<p>Kimoki,
Thank you for posting that article. It is very well written and gives an idea of any BFA in MT program. It goes on to describe some specifics of the UArts program which is also helpful to anyone considering UArts. </p>
<p>I have one question. In ANY BFA program, some kids leave. Often, they either decide this major is not for them or the program intensity is not for them or the school itself. Many young people really do not fully comprehend what a BFA program will be like until they are in one and it is sometimes not the right fit. I mean any BFA would not be the right fit. In fact, I have met kids who are merely applicants who I have felt are not ready for the intensity of a BFA and what all of it would entail. I try to describe what it is like and everything that must be juggled. Anyway, I know kids leave every BFA program and so UArts is not unique in that way. However, the article mentions that 70% of freshmen stay on in the MT major. It seem like 30% is a high proportion of students to either leave the university or to leave the major (out of choice, I understand). I don't see that high a percentage at some programs. I am wondering about this a bit. I think in my D's MT Program, about 10% left after the freshmen year. Thirty percent seems like a lot to me. The article does go on to mention that a higher percentage stay on in the major in recent years than in the past and so perhaps the admissions process is more spot on in finding the kids who can handle the rigors of a BFA.</p>
<p>Yes, I think it probably has alot to do with the program growing and musical theater being more popular in general. It could also be that some students stayed at UArts but maybe switched majors. When this article was written the program wasn't even a decade old yet. I thought the part about nurturing the students and preparing them for the world addresses many of the other thoughts expressed on the threads about cuts and juries.</p>
<p>Right..the article says some stayed at UArts and switched majors and some switched schools all together. It seems like a high percentage to me but I don't know the rate at other schools but at some BFA programs, it seems lower. Then again, Gilbert wrote that the retention rate was rising, possibly due to being able to be more selective in the admissions process.</p>
<p>I think some of the comments that Charlie makes need to be put in the context of when they were made - in a webpage dated 2001, commenting about the evolution of a program that was only about 10 years old at the time. Since then, I would think that the faculty has a better opportunity to use the audition process to hone in on applicants who match the school better and for whom the school is a better match. </p>
<p>My impression from what I've seen with the classes that entered in 2006 and 2007 is that there is about a 10 - 15% attrition rate. Reasons that I have heard for students leaving vary from feeling the program is too intense, deciding to put school on hold and start auditioning professionally, simply concluding it's not a good fit and due to financial issues.</p>
<p>I didn't put the article on here so the focus would be about how many students left the program 7+ years ago. I just thought it was nice to read about how he felt about nurturing, growing the students while still be realistic about the future. A very different approach then what we see at some schools where they are "cookie cutter" type or cutting kids their 1st year because they don't see that Broadway Star right away whether they do well in class or not.</p>
<p>When I first read the page about a year ago, that was my reaction too. And the nurturing supportive culture of the school is not just hype. It struck me when my daughter attended the summer program in 2005 and it has been my daughter's experience this past year as a freshman. She has felt the freedom to take risks and stretch her limits in an environment that encourages students to find their own voice. When we "discovered" UArts that summer of 2005, I felt in my bones that this was a school infused with a very special set of educational values. Charlie's article in so many ways captures what my daughter has experienced there.</p>
<p>I also think it is a great article as it explains the philosophy of a BFA program that nurtures, the educational mission, and all the rest. </p>
<p>Michael, I agree that things likely have evolved since 2001 and even in the article, Charlie mentions that trend changing about attrition with each passing year. I think kids leave every program for reasons you just mention. Kimoki, I know you did not post the article to focus on that one area, but I was just asking about something I read in the article. </p>
<p>I am not real keen in describing other programs as "cookie cutter" because I can't imagine "cookie cutter" as the mission of any program truly. While I do not agree with cuts, I don't think other programs seek to produce cookie cutters either. But I do observe that term used a lot on CC to describe programs or to say some programs are "not cookie cutter." From what I have observed, there are all types of students and talent in most of these programs and they do work with individuals. While i am NOT into cut programs myself, I don't see that policy as being about "cookie cutter" approaches.</p>
<p>Anyway, this article, as I mentioned before, is good background for anyone wanting to understand a BFA in MT and also for anyone exploring UArts as an option. Thanks for posting it.</p>