<p>Any suggestions on schools with a good BA acting program that has audition talent merit aid.</p>
<p>On the subject of a BA. In schools that offer both BA and BFA like Rutgers or Montclair how different is the program and quality. Do you apply to both? Can a BA program at a BFA school be a safety?</p>
<p>Took a tour of nyu and son loved it, going back for the tish drama tour. we need a smart list of a mix of schools. He has an open mind and plans on touring more schools over the next 2 years.</p>
<p>Take a look at Muhlenberg. Strong BA Acting program, high caliber liberal arts, great theatre facilities, non-audition admissions on same basis as any other liberal arts program there, and both academic and talent (by audition) based scholarships available.</p>
<p>Strongly second the Muhlenberg suggestion! So many opportunities there, and the mainstage production we saw last spring was outstanding in every way. It would be an easy visit for you, shacherry, and it’s not a bad distance from NYC. One caveat: they take about 65% of their class early decision, so it’s important to audition for the theater scholarship and make sure they know you’re interested!</p>
<p>We are NJ residents, and familiar with both Montclair State and Rutgers, although my son opted not to apply to MSU. Montclair State requires that students be accepted in to the college before they are offered an audition. Auditions begin as early as November, and they offer non-binding early decision. I believe they have rolling admissions for the BA, but I might not be recalling accurately. The BA program is not highly selective, but the BFA is. They participate in the National Unified Auditions. Rutgers offers a BA in Theater at the College of Arts & Sciences, and a B.F.A. at Mason Gross School of the Arts. CAS is on rolling admissions. It is fairly selective for non-residents; not as selective for NJ students (although its standards are still relatively high). BA candidates have to fulfill a rigorous general curriculum, including math and science requirements. Mason Gross has one of the most selective Acting BFA programs in the country (they audition up to 1000 students to yield a class of 16-18). You may indicate up to three divisions of Rutgers University on your application, but Mason Gross also has an additional audition fee, and you should get the application submitted early in order to secure an audition slot. They also participate in the National Unified Auditions, as well as holding multiple audition dates on campus. Mason Gross is located near the main college campus in New Brunswick, on what used to be the Douglass College (Rutgers’ women’s college) campus. When we toured Mason Gross, our guide plainly stated “we don’t care about your grades.” I don’t think they give any preference to state residents at Mason Gross, apart from the in-state tuition rates (and, possibly, scholarship consideration). At Montclair State, our guide said that they are not able to award scholarships to out-of-state students, which puts them at a competitive disadvantage in attracting the most talented students nationally. The tuition is still more affordable than private colleges, but DePaul, et al, can offer better scholarships. My son was acccepted at Rutgers College of A & S, but not at Mason Gross.</p>
<p>If a school offers both a BA and a BFA, the programs tend to be quite different. Read up on the curriculum offerings carefully. </p>
<p>Some BA programs might not offer as much performance instruction as you would be interested in. Consult online course catalogs and study them closely.</p>
<p>Most BA programs do not require an audition, but the BA in Theatre Studies at Montclair does require an interview/audition:</p>
<p>I just registered us for a Muhlenberg tour. </p>
<p>I am printing this thread out and putting it in the college file I’m forming. This information is beyond valuable. I hope to pay it forward someday. </p>
<p>Stagemum you said something that hit me. We are from NJ and you mention that both Mason Gross/ Rutgers and Montclair might offer scholarships for in state students do you think that is both merit and talent? He just might have the stats for academic merit.</p>
<p>Good point in regard to what BA’s study in some schools. It is clear to me that my son would want a BA that is most like a BFA. A school that seems to fit this BA feel of a BFA is Suny New Paltz. Could it be a safety school for a B+/A- student? Is there talent merit auditioning there? Is there an audition for the BA program? </p>
<p>Montclair offers good academic merit scholarships to in-state students. My son who was accepted into their BFA program was offered excellent grant money and a place in their honors program.</p>
<p>I’m doing what you wise people have suggested and going on school sites and looking at the course offerings for BFA and BA’s. I’m having some issues finding any undergrad info and catalog for Mason Gross? The description of the program is very vague. From what you all have said about the program it might be just what my son is looking for. Am I missing something? I think this deep review of programs and classes will be the key to my son finding the right fit. </p>
<p>I have found that comparing programs from schools to schools is often like comparing apples to oranges. Is this curriculum disparity common with all majors or just ones in the fine arts?</p>
<p>shacherry - I remember thinking that the information on Mason Gross’s website was a little sparse. There’s even less about the BA Theater major at Rutgers CAS; they just link you over to the MGSA site. I think that the curriculum is pretty rigid, with just a few opportunities for electives outside of the department. Mason Gross is Meisner Technique, through and through . . . or, at least, it has been; they have a new director this year. They work on technique through the first two years, then the BFA students spend junior year at the Globe Theatre in London (a huge draw, especially at in-state tuition rates). I think that senior year entails film-acting, audition preparation, and they have a showcase in NYC. Scholarships are talent-based, I imagine, because admission is based overwhelmingly on the audition. The training and involvement in productions at MGSA are very intense, and allow little time for outside interests. My son was told “you won’t have time to go to any football games” - that was disappointing, since he’d liked the idea of attending a conservatory program within a big, multi-faceted university. I certainly recommend applying and auditioning for Mason Gross, especially if you are from NJ, but remember that it is like applying to Harvard - even students with absolutely perfect credentials get turned down all the time.</p>
<p>My D applied for and was awarded the Presidential Scholarship for Theatre at Wake Forest University. This involved initially sending a DVD of her doing 2 different monologues. Once she was determined to be a finalist, she was invited for a weekend to tour the campus, interview and audition for faculty, see a production and stay overnight with a theatre student. We were very impressed with the school and with the theatre faculty/ program and she was eventually offered the scholarship. For a number of reasons, she ultimately chose another school, but we thought very highly of Wake Forest’s program and the scholarship was very generous. The only audition for the program is for those who are auditioning for the scholarship and it is a BA program.</p>
<p>Oh, one more thing NJtheatreMom do you know if Mason Gross has an interdisciplinary approach to their program. My son is most interested in a course of study immersed with the physical learning of an acting technique rather then the elements of stage production like set design, costume design ect. </p>
<p>My D applied to and was accepted to New Paltz. I don’t think a B+/A- student would have trouble being accepted, and could get merit aid, along with their already reasonable cost of attendance.</p>
<p>They do audition potential theatre majors. I don’t know how difficult it is to pass the audition - while some seemingly reliable posters say here that most students do get in, there apparently are only about 30 new theatre members allowed each year, so I don’t know. It’s certainly not as competitive as many other auditioned programs.</p>
<p>We asked “how much like a BFA” is the program, and the dept head said, it’s a BA, not a BFA. Basically that means that a student is not expected or guaranteed to spend as much time immersed in theatre as they would at a BFA - in some BAs, you can make up for that with electives, advanced credit, but sometimes there just aren’t enough courses. The program at New Paltz seemed very good, and the campus and facilities are very nice (in our opinion), and they have lots of connections with professionals in the field and with NYC (both in taking trips there and bringing people to campus). The Dept Head, while definitely proud of his program, said that someone who absolutely wanted a BFA might feel limited there, in classes and/or performing opportunities. </p>
<p>My D got into an auditioned BFA program and so did not continue to consider New Paltz, but she would recommend people look at the school. It is in a very cute college town - fun restaurants and shops are just blocks from campus. The cost is very attractive, even for out of state students.</p>
<p>Shacherry, all BFA Acting programs emphasize performance training. Most BA programs cover a great deal more of the other elements of theatre. This is the case at Mason Gross.</p>
<p>If your son’s main interest is performance training, you have to look carefully at BA programs to see how much of it they offer. All programs are not alike.</p>
<p>So his ideal program will be a BFA but he needs a BA safety. So I will keep reading about programs and he and I will go on as many tours as we can to see what non audition BA’s would be as close to a match as what he would want. </p>
<p>I would recommend that if his biggest goal is a BFA training program, he should have 1-2 non-auditioned BFAs on his list. If his stats put him in the top 25% of their admitted students, you can consider those safety schools. </p>
<p>If he is not at all interested in tech/design/directing/etc., he should read the curricula very carefully before applying. Many BFAs require a broad approach to theatre; in my D’s program the Performance majors take lots of tech and also have extensive tech assignments (an aspect she personally enjoys), even though there is a separate Tech/Design major. He should look for programs that allow an Acting concentration that excuses students from those other areas, but he should be prepared that he probably will have to take some kind of non-acting theatre courses, even at the most focused conservatories.</p>
<p>After searching I think I’ve made great progress. </p>
<p>The university of north carolina at greensboro might be a true non audition bfa saftey for for my son. </p>
<p>There seem to be more non audition ba safeties and reaches out there that has close to what he wants to study at college.</p>
<p>Temple looks great and I am gong to pass him the info on the ba drama at brandies more of a match school. For a reach I’ll let him take a look at Bard.</p>
<p>I believe UNC Greensboro does have an audition later in the process to actually stay in the BFA program. Maybe going into sophomore year? I would definitely check that out closely, just so you know what the expectations are.</p>