<p>I'm sure the answer to this question all depends on the school but I am curious to know if anyone has a general idea about this. I'm currently taking this year to work and save money to enroll in a BFA Acting program for the fall of 2013. I have 3 semesters of college under my belt (straight A's) and have had acting experience in short films, plays, acting classes, etc. I feel like 21 is late to be going into a 3.5 or 4 year training program, but since I'd like to teach acting on the high school or college level one day, I have to get my Bachelor's to possibly go on to grad school. I was at a school for my BA and decided to leave because I couldn't take academia anymore. No desire to sit in on these classes and write 15 page papers or read books that I could read on my own and get more out of because I wouldn't be mandated to read them. I feel like a BFA would be a perfect fit--I'd get the training I need to start auditioning yet I would have my bachelor's to continue my education if I truly can't find work in the professional world. Give me your thoughts on being 21 and entering a BFA program--would I be the only one? Would I stick out? Is everyone going to be 18? Thanks!</p>
<p>My daughter has a couple of students in her BFA program at Northern Illinois. One of them is 24 because he served in the military and is returning to school. She said he’s pretty cool. She actually likes that not everyone is a freshman because they bring different experiences into the group. So- Go for it!</p>
<p>SRusso21: I’m a 21 year old transfer just starting my first semester at a well known BFA program that i’d rather not list here. I can tell you that in my experience, by just my own observation, schools actually love transfers. my school just told us this at orientation. like supportive said, they bring their own unique perspectives and experiences and create a more dynamic learning atmosphere. (maybe i’m biased but… :P) anyway, feel free to PM me!</p>
<p>oops- I meant to say my daughter has a couple of transfer students in her BFA program. Hopefully, you got what I meant!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>In this day and age, people of ALL AGES go to college. Nobody will think it is strange for a 21 year old to go to college. (I didn’t get my BA until I was 29) And I wouldn’t rule out a 3.5 year or 4 year program because you think you are “too old”. Age is just a number. Always feel free to contact the schools and find out what the average age of their students is. But in college, everyone is an “adult” so it really doesn’t matter. It’s not like Elementary school, where the kids one year older seemed like “big kids”.</p>
<p>Older students are generally taken more seriously by the faculty, they know you are serious about your studies. And you can join them for a drink after class.</p>
<p>But even having said all that, have you considered looking at programs, say, in England where a Bachelor’s program only takes three years?</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>SRusso, it isn’t a problem in terms of age but it may be in terms of curriculum. Some BFAs don’t take transfer credit as they have highly structured curricula, so you must go through the entire program with your class or cohort. Other programs are more flexible (as are many BA programs). You’ll just need to dig in and research the requirements at each school that interests you. You might also want to do a search using the term “transfer” on this forum–there have been plenty of other discussions of this issue, so you should find some useful information. Good luck!</p>