<p>I’m in a bit of a sticky situation. I just completed my freshman year at Rhodes College (a tiny liberal arts school in Memphis, TN). Though I applied to fantastic schools senior year, I didn’t audition for MT programs because I felt overwhelmed, under prepared, and intimidated. Since I directed two shows in high school (L5Y and Sound of Music) I thought I might be interested in arts advocacy and administration, a fellowship/scholarship program that Rhodes had to offer. However, I realized throughout the course of the year that I was crazy for not at least attempting to pursue Musical Theatre. I’m not inexperienced–I’ve had years of vocal/dance training/have been in plenty of shows. Nonetheless, I’m pretty clueless about where transfers come into play at a MT school. Yes, I’ve read several of the threads in this forum, but my situation seems slightly different.</p>
<p>2 Big Questions:
Ideally, I’d like to find a school that would accept me as a MT major in the spring. Is this even a possibility? (BTW, dance is my strongest, then singing, then acting. I’m also interested in directing/producing MT and playwriting)</p>
<li>I visited/fell in love with OCU earlier this summer. I applied in June and recently got my acceptance letter (as an academic student). I could start as an Arts Administration major and audition for musical theatre in November, but I probably couldn’t begin as a MT major until my junior year. (yikes!) Would it be better to get my “foot-in-the-door” at OCU now (as in this fall) and risk not getting into MT? Or should I take time at home to train and prepare for auditions elsewhere? (while getting General Education Requirements out of the way…)</li>
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<p>Do you specifically want a BFA in MT? If so, check out the BFA requirements at OCU. Many (most?) BFA programs make you start at the beginning. That would ultimately require six years in school for you.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you want a BA (which to me it sounds like you do based on your varied interests) you might consider going to OCU and taking MT classes. Or look at other schools that offer BA's in the areas you are looking for, or BFA's in both fields. I think (not certain) that Ithaca College has this, and I'm certain many others.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if I want a BFA or BA (which is something I definitely should decide at this point!) I'm having difficulty deciding if a BFA (and therefore focusing more solely on being a performer and getting in shows that way and working my way up) or BA (performing and using the more "theatre arts" side) would put me at a better advantage. I'm a summer birthday and I'm particularly young for my grade, so I wouldn't mind being a freshman this year, but two years of backup seems pretty excessive. I've checked out the general education requirements for OCU and I have most of them through Rhodes and summer classes (I also placed out of a number of classes at Rhodes) I've also had Theory I, Aural Skills, Acting I and II, etc... Do you think I'd still be classified as a freshman?</p>
<p>Again, that is dependent upon the program. Many do accept some transfer credits, some accept none. Call OCU and ask. But make sure you speak with someone who is absolutely certain of the BFA program guidelines. They are very different than other programs at most institutions. Your best bet is to send the Chair of the Department an email. They are usually the best source of information.</p>
<p>It is unlikely that a BFA program will accept your acting classes in transfer. The University may accept them as general credits, but they would usually not help to fulfill the acting class requirements for the BFA program.</p>
<p>As kjgc says you should check with the school (and department) directly.</p>
<p>Do you know for sure that OCU does not accept spring transfers? Seems I remember my daughter mentioning someone who transfered in the spring a year or two ago.</p>