College or Not?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>I'm sorry if this topic has already been posted, I just joined this forum.</p>

<p>I am conflicted about whether I should go to college to get a BFA in Musical Theater. I know there are definitely some benefits for it, but I know that there are also plenty of actors out there that don't go to college and still get jobs. I have also heard that it really doesn't make that much of a difference to a casting director whether someone has gotten a degree or not. I would like second opinions about whether going to school is the best option or not.</p>

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<p>It is possible to do well in performing arts without a degree. However, as you point out, there are a lot of unemployed folks who would like to be performers. It is a tough business - which is why one would serve themself well to have as much training, as possible before jumping into the fire. In a business where the odds are against you - good preparation increases your odds for success. A BFA degree from a competitive, reputable program prepares you for the rigors of a life in performing arts. As colorful casting director, Dave Clemons says, “I get tired of sitting through auditions of half-baked lids - I want to see fully cooked prospects.” It is not about the piece of paper (diploma) - it is about the training. Most HS students don’t even know what they don’t know. College is not for everyone - but the training and maturing a good program provides does give you a step up. Hope it goes well for you.</p>

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<p>Well said MTdog!</p>

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<p>mtdog, that answer should be pinned somewhere here! :)</p>

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<p>Totally agree with mtdog. Many students enter BFA programs with much talent but come out with FAR more talent and preparation than before they entered college. They are much more competitive, not due to the diploma, but due to the intense training they have received in such a program. </p>

<p>Further, in my opinion, going to college is about far more than artistic training. It is about growth and becoming educated (the coursework isn’t all artistic at most programs) and that will serve someone well in life. It is hard to make it as a performer and a college degree will help one overall in LIFE, as a person and in terms of being employable, not simply castable. The odds of making it as a performer are chancy and so having a college degree will be helpful in the long run in terms of jobs, etc.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the input so far, I just have to add some stuff that I totally forgot to mention in my first post (I was pretty tired lol).</p>

<p>First of all, I am a high school senior and I am taking both high school and college courses. By the time I graduate in June I will have a high school diploma, an AA with an emphasis in Acting, and my prerequisites for a Dental Hygiene program (Dental Hygiene is my back up career, to do in between performing jobs). After two years in a Dental Hygiene program, I am wondering whether I should continue to a university to get a BFA in Musical Theater, or if I should just start auditioning.</p>

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<p>niques55–it’s hard to answer whether or not you should get a BFA because everyone is different. There are so many variables.</p>

<p>People who are successful in theatre and are able to find steady work <em>without</em> a degree usually have been working steadily for a while, either as a child, then teen, then adult, or have built up to it as an adult. It’s extremely unusual to audition for a professional show without either a hefty professional resume or a BFA. Most auditions are by application only–that is, you’re pre-screened based on your resume & headshot, &, if the theatre is professional enough, by your agent. To even get your foot in the door is difficult.</p>

<p>You can bypass a BFA - this is assuming you’ve got talent - by working first in community theatre jobs and building your resume, steadily, over the years. You will need a ‘real’ job if you want to do this as obviously you cannot support yourself. If you have talent, it is not horribly difficult to land a community theatre role, although it is not easy either.</p>

<p>I have known actors who have done just this, and learned ‘on the job’ rather than in a college program. However, these actors really struggle to break into professional theatre–they can; it’s just hard without any connections at all. </p>

<p>I also know stage actors who are successful, working and equity, who don’t have a college degree, but all of them, without exception, already had a resume from their childhood and teen years. Some were equity as a child.</p>

<p>Breaking into commercials is different. If you are beautiful or have the right look, you could conceivably land an agent right away, if you have enough talent–it is all about the look. Many more actors succeed this way without BFAs. They start with commercials, build their resume and go from there. But in this case you have to have the look; you really have to be beautiful OR a specific certain type.</p>

<p>Besides training - which is extensive - the reason you’d get the BFA is to get a college degree, and build your resume and connections. One graduated, you have your college degree plus your foot in the door and can go from there. You can also do this via a BA in theatre.</p>

<p>The problem with doing the no-college route is that you are stuck with low paying jobs. However, it looks like in your case you have the Dental Hygiene option, which is practical.</p>

<p>Since you are not sure, what if you took a ‘gap year’ to see how the not-going-to-college thing works for you? Audition, build your resume, work toward being the dental hygienist, and then near the end of the year, reassess. I don’t advocate going to college, particularly a BFA, if you’re not really certain this is what you want. You could also just go to college for your BA in ANYTHING (something practical), and then audition for shows in the college. There are people who do this who are successful too.</p>

<p>It really depends on your own needs and your own goals and your own temperament. Good luck!</p>