@remartin67 How exciting! Fun to see these acceptances come in!
@remartin67 Congratulation on your Son’s acceptance!
My D auditioned at Marymount yesterday for both BFA acting and MT audition. She’s a stronger actor than singer, but she loves those musicals!
Did your son audition for just the BFA acting program? If so, can I ask how that audition was conducted?
My D was in a group of kids wanting to be considered for both Acting and MT and was told they would be evaluated for both tracks. Marymount does group auditions which is fine. But the acting audition part was rather odd, though.
They not only did their monologues in the same room with the other students, they did at the SAME TIME. They were told to move and walk around among each other, saying their monologues out loud - everyone all at once.
The exercise was done three times with the direction for first time “say it as if you were speaking to yourself”, second time “as if you were speaking to the other character in your scene” and third time, “as if you were speaking it to the world”
I can understand wanting to see how an actor would do these changes. But how could the auditor assess 16 kids, wandering around the room, all speaking at the same time?
Is that how your son’s audition was conducted? Feel free to PM if you’d like. Thanks!
@daughtersdreams WOW! That sounds really strange to me but I guess there is some kind of method to the madness! How did your D feel about it?
@daughtersdreams My S did BFA acting only. It was also a group audition and they took turns presenting their monologues. There were 2 teachers in the room, and they only stopped to work with some of the kids. They did not work with my S. After monologues were done, they asked them what other interests they have outside of theatre and a few other interview questions. That was it. I heard the same thing you mentioned from one of the MT groups that was there that day–that the MT kids didn’t present their monologues individually but used them in exercises. I’m not sure how they can assess candidates who are also interested in BFA acting that way, but yes @CMB625, there must be a method to the madness. 
@daughtersdreams --feel free to message me if you have more questions.
@CMB625 My D said it just felt weird and was disheartening to her because she didn’t think this was a good representation of her acting skills. Kind of wished she just done the BFA acting audition as she was originally scheduled for.
@remartin67 When did your son audition? Just wondering how long it takes to hear back.
It’s good to hear that they didn’t do any work with our S on his monologues and yet he got accepted.
The same thing happened when my D did her songs but she took that as a bad sign since they worked with they worked with all the other kids except her and another girl, and my D said they were all really good singers!
@daughtersdreams My S auditioned Jan 21st. They told us it would be 2-3 weeks and that we would receive something in the mail either way. We received ours on Feb 10th.
Thanks @remartin67 Sounds like they were on top of it. I think the girls at the registration table said it might be longer - like 4 weeks. Waiting is so hard. Happy that S has this option on the table!
Hi, my D got accepted to UArts for MT. Can anyone tell us about the program? Of course we will be waiting until April with all of you for the rest of our results, but at least we have one acceptance!
@LAM2017 Might want to check out this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-arts-mt/
If you have specific questions you can also ask on the MT forum.
Thanks. I can’t find the MT forum. What is the title? When I try to search I come up with hundreds of threads!
@LAM2017, congratulations! That’s awesome! My D is a sophomore MT major at UArts; she loves it, and my H and I have also been thrilled with it. Feel free to PM me.
I posted in the MT forum a few days ago that my D’s agent has a BFA in MT from Pace and her opinion is that my D doesn’t need one. She said she’s already ahead of the game by having a good agent and that she has gone to the Juillliard showcase and would take my D over any of them. Of course as a parent I want her to go to college but I’ve been thinking a lot about what she said. I feel like maybe it’s crazy to give up four years of opportunities to go into a BFA program that won’t allow students to audition on the outside. It was a good conversation on the other board but I’m posting here now because I think that the BFA is much more important for an MT major as opposed to someone who wants to go into film/TV acting. Someone said to me to see what the Universe brings and I found that to be great advice. She’s auditioning a lot right now since it’s pilot season and she’s turning 18 next month. So anyway…part 2 of the BFA saga…today my D had two pilot auditions and about a 5 hour free time in between with nothing to do so I told her to go to her agent’s office and hang out and practice her lines for the second audition. (I’m home with a stomach virus). So the assistant asks my D how everything is going and she tells him that she finished all her BFA auditions. There’s an actor there who overheard that and pulled my D aside and told her not to go for a BFA. He’s in his 40’s and pretty successful (we looked him up) He said he’s still paying off his BFA and it never did anything for him. He said that there’s a big need for girls her age and not a lot of competition because they’re all in BFA programs! Then another actor who was there also chimed in saying the same thing. His advice was to just go to a state school and major in something else and audition and take acting classes in the city. She calls me and tells me all this but prefaces it with “well my whole world just came tumbling down”. The guy also tells her that he gave the same advice to John Krazinski and another actor who took his advice and is now Captain America! It’s definitely something to think about…
Also funny is that I just found out her agent hasn’t been using her headshot (which is about a year and a half old and her hair was shorter) but they’ve been pulling her selfies off of her Instagram and that’s why she’s been getting so many in the room auditions! Glad I paid $1000 for the headshots LOL!
@marg928 I really think it is a personal choice. There is not a right or wrong answer. I know if my D had not ended up where she is I may feel differently. However she feels she has learned so much and grown tremendously with the training she is receiving. She says the difference between the first years and seniors in her program is incredible. Sounds like the majority of kids in her program feel the same. Including those who have or are working professionally.
That said -programs and training differ greatly. And what people get out of a class or college varies greatly as well.
Your D can’t go wrong either way. If she books work then maybe follow that path for a year or so. One can always return to school. If she doesn’t book a job and wants a BFA I don’t see why she shouldn’t do that. Or a BA or any other program that she feels “fits” her goals. If the goal is to work now and audition a lot that leads in one direction. If the goal is to train and develop her art, that leads in another direction. Neither is wrong.
I know for my daughter this training is invaluable and she wouldn’t trade it. However that is directly related to her specific program and if she wasn’t there it may be a different story.
that’s exactly they way I feel @bfahopeful…we’ll have to play it by ear. The BA at LMU is looking very attractive right now but they gave us no $ unfortunately.
@marg928 This is why a lot of actors choose the conservatory route. Much less expensive, rigorous training, no liberal arts, and you are done quickly. 1-3 years, depending on the conservatory.
I think for film and TV, you probably do not need a BFA, but if you want to do theater, especially classical theater, the training really helps. And of course, many of our kids do not have an agent or get called into auditions regularly, so we hope that they will make some of those kinds of connections through the people they meet in school. It sounds like your daughter has very good options, and I hope you will continue to post about her journey as it unfolds.
I was curious so I looked it up. IMDB indicates John Krasinski “attended Brown University, graduating in 2001, as a playwright with honors, then studied at the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut.” Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, “moved to New York City and took classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.”
@marg928 I’m laughing right now about the headshots!! I feel for you! Nearly all the stuff my D has been submitting for specifically says - send a recent selfie! Maybe it’s the trend on TV for “reality” shows so they want to see the real you!
My D is considering the same options that were suggested to your D by those seasoned actors. She wants to be in New York, but she is beginning to rethink her goals in regards to MT vs. straight acting. She has a full scholarship at LIU (she hasn’t auditioned for their theatre program yet). But she’s thinking of maybe just attending for another degree and going to casting calls and just seeing what happens.
I feel for you and your D – tough decisions. Probably there is some truth to the need for an MT BFA vs. BFA Acting. Probably because most 18 year-olds’ voices aren’t fully developed yet so attending a 4 year program with great vocal training gives time for their voice to mature to a level that is competitive in musical theater.
However, I agree with others – your D should not feel like she absolutely has to have that BFA – especially if it’s one that would not allow her to do outside auditions. I would think that some NY-based acting programs (maybe BAs) would allow - or even encourage-- their students to audition for paid work? The main thing is not to rush into something and stay flexible.
I usually “hang out” in the MT forum, as I have a senior MT major D (and I read way more than I post). However, I have a high school junior D who wants to act - but screen acting! We are in the same boat as several of you - thanks for posting the link to this @marg928! MT D would say her training has been invaluable, but I would love for Acting D to get a “normal” (haha) degree and take acting classes on the side. Her local acting coach has said the same. Please post what y’all decide to do, or your thought process! There are coaches for MT and Acting, but I need help with my Screen Acting girl!
And as for the head shots - D booked a commercial in the fall with a selfie & very casual iPhone video introducing herself and we got a breakdown today for a national ad campaign also asking for selfies! They specifically said they didn’t want traditional headshots! This, as MT D needs new headshots since she’s graduating… :))