<p>I am hoping for advice from students/parents who child may have still attended a school where they were rejected from BFA program. DD rejected from BFA programs, but several of the schools suggested (in the parents forum or Q & A sessions while at auditions) to possibly attend their school under a BA, gain more training, and then reaudition. Has this worked for anyone? Suggestions?? She is waitlisted at one BFA program and is still to hear from a BA program...but I need advice on how to start helping her with her choices. Thank you so much.</p>
<p>Now this is something I would really love to see input from current students about because all I have is some mumblings and speculation, but I think not all BA options at a BFA/BA school are the same. Every one of them insists, just swears up and down that the BA kids aren’t treated ANY differently and that “everyone can audition” but I’d be careful.</p>
<p>One BA program at a BA/BFA school that we would have considered, if we’d gotten enough of an offer (it was very disappointing but we don’t care, got good ones from others) was TCU. I very much got the impression that the BA kids were not condescended to, and, they have a very good petition policy. A BA kid can petition to get into the BFA program later and it’s based mostly on if they feel that student has progressed, not so much on did a spot “open” up or not. They seem to realize that a) a lot of kids make huge leaps in that first year in school and that b) they can’t really know all a kid’s qualities that might make them a good BFA candidate from that one interview and audition.</p>
<p>See, that’s my daughter. If they could tell from just 5 or 10 minutes just how wonderful of a cast and crew mate she is to everyone and her really good collaborative skills and attitude, and how hard she works and how much astonishing improvement she shows when she does, they’d give her a lot of weight. I suspect her letters of recommendation indicate this but getting to know her over time is how you get to see her best qualities. So a school who realizes this is what I would look for.</p>
<p>The other thing is, do you have any schools on your list that only offer BA’s but they are very good BA programs? We have 4 of those on our list and one of them is D’s top pick over any BFA out there. (they have SOME money but we are waiting to hear on talent money…so we will see) It has every appealing thing that the BFA programs we looked at have, and they will let her double major in two theater areas (performance and costume) which many of them, we noticed, won’t let you double major in the same area. In which case she’d double major in theater and visual art or fashion history or whatever she could get that would make sense. </p>
<p>The main thing about being a BA at a BFA program that would bother me, at least at all the ones we looked at, is that they all have very speeeeshul classes that are VERY desirable, IMO, for professional development, that are either completely closed to the BA’s, (which I would personally cross that school off the list) or in some cases, IF the instructor says it’s okay and IF they have room, they will let BA’s take.</p>
<p>I think there are some BA programs out there that are just fantastic and there are some I don’t know if they’d be a good fit for my D or not. I know that the BFA’s at the lottery schools are the shiny thing that we all wish our kids could get numerous offers from but the hard cold numbers tell us it just won’t happen for everyone. But I believe Soozievt and everyone else who says a BFA isn’t the only way to get a good education and be well prepared.</p>
<p>I think it’s a matter of fit, just as it is with a BFA.</p>
<p>Anyway those are the things that my D and I are looking at now, so maybe that will help you a bit.</p>
<p>My D has been offered BA in Theatre Studies (or something similar) at 3 schools instead of a BFA – one of the BA even came with more scholarship money. I have looked closely at them. I don’t think she should go to a school for BA if her primary goal is to reaudition and get into the BFA program. All of the schools say that BAs can reaudition for the BFA programs and that there have been a few students who have successfully done it in the past, but it sounds like a rare occassion. When I asked one school more questions about it, the woman said that BAs get busy and it never happens.<br>
However, I think a BA would be good choice for a student if they would be happy with the BA program itself. If the student starts out thinking of it as second best, I think it may be a difficult adjustment.</p>
<p>My D doesn’t even want to consider the BA options. She wants to pick one of her BFA offers and she still has three schools to hear from. She picked schools based on their BFA programs and is ready to fall in love with the school that offers the best BFA opportunity. That is the right approach for her, b/c she will put up with some negatives about a school if she is where she wants to be theatre-wise.</p>
<p>mthopefulmom - There are schools where kid do re-audition and make the move to the BFA. I think the reality of that happening varies greatly by school so you may want to post more specifics at some point.</p>
<p>The questions I would ask:
Do BAs have the same acting/voice/dance faculty as the BFAs?
How difficult is it to actually get into those classes?
Are BAs in the same audition pool as the BFAs and do they get cast?
How integrated are the BAs and BFAs in their “social” life?
What do the BAs go on to do after they graduate? </p>
<p>That’s just what would be on my mind going through the process. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I personally know of 2 kids, boy and girl, who went to their first choice schools after either being waitlisted or not accepted into MT program… reuaudtioned this year and were accepted. So it does happen! I think the girl was accepted to another MT program last year but went to the first choice school she was wait listed at last year and tried again this year with success.
I know a few other kids who did this and results while still pending ie: waiting to hear, don’t look as good. I guess you have to be happy with your outcome and have some plan you can live and work with for the future.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anybody who didn’t get into pace mt initially but did the fall internal audition and got in?</p>
<p>^I was wondering the same thing. I spoke to someone in the theater dept at Pace and they said they don’t have a specific number of transfers they’re able to take, so it’s not limited as much.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your comments. D has applied to several BA programs (some audition some not) and been accepted at each, but feels she wants the BFA experience. We are continuing to look at all options…but I just wanted to know if anyone knew anyone who had succeeded at the BA to BFA approach. Some schools we talked to again didn’t advise it-a few did. Part of this was based on how they felt her audition went and where she finally fell in the process of the “numbers game”. We actually did find a very nice BA prgram that offers a semester in NYC working with different types of professionals and (hopefully) going to auditions etc. She is still waiting to hear back on her wait list BFA program. The search continues…but I am starting to think that May 1 may never get here!</p>
<p>mthopefulmom - While my D does know of instances where this has happened, the question for me would be what happens if she re-auditions for the BFA and doesn’t get accepted? Would she still be happy continuing in the BA?</p>
<p>Did she look at any non-audition or after freshman year audition BFA programs? Would one of those be a better fit for her?</p>
<p>Fingers crossed that waitlist BFA comes through for her!</p>
<p>I have this option too but would be very hesitant. Sure, the possibility of reauditioning exists but if that’s your hope and reason for attending I think most would agree that the chances are pretty slim. Also, telling us to get more training and try again is a little insulting when these programs take so few people. It’s not like 950 students need more training and, if so,will they even provide it. Most of the BA"s in schools that offer BFA or not performance based. They are more like tech programs aren’t they? They say you can audition for shows but, really, what are the chances of getting cast? Ericsmom’s advice about trying journalism confirms my feeling that the Theater Dept. at these schools is not the best place to land after you have been rejected.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a take on Point Park where everyone goes in as a B.A. then as the school said, if they want can audition I believe Jr. year for a BFA ?</p>
<p>Typecast ~ Although my S’s situation wasn’t the norm, this is how it went for him at Point Park. He transferred in as a Jr. (1st yr in a BFA program that wasn’t a good fit, spent the next year taking gen ed classes at a local community college and re-auditioning). He was accepted into the BA program (as all students are) fully intending on auditioning for the BFA when he was eligible. After one semester he told us that the training is the same for both BA’s and BFA’s , but discovered that he could graduate on time (two years at PP) if he worked hard and kept on the BA track. Of course, all we ever heard prior to that was BFA, BFA, BFA. Long story short…he graduated on time (after 4 years of college total - 2 at PP) moved to New York and is now on Broadway. People debate the BA/BFA and in the end I believe it takes a school that is a good fit (for each individual student to grow), working hard, maturity and luck!</p>