ability to make connections and get cast in the future. I know that Ball State has a good reputation as a theatre school, but I don’t know if going there for the B.A would be worth it or not. I’m looking for any thoughts/input.

We visited Central Michigan and attended their production of A Chorus Line. We were pleasantly surprised and impressed with the high level of skills displayed in all areas (dance, voice and acting) for a relatively unknown school in the BFA MT world. We were also impressed by the vocal and acting instructors we met. The current MT students praised the program and the individual attention they receive. All in all, I think the training the students receive their is outstanding. Our biggest concern, as well, was the apparent lack of connection to the MT industry. Although they did discuss that their students were heavily involved in summer stock, regional performances and cruise ships.

My D was accepted at Central Michigan too and is waiting for a decision on a couple more schools. After all decisions are in, she has a list of questions that she will be asking each of the schools she has been accepted to (or waitlisted) to make a final decision. As I have read countless times on this forum, sometimes the where you go to school isn’t as important as what you make out of it. There are pros and cons to every school and I think only you can make that decision of what is most important to you in your education. Its a tough decision, but I’d encourage you to gather the facts on each of the schools, compare and listen to your gut!

I posted elsewhere about being told by numerous people that if you truly want performance based MT education and training etc that it is not a good idea to attend a school in the general BA theatre program just because of the school reputation & cache & when that school is known for its mt program. Like in this case where you applied to MT , were denied and then are contemplating the general theatre major just to go to the school. I think you run the risk of being unhappy if MT will be the only thing that makes you happy ( which you hinted at in your post) .
I understand the connections temptation but I’m betting those connections may be limited to the BFA kids. Just my take. Someone else with experience can weigh in but I remember a student on another thread commenting on this very subject where I posted before.
Also don’t get caught up in using the connections lure in making a decision. Look more into the curriculum and what you really are trying to accomplish in college.

RosesMT, thank you for the info. I have been trying to find others who knew about/auditioned for Central Michigan’s MT program but had no luck. When I visited for my audition, I felt that even though it was a relatively small program, that it seemed pretty solid. I’m still waiting to hear back from one more school, but at this point, I’m assuming that Central Michigan will be my only BFA program option, as I was only accepted into the BA programs of most other schools.

I guess ultimately my biggest concern was about making connections, but as theaterwork has said, it may not be as important as other other factors. I have an aunt who is a theatre professor at a smaller university theatre program who has told me that going for the B.A may give me a better chance of employment while I continue to audition. My only concern with this is that if I went for the B.A, I would not receive the training that I want to become a better, more well-rounded performer.

Getting cast in the future depends primarily on what you do in the professional audition room. The program that best prepares you for that circumstance is the best program for you. Connections can only help you get into the room, and no matter what the school name on your resume, they will only go so far in helping in that regard. While Ball State is an excellent program, I don’t think attending there for a BA will give you an order of magnitude benefit over a BFA at Central Michigan in getting auditions, while the BFA at Central Michigan will give you a complete curriculum of MT skills development and performance opportunities.

@EmsDad that was what I was thinking, but I’ve been receiving conflicting advice from other sides.

I had a long, thoughtful reply in my head ready to post. Then I read @EmsDad response. So I’m just going to say, “what EmsDad said.”

=))

I agree with the above. BFA at CMU is better for you than BA at Ball State, considering your goals. Besides, Jeff Daniels attended there for acting and it didn’t turn out so bad … and, his advice to others who want to follow in his footsteps is to attend where you think you will have the most performance opportunities. So, food for thought. Good luck!

Back in 2014 my daughter was accepted to Central Michigan. Did you do any other on site auditions? If so, what do you think of the feel of the school/department compared to other schools with a BFA program? My daughter is currently a junior at WKU which is an audition later program. They are still accepting applications to the school. I can give you information about both programs if you would like. Send me a PM.

@LoveMyMTGirl yes I have done other onsite auditions, but I wasn’t really at CMU’s campus long enough to get a good enough feeling for it. I would definitely like information on both. I’ll be sending you a PM.