<p>I suppose I should say that I'm not really sure what I'm trying to ask here . . .</p>
<p>Anyways, I was recently accepted to Marymount Manhattan for the BA in Theatre Arts with a Musical Theatre Minor. After talking with the students and staff during the auditions, I decided to go with the BA because I was told that, because the MT Minor is so big (and will continue to grow), it is pretty much impossible to finish it along with the BFA without taking classes during the January and Summer terms and possibly going into a 5th year. And, with the BA, there is more room in your schedule to take more Musical Theatre classes besides the ones that are required. I was really impressed by the school when I visited and I have a friend there who loves it (she's doing just BFA in Acting, no musicals for her) and they also gave my a nice scholarship so I am seriously considering going. The thing is, everyone i talk to seems to say that you gotta have the BFA because it shows that you're really dedicated to theatre and so on. There is nothing I have ever wanted to do besides theatre, but I also want to do it at a shcool that i think fits me. And Marymount seems to be that school. I guess my I'm asking is, how is a BA (vs. a BFA) viewed?</p>
<p>And, also, if anyone goes to Marymount or knows someone there and has any info to share about the theatre program or the school itself, I would be most appreciative.</p>
<p>When you're going for a B.F.A.- you're going for a pre-professional degree in theater. You're getting tons of intensive training, but the degree itself, the actual paper, may not mean much at all in terms of how it's "viewed". Auditioners will not care about where you went to college or what degree you recieved - they'll care about whether or not you can DO IT. The preprofessional training is meant to teach you how to DO IT. But there are many roads to this same goal, and what's right for one of us may not be right for another. The most important thing is to follow your instinct. If Marymount looks and feels right- then I'd say go for it. The title "B.F.A." isn't going to make your experience valuable, what's going to make it valuable is if it FITS. The fact that its in the city, a taxi's ride away from reputable dance studios, acting and voice coaches, etc. doesn't hurt either if you feel you want to supplement your school training from the outside. I don't agree with whoever said "you gotta have a B.F.A. because it shows your really dedicated to theater". People show their love for theater in a lot of ways, and I don't think that the school they choose is necessarily a measure of how dedicated they are. Maybe I'm jaded because I just did an overnight at Cornell with a fabulously talented actress/singer who decided on B.A... but I really think you gotta follow your heart, don't let what other people are doing effect you... be true to yourself! You can still accomplish your goals, even if your path is somewhat different...
Dani</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your thoughts. I definitely agree with what you say, it just gets so confusing when so many people balk at the fact the I would even CONSIDER a BA program. Even though, with the MT classes, it's actually more theatre-related classes than the BFA. Just wanted my ideas validated, I suppose. Thanks again.</p>