<p>Grades are not pristine, nor are SATs (3.2 GPA, 1560 on SATs including writing, low math score...), however I have been professionally acting since I was 11 years old. I've done several professional plays, short films, TV shows and commercials. I have killer recommendations, and my grades suffered because I had to miss school a bit in order to take part (lol) in these various productions. I'm represented by a few agencies and have a professional resume and head shots. Assuming I have a good audition, what are my chances? what are my chances with my experience alone? No I can't necessarily pay for it, but I'm overlooking that fact at the moment. Just getting into the program would be supremely satisfying for me. Thoughts? thank you thank you thank you</p>
<p>I am also applying to SUNY, Julliard, Pace, Ithaca, Emerson, JMU, NCSA, and Carnegie Mellon. if anyone could give me an estimate of my chances of getting into ANY of these schools, I would be very appreciative :)</p>
<p>You’ve chosen a very competitive list. My son is applying to all these schools except the three in NYC, so I’ve checked into them. My understanding is that the audition is by far the most important element for all of them, but NYU is going to care more about your grades than the others.</p>
<p>you’re telling me! that’s what I’ve mostly discerned as well, especially the thing about NYU which was why I made that the main topic. Thanks!</p>
<p>In general Pace has very high acceptance rate so even if you weren’t auditioning for any of their programs you could still get in with that GPA and those test scores.</p>
<p>And as far as I’ve heard about conservatory programs such as Julliard, your acceptance is solely based on your audition and recommendations.</p>
<p>And as you know these are all very competitive schools so you never know what they might factor in to make a final decision of whom they want in their program</p>
<p>ericincharacter, not to worry you, but I do want to point out that a sizable portion of BFA applicants also already are professional actors like you as well (some may have even more experience). But based on your resume, if I were a betting person. I’d bet you could get in to one of these schools, as long as you nail the monologues. Since you’re professional, you probably haven’t done much of these in a while, so if you haven’t, I’d <em>strongly</em> recommend you super-polishing the monologue pieces, with a coach or director. As far as grades, the conservatoires don’t care, but a school like NYU may well care, since it has an academic component and wants students to be successful in all components. What would your learning/growth goals be in the different BFA programs? Make sure you’re clear about that too because they’ll ask you.</p>
<p>Yes, learning and growth should be major themes in anything you communicate to any schools. We were told by several programs that they are not looking for experienced actors but teachable actors. Some expressed concerns that kids who have performed a lot lose their ability to take direction or be creative. Some overly experienced applicants might get asked why they even want to go to college. Be prepared to explain these things and show what going to school will mean to you, and what you can offer in return. Make sure they understand you’re not going just to have the diploma.</p>
<p>NYU and Emerson place more emphasis on academic qualifications than some of the other schools on your list, although a knockout audition could compensate. Your statistics are low for both those schools. Pace’s auditioned BFA is actually quite selective (they had some of the most exacting audition/resume/application requirements of any schools my son considered - he did not apply), but you have the option of pursuing a BA in theater if you are not admitted to the BFA program.Your chances of admission are fairly good for that, as a backup. Given your background, I expect that you will audition well, but there are no guarantees.</p>
<p>A 3.2 GPA is VERY GOOD!!! (But it does look like you had some trouble with the SATs)</p>
<p>Be sure to tell your story to the schools you apply for. You are certainly NOT the first child actor ever in the history of the world, and I am sure many acting programs will understand. Maybe you could research what schools other former child actors were admitted to?</p>
<p>I do wonder why it is that you are applying for college, if you aren’t certain that you are interested in going. Since you are already a succesful actor, do you really NEED a college diploma? Is it really worth the expense? I’m just making sure you have thought this through, maybe it is worth the expense for you.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Thank you for all of the responses!</p>
<p>To answer some questions, I very strategically based my essays around the concept of growing as not just an actor but as an artist and a person. I’m not really looking for a “Oh he went to THAT school” kind of situation, I’m looking for comprehensive training that will further prepare me and provide a connection (no matter how small) to the professional world. KEVP, I want better, more rounded training that will also further my career. I’m not certain that I would be interested in NYU because of the price and the academic requirements. Seeing as most of these schools are very pricey, I don’t want to be buried in debt as soon as i get out of school. Thank you so much everyone!</p>
<p>eric, sometimes a great professional background like yours can be a little bit of a hindrance for college admissions. You mention you currently have agents, for instance, and while that does point out how commercially viable you are, it also may cause colleges to see you as a bit of a flight risk–when the right part/audition calls, you’ll fly. In fact, some BFAs (I believe NYU but others can chime in) do not permit their actor/students to audition while in the program. So if you are not committed to putting in 4 great intense years of training, plus the costs for same, you may not look like a good bet to them. In addition, some schools are wary that kids with a lot of professional acting in their pasts also have learned certain habits and feel quite invested in the process they have already mastered. In other words, may resist the serious training these programs provide. In fact, you should think deeply about how open you are to being re-shaped, offered severe challenges, and asked to play roles you may not wish to play.</p>
<p>The top BFA programs only have so many admissions to hand out and lots of worthy talented applicants. So you may want to declare your commitment to your education and downplay your contacts and connections to your next gig in your essays/interviews. :)</p>
<p>At JMU your GPA is at the lower end of the admit range, but looks to be WITHIN the admit range. What is your CR/ M score on SAT? </p>
<p>Grades and course work are taken into consideration at JMU for admission to the university and to the program. However, for students in the admit range the audition/ interview is primary for program admissions, and we make recommendations to academic admissions.</p>
<p>Please feel free to PM or email me with any questions!</p>
<p>:-) Kate</p>