<p>So, here is my dilemma. I wasn't accepted into very many of the programs I auditioned for and I was waitlisted at Marymount Manhattan. I decided they were a no because they didn't give me scholarship money and they are just too expensive. So, right not I am between AMDA and SUNY Fredonia (I did NOT audition for their BFA so I would enter as a BA Theatre Arts Major) I've heard all the gossip about the AMDA nickname and their reputation, but they actually gave me quite a bit of scholarship money so in the end they will cost roughly the same as Fredonia, especially considering the fact that I wouldn't be dorming at AMDA, and I now know a few people who have attended/worked there and they love it.
I'm thinking of attending AMDA for a year and then re-audition for BFAs since I know most MT school make you start as a freshman anyway.
I looked at the course list for both schools, and while Fredonia offers a broader spectrum of courses, I feel I would be happy at either school.
Can anyway give me the pros and cons of a two year conservatory rather then a four year college and the reality of being able to transfer out of a certificate program into a BFA?</p>
<p>I am not anti-AMDA; it can be the right place for some people, and I have seen some very talented people who studied there. If you do intend to re-apply to BFA programs next year, it might be a good “gap-year” option for you to get some intensive training. However, keep in mind that the AMDA credits will probably not transfer to most schools, so you will indeed be starting as a freshman in a BFA program.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you attend Fredonia, you can get some of your academic requirements out of the way. In that case, if you get accepted to a BFA program, you might be able to accelerate your graduation by a semester or even two. And if you are already attending Fredonia, you may have a better shot of being accepted into their BFA program.</p>
<p>I guess I’m not sure there would be any benefit to attending AMDA if you are going in intending to transfer after 1 year. I doubt if the credits would transfer to a BA or BFA program, and even with a scholarship, it will still cost money. I would think you might be better off taking a gap year and auditioning for whatever theater is in your area, and working to save money for the following year. There are discussions on CC related to taking a gap year; you might go thru and read them to find some of the pros and cons (although I don’t think there are many cons…) Good luck!</p>
<p>Are you absolutely intent on getting a BFA in MT degree? I read that Fredonia will let you audition for the BFA from the BA after you are already at the school but it looks like you can only try it once. Would the coursework that you would be receiving prior to auditioning help build the skills you need to successfully audition into the BFA and if not do you have a plan for working on them this summer or while going to school? If you don’t make it in to the BFA, will you be OK with working towards a BA in Theater Studies degree at Fredonia or OK with transferring elsewhere which will bring its own set of challenges?</p>
<p>The work at AMDA will probably more specifically focus on the acting, singing, dance skills you need to get into a BFA. On the other hand as pointed out by others your certificate work at AMDA may not transfer as credit to a BFA program. If the credits don’t transfer and you have to start over as a freshman wherever you go, do you audition as a freshman (as if you’ve never gone to college) or do you have to go through the audition process as a transfer? I do not know the answer to that question but you should know the answer. I believe there are more freshman spots in BFA programs than there are spots for transfers. Some schools look at you as a transfer the minute you take even one college level class.</p>
<p>Finally I’d suggest that you ask yourself if you are emotionally prepared to wait a year to go to college or not. My daughter would not be and I believe if these were her options, she would want to start college immediately after high school. However, I know that some kids choose a gap year even when they are already into the program that then intend to study because it is what they want. It’s a lot easier to gap when you already know where you are going after the gap ends because you are not starting over with the applications and gathering recommendations, transcripts etc. which is harder once you are out of high school. The situation that you are describing sounds more like you would take a gap because you’ve been forced to. However, that isn’t quite true. You could get going at Suny Fredonia if you feel like going to college now is a priority for you. Only you can decide what is most important to you.</p>
<p>All the best!</p>
<p>I am a BA student at Fredonia! It’s not up to me to say which is better for you personally as far as which school and what training you should undertake but I can answer all and any questions about the Fredonia program, if it will help you make your decision.</p>
<p>Thank you all for you replies! halflokum- While reading your response I realized I doing a BA might be the best choice for me. I saw the course list and I do believe it will help me get what I need to be able to re-audition.</p>
<p>^^^I’m truly happy for you. I predict that by October 23rd (as random a day as any) you’ll already be thinking that you ended up where you were meant to be. All the best!</p>
<p>I don’t know whether this will make a difference to you or not, but I have heard that prospective students auditioning as transfers are likely to get much less financial aid than students auditioning as initial admits. My D1 auditioned for MT this year- technically as a transfer, though as you said, for BFA programs she would have to start over (she would just have fewer gen ed requirements to fulfill)- HOWEVER, that does NOT mean that she is not a transfer. All the schools told us that, even though she would follow the regular 4 year track, she would still be a transfer technically- and many schools define a transfer as anyone having over a certain number of college credits (sometimes only a few!). U Miami, for example, told us she could not audition if she had been to college at all- they would not even let her totally ignore her credits (not that she would have been interested in doing that, but just for the sake of knowledge I asked).</p>
<p>Thank you for your response! I have a list of schools I am applying to as a transfer so I know what I need to do, but right now I’m liking Fredonia and hopefully they accept me as a BFA once I am there as a student.</p>
<p>When my son auditioned for Purchase this year, most students in the BFA program were transfer students, and older than 18.</p>