<p>My daughter will be auditioning next month for the BFA in MT at Indiana, and I have to tell you…When she first decided to audition, we had heard about the great reputation of the theatre department at Indiana, but we never realized to what degree. It seems that there is a growing buzz about the program. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve spoken to lately who have said that Indiana is on the same level and caliber as Julliard and CMU. And many kids now are choosing Indiana over other top schools, not only because of its program, but also because of its “college feel” and beautiful campus. So, I’m afraid the competition is going to be pretty stiff. But, my daughter will always have the BA acceptance to fall back on if she doesn’t get into the BFA program.
Anyway, I just thought I’d share what I’ve been hearing about IU. To those talented kids who get accepted this year, I think you should realize how lucky you are!
Best of luck to all of you who will be auditioning and keep your fingers crossed for my daughter! :)</p>
<p>Not surprised by this Tina…neither was my D at IU when I told her. Break A Leg to your D! Has she ever seen the campus before? If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Yes, my daughter has seen the campus once (my son is a sophomore at IU). She loved it. How can anyone not love it? Lots of kids from our high school go to Indiana and I have never heard of anyone not loving it. Seriously. We don’t know anyone personally in the theatre department, though. My cousin went to Indiana a long time ago (like over 20 years ago) and she is still raving about it. The way she describes Indiana is this: “Picture the perfect college campus in the perfect college town, just like out of the movies and that is what Indiana is.” Anyway, at first I was pretty confident that my daughter would make it into the BFA program there. Now, with everyone talking about how wonderful it is, I’m not so cocky anymore! 
LOL
But, I guess all moms are pretty confident when it comes to their child’s talent! I also heard that Indiana is now drawing from a more national talent pool. Is that true?</p>
<p>The BFAs I know of are from all over the country. I have heard of at least one person that chose IU over CMU as I recall last year. Following the past years the only conclusion you can make about any of the BFA programs is it is totally unpredictable. IU is no exception.</p>
<p>I know. When each school accepts so few kids, you certainly can’t count on anything. Luckily, my daughter loves auditioning and she’s been in this business long enough to know how to handle rejection. Just like when she auditions for shows, she understands that she just can’t be right for every role. I’m sure it is the same with schools. Each school needs to choose a class with the right mix of looks and voice styles, etc.</p>
<p>My D is a BFA in the MT program and she loves it. Last year they took 3 girls from California (2 freshmen and 1 transfer) and the other BFA’s are from all over the country. They work really hard because they are taking all of their training classes on top of a regular college curriculum - so it really is the best of both worlds. Good luck to everyone auditioning this year!</p>
<p>Tina, </p>
<p>I think what you might have been referring to is the overall population of IU. I believe about 70% of the students come from Indiana in the WHOLE school. But I think that ratio is probably quite different when you look at Kelley School, Jacob’s School, School of Journalism and the BFA program which are competitive.</p>
<p>Yes. That’s what I had heard. At my kids’ high school, Indiana is one of the most popular choices - along with U of I, University of Wisconsin, and Michigan. When my son graduated high school, most of his best friends went with him to Indiana. It was so nice for him to start college with so many close friends.</p>
<p>If you haven’t read this yet, it’s an interesting article from the Wall St. Journal from September about how popular IU has become, especially for students in the NYC region. I have a D who is a junior at IU (not in MT) who just loves the school! My younger D who is a current BFA MT at Syracuse was very impressed with the IU BFA MT program (as was I). </p>
<p>[From</a> Bloomingdale’s to Bloomington - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122057234017401625.html?mod=googlenews_wsj]From”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122057234017401625.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)</p>
<p>What a great article! Thanks for posting!</p>
<p>Hey everyone. It’s great reading that IU is making a dent in the BFA MT program world. </p>
<p>I must say though, that it’s a bit of an unfair comparison to say that we’re at the same caliber as Julliard or CMU. It’s not that the program isn’t strong, it’s just that we aren’t a conservatory like those schools. That’s what sets us apart from most programs: the kids who choose to go here are choosing a real college experience on a Big 10 campus over a smaller conservatory program with perhaps fewer opportunities. It is definitely selective… the class sizes (with transfers) are 6 in 2010, 10 in 2011, and 10 in 2012. </p>
<p>The students who go here are from all over the country (Georgia, Long Island, Connecticut, California, and more…) and have turned down top schools including CMU and CCM, but again, choosing a school isn’t just about the prestige of the name… it’s about where you feel you can learn and grow to the best of your abilities which, for many, are schools like IU. I have never met an IU alum of any major who didn’t absolutely love his or her experience at this school, and all it takes is one visit to know why. The program is still new and still in the ‘experimental’ stage, but judging by my own personal progress and the progress made by my peers, I can say confidently that it is headed in the right direction. </p>
<p>No program is perfect, and I don’t necessarily wake up every morning in love with the MT program… but I do fall in love with my fantastic University over and over again every day that I’m here. My friends and I often muse about what life would have been like if we hadn’t picked IU (it’s almost impossible not to ask “what if”) but I look at the amazing opportunities I’ve had here, the people I’ve met, and the progress I’ve made, and I know that I chose right.</p>
<p>PanTheMan makes some excellent points. I think choosing a college last year was sort of like dating and falling in love. Nothing may be totally perfect and every place may have something you wished it had but what is the best sum of the parts for YOU. I know people going to school in NYC which gives you some great contacts and they absolutely love it. This wasn’t the environment my D wanted to live in for the next 4 yrs. She had this picture in her head of an old large campus with stunning architecture and quaint campus town. She wanted good resources in all 3 areas of acting, voice and dance but she also wanted availability of some decent academics. </p>
<p>The list last year seemed long with lots of reputable and known choices. But as she examined them individually issues would arise. Often she was very impressed with resources in 1 or 2 of the 3 areas but for her a deficit in one area was important. She visited places she just didn’t want to live for 4 yrs. Or she didn’t relate to the personality of the people that went to a particular college. It might have been wonderful in every way but was missing the academic level she wanted. </p>
<p>After 7 months, like Pan, she wakes up every morning happy with her choice and wouldn’t be anywhere else. She’s advancing in the 3 areas and has made many friends. It was just the ‘perfect’ choice for her and she’s in love.</p>
<p>Wow! That was beautifully written!</p>