Hi All,
It’s day 2 of reading posts, and I’ve learned so much from everyone already! I’m just starting the process of creating a list of colleges for “Theater Dude” when it hit me - is that really where I should start? We are attending NACAC college fair in Chicago in a few weeks, and thought I’d try to create a more focused list.
What do you wish you knew at the start of the process? I’m already looking forward to the day when I can answer questions, and not ask them!
Hi @DoinResearch, the short answer to your question is “everything.”
To be more specific, I wish I’d known more about the focus of various acting programs, which ones were classical, which were experimental, which had the best connections in theater, film and tv, and which existed in the shadow of more established MT programs.
I also wish I’d known way more about financial aid prospects before we started, which programs are cheap, which ones give good aid, which ones emphasize loans.
I wish I’d known about summer programs that prepare kids for BFA programs.
I wish I’d known about coaching services, which would have helped a lot in creating a list and choosing monologues.
And, this is specific to my kid, but I wish I’d known he was going to do this. We thought until very late in the process that he was going the LAC route, and he changed his mind.
You can learn a lot of this stuff by looking at old threads. I’m sure I’m not the only person who landed here in early January after a late night google search for “Carnegie Mellon audition.” You’re fortunate that you’re starting early.
Best of luck to you.
Great post! I have one graduate of a BFA Acting program and another who just started a BFA Acting program this fall. I also have a HS sophomore who wants to go the MT route. An important thing to know is what your kid wants out of this whole thing, and to really try to listen to your kid. Your kid may know from the start what the heart wants. Or he won’t know what he wants until you’ve explored various options. You may need to tour types of schools (urban vs. campusy, BFA vs. liberal arts, sporty vs. quiet, large vs. small), but you do run the risk of your kid falling in love with a program that he may not be accepted to (there are no safety schools when an audition is part of the process), or that you may not be able to afford. By the end of this process, you’ll be broke from application fees, physically tired and mentally exhausted with frostbitten toes from braving the cold during Unified Auditions, and able to recite a dozen monologues by heart, but in almost every case, he’ll find a college that wants him and that he wants to attend. Remember that there are no absolute right answers and that almost all of our kids bloom where they’re planted.
My son didn’t decide to pursue MT/Acting until January of Junior year. I learned everything from this forum and the MT forum and the kind posters who helped me on the journey. Keep reading here and the MT forum. As I look back, I feel somewhat grateful I was ignorant for as long as I was 
It was a wild ride, but worked out well in the end. There is so much good information here, and you will sift out what works for you and your son.
@lovetoact we live just north of Chicago, so to “expose” him to college (which really was a "why you should care about more than just your theater class) we’ve been to Northwestern, DePaul, and CCPA, just because they’re close. He already prefers urban BFA. I need to add some financial/academic/talent safety schools to the mix, and I suspect as soon as he sees some open rural space on the way to such schools, it may be a challenge to stay open minded. The good news is that living in the Chicago area, our toes are accustomed to the cold for Unified Auditions, heck, we can even come home at the end of the day to get a break. I think I need to stress to myself and him that this is a process that unfolds with plot twists. Most urban BFAs are in the “high price” zone.
I wish I had truly understood how competitive it is to get into these programs that are audition based. It doesn’t even have to do with my daughters final results. Rather, realizing along the way about how competitive it is made the wait for results very stressful. It is a reason to have a broad list and try to keep an open mind about different programs.
I wish we had found a safety D loved with rolling admissions. She had 3 academic BA “safeties” and they were schools she knew she could love … but all of them were at least “mildly” competitive LACs which didn’t notify until March. Yes, her stats meant that everything “should” have been fine (and it was - she was accepted at all 3 with strong merit $$) But we didn’t have a piece of paper in hand with an offer until what felt like the bitter end. Also in retrospect- we probably didn’t need 3 safeties - but I wanted her to have choices there in case there weren’t choices in the BFA category. She had early academic acceptances at some of her BFA schools (one came 3 days after she submitted app)- but that doesn’t mean much when you are waiting on BFA results.
Another piece of advice is to do your research about what each school offers, and I don’t mean to just read every ‘top ten’ list that is published. For me, those are like wikipedia when writing a school paper. A good place to get some basic information to jumpstart the process, but I wouldn’t rely on the information contained in wiki or the top ten list to write the paper/make a decision. Even among the typically-respected schools, there are notable differences in what/how you’ll learn. At some schools, kids are developing their ‘toolbox’ (although a cliche term at this point, it is descriptive), in which a number of methods and processes are taught so that the kids can pull what they need from their training. Another school may only focus on Meisner. Some schools have studio or ensemble philosophies in which all of the students admitted at a specific time progress through the curriculum together as an ensemble. They’re only ever with the other kids in their specific studio and they work as a unit. Other schools co-mingle BAs and BFAs into intro classes, and then have upper-level students mixed and matched into a variety of classes with a variety of upperclassmen. Some don’t allow freshmen to be cast in department shows. Others (even BFA programs) allow anyone in the entire college to audition and be cast. Some allow outside participation (like performing in student-run extracurricular productions or outside of the school on a professional level). None of these options is wrong–you just need to know what’s important for your student to know which will fit best.
@toowonderful I never even thought that rolling admissions was a possibility with BA in Theater/Acting! I can see where having something in your back pocket might be helpful to mental health as we’re waiting for results to roll in. May I ask, do you know of a BA program in acting/theater that has rolling admissions that’s you’d be willing to share?
Thank you @lovetoact ! You’ve put into words what I think I’ve been trying to learn when I’m looking at curriculum. Even if Theater Dude thinks he knows methods/processes that work for him now, he has a whole life ahead of him… and my thought is that he needs to try as many tools as possible, put aside what doesn’t work (for now) but then know that tool is there and someday he may need it. I’ll be attending a NACAC college fair, and was trying to assemble my top 3 questions to cut through the marketing hype and get to “meat” of the program, and your post gives me great scaffolding for the “program” type question.
@DoinResearch - check their website but I think Marymount Manhattans BA may be rolling admissions. Apologies in advance if that is incorrect info. Some of the state shool programs are rolling - the BA at university of Minnesota (not the BFA), University of Northern Colorado BA, etc.
U Arts BFA is basically rolling admissions. They notify within about three weeks of your audition as long as your application is complete.
I think University of Rockford’s BFA is also rolling - but we know kids admitted to the drama program after nationals so once they applied to the school they knew they had a spot. Could be different depending on when and where you audition.
Try to live a balanced life. It’s a marathon not a sprint. More voice technique. Maybe go to unifieds. Have a few more options. It’s a really a competitive experience. Buy a personal steamer and humidifier for the hotel room. Hotels are notoriously dry!
Thanks! @Ducky312 Is voice technique needed for acting, and not MT? I’ll have to ask Theater Dude about voice technique, since I’m sure what that is for an actor.
@DoinResearch sorry. It was such a great question I thought I was on the MT forum. So I’d say really work on finding contrasting monologues. And have some strong Shakespeare pieces. If you can afford it apply for a summer precollege program. Some precollege programs give college credit. The other thing is I wasn’t really involved in the process other than figuring out the best audition route and I booked the hotels. Everyone is different but I was glad my child was self directed.
There is significant vocal (non-singing) training for actors. Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Berry, Lessac, etc… There is not really an expectation that student entering college will have a lot (if any) experience with these, and other methods. But, they will most likely be introduced in college (particularly in auditioned and professionally focused BA or BFA programs.) Not something to worry about.
@Ducky312 Thanks! You’ve raised another topic that I’ll need to think about, my involvement! Theater Dude goes to school, practices 22 hours a week for school plays, pretech/tech week the hours increase to 29+, and then there’s homework on top of that. No break between plays if cast in all of them. The kids work hard, good theater program! I’m trying to create a college list as a starting point for a NACAC college fair, mostly because Theater Dude knows the “Big Names” and needs to come around to understanding the competition, entry stats, and importance of an assortment, and I do think it will take some to work that concept. Today it’s all about “reach” schools. Hoping my involvement is to kick off the process so that it’s not cramming at the last minute, and that next year I’m just the “scheduling manager” and CFO position.
Hi, I am echoing other people’s comments, mostly. I wish I had known HOW INTENSE and COMPETITIVE the audition process is. Frankly, I think I thought my daughter was above a level, and would soar above the competition. In some ways she did in that she got into a top notch reach program. But she also was rejected by many other top notch programs, which was shocking. It is fierce out there. As they said at Julliard, every student here is the star of their high school. And they said this in a packed, huge room, on one of many audition days. (My D did not get into Julliard).
I highly recommend the pre-college programs as a boot camp, immersion experience, to see if your child truly does want that kind of training. I also recommend starting with a coach sooner as opposed to later. And yes, your child should take voice and dance too. Even if they aren’t going into MT, most schools want to see a triple threat possibility.
I also think that things tend to work out, and kids wind up where they belong. But, buckle up. It’s quite a ride.
Great advice from @YardleySisa on the summer intensive. My D lost a classmate (BFA Acting student) this week - he didn’t really know what he was getting himself into. The BFA is not a typical college experience. Students should understand it is all-consuming and not for everyone so - know thyself. If you are really interested in Greek life, intramural sports or a broader liberal arts education (for example), you may want to consider a BA.
@YardleySisa and @artskids Thank you! Theater Dude did Interlochen’s six week Theater Repertory and loved it, he did Interlochen Acting for the Camera the year before. I think he’s really interested in the BFA intense experience. I’m the one interested in exploring BA options (because you have a make a living somehow while you’re waiting for your “break” into working acting) Good point to get on a campus, I never really thought about the difference between camp and pre-college before. That’s why I’m here! I’d love for him to do the Cherubs thing at northwestern, since its close.
@DoinResearch - Cherubs is great- but Northwestern in a BA, not a BFA (though their training is of course, world class) You might want to check out a BFA version if you are wanting to investigate that type of curriculum.