<p>I'm interested on which schools you would choose for the top 15 BFA programs (I know the HR did 25 but MFA was included). As I'm aware this might cause an uproar please remember these are all PERSONAL OPINIONS :)</p>
<p>I believe in no particular order the top schools are:</p>
<p>CMU
NYU Tisch (Strasberg)
Ithaca
Boston University
Guildhall
LAMDA
Syracuse
UNCSA
CalArts
Fordham
Rutgers
DePaul
Juilliard
RADA
Purchase</p>
<p>Honorable Mention: USC</p>
<p>I’ll tick some people off and play since some others have asked what I though in the past …</p>
<ol>
<li> Juilliard</li>
</ol>
<p>2 - 5. CMU, Rutgers, SUNY Purchase, UNCSA (Pick your flavor)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>UM Guthrie (Would be in the next group up if they did an industry showcase)</p></li>
<li><p>DePaul (Really in the next group down, but stock should rise now that the cut is history)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>8 - 15. BU, CalArts, Ithaca, NYU, Northwestern, Syracuse, UCLA, USC (Pick your flavor)</p>
<p>Honorable Mentions: Chapman, Cornish, Emerson, Evansville, Fordham, Hartt, Muehlenberg, Otterbein, Pace, Southern Utah, SMU, UArts and probably some others that elude me at the moment.</p>
<p>To watch: UT Austin and The New School</p>
<p>If I included graduate programs, ACT, Brown, Delaware, NYU, Old Globe, UCSD and Yale would have to figure in. </p>
<p>If I included international programs, Guildhall, LAMDA, NIDA, RADA and WAAPA would be near the top and Bristol Old Vic, Central and RSAMD/RSC would also have to figure somewhere in the middle. This of course excludes the myriad non-English speaking programs about which I know very little.</p>
<p>So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! :)</p>
<p>Nice list, fishbowl. Especially with the honourable mentions. Sent it to someone who is just starting on the college admissions process and wants to study up on options.</p>
<p>I was writing quickly and two “honorable mentions” I missed are UCSB and CCM. Some of the elite LACs like Sarah Lawrence, Vassar and Swarthmore plus Ivy League schools like Brown, Yale and Princeton also have good BA programs and/or active theatre scenes that could lead to additional training as needed. Not to mention that they attract a few who are already essentially acting at the professional level if not literally. A lot of people in the upper echelons of the business side come out of those schools, too.</p>
<p>I have personal insight into the BA theater majors at Swarthmore and Fordham-- not even on the same planet. </p>
<p>I think these kinds of lists, insofar as they are rankings, are a fairly blunt instrument. </p>
<p>Even if rankings were qualitatively meaningful, not everyone is after the same career. There is a huge difference between, say, a Broadway chorus career and a film career. There is a tremendous range in what one might want from a theater career.</p>
<p>Wow - 5 posts in and 50 schools have been mentioned. FIFTY!!! Lots of great programs for kids to choose from, with each program fitting the TOP spot for any number of hopefuls.</p>
<p>Ha! These lists are great if your school is listed and if they are ranked high. I have already seen some “bragging” facebook posts about some of the schools. However, I’m with glassharmonica. It’s hard to put a quantitative system on a completely subjective program! These numbers would really be eschewed if they measured successful actors who never went to or graduated from a program. These lists are always fun to look at though and I love the discussions that usually follow them.</p>
<p>I agree supportive and glassharmonica. I must admit, when my children started this path, my husband was constantly reading the top lists and was always so worried that my daughter was not attending the top programs of the (fill in the blank) list. We quickly realized, after her first few weeks, actually, that she was exactly where she needed to be, it was a perfect fit, and that the lists are not for everyone. But they are good conversation starters, like supportive said!</p>
<p>Agreed. Good places to start a discussion that ranges from ba to bfa, from highly competitive lac to large university, from conservatory style to a broader education. All students need to start a discussion somewhere; I think our kids, like those who will play sports in college, have an added dimension to the topic of college admissions. To they have to play Division1 to be successful in life. Not necessarily.</p>
<p>If I could put in my two cents. Five years ago, I was in the position that many of you are in right now - trying to find the right place for my daughter to study acting. We read up on all of the schools and even traveled to a few of them. We liked all of them, but there was always something that was of a concern. Like Goldilocks, some were too big, some were too small, and most were too expensive. We wanted our D to get a good education, but didn’t want to saddle her (and us!) with overwhelming debt. After all, she was going to be an actress. Luckily, we live in Oregon, and she was able to attend SOU. If you don’t know SOU - it’s a small state college with a VERY CLOSE relationship with Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It turned out to be a terrific fit. While getting her BFA, my D was able to take classes taught by professionals from the Festival and all over the world. her senior year, she interned with OSF and was involved in two World Premier plays and was able to watch Mary Zimmerman create a brand new play from scratch. She also met a gentleman from LAMDA and is heading to London for her MA this fall. Not bad for a state school! I’m sharing this not to brag (okay a little bit) but to encourage you to help your student find the program that fits them. A named school is nice and you should always try to shoot high, but don’t ignore the fit. I am SO GLAD we didn’t rule out something close to home.</p>
<p>Sb… I am so glad you mentioned Southern Oregon. My S who is a rising Senior has it on his list if schools. It is never mentioned on here, but we are from CA and are pretty familiar with OR and the OSF. Also, Ashland is one of the cutest colleges towns ever. Can you elaborate a little more on the BFA program there. Do you get in and audition as a freshman? Did your D take any other academic classes? What did she think of the facilities? My S is a Shakespeare fanatic, and has done some work here in San Diego at The Old Globe.He loves the idea that SOU has ties with OSF. SOU would also be a bargain for us in CA because I’m pretty sure they offer the WUE.</p>
<p>Sorry it took me a few days to see this, 5 boys. I asked my D your questions and this is what she said. BFA process has changed to an audition in freshman year and then one after sophomore year. (this is different from the 3 cut process we went through).Class size is 20 tops - 16 is more the norm. D took normal classes She said it was 1/3 general academic to 2/3 conservatory. She was able to finish with both a BFA and a minor in Shakespeare ( she is also a Shakespeare fanatic). As to OSF, the relationship is ridiculously close. Company members both teach and guest direct at the college. BFA students are invited to audition for internships their senior year (this generally involves both on stage time as minor characters or ensemble and understudy work). Understudies even get paid!!! And interns can put OSF on their resumes and get a great deal of mentorship and advising from the company artistic staff. My D was also able to audition during her internship for visiting casting agents from all around the country both film and stage. The facilities at the school are surprisingly comfortable. There are two stages and multiple rehearsal rooms. They are in the early stages of a building program to expand their venues. You’re not wrong about the town and the school. It was a great place for my D to live. Small enough to interact with others outside of class. My D played trivia every Tuesday at a sports bar with her History professor. D says that the personal attention she got in combination with the up close interaction with a professional theater was the best preparation she could have had for her future career. One last thing - if your S really LOVES Shakespeare, there is NO Better place to learn how to act to the works of the Bard. OSF is world class. D’s future professor at LAMDA put OSF on the same level as RSC.</p>