Even though no auditioned program is a safety, some are less selective than others. Brooklyn College only has one weekend of auditions and it’s on campus - they don’t go to Unifieds - so they don’t draw as huge a number of applicants as many other BFA programs. So I would certainly say the odds of acceptance at Brooklyn is higher than many other BFAs. If you’re trying to create a balanced list with some less selective programs as well as “lottery” ones, and if you’re looking for more affordable choices too, Brooklyn would be a good one to add, IMO.
@actorparent1 - you warm my heart. I know you are a proud parent of a Brooklyn College BFA student so bless you for being willing to state that the school gets fewer applicants and so is a good choice for someone wanting to diversify their application list. I am so tired of parents who get immediately defensive at the idea that "their kid"s school might not be AS competitive for admissions as another school, even though everyone admits that fit is what really matters and going to a big-name, hyper-competitive program doesn’t guarantee fit for any one student. It’s such a help to prospective applicants to understand the reality of what they’re facing and I am so grateful that parents like you can help “keep it real” here.
In that spirit I will also state that NYU has one of the largest acting programs on the east coast, gets a huge number of applicants but also accepts a large number. It’s certainly not a safety - admission rate is low but not as scary low as the smaller, big-name programs. Finances willing, NYU should be considered as a reasonable-chance school for actors with excellent academics.
NYU is tough on academic profile even for audition programs and even tougher on the wallet. OP days finances are an issue. Plus NYU is no-one’s Safety
I suggest looking at some affordable schools, SUNYs certainly the most affordable in the area and look at a number of them that do not have audition based theater programs. Many of those will offer more opportunities than audition schools with a good theater major available
I don’t see how LIU Post or Brooklyn are safeties due to cost. They are private universities and unless the give generous awards to performing arts majors, they are way over the $50k mark in cost. I know many kids at LIU and they did not get much merit money if any and OP isn’t eligible for financial aid. My one son who did audition at a number of schools, got only small performing arts scholarships. His best deal was at SUNY Buffalo, a school that does have money set aside for such scholarships that actually are mote generous than their average academic awards.
Some out of state public schools may offer tuition deals for OOSers to bring cost down to close to SUNY range, but in general, that OOS premium can bring costs way up over the SUNYs.
@CaMom13 , thanks so much! Just trying to “pay it forward” to the next generation! 
i would not consider any program where an audition is part of the admissions process a safety.
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Brooklyn and New Paltz are not safeties for a non-EOP/SEEK student with a 3.0 and 1140 as he is below the 25th at both schools for general admission By the time you pay for housing in Brooklyn, it may not fall within your budget
https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/summary-sheets/Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf
http://www2.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/admissions/undergraduate/downloads/Admission-Profile-2018-Freshman.pdf
LIU Brooklyn is a private school, but Brooklyn College is a CUNY, is it not? That would put it within $30k budget OP has.
@sybbie719, what are some target and safety SUNYs for a student with those stats? OP can check if they have theater programs and if they are require audition for acceptance. I agree that any school that requires Auditions as part of the application process is NOT a safety. But there are plenty of good theater programs out there without an audition required to get accepted. The majority of drama/theater programs are non audition.
@cptofthehouse from having combed threads on here, LIU Post does seem to have a recent history of sizable awards. i dunno that my S would be admitted or qualify for those but it seems worth a shot.
@sybbie719 I get where you’re coming from but i do think it’s fair to consider a group of slightly less selective audition programs as safety-ish. and re gpa, i wonder if a disastrous and health-impacted freshman year isn’t weighed differently by those looking at transcripts (i mentioned he had 3.7 in junior year). i know when i was in high school, we were told that colleges look favorably on grades moving upward as the years go on.
finally, i think it’s very possible that schools like suny purchase (where he will be auditioning for the bfa program) and ccny (where he will likely audition for jazz voice) can also double as non-audition ba theater safety options for him. i believe his academic stats should get him into either of those.
It depends upon whether your son applies to an audition program AND as a regular liberal arts students, and, of course, if the school permits applying. It’s ways. My son was rejected by SUNY Purchase when he applied to their audition required theater program. I don’t remember if he simply did not apply as a regular student as well. He was accepted to CMU in their school of H&SS but waitlisted for the School of Performing arts. Same with Emerson. He did not want to go to any school where he was not accepted for theater. He was accepted at a number of schools with excellent theater programs and facilities but did not require an audition and those were serious considerations.
I agree that an upward gpa trend will be looked upon favorably, as compared to someone with similar gpa but not with the upward trend. However, we are talking SAFETY, which to me is a sure thing. I’d place such schools as targets. A good safety school would be one where he is certainly going to be accepted, is definitely affordable with no contingencies, and has a theater program. You only need to nail one of those and then deal with the targets and lottery tickets.
My son had a number of Musical Theater (his ideal program) schools with required auditions , theatre schools with auditions with good music facilities, schools with good performing arts programs with no audition component in his mix of schools. He ended up with a mix bag of acceptances in all of these categories. He did have one early acceptance that was his safety, so he could take on as many long shots as he could schedule. I think it took some stress off the year having a place secured early.
I don’t really know much about these schools, but I will say that SUNY New Paltz is a cool place to go. Really great for outdoorsy kids with tons of hiking, biking, and climbing options in the area, and good places to eat and go out. lots of natural beauty near campus.
If you want to compare SUNYs search for their Admissions Quick Facts information sheet online. It lists the mid-50th percentile for every 4-year campus. I think the Excelsior Grant is making the SUNY system seem more attractive to families than it might have been a few years ago, so it wouldn’t surprise me if all of them are more competitive than they were even a year or two ago.
Tbh son is not 100% sure about college to begin with - so there’s also a point of diminishing returns with safeties. If his talent doesn’t land him in a situation he’s somewhat happy about, I’m not sure he’ll have a mentality to endure and succeed anywhere. his preference at that point is likely to try making it without college. That’s obviously nerve-wracking for parents but so is all of this! His talent and focus for performing is considerable though and we’re staying optimistic that he will land somewhere that makes sense.
^ the above being said, it seems sound to get some non-audition BA cuny’s in the mix. Especially as the CUNY app fee covers multiple schools. It is a shame they don’t seem to provide a decent housing option though. And I’ve just learned today that Lehman in the Bronx has a performing BFA program. Seems to be way off the radar though.
It is not that CUNY does not have housing, it is the fact that CUNY housing is expensive. Dorm cost range from 12-17K a year depending on campus. Then you must factor in food (which can also be expensive and transportation- if your son wants to leave the neighborhood).
https://www2.cuny.edu/current-students/student-affairs/student-life/housing-residence-life/highlights/
https://www.1kenilworth.com/layouts-pricing-amenities.php
OP should also look at Fredonia, not a safety (GPA is 90 but SAT is 1120)
https://www.fredonia.edu/academics/colleges-schools/visual-performing-arts
There are BA in musical theatre at Cortland and Geneseo (academically a reach)
BFA programs at UB (academically a reach)
OP, please be reminded that Excelsior has been a game changer for many middle class families (125k and under). As a result all of the SUNY and CUNY schools are having an increase in applications making them more competitive for admissions because they are now more affordable (if family gets Excelsior and student takes his federal loan, it can be doable for a 12-15k, where in the past family in this income range was full pay.
As I previously stated, if your son is not financially or economically disadvantaged (eligible for SEEK) it is going to be an uphill climb for general admissions in City and Bklyn.
Brockport (BA, BS) Buffalo State (BA) Fredonia (BA) Geneseo (BAA)
New Paltz (BA, BSA) Oneonta (BA, BS) Oswego (BA) Plattsburgh (BA, BS) Potsdam (BA)
These smaller SUNYs offer theater majors. Some are mote selective than others. I personally know successful grads from all of them. I’ve seen wonderful theater productions at about half of them as well as at a number of the CUNYs.
My S17 is at Fredonia. He began in the BFA Theater Tech and after 3 semesters switched to the General Theater Arts BA with a minor in psych. The theater program is top notch and the shows I have seen were well done and filled with talented students from the BFA and BA programs. In addition, other majors are allowed to audition and are cast. If a student isn’t accepted into the BFA, they are allowed one additional chance to audition.
My son was accepted to LIU Post and Adelphi, but the merit money didn’t make it worth it, even though he could have lived at home while attending either of those schools. He visited CUNY Brooklyn, but the living arrangements aren’t reasonably priced and, even though we live in a NYC suburb, the trip to and from Brooklyn would have easily been 2 hours plus each way. He was accepted to the general theater program at Purchase, but opted not to proceed with the screening process because there is no musical theater and he enjoys that type of show and wanted to participate in them. He loved Pace but didn’t apply because we could never have afforded it.
As for academics, S17 was accepted into the honors program at Fred with a 27 ACT composite and a 3.4 GPA.