<p>I just got accepted to USC school of theatre for their acting BFA :) It is one of the top schools on my list (i don't have a first preference yet because it's so hard to choose), but I am leaning towards USC. </p>
<p>I have a bunch of questions that need answering, mostly so I can feel like I know all there is to know about the program I will probably enroll in! If you can answer any or all of these questions, please help me :) Thanks!</p>
<p>1) Approximately how many students are BFA acting majors per class?
2) When are you first allowed to audition for main stage productions?
3) How many general education classes do you take per semester, and what are they?
4) How many theatre related classes do you take per semester?
5) What dorms do most of the theatre majors live in?
6) As a BFA acting major, are you guaranteed a spot in the industry showcase, if you are doing well in your classes.
7) How much room in your schedule is there for additional electives?
8) Are you allowed to audition for and act in external projects as long as they don't interfere with class attendance or school productions?
9) Do you take most of your theatre courses with your fellow BFA'ers or do you get to take classes with other theatre majors too?
10) How big are the different classes (acting, movement, theatre history, general ed etc)
11) How is the cafeteria food at USC? :)
12) Is getting around in LA manageable without a car?
13) Can someone explain to me what the BFA class performances are, what they entail, and the scale of those productions?
14) Do most freshmen BFA acting majors have the same schedule their first semester?
15) What does a "regular" day or week schedule look like?
16) For the classes within the theatre department, what are assessments like (HW and exams)? And how much written homework is there?
17) Are theatre majors often roomed with other theatre majors?</p>
<p>Wow, that was a lot, sorry! I have some idea of the answers to a few of these questions, but it would really be nice to keep it nice and tidy in one thread - a lot of my answers will take a lot of searching otherwise.</p>
<p>Thanks for any help that I can get! I'm really really excited about USC!</p>
<p>First - congratulations on ALL your acceptances!!! </p>
<p>I will try to answer as a mom of a sophomore BFA at USC.</p>
<p>1) Approximately how many students are BFA acting majors per class? I was told 2 years ago they accepted 26 to 30 students. In my daughter’s year 24 took their spots. That was the largest BFA class ever and my daughter told me they took less last year. I believe there are only 11 or 12 current BFA Freshman.
2) When are you first allowed to audition for main stage productions? I believe next year they are not allowing freshman to audition - I’m not sure if that is for the entire year or just first semester.
3) How many general education classes do you take per semester, and what are they? Generally 2 GE classes. You are require to take 2 sciences, a required English class freshman and junior year, 2 Diversity classes and 2 Electives (which you can test out of through AP scores, I believe) I know I am forgetting some classes - that is off the top of my head
4) How many theatre related classes do you take per semester? Hmmmm Acting, Voice, Movement but this year my daughter is also taking Theatre Studies and Shop.
5) What dorms do most of the theatre majors live in?Parkside, Birnkrant, New/North
6) As a BFA acting major, are you guaranteed a spot in the industry showcase, if you are doing well in your classes. I believe so!
7) How much room in your schedule is there for additional electives? Not much I don’t think! At the admitted students orientation during the summer you will meet with your counselor from the SOT and you will go over your class schedule and sign up for classes then
8) Are you allowed to audition for and act in external projects as long as they don’t interfere with class attendance or school productions? On the campus - yes. Going for outside auditions is very difficult because of the class schedule and missing classes is reflected in your grades.
9) Do you take most of your theatre courses with your fellow BFA’ers or do you get to take classes with other theatre majors too? Acting, Movement and Voice are always with your group. Other classes can and cannot be.
10) How big are the different classes (acting, movement, theatre history, general ed etc) Acting, Movement and Speech will be just your class. Other theatre classes can be mixed with BA’s so will be larger. GE’s I am not sure about. I do know if they are larger classes then you will have a discussion group which will be smaller.
11) How is the cafeteria food at USC? Ok… but the Tutor Student Center will be opening this fall and is absolutely gorgeous. It will have a lot of other food options.
12) Is getting around in LA manageable without a car? You make friends with kids with cars!
13) Can someone explain to me what the BFA class performances are, what they entail, and the scale of those productions? Second semester of sophomore year you begin performances. I believe, these are smaller scale and usually in the Scene Dock which is a black box.
14) Do most freshmen BFA acting majors have the same schedule their first semester?I believe pretty much so.
15) What does a “regular” day or week schedule look like? Right now my daughter is in class pretty much 8 to 3 M-Th Friday is lighter - I think 12 to 4. She has rehearsal every week night at 6:30.
16) For the classes within the theatre department, what are assessments like (HW and exams)? And how much written homework is there? This year my daughter has a lot of papers to write and quite a bit of homework.
17) Are theatre majors often roomed with other theatre majors? No, unless you specify a roommate the school will assign one to you. My daughter happened to find a roommate last year who was a BA. This year most of the BFA’s live with each other in different houses or apartments.</p>
<p>Wow! That was a lot of questions and I hope I answered most correctly!!! It truly is a wonderful program and being part of the Trojan Family is quite an honour!</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any other questions!</p>
<p>ActingMom: Wow…I can’t compete with, nor would I want to, all your solid information. The only thing that I will throw into the mix, since we are SoCal, is the car question. Public transportation isn’t good here. You would not want to go on a bus at night. Parking on campus is expensive. But if you can (in addition to having friends with cars because that makes going out more fun) get/bring a car. You will absolutely need a car for auditions. Most audition houses are in west Los Angeles and the valley. There are a few in Hollywood. It would take HOURS to get to the valley, with numerous transfers. When we lived in the valley our housekeeper who lived in the downtown area (add one bus from SC north) would take the “Express” to the valley which took two hours. (She did this once a week because she lived in.) To come to the westside…go north, west, and then another transfer to the Santa Monica bus. And then you walk to your destination. It would be daunting but can be done.</p>
<p>Are there any issues with personal security in the area around the USC campus? This could obviously be an issue with public transit if the area is a problem.</p>
<p>Yes, we know that your daughter goes to UCLA. So, here’s the 411: In any part of Los Angeles, very late at night, if one is impaired…you aren’t safe. It is not safe riding a bus around UCLA late at night. (We live in Beverly Hills, four minutes from UCLA…so I kind of know what I’m talking about.) I wouldn’t be comfortable with my kid on ANY public transit late at night. Both schools, with precautions, are safe. </p>
<p>And…one of my dearest friends from high school was murdered in Lot 8 at UCLA. Statistics show the USC is actually safer than UCLA. Please don’t ask passive/aggressive questions hoping for an answer that will bolster UCLA’s reputation. And since I went to both schools I can take a emotional and rivalry step backward. I wouldn’t want to have a member of my family walking alone late at night…anywhere…especially impaired (which college kids can do). I would never want my family on public transportation late in the evening in any city. Period.</p>
<p>My daughter, who now lives off campus, told me the DPS (Department of Public Safety) is always patrolling and she feels very safe. She also uses the Campus Cruiser to get home when she is on campus late. They will even pick you up at a local restaurant and bring you home if need a ride.</p>
<p>Another form of transport is ZipCar. It’s fairly inexpensive to register (I think $75??) and you only need to be 18. It’s not too much by the hour and they have quite a few cars at USC and some really cute ones like Mini Coopers.</p>
<p>If your kids are going to go to college or live in NYC post graduation, it is a way of life to be on public transportation late in the evening. It is very very rare to have a car. Most young people do not take taxi’s on a daily basis (but might on occasion if past 1 or 2 AM and they have been drinking). Just saying. Walking and public transportation are the modes of getting around in NYC, even late in the evening. I’m saying this as a parent of a student who started college in NYC at 16 and lives there now at age 21 and is out of college. I realize LA is different in this way.</p>
<p>This is an important question for anyone considering an urban school, so I do think it’s relevant, especially since the OP can’t go back and visit.</p>
<p>I went to school in Chicago, in not a nice neighborhood at the time. Everyone was scared for me, since I was a typical suburban kid. My answer to this concern is that you have to listen to the campus authorities and follow their protocols. Obviously millions of people live in cities and get around after dark, on foot and on public transportation. Just do what you’re told by the people there who know. There’s no reason to avoid city schools just for this reason; by the same token, you have to understand that there are risks (although my friend who went to a rural school has plenty of security horror stories, too).</p>
<p>It is important that you feel that you could have a comfort level with an urban environment, with all that entails. When my D1 visited the very school I went to, she found it not scary so much as way too noisy and too “busy” for her (she goes to a more suburban campus and is much happier). My D2 would be plenty happy in the Chicago Loop. So everyone has his/her tastes. But I would trust either of them to do their best to make smart and safe choices.</p>
<p>What Soozie says about NYC is true of Boston too. Maybe someone could chime in on Philadelphia. We don’t live in in Philadelphia itself but across the river in New Jersey. </p>
<p>My son has taken a train from center city Philadelphia to a station in southern New Jersey many times late at night after rehearsals and/or socializing, with no problems at all. High school age theatre kids he knows in Phila take that same train back late at night after visiting over here.</p>
<p>My two daughters grew up in a rural area on a dirt road where they had never been on public transportation besides planes as there is no public transportation in our region…they also NEVER walked anywhere (impossible) and only traveled by car. </p>
<p>D1 is now in Boston. While she does have a car, she rarely uses it. She walks very very late at night in Cambridge (next to Boston), or bikes or uses the subway or busses. </p>
<p>D2, as I wrote, has been in NYC for all four years of college and graduated in May and is living there now as well (never left once she arrived), and walks and takes subways very late at night as she is either rehearsing or in shows and so on. This is the norm in both Boston and NYC but I realize it is not in LA.</p>
<p>Ellebud:
I am truly stunned by the vehemence of your response. My question was not intended to say anything about the comparative advantages or disadvantages of USC vs. any other college and was meant purely as an informational question. It does seem to have triggered a visceral response of some sort by you though. Have I touched on any sensitive issues I should not have asked about? Was UCLA or any other college mentioned in my post? Nuff said, as far as I am concerned there is no need to discuss this further.</p>
<p>No IanJoesph my vehemance as you call it harkens back to your thread “warning” everyone about the horrible (in your eyes) USC audition process where you felt that your daughter was not respected and not offered admission. So, you can see that your “innocent” question, assuming the crosstown rivalry wasn’t in play, isn’t so innocent.</p>
<p>I will admit not WANTING my children on public transportation at night. In Los Angeles that is a moot question. When they are in New York (and when we were in New York) we bit the bullet and used taxis. What they do on their own dime…I know that my son, who travels to New York on business, generally uses taxis. But during the day, I love to walk.</p>
<p>ellebud, when I visit NYC, I also use taxis. But my college kid and now recent graduate, must get around on a daily basis and I don’t know any college kids or recent graduates who take taxis several times per day. The cost would be prohibitive. She moves around many times per day for various jobs, rehearsals and the like. It would be very rare for a college student or young adult actor to take taxis every day or night in NYC. While my D walks a great deal, it is impossible to walk everywhere one needs to be in NYC and so her days and late nights involve both subways and then walking. Having a Metrocard in NYC and taking subways day and night is a given for any young actor or college student in NYC.</p>
<p>Soozievt: I absolutely know, from very personal experience, how costly (and scarce) taxis can be in New York. I said that I wouldn’t WANT my kid on public transportation at night. (Unlike that thread where I said that I had no problem with interviews in a private home since my husband, and I, have hosted a number of kids here for interviews.) I am not that over protective. Since we live in Los Angeles where public transportation isn’t good and used mainly by those who too old to drive, or to poor to have a car we aren’t used to using public transportation.</p>
<p>When we were in New York (several times) and visiting friends who had moved from California to New York they too weren’t used to using public transportation. So, taxis and car services (yes, very expensive) were all they used. The daughter, in high school, went on the subway once, in a dare from friends. I’m not saying that this is right. We are used to being in our cocoons (be they a 20 year old Honda or a new Bentley) and going when and where we want.</p>
<p>We are going to Europe in a few weeks. I am trying to figure out the public transportation there. When we were there last time…we walked or took taxis. Not good, not bragging…just the way (quoting my d) the way we roll.</p>
<p>ellebud…we are talking of two different things, I think. My family is not used to public transportation whatsoever as we live in a rural area where there is none. We can’t even walk anywhere. Everything is by car. </p>
<p>I have visited NYC umpteen times and have taken taxis every time. We also use a car service to and from the airport in NYC (as does my D when she flies home). </p>
<p>So, I get it. I have made the same choices as you have. </p>
<p>However, I HAD to get used to the fact that once D started college in NYC (was still 16 and had grown up in a town that didn’t even have a single traffic light), was going to be out late at night for rehearsals and so forth, and was going to be taking subways all the time. While it was an adjustment on MY end…it is the way of life in NYC. </p>
<p>You mention visiting NYC or your son going there on business. That is not the same as living there, nor the same as a college student with limited funds or a recent grad who is a working actor. Such young people could never afford taxis every night. My D has a ton of friends and ALL ride the subway late at night, and some come from wealthy families. If your child ever lives and works in NYC as an actor, I can assure you that she/he will also be riding subways and walking late at night. (same with anyone else reading this thread whose child is contemplating college in Manhattan)</p>
<p>Visiting a city and living there are not the same. Adult professionals in mid life are not the same as college students or young actors.</p>
<p>So funny to open this and find a debate about public transportation. My family has traveled extensively in Europe using public transportation as our primary means of transportation. We also just got back from NYC and used only public transportation . Not only is it completely doable but its enjoyable. And since we were in NYC for college visits (D fell in love with NYU), I am sure D’s familiarity and comfort level with subways will come in handy if she winds up going to school there. Of course, on a beautiful day, when you aren’t in a rush, walking is the best of all.</p>
<p>(And my DH grew up in Beverly Hills; his family is full of folks with connections to both UCLA and USC so I have no dog in that race).</p>
<p>Soozviet: I get it. Truly I do. My comment was simply that if the Mother Gods were to be put in play my kids and all kids, if in a strange place or if it is late at night, would not cause me the worry (based on MY issues about safety) and give them an extra $50 per day of cab fare. </p>
<p>And I too have connections at both schools. Degree from one of them. I do have a preference based on the education that I (note: I) received. We have dear friends from both schools. My problem is misinformation given out as fact and attitudes, snide remarks, and feigned innocence based in anger from posters who didn’t get what they, possibly, wanted.</p>
<p>I know DC isn’t really relevant to the discussion at hand, but here’s my opinion on public transportation. </p>
<p>I’m an 18 year old female, still in high school, from the suburbs.</p>
<p>Twice a week, I take the Metro in and out of DC and walk half a mile from the Metro stop to the theatre where I take acting classes. I’m usually walking at 7:30 pm and then 10 or 11 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a pretty gentrified neighborhood, for the most part. I’ve never run into any problems (knock on wood).</p>
<p>I do have a car, and I could drive into DC, but personally, driving, especially at rush hour, and especially in DC stresses me out. It also takes a really long time. There’s no parking particularly close to my destination. I would have to park 1/4 of a mile away and pay $8. With the Metro, I can park at school (my school is about 1/4 away from a station) for free, and then it’s $4 round trip as long as I’m not traveling at rush hour.</p>
<p>For me, public transportation is a much better option, because the walk isn’t that far (and I’ve always found DC buses to be quite unreliable), and it’s half the price. Knock on wood, I haven’t had any trouble, but I think a lot of it is just common sense. Don’t do stupid things and your chances of not getting into trouble go up.</p>
<p>I’m looking at the BA program at USC–provided I am accepted! It looks like I may be in the next couple days, though. They seem to have a great program, plus Jason Robert Brown teaches there! And I’m sure having the film school there doesn’t hurt, either.</p>
<p>One of my daughters graduated from the film program (Critical Studies). There is a wonderful interface between Theatre and Film, depending on the film’s casting. Lots of kids got some reel work (no pun intended, but it works) to show agents.</p>
