I am currently in the process of applying to my group of BFA acting colleges. I will list them in case anybody has any recommendations:
- Boston University
- Carnegie Mellon
- Emerson
- Fordham
- Ithaca
- NYU
- SUNY Purchase
- Rutgers
- Syracuse
I would love to get any insider knowledge about any of those their specific acting programs, or any similar schools I might be missing.
On a different note, I am having trouble finding monologues. I currently have my mind set on one contemporary, dramatic monologue, but it runs about two minutes. I’m running into the problem where different schools’ pre-screening and audition time requirements range between 1-2 minutes per monologue. Does this mean I should memorize more monologues to fulfill the requirements of each audition? I am also having trouble finding a proper contrasting monologue. I keep reading plays, but for some reason nothing feels like a proper fit, and I’m running out of time. Any recommended monologues or resources would be tremendous help as well. I’ll read anything 
Thanks!
If you have a two-minute monologue, you just find a way to cut part of it to make it shorter. It could mean finding an earlier point to end it, or a later point to start it, or a paragraph in the middle that can be removed without losing the meaning, etc. It’s tricky, but that’s the usual thing to do - having different “cuts” of the same monologue.
Are you working with a coach or acting teacher at all? Since time is short, it can be helpful to get monologue suggestions from a coach.
Your list is very top-heavy; all the programs are very competitive to get into. You should add some less-selective programs and one or more non-audition “safeties.”
I would recommend adding a shakespeare - lots of those programs like to see you do a classical piece
Thank you for the answers. I am beginning work on a classical monologue from Much Ado About Nothing. I am looking more for a second contemporary monologue. I don’t have a preference between dramatic and comedic, as long as it contrasts enough from my first contemp. monologue (which takes place during the peak of war). Any recommendations for contemporary monologues for men are appreciated!!
My opinion is that you are not applying to enough schools, tbh. Those schools are on everyone’s list. You need to double it and get some safetys on there. My daughter has hers narrowed down to 18 schools for MT. You may also want to consider hiring a coach to help you with monologue selections,etc. Good luck!
Last year my son was in a time crunch over a monologue for a competition, and we used College Audition Coach, and purchase the monologue concierge, son was pleased with the selections and saved him so much time.
We used the monologue concierge this year & D was happy with the monologues she was given. It was a huge help.
Feedback from my daughter’s round of auditions was that she should have done her contemporary piece with more body movement. She picked an monologue that was a young female basically yelling angrily at a professor (I’m sure many on this thread know what it is called) and apparently that is exactly what NOT to do. We were told it highlights everything it is capable of showing in 30 seconds. Your monologue has to “go somewhere.”
Also, be sure to have more in your back pocket than what is required by each school bc if they like you or if they want to see something MORE in you than your required auditions showed them, it’s good to have others ready to go. (Songs, too - you never know.)
Break a leg, everyone!
The wisest approach is to CUT the monologue to different lengths as described above. Start the monologue later, end earlier, try to keep the story intact though. We used a coach to help find material, it sounds like the on-line monologue concierge might be worth it.