<p>My daughter is interested in majoring in theater/drama. The current thinking is she would pursue a B.A. in theater at a LAC (non-audition.) However, Fordham is a very appealing school that I would like her to look at. I know the theatre program, though B.A., is audition. I would like to know if it is extremely difficult to get into the program and if admission is based mostly on audition or do they take into account other factors such as g.p.a. and test scores? Also, do/must all theater majors live at the Lincoln Center campus? Thanks in advance!</p>
If you are asking do any of them live at the Rose Hill campus-- no. If you are asking if kids move off campus, yes. And the audition is what decides admission, not GPA or scores. Terrible GPA and scores might hurt, but good ones won’t help. However, all National Merit Finalists at Fordham receive full tuition scholarships (if they are admitted.) </p>
<p>The theatre class last year was 18. Next year, it will be 20-24 with somewhere between 700-800 auditioned. So yes, it is a small, very competitive conservatory-style program. </p>
<p>Yes, it is difficult to be accepted to the major and you still have to be accepted academically to the school. GPA and test scores will not help get you into the major but it will help with scholarship awards.</p>
<p>There are 17 seniors in the performance track who will graduate next month. Some students transferred out and some transferred in either from other schools or by coming to Fordham as a minor and auditioning again. </p>
<p>I think the discrepancy between the number 20-24 and 17-18 has to do with the distinction between “performance track”–which is “acting” in most schools and the handful of directing, design & production, and playwriting track majors. There are a few overlaps with double majors (e.g., sandkmom’s son and my daughter are double-majoring in playwriting and performance.)</p>
<p>So for a kid who wants to study theater in New York City, it is more difficult to be accepted to Fordham’s B.A. program than Tisch’s B.F.A., correct?</p>
<p>@glassharmonica - I total agree. While there may be “tighter” or “looser” numerical odds at ANY school- they are both incredibly selective. It’s all about what happens THAT day at THAT audition. I have been fascinated as I have read acceptance threads of kids which programs have accepted and/or declined various kids - it’s absolutely wild. Schools have varying audition requirements- but not too much. Lots of kids (if they are like my D) did the same songs/monologues at multiple schools— and got varying results with those materials-- b/c every time you do it, it’s different. AND b/c different schools focus on different things.</p>
<p>It is absolutely fascinating and completely indistinguishable and inexplicable to determine what each school is looking for. My D’s top choice was SUNY Purchase, but she wasn’t accepted (though she was called back), and she was accepted at NYU and Fordham. Her good friend’s top choice was NYU, but she was rejected by both Fordham and Tisch but accepted at Purchase! I also agree with @glassharmonica that it is impossible to say whether Fordham or Tisch is “harder,” but I can say with certainty that Fordham is not considered one of the “safer” audition schools. If you look at the thread on CC “Schools We’ve Heard Back From,” I think there are 6 who have been accepted to Fordham, which is a smaller number than many of the schools on the list. </p>
<p>@greatwhiteway I hope your D doesn’t shy away from Fordham bc it’s a competitive program! Yes, it’s competitive but people ARE accepted! Obviously some non-audition financial safeties that she would be happy to attend are a MUST for her application list but her acceptance chances at Fordham will be zero if she doesn’t apply! Good luck! </p>
<p>@glassharmonica Yes! That is the difference…I just counted the seniors who are in showcase! Some are Performance only and some are Performance/Directing or Performance/Playwriting…you know who! There is at least 1 additional Directing major, 1 additional Playwriting major and a few Design/Production majors. The 20-24 range sounds about right for the entire class. But it’s not the same 20-24 that they started with!</p>
<p>@Actingdude17 It will vary with each admissions cycle how many are accepted but it is probably still around 10%.</p>
<p>Right, unless they are double-majors like @sandkmom’s son and my daughter, the playwrights, directors, and production track majors will not appear in the showcase. </p>
<p>@greatwhiteway, if your D is interested in a Theatre BA, I would recommend Fordham and Emerson’s BA (both are audition based), but also look into Skidmore (BS in Theatre, non-audition). I hear Bard is great, too. Good luck!</p>
<p>@greatwhiteway, My daughter is a sophomore theater performance major at American University, also a BA. It is an auditioned program, but not as competitive as some of the others. She is very happy there, is able to double major in Communications, has lots of performance opportunities, and the department is very well connected to the vibrant Washington, D.C. theater scene. She LOVES living in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she will be spending the Fall semester in London at BADA in their London Theatre program. One of the reasons she chose American was their connection to BADA. I would be happy to answer your questions, if you want to know more about American. </p>
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