<p>Top BFA Colleges that fall into each category,</p>
<p>(Boston University, CM, Emerson, Depaul, NCSA, Suny Purchase, etc.)</p>
<p>Most emphasis:</p>
<p>Medium emphasis:</p>
<p>Less emphasis:</p>
<p>Thanks so much! :D</p>
<p>Of your list, Emerson is the only one that really cares much at all about grades.</p>
<p>Based on my son’s acceptance, and his GPA… Cal Arts seems not to care much at all ;)</p>
<p>Most emphasis:</p>
<p>Emerson College</p>
<p>Medium emphasis:</p>
<p>Less emphasis:</p>
<p>CalArts</p>
<p>How about BU? What’s the average GPA into there?</p>
<p>At my kid’s BU acting audition last year in New York, auditor Paolo DiFabio told the kids that their GPAs did not matter much as long as they were better than 2.0. I distinctly remember him saying “If you have less than a 2.0, then I can’t help you.” He seemed in that way to indicate that if your acting audition was di-fabulous (sorry, I couldn’t resist!) then that would be the deciding factor. Of course, I think it goes without saying that if you happen to have a di-fabulous audition <em>and</em> great grades, well, it can’t hurt you.</p>
<p>Just a note to students who don’t feel they should work hard since many great BFA programs don’t require top grades- Many BFA kids work really hard in high school and achieve impressive grades and test scores. After many of them are accepted they wonder if they needed to work so hard since most acceptances are based predominately on their audition. However, quite a bit of money is based on merit so I remind students that the grades might not be needed to get in but they are very helpful in the ability to pay for the school.</p>
<p>Yes, agree with Pohsmom. Lifetime quality to work hard be disciplined in all one does.
These are traits that benefit forever. And the money seems to reflect my daughters good grades/ scores. DePaul has offered a generous scholarship based on intellectual and leadership. Not her acting ability.</p>
<p>Just my opinions:</p>
<p>Schools which count the strength of the high school curriculum, plus grades and test scores heavily in the BFA admission process might include (in no particular order):
UMinn/Guthrie
Univ of Southern California
Univ of Michigan
NYU Tisch
Southern Methodist University
Syracuse University
Muhlenberg *audition-based BA
Fordham University *audition-based BA
Northwestern Univ * audition-based cert program</p>
<p>Schools which count grades and test scores less heavily might include:
UArts
Pace University
Point Park University
Marymount Manhattan College …
but again, these schools are known to offer generous scholarship awards
to high-achieving students. </p>
<p>Schools which fall somewhere in the middle, but which tend to offer
generous merit scholarships to high-schieving students might include:
CCM
Ithaca
Roosevelt
Otterbein
Wagner College
OCU *BM for Musical Theatre
Baldwin Wallace *BM for Musical Theatre
Indiana University *audition-based BA (I believe)</p>
<p>However, students should not be mis-led into thinking that grades and test scores simply don’t count when applying to BFA programs. The point made above by Pohsmom is very true. PLUS, even at ‘pure’ conservatories such as Juilliard, NCSA and SUNY Purchase, if the Theater Dept is presented with 2 kids of equal talent applying for 1 spot in their BFA program, grades, test scores, ECs and recommendations may (and I think they generally do), form the basis for the final decision. I know Juilliard definitely asks for transcripts and test scores if students make it to the final call-back weekend.</p>
<p>The foregoing list is not intended to be mutually-exclusive and again, these are just my thoughts based on the BFA/BA programs I’m familiar with through my child and many friends with kids who are either in or applying to BFA programs in Acting or Musical Theatre.</p>
<p>P.S.: I didn’t know where to put Carnegie Mellon University, which is so competitive academically in so many areas of study. After speaking with CMU reps at local college fairs and at the parent info session which precedes auditions, it’s my understnading that for admission to CMU’s BFA program, the audition counts as 80% or 90% of the process, regardless of grades and test scores. However, given the sheer number of Acting and Musical Theatre applicants which CMU has to sort through, BFA admissions can generally be viewed as a de-selection process, in spite of the perception that ‘grades and test scores don’t really count’ - - and I can’t help but think that given 2 kids of equal talent, the student with higher grades and test scores (and a strong HS curriculum) is going to be favored at a competitive University like CMU.</p>
<p>Feel free to jump in … hope this helps!</p>