<p>Hello there,</p>
<p>I would really appreciate any inputs on the following question please.
My son is a theater inthusiast and he got accepted at NYU Tisch school of Arts as wells as USC School of theater. He got into USC with presidential scholarship for BA in Theater (approx. 50% off tuition) as oppose to NYU Tisch is giving him relatively small amount of scholarship in BFA Acting program.</p>
<p>We're not sure which one to pick - USC sounds better for $$ but i have been told NYU Tisch is best among Acting schools. A career in Acting is a huge risk and a harder path as oppose to other deciplines in my opinion.</p>
<p>Really confused .... please send your inputs, experiences or suggestions if any.</p>
<p>Also, is BA in theater a more generic major versus BFA in Acting is more focused around training in Acting?</p>
<p>Please help!!</p>
<p>Collegedadba, congrats to your son. The place to look for program knowledge for the creative and performing arts is within the dedicated subforums. The theater/drama forum is here [Theater/Drama</a> Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/]Theater/Drama”>Theater/Drama Majors - College Confidential Forums).</p>
<p>My experience is in music, but in general, the BFA is a more focused, preprofessional degree with more degree requirements (credits) within the major field, the BA has more general and liberal arts requirements. The percentages can range from 66% to 80% major specific requirements or more for the BFA, and the BA can have far fewer. Compare the actual degree requirements at each school for the two.</p>
<p>Tisch is pretty much where it’s at for stage acting. Both should be very strong for film. If your son likes NYU better and you can pay for tuition without huge student loans, I’d say go Tisch.</p>
<p>As far as the BA vs. BFA… Is your son an “acting enthusiast,” or is he an “actor?” There’s a huge difference. I’d say he’s far surpassed the “enthusiast” level if he’s gotten into Tisch. Does he want an acting career? I know it can be risky, but to tell you the truth, it’s less risky if you jump in with both feet at a renowned school. He’ll receive an infinite number of opportunities at Tisch, and it’s right in the heart of the big apple. If he’s passionate about acting and sees himself on stage/screen in ten years rather than a desk job, he should go for the BFA. He’s clearly qualified enough to give it a wise try. Contrarily, if he’s hesitant about giving his all to the theatre & film worlds and would prefer to focus on core academics, maybe he should try the BA and go on to a more “stable income” career with some acting on the side.</p>
<p>For the record, I have a similar dilemma… I was accepted to USC’s Popular Music program and NYU’s Recorded Music program. Both are my top choices. I greatly prefer USC’s program, but I prefer NYU otherwise, so I’m kind of stuck. As far as I know, neither school is giving me any merit scholarships and my family doesn’t qualify for aid. Hmmm.</p>
<p>Thanks violadad and 27dreams for all your valuable inputs.
Actually my son wants a career in Acting. He was the lead actor for all of his high school theater plays approx. 6 of them and also have won many awards in outside theater competitions during his high school career. He did audition for NYU and got selected. Where as USC BA in theater there was no audition - just an in person interview in the process.
For me personally, i think a career in Acting is a bit risky proposition. He is very well rounded academically with high GPAs all along.
From a finance stand point, NYU’s tuition will be a huge dent in my finances (as a parent) as oppose to USC is more affordable with the 50% off scholarship. But if he chooses USC over NYU then that will break his dream by declining a top Acting school - NYU Tisch.</p>
<p>Thanks again!!</p>
<p>Only you know whether or not you can afford NYU without ruining your family’s financial situation. I would suggest that you and your son sit down with the numbers and think about what the two different costs mean. If you need to compare different plans for taking out loans, visit [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and use the loan repayment calculators.</p>