<p>My S wants to apply to straight acting programs. I post here because the drama thread is relatively inactive and our issues apply to MT as well. My S came back from BU's Summer Theater Institute a different kid (all good). This was his first intense immersion in theater outside of a few school plays/musicals - he was an athlete. He definately wants to go the BFA route and he feels that he has uncovered his 'calling', though he recognizes that few called make a good living from it, similar to history, anthroology, etc. (I majored in classical Greek) majors.</p>
<p>Though I teach at a traditional LAC, I have come to realize that my S, at this point, is not the traditional LAC type- lots of core, general, and distribution requirements with only 10-11 units of Theater classes. He, however, would love working 12 hour days if BFA classes/productions. This weekend we are putting together a list of BFA programs to apply to.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I am encouraging my S to entertain another option; go to a nontraditional LAC that has a strong acting program and then eventually pursue an MFA. Bennngton College is performance-oriented and does not have any curricular requirements; this in contrast to traditional LACs like my school, Muhlenberg, Lawrence, Skidmore, etc. that, though they have strong theater programs, still force students through many general requirements. If accepted to Bennigton, he can go at a low price tag because my college has a tuition exchange agreement with them. In other words, the money that we haved saved would be there for him to go to most any MFA program. On the other hand, if he went to BU's BFA program, the money pot would be empty at the end of the fourth year. The Bennington-to MFA option seems an attractive option.
Is my reasoning sound? Would MFA programs view a Bennington performance-oriented graduate as attractive as a BFA graduate?</p>
<p>I think those who do straight theater have more options for educational paths than those studying musical theater. There are very few MFAs in MT. But someone who wants to study acting can either do a BFA in Acting or a BA plus MFA. A BA in Theater degree is certainly attractive to grad schools offering an MFA! You asked if an MFA program will see a BA graduate as attactive as a candidate who has a BFA, but I don't think that is an issue at all. MFA programs are not expecting a student to have a BFA when they enter. A BFA and an MFA are both professional degrees. So, an MFA program will certainly find BA candidates attractive and it is not like you need a BFA to get into an MFA!</p>
<p>Has your son looked at Sarah Lawrence? Hampshire? </p>
<p>However, if your son prefers a BFA path, it might not matter if the money runs out in the four years because a BFA is also a terminal degree and will prepare him well for work in the fieled. Basically, he can consider two options of either a BFA OR a BA + MFA. I suppose there is also a BFA + MFA option but the first two options are both viable options to a professional degree and each option has various aspects that are more fitting to someone's personal college criteria than another. Perhaps your son could have some BFAs on his list and some BA's (and in the case of the BA's, have an MFA in the back of his mind as a possibility at some point).</p>
<p>It sounds as if your son has some terrific options.... Soozievt's advice about creating a list with the different types of schools is terrific.</p>
<p>In terms of performing the idea behind a BFA is that the graduate is ready to enter the professional theatre world... so it is a terminal degree in that sence. If somewhere down the line your S decided he wanted to teach at a university he would need to obtain an MFA or Phd.... but that is way in the future!!</p>
<p>My S definately wants to go the BFA route. We are putting the list together this weekend. Our decision making process is complicated by the fact that there are programs out there that, if my S gets in and if he is granted tuition exchange, tuition (or most of it) is waived. However, not many top ranked BFA programs are in the tuition exchange program. As parents, our nightmare is that he would get accepted into an expensive top ranked (in his eyes) program along with good programs that would cost us little. It raises the question discussed many times on CC; do you spend all the money on a CMU, NYU, Miami, and the like, or do you go to another good program that can be paid out of pocket, thus leaving existing college savings for gradute school?
The best BFA programs that have liberal tuition exchange policies are Syracuse, Evansville, Florida, Hartt, and Otterbein. Other BFA programs with liberal tuition exchange include Drake, Webster, Vitebro, and Marietta. My son loves BU. He got positive feedback at the audition held at BU's summer program. BU is a tuition exchange college, but typically grants few awards.
As older parents (and both of us are college profs), we think that it makes most sense to retain college savings for graduate school. As someone who loves seeing his son passionate, or called, and as someone who loves learning, I definately want my S to pursue what he loves, but I also want to be sure that I can provide him a safety net if he realizes at age 25 that he needs to move in another direction, whether thru an MFA that might open doors or an MBA.<br>
Our list at this time is as follows. His stats are OK, but not great. (neither were mine - I would not have been accepted into any University/colleges that I have been a prof at)
REACH: BU, Syracuse, Rutgers, Evansville, Guthrie
SHOT: Connecticut, Illinois, Florida State, Florida, Utah
SAFER: Drake, Wyoming, Marietta
LAC: Bennington, Franklin & Marshall (home)
We need to narrow this list.</p>
<p>One way to narrow down is just based on the practicality of getting to the auditions. That looks like it will be an awful lot of travelling. Maybe drop of few of the more distant schools you can't cover at the Unifieds?</p>
<p>fishbowlfreshman: I just got an e-mail from Florida. They audition for acting on Nov. 17th; that's it. My S is lead in a play on that date. I contacted them that we are willing to fly from PA to campus at any other time. Nope. If you cannot be there on the 17th, you cannot audition and if you cannot audition in person on that date, you cannot enter the BFA program. Period. HMMMM. Not sure that I want my S to go to a program with that attitude and 'customer service' orientation - sorry, but where I teach the attitude is, well what is convenient for you and what do you want for lunch? Scratch that one.</p>
<p>Something to think about in terms of leaving money aside for graduate school. Many graduate programs offer assistantships to students. Also -- if you are able to help your son out (as it sounds like you would like to) and leave him without too much undergraduate debt, he may be able to handle the graduate school debt himself down the line, if he indeed decides to go to graduate school, and does't receive a full assistantship.</p>
<p>When I was applying to undergraduate school, grad school was not on my planning horizon (it wasn't when I graduated from college either)... I was BFA, all the way... never want to do anything other than perform! ;) I did not decide to go to graduate school until 6 years after graduation, when I wanted to make a focus shift in my career, and now needed the graduate degree. Because I had years of professional experience I was able to get assistantships, and take out very few loans. Because I did not have undergraduate loans my college loan debt is not bad, comparatively.</p>
<p>College has gotten so expensive, and unfortunately it sounds as if many of the schools in which your S is interested do not offer tuition exchange. Each family has to make decisions that make sense for them. When it comes time to make the final choice between schools it will be important for your S weigh the pros and cons of each option. </p>
<p>Back what now seems like 1,000 years ago -- my parents told me if I went to the state school I could have a car, and they would be able to help me pay for graduate school in the future.... I chose the out-of-state private university, no car, and paid for graduate school myself. </p>
<p>I have been reading your posts over the past year -- and you and you S are clearly very on top of the whole process... I wish you both the best of luck as you enter the final stage! :)</p>
<p>KatMT. I followed a similar path. When I was in grad school I was making more money than I was making the prvious years in the military.The problem is that these days there are very few scholarships, etc. for professional graduate degrees; PHD students get the money. I encounter this issue on a regular basis advising undergrads. This is why I want to set some money aside. Why would I do this? Because grad school is so expensive now and I would not want him to be forced into the box that I was i. Grad school via the military. No offense to the military. I learned more there than in any undergrad or grad program - I was a psychiatric social worker, but the military is not for everyone, especially these days.</p>
<p>By the way, I posted a thread in the Arts-drama section inquiring into lesser known hidden gem BFA Theater programs. Input would be appreciated.</p>
<p>College and graduate school have become particularly expensive. I think it is wonderful that you plan to set some money aside to help your son with grad school if that is the path he chooses. If he decides upon graduate school for theatre down the line, he may want to look into URTA (University Resident Theatre Association). Many of those schools offer full or partial assistantships to students in their programs. Some other notable non-URTA schools are working hard to raise the amount of grants they can offer to incoming MFA candidates. Hopefully there will be more money out there to help with the process in the future!</p>