Hi All, we’re still in list building mode, Acting. I’ve read a bunch of threads and know for acting the “net needs to be cast wide”. How many schools made it to your final list? I’m balancing the “wide net” advice against the logistical challenges of applications/essays/auditions/cost at too wide a net.
D did 12 - 7 of which were BFAs. Then she had 2 academic BA reaches (northwestern and brown) and 3 LAC BA safeties. In hindsight- she didn’t need 3 safeties, but I wanted to make sure she had choices no matter what happened.
I absolutely get the “cast a wide net” strategy- but when I see people applying to 20 schools (more common in MT, but still) I wonder how someone can really be interested/feel a connection to that many places.
Thank you! Good tip on safeties…
My D actively applied to 8 BFA Schools and set up auditions. She also applied to two other schools after being accepted into their BFA programs from thescon auditions (to have a couple acceptances as safeties). So a total of 10 applications in the end.
However, there is at least one and possibly up to three that I don’t think she would have attended had they been her only choice. She didn’t know that going in - but along the way lost interest. A safety isn’t a safety if you don’t want to go to school there. 
We did 12 if I remember correctly.
S (MT) did 7 BFA 1safety and 2 academic reaches. D did 2 BA safeties and 9 BFA and like @bfahopeful, did not want to go to her safety schools. Said “gap year” if she didn’t go the BFA route. Luckily we didn’t have to have that discussion!
Hello, Im currently a senior at a performing arts high school and although I am no longer a theatre applicant (I was up until July), many of my friends are. Theres seems to be an average of 10-12 schools. I think thats a generally good number. It has enough to combat the unpredictability, but no completely overwhelm the applicant. There are outliers thought; I have a friend who is applying to 21, about two applying to 8, and one applying to 6. When I first had my list, I had about 18 and ended up narrowing it down to 12. You truly have to ask “If I got into this school and it was one of the only schools I got into, Would I want to go? Would I be happy?” Try to avoid placing schools on a list just because they have a good program. Yes, its really about the education, but the applicant needs to make sure they’re going to enjoy those years of their life.
My S applied to 13 , 1 was Early action which he was just accepted… which takes the pressure off , Still going to do most of the others,I think as others have said on here its good to cast a wide net ( its just a lot of work with pre screens essays etc) but worth it
Our MTCA coach said the average is 14-17 but he’s seen as many as 30! My D did apply to more than average (I’m afraid to even say how many it sounds obnoxious!) but four of them were UC schools which are all one one application. And two of them she didn’t pass the prescreen. This is the reason you have to apply a lot. Then there are some she applied to the school but didn’t get the supplement finished on time or decided it was too much work (Penn State for one).
I think my son ended up doing 10, but five were BAs and five audition schools. (We originally thought he was going the BA route.) Northwestern, CMU, Syracuse, Depaul, CCPA, SCAD, Pitt, Columbia (Chicago), George Washington, Davidson, Vassar. Got into CCPA, SCAD, Columbia and Pitt, WL at Syracuse, GW-St. Louis, Davidson, rejected everywhere else. Doing GREAT now, both in and outside school. You only need one good one.
My son is applying for theater tech. He has been accepted to Adelphi BFA and LIU-Post academically, pending BFA interview. Apps are pending at SUNY Purchase and Fredonia (in state for us). At both, he applied to BFA first choice and BA second. He is thinking of a gap year, which is why he didn’t apply to Pace as it doesn’t allow deferrals.
We did 13–including two 2 yr conservatory schools. We may drop one or two of the final auditions if my S gets accepted to one of his favorites.
@marg928 what does UC to mean?
She’s referring to University of California state schools, like UC Irvine or UC Santa Barbara. We collectively call them UC schools.