<p>Knowing that BFA curriculum can be so demanding, what types of activities did your students have time for? Work, Greek life, RA? D has already developed an interest in being a tour guide this year and summer orientation leader next year. Glad that she wants to be so involved, but trying to find out how realistic it is. Thanks. </p>
<p>You definitely can’t do sports, but there are people on this board whose kids pledged sororities. Work/study is doable, also know acting/MT students who are RAs. Not sure about outside employment – hard to imagine most outside employers would be willing to schedule around MTs’ very heavy time commitments. </p>
<p>All four years my daughter was in her BFA program, she was in an acapella group, and was also the music director of it, which meant additional responsibilities including writing arrangements. There were rehearsals twice/week and occasional travel to competitions and concerts. </p>
<p>For a few years, she also was in a “scholars” group which required regular events/gatherings, and volunteer work. </p>
<p>One year she also accompanied a student run musical. </p>
<p>Another year, she was the musical director of a student run musical. </p>
<p>Freshman year, she also worked some weekends (for pay) for themed birthday parties for kids. </p>
<p>One year, she was a professional musical director for pay, for a premier outside of school.</p>
<p>These activities and jobs were by choice and while related to musical theater, were all extracurricular in nature, either associated with her college or work outside her college (not counting summers).</p>
<p>Yes, it is very busy to add things, but it’s college and good to be involved in more than your classes and theater productions in your BFA program. </p>
<p>I also know of several BFA students that are RAs, tour guides, etc. I have a theory that the creative types are good at those kind of jobs too. I also know a girl who started off in a BFA acting track, pledged a sorority but did find that there were too many conflicts with studio requirements that compromised some of the Greek life and going to football games etc. experiences that she was aiming for. She actually changed majors I think largely because of it. </p>
<p>My daughter was (is) in an a cappella group starting freshman year and also had a part time job sophomore year and likely will again this year if she can hang on to a shift at one of places she is working at this summer. A job was not something that she could have fathomed doing her freshman year while she was getting her sea legs for the program. However sophomore year she found work that wasn’t very glamorous and didn’t pay very well, but it had flexible hours and that was the key. When you are broke, you are pretty motivated to find the time.</p>
<p>It’s harder to juggle any of these ECs (never mind homework) when you are also in a show. Something usually has to give. For example this year, leading up to the ICCA a cappella competition my daughter could not make it group rehearsals because of a show she was in. So they filmed the rehearsal for her so she could learn the chorography on her own and still go with the group to the competition. Good thing she is one of the tall ones and they could stick her in the back! :-)</p>
<p>One of the reasons our D chose OCU is the ability to do the EC stuff she was interested in. She is in a sorority, and since many members are performing arts majors, they are very understanding of time limitations. Many MTs do take on leadership roles within their sororities. Our D also is part of a leadership group that meets weekly and does community service. She is also a Blue Tie Ambassador and as such serves as a student representative at different school functions. She was in a school choir (required of all MTS all 4 years.) She did not work freshman year. But this upcoming school year she has a job as a character performer for a local events company. It’s a great job because you are able to accept or turn down work as your schedule allows since each character is multi-cast. Very flexible. Also, a lot of kids are section leaders or just singers in church choirs for which they get paid - I think around $50/week for one mid week rehearsal and Sunday. I do think if time allows it is nice to do something outside of the MT realm just to get to be around other students with different interests and to explore things outside of that subject area. She was in a main stage show in the Spring also. They find ways to make it all work. But any extracurriculars will add to an already jam-packed MT schedule. I think this is true of most programs.</p>
<p>My D worked on campus and is in a sorority. She also was part of an improv club. While it is not easy to juggle it all it is possible. She also applied to be a student ambassador for the upcoming year. </p>
<p>My D is not involved that much at the school outside of MT, but what she has done is chosen to live and thus socialize to a fairly significant degree with non-MT kids. She likes the MT kids and has many friends in the department, but decided before she left for college to live with non-MT kids “because I’ll be with the MT’s all day.” I was wary of this decision, but she has chosen to do the same next year, and really enjoys having lots of different kinds of friends.</p>
<p>^^^I think that is a good choice. I recall my D’s first two years of college, when she lived in the dorms and her apartment mates were all in MT and she said it was too much MT kids all the time after all day in studio with them, the same kids came to hang out at night. The next two years, she did not live with classmates. </p>
<p>@Calliene my daughter pretty much took a page out of the same book. Deliberately avoided having MT roommates freshman year. Roomed the second year with one of her suitemates as well as two other really great friends from her floor (also not MTs… nor actors nor anything remotely related to theatre). This year she’ll again be living with non MTs but friends that also perform with her in a cappella but if rooming with all MTs was an easy option as well, she would not have deliberately avoided it now that she has an established social life outside of the program.</p>
<p>Her strategy was largely successful and resulted in a larger circle of friends, but one thing she did say more than once was that she did see benefits to having roommates that were on the same (crazy) schedule. When you are the only one who cannot randomly decide to skip a class, or is in classes all day long and then get done and have to rehearse etc. after that and everyone else that you live with has a schedule with a lot more wiggle room for socializing or other activities, it can make you odd man/woman out on some of the fun (or at least always late to the party). But if you find the right roommates that get it and love you anyway, it’s a good way to go. </p>