<p>Wow... the amount of info here is overwhelming. I had no idea until I stumbled on this board how much there is to consider for a kid who wants to pursue theatre in college. </p>
<p>I understand all are audition, but are there BFA acting schools that are easier to get in than others? It seems the TISCH, Carnegie Melon, Guthrie, DePaul etc. type schools are over the top competative, so are there others that are more under the radar where the odds of admission improve because of fewer applicants? From reading here, I seems the auditions are also really a kind of casting for a schol's ensemble. I am guessing there are more white females auditioning, therefore the odds of having the talent and fitting a niche are smaller. I can see why researching the BA with acting/performance is so important.</p>
<p>Two questions you and your child should be asking:</p>
<p>1) Which BFA acting school would give the best possible training to prepare a young actor for the realities of making a living in theater/film/television? This would include the caliber of teachers – are the teachers working professionals, or professional teachers? </p>
<p>2) Does the BFA program have a senior showcase in NYC or LA? And, how many of the school’s recent graduates signed with a theatrical agent following a showcase? </p>
<p>An acting school that is “easier to get into” may not help an actor transition to the ultra competitive world of show business, where at any given time there is 90% unemployment.</p>
<p>A BFA is not all about employment, any more than a degree in history or philosophy would be. I’m in a creative field myself, graduated from a top program, and while that has done me a world of good, I’ve seen plenty of brilliant people come out of lesser-known colleges and succeed wonderfully. There’s no sure pathway to artistic success but there is a path to artistic fulfillment: developing yourself and your art by working with others who share a similar passion. </p>
<p>That said, I know that others on this board know much more about specific BFA programs. If you start reading about each one, the curriculum, the faculty bios, the info on here…and then visit, talk to students and professors, see a show…oh, look at part 8 of the 12 part archived thread at the top of the theater page-- it has a state by state list of programs…it’s a few years old and doesn’t include many BA’s, but it’s a place to start.</p>