<p>Cencible- my kids did several shows when they were younger with a young woman who eventually majored in engineering at USC. She has done several national tours, a Las Vegas show, competed on last season’s TV show (don’t remember the name) in which a capella groups compete against each other, and is now on Broadway. Currently she is on leave from an Industrial Engineering master’s program at USC. While I believe she may have minored in something related to music, she was never a theater or MT major. Also, my D did a professional production of Ragtime with a Mechanical Engineering major from UCLA who was a phenomenal dancer, singer, actor, and who went on to do some major work in MT. I remember during Ragtime that he was torn and thinking of switching his major, but the director took him aside and told him that he would personally come after this kid if he heard he was even thinking about switching majors! As far as I know he is now working as an engineer, but does some light MT on the side. Nothing says that your son has to graduate from an MT program in order to have success on some level in MT.</p>
<p>Mommy5: I think Cencible’s son was admitted to the Liberal Studies Program at NYU, which is, indeed an academic acceptance to NYU, though not in his original program of choice. And perhaps he has an academic acceptance to Rutgers BA after not being admitted to Mason Gross because one can apply to both, I believe. Not sure about the others.</p>
<p>Probably Ithaca, too</p>
<p>Sorry, yes, he has academic acceptances to NYU, Rutgers and Carnegie Mellon. He did not choose another major at Ithaca and it was a no from Boston U. I was a little exasperated at my child when I posted this morning, lol. I was trying to explain to him that there will still be theater and vocal opportunities at any college whether you are in the BFA or not… He could not HEAR me…I am sure you understand. Still waiting on 2 more schools for academic admissions, hurry up Thursday.</p>
<p>Cencible, yours must be just like mine. Mine who wants to double major but it’s impossible at a BFA program. Mine was devastated by her MT rejections but now says maybe she’d go to USC’s BA program. So what’s the difference between the different BA programs? Why the hysterics like life is over? And how many people have told me and her that the BFA is not a straight line to success and getting a different degree and keeping up her dancing, voice, and theatre skills can still land her where she wants…Can’t wait for Sunday to be here and be done with unknowing…</p>
<p>Remind them that many of the most talented MT kids in the country never even audition for BFA programs as they PREFER BA programs. They will be in very good company as theatre people also including academics in their college years, and years from now may look back on this audition season as a fortunate turn of events!</p>
<p>I’ve reminded, her voice teacher reminds her, others have told her but at 17/18 they believe what they want to believe</p>
<p>I could relate. D did not even bother to put any other major on her application forms for all the schools she auditioned and applied to. It’s BFA MT or nothing. She was even willing to take a gap year if not accepted this year - and really attend all the trainings available in the US - and audition again next year. If not for one great university that had already accepted her in it BFA MT, I would be in a panic mode right now as the other 4 schools are outright rejections. Waiting for 2 more, though.</p>
<p>This is always a tough topic with students who are sold on a BFA…and many many are and often for good reason, but sometimes its just cuz its what “everyone is doing”. In my opinion the BFA is much more like other “career training” degrees like nursing or architecture, than it is like an english major’s experience. There are simply more hours devoted to studying the craft itself. More dance, more acting, more singing in my MT daughter’s case. For some folks that seems like a wise idea, for others it does not.</p>
<p>I don’t really believe that “many of the most talented kids don’t ever audition for BFA’s, as they prefer BA’s”. I believe that there are extremely artistically talented kids in both pools.We know several National Merit Scholars who wanted BFA’s. We also know kids who struggled with school, who may have succeeded in BFA’s who chose BA’s. I also believe that very, very bright kids opt for BFA’s at schools that aren’t’ necessarily known for being academic powerhouses…they are much more interested in the “career training” piece. There are also immensely talented students who don’t have the grades for the powerhouse BA’s, but it doesn’t make them less talented. Artistically talented kids choose both kinds of programs. Academically talented kids choose both kinds of programs.</p>
<p>BA or BFA is really a personal choice. There are pros and cons to both. BA’s get a more fully- rounded education, but BFA’s get lots more credit hours in the “career training” areas. Some feel like BFA’s will net “dumb actors”. Some feel like BA’s don’t have enough training. Some BFA’s are at very academically selective schools, some are not. Some BA’s are at very academically challenging schools, some are not.</p>
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<p>Of course there are extremely artistically talented kids in both pools, as well as extremely intelligent kids in both pools… I never said otherwise! </p>
<p>But my statement that “many of the most talented kids don’t ever audition for BFA’s, as they prefer BA’s” is absolutely true, and we know many of these kids! Many of them apply ED, EA and RD to top BA programs without ever applying to a single BFA program. Our D was interested in both (though her top 3 choices were all BAs), but some very talented kids are only interested in BAs and never audition elsewhere.</p>
<p>I think sometimes CC tends to be very BFA-centric on the MT Forum, and for some very talented MT kids a BFA is simply not the best fit. Many reach that conclusion before submitting any applications, and more realize it once they closely review their final options. In my opinion, kids coming to CC for guidance should not be encouraged to view a BA as automatically offering inferior MT training, because in many cases it’s certainly not the case.</p>
<p>I was just reminding folks who might be disappointed with a lack of success in BFA auditions that they may be very surprised by the level of talent and training they encounter in quality BA programs.</p>
<p>It’s all good!</p>
<p>I don’t get how Crencible’s S got his NYU decision yet unless they notify those put in LSP before the rest of the admits? This year apparently NYU has a new policy where they will admit you to a different college within the system if you indicate that you would be willing to accept that (ie, if they accept you academically but not artistically, there now is an option to attend CAS, which LSP is sort of a feeder for, IIRC).</p>
<p>I think LSP’s are notified early. It happened to a couple of people I know last year at other schools (not Tisch). They were bummed but it is still getting into NYU.</p>
<p>There is nowhere on the NYU/Tisch application where one could indicate a willingness to be considered for admission into a different college within the system. On the contrary, the Tisch website still says that if you are denied artistic admission you will be denied all admission. Obviously there has been achange of some sort because of Cencible’s example but it is not reflected in the instructions nor on the application.</p>
<p>On the Supplement for NYU on the Common App, there is very definitely a place to indicate whether you would like to be considered for an alternate school or program should you not be accepted to your first choice. I don’t think it would be a matter of choosing a secondary program. it would be a matter of them feeling you were better suited for another program and offering admission to that second program. I, too, did not realize that applied to Tisch applicants like Cencible’s son. interesting.</p>
<p>Also, for the first time this year, prospective students could choose the Liberal Studies Program (LSP). I believe the LSP students were notified sometime last week, I think.</p>
<p>^^^I stand corrected. I just looked over the NYU supplement again and you are right there is a box to check. But it was always my understanding that it was irrelevant to anyone applying to the drama programs at Tisch.</p>
<p>Didn’t even realize that there was a box to check- luckily I checked it so hopefully if I don’t get in to Tisch I will get into LSP!</p>
<p>I just double checked his NYU application, indeed on the supplement #4 you could indicate that if you didn’t get into your first choice program (Tisch) do you wish to be considered for another major. He got early notice for LSP so that they could pick a portal for study for the fall (London, Paris, NY etc). Likewise for Rutgers and Carnegie, accepted in a different major. Honestly, I wish this was an option at BU and some of the other schools where it is one program or a no. I understand the why…but BU might have been a final contender if he had gotten in under a second choice major.<br>
Really, thanks for all the support and advice…this whole thing is not as fun as I imagined it would be for my kid or for me! :)</p>
<p>Forgive my ignorance, but what is LSP? Thanks… I may be zoning out, but it’s baffling me.</p>
<p>Liberal Studies Program.</p>
<p>Liberal Studies is a 2 year program at NYU. Prior to this year you could find no mention of it anywhere on the website. It was only offered to students if they were ineligible for the school they applied to. How they decided who to admit to this program still is a mystery.
Now that you can actually apply they may begin to offer more information. There is some method to their madness, including offering these students first semester freshman year abroad, but I can’t figure out what it is. Knowing NYU there is no doubt some profit motive involved.</p>