<p>I know this is the MT thread, but I thought I might be able to get an answer here. My D is auditioning for BFA in acting in Feb, but if she did not get in to the BFA program could she go into the BA program? Can a BA student take more acting classes if the Gen Ed courses are complete through AP classes? Or are the acting courses/movement restricted to the BFA kids? I have checked the BA curriculum and there aren’t a lot of studio courses. Can all kids audition for productions? Thanks for any help you can give.</p>
<p>bisouu - if your daughter does not get into the BFA Acting program, I’m pretty sure she can do the BA program because it’s non-audition I believe (of course, she has to have the GPA and test scores to be accepted to the university). The best advice I can give you is to call the school and speak to the</p>
<p>bisouu - my phone went crazy and my message was cut off so I’m finishing my message here. I would go on the website, get the phone number of Eric Diamond, the head of the department, and ask him all your questions. He’s a warm and wonderful person and you will enjoy talking to him. I had a ton of questions related to technical theatre for my daughter, so I just e-mailed the technical people and had very long conversations with the tech people and they were all wonderful and helpful. We live fairly close to MSU and so we also drove over to campus, knocked on the door of the department, introduced ourselves and our child and had a nice long Q&A session right on the spot. You couldn’t meet more helpful people and they’re happy to answer all your questions. Don’t try to piece together the information from the website; go get the answers straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. The other thing I’ve done is to go into various college’s Course Catalogs (most colleges have them on their websites) and then I look for the various courses, and right in the catalog, sometimes it says “open to BFA Musical Theatre students only.” So then I know that for that particular college, the non-BFA’s cannot take the same classes as the BFA’s. If you don’t want to call, start with an e-mail. Also, speak or e-mail more people than just Eric so you can get your detailed questions answered directly from the actual professors. It gives you a nice feel for the program by talking to or e-mailing the faculty or administrators directly. Don’t ask the general admissions department. They won’t know the answers to your specific questions. We found the theatre people at Montclair State to be delightful people and they’d be more than happy to answer all questions about their program. Break a leg to your daughter.</p>
<p>I got a wonderful email this morning telling me that my D should tell the auditors at Unifieds that she is interested in both. The BFA and the BA are auditions only programs (which I wasn’t aware). Her one audition would count for both. Now the crystal ball question…will it hurt her chances for the BFA if they know she is willing to take the BA?</p>
<p>That’s a tough one, bisouu. Who was the email from? I did not know that the BA was audition only, and that you are considered for both when you audition for the BFA. I mean, if she will be considered for both anyway, then there is kind of no need to say anything. It would only serve to show her general enthusiasm for the school, which she can show anyway. So I guess I would kind of lean toward NOT telling them she is interested in both, unless she really wouldn’t care, but I assume she would prefer BFA. And I will second that Eric Diamond is the nicest, sweetest guy. We also “dropped in” on him last summer when we were going through NJ, and he spent so much time with us, and really helped my D with her scheduling issues, well after 5pm. But ALL of the faculty in the department were really helpful and responsive when we had questions, one of the reasons my D decided to go there. The atmosphere was/is very supportive.</p>
<p>At audition sign-in table, you are asked if you want to sign up for the acting program as well as MT. If you say yes, you audition for both programs. I think it can be looked at negatively in either case - saying no seems like a negative and saying yes seems like you are unsure of what you really want. In the end, either answer is probably fine so if you think that is an option your child would like, then why not?</p>
<p>I think it’s 99% about the talent. We worry and worry trying to strategize about how to get in, but I doubt checking off one box vs. another will hurt your chances if the talent is there once you’re in the room.</p>
<p>bisouu - are you absolutely sure that the BA is audition-only? I haven’t heard that about the program.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think it is looked at negatively at all if you don’t say you are interested in both programs – as long as you really aren’t. My D wanted to study MT, period. She’d wanted that since age 12. Dancing and singing feed her soul. She would not have gone to an Acting BFA program anywhere; it is just who she is. She wants to learn everything she can about all 3 areas. Not all kids feel that way, but if you do, might as well be up front about it. If they ask. And BethsMom, I think you are right. I think they put you in the program THEY think is best for you and rarely, if ever, is what the candidate “wants” a tie-breaker, though theoretically it could be.</p>