<p>Now that it is the summer before my senior year, I have almost finished deciding my list of colleges. However, while I have several BFA and selective BA schools on my list, I don't have many BA safety schools, because it's hard to tell which ones are good for theater. Could anyone give me suggestions for schools that are less selective but have good non-audition theater programs?</p>
<p>It is difficult for people to suggest non-auditioned safety schools without knowing your academic stats. A safety for one person may not be for another.</p>
<p>Good point- I’m new to this site, so I’m still learning.</p>
<p>My SAT scores are 710 Critical Reading, 700 Math, and 720 Writing.
My grade average is about an 84 (my school doesn’t do grades on a 4.0 scale).</p>
<p>Also, if it helps, I have leadership positions in my school’s Women’s Rights Club, Improv Troupe, and Drama Department (I’m the First Drama Head). I’ve been in six plays at my school so far, and I’m in three of my school’s singing groups: Glee Club, Chamber Choir, and an a capella group.</p>
<p>Hope that helps! Please let me know if I should add any other useful information.</p>
<p>Do you have an idea of where your GPA places you in class rank – even if not specific – are you in top 10%, top 20, top half? And, is it weighted or unweighted, and have you taken a rigorous courseload?</p>
<p>Muhlenberg in Allentown, PA., has a terrific BA theatre program and would probably be a safer school for you. You can audition for the head of the department if you’d like to be considered for a talent scholarship, but it’s not required. With those SAT scores and assuming your GPA puts you fairly high up in the class, you would also be in line for an academic merit scholarship.</p>
<p>My school doesn’t do rankings, so that would not be a factor for me. The GPA is unweighted. I have taken very rigorous classes at a boarding school in Connecticut. So far I have taken three AP courses and several honors courses, and I plan to take two more AP’s and one honors course this fall along with two other classes.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg is on my list. 
It sounds like they have a really great program! I will definitely look into their scholarships. Since I can’t audition on campus, which do you think would give me a better chance at getting a talent scholarship: submitting a DVD, having a phone/Skype interview…or both? What do people who live far away usually do?</p>
<p>If you are being considered for an academic scholarship at Muhlenberg, you will be sent an application for an Honors program, for which you have to write an essay (this is before your acceptance even comes in). My D didn’t apply for it (she was SO done writing essays) and she already had a preferred acceptance in hand, but she still was offered the Presidential Scholarship (a different award) upon her acceptance. </p>
<p>Her stats were better than yours, but I think that you have a good chance of getting offered something because of your SAT scores.</p>
<p>Your GPA looks a bit low, but it’s difficult to know how tough the grading is at your school. That’s why I asked you about class rank. Our school doesn’t rank either, but they do have a profile that they send to the colleges, and which we see as well, that shows the grade distribution so that the colleges can get a sense of where the student fits in the context of that school. Small private schools probably don’t issue this? But, still, if your 84 is middle of the road at your school, that’s one thing; if A’s really aren’t given much at all, that’s another!</p>
<p>I think you have a great chance of being offered an academic scholarship. My daughter’s SAT scores were in the 650 area and was offered a Presidential Scholarship w/ the opportunity for Honors program. She also auditioned for the head of the theater department and received a substantial talent scholarship. I would highly suggest if you are near the Muhlenberg area to take advantage of their interview process as I feel that can only help. My D did not ultimately choose Muhlenberg, however it was a true front runner.</p>
<p>My D’s non-audition safety was Indiana BA in Theatre. They have rolling admissions so she found out her acceptance a couple weeks after applying in late August/early September. Was nice to have that under the belt before audition season got underway.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1190954-dont-knock-b.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1190954-dont-knock-b.html</a></p>
<p>Do audition for the scholarship at Muhlenberg, as our MT coach, after reviewing those students out of the many she coached who got accepted and who did not, believes that very few were accepted who did not audition. No concrete evidence, just supposition.</p>
<p>Also, look at post #2 on the Big List of schools at the top of the post list. There are many BA schools listed there in different parts of the country. Going into their websites, looking up reviews of the schools and checking out admittance rates on collegeboard.com should give you a good idea of what might be a good school for you.</p>
<p>Ditto on the Muhlenberg suggestion. My son auditioned there and received a talent scholarship, but got into 4 “audition programs” so ended up choosing one of those. However, we were extremely impressed with the school and I think he would have been very happy there (as would I, since it’s much closer to home than the school he chose!)</p>