<p>Does anyone know if at Ithaca - BFA acting - you first have to be admitted to the college?</p>
<p>You can get an audition date before submitting application. Just call.</p>
<p>Not sure if this school has been considered or not for a “safety”, but Univ/California at Santa Barbara has a BFA program, but a student auditions for it after the freshman year. (All freshman apply to the BA program and are accepted into it if academically qualified - no audition required) Later, If one does not get accepted into the BFA he/she can continue with the BA program in theater.</p>
<p>hey guys- i was on here last year when i was applying to schools. im just here to answer any questions u have about schools. i was in between Syracuse BFA and another ‘certain school in a big city’ (cough) and i ended up at syracuse with the help of CC. I could not have made a better desicion and absolutly LOVE it here to death. It is perfect (for me) if you are looking for a strong BFA program look at Syracuse. </p>
<p>Things to think about this school:
-Academically known for a challenging school. (However they weight the auditon heavily…i think…i had a 3.3 in high school which is no where near amazing and 1100 out of 1600 on the SATS)
-Take all classes in a LORT C Regional company and act in the shows and earn Equity Card/ EMC so u not only graduate with college theatre but professional theatre as well
-Distinguished Alumni (Taye Diggs, Vanessa Williams, Julia Murney, Vera Fermiga, Arielle Tepper, Alumni currantly in Xanadu, Les Miz, Rent, The Little Mermiad, Legally Blond etc.)
-Semester in London @ THE GLOBE AND semester in NYC for the Tepper Semester the last semester of your senior year so u can get acclimated, get jobs, and get an apt. if u plan to live in NYC after.
-senior showcase.
-AMAZING professors.
-BFA in Acting & MT.</p>
<p>i could go on and on. PM me if you have any questions! Remember it doesnt matter if you go to a school with a name or not, its how much u work to get out of it! Best of luck everyone! </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Thanks, Robbie, for taking the time to sum up your experiences. Are you in MT or acting? I wish more students would comment on their schools. Perhaps you, and others, could also provide info regarding auditions–what to expect-- as that is where current high school seniors are right now!</p>
<p>Aww. yea well it was students commenting on their schools last year that was SO helpful.</p>
<p>I auditioned everywhere acting becuase of what i want to focus on while in college. However i wanted a program with a strong MT department so i could get the best of both worlds. Take all the upper level classical/ film classes for acting majors BUT also get all the dance, theory, and voice i wanted (i have a voice class as a first smester freshman). But that was me… some schools had me sing randomly after looking at my resume and seeing musical theatre. CMU took me from acting after me singing for Barbara McKenzie and sent me across the hall for musical theatre… BE PREPARED for anything. i didnt have any sheet music becuase…well… i was an acting major. </p>
<p>College auditions are SO stressful but literally one of the most important things you do in your life (not to stress you out or anything! 
)</p>
<p>But seriously looking back on it it was SO fun. SOO fun.</p>
<p>Okay heres the thing- everyone auditioning has different levels of experiance. you will go to some auditions and see child movie stars auditioning with your children. some kids will be there with their agents. Do not get freaked. However they DO look at your resume (dispite what other people tell you, at least that was my experiance) however some people here havent done anything major. one of my friends has been in like 3 plays before in her life. Experiance can NEVER ever hurt you, on the flip side it can help you…alot. It kind of did for me.</p>
<p>OMG and dress nicely, but do not look like you are trying too hard. EX. one girl had on like old jeans and a sweatshirt and they say that by the time you acctually start doing your monolouges or singing their minds are already 90% made up about your admission- ITS TRUE. SO TRUE. so make a good first impression. On the opposite end, i saw alot of guys in full suits. Bad idea as you will be rolling on the ground and it is awkward for the auditioner.</p>
<p>My mom wasnt a ‘stage mom’ persay but she was always talking to me when we were auditioning and sometimes i just wanted to be left alone and focus and my mom didnt get that. its so stressful for us. College auditions are bascially the culmination of 18 years of work. My mom and i would get in fights becuase she was trying TOO hard to be supportive and i just wanted to be left alone sometimes and could come to her when i needed to. So if your kids are stressing b patient. lol. my mom and i laugh about it now. you will come out of this with SO MANY FUNNY STORIES of kids and their parents. Aw. i miss that.</p>
<p>Other schools i could be more specific about are Emerson, NYU, Hartt, Marymount and Pace. Let me know if you have questions!</p>
<p>Break a leg-</p>
<p>–robbie</p>
<p>Hi Robbie, as a mom who is very stressed out and am obviously stressing my son more than the audition process, I had to laugh when I read your post. I will try and let up on him a little bit now! I was curious about Syracuse. We have not considered it because of grades, SAT. My son is right around your stats. Do you have to be admitted to the college first like Boston? Also, how do you fit in with the other students in general ed classes - do you find the courses difficult or are you able to handle it with all the rehearsals, etc. I would appreciate your feedback on this.</p>
<p>i PMED you :)</p>
<p>I was just wondering something.</p>
<p>SO many kids show up for these auditions. I read somewhere that some schools will see anywhere between 50 and several hundred people for auditions in a year but most schools only accept 10-30.</p>
<p>Obviously, all these kids are extremely talented and have been acting and singing most of their lives, whether they make the program they’re auditioning for or not.</p>
<p>And judging auditions is hard. How DOES one objectively judge an audition? So many people will be amazing. Lots of people will do monologues the judges have seen hundreds of times before, lots will do ones they’ve had to unearth themselves. How do these judges sort out who to keep and who to send home? It can’t be entirely based off of talent because it would make judges’ decisions a billion times more difficult.</p>
<p>So, what are the other factors? Obviously there are some. I saw someone post that lots of judges will dismiss a person based on their appearance and/or how they dress before they even watch their audition. Do judges ever look into a person’s class? If that kid happens to have an extremely influential parent, will that help them? If that kid happens to already have an agent, do the judges care about that? Do judges shun certain people for anything that has nothing to do with talent and appearance?</p>
<p>I’m wondering, because I know SO many insanely talented, beautiful, fashion-savvy and charismatic people being rejected from some of the top schools, and I am utterly confused as to why. It makes me feel like I would be wasting my time if I ever tried to audition for any of the more renowned schools. I’ve also seen so many Broadway stars who I think are HORRIBLE compared to some of the people I know, yet they managed to get themselves into good schools… and even after they’ve been through training, they still suck. What gives?</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>eratpseuphony, some schools see way, way, WAY more than 50 to hundreds of kids who want to be in the theater program. Someone told me that, last year, a total of 1050 young people auditioned for Carnegie Mellon’s BFA in acting and BFA in musical theater programs, for instance. Of course, that all depends on the program’s reputation and so forth.</p>
<p>There’s no question that auditioners have a complex task. They bring experience to bear and knowledge of their particular programs and a sense of the whole cohort they seek for that year’s class. I do not think that agents and influential parents are factors in decisions. Appearance and choice of monologue are factors and, course, the actual audition as perceived by the auditors is the biggest factor. Other factors may include interviews, recommendations, and resumes (theatrical, academic, extracurricular). In the end, since we know that even those students who end up accepted by the most desirable programs in general are not accepted at all of them, we know that acceptance to these programs is part all you bring to the audition and part what the auditioners want, which we cannot completely know. Do they make mistakes? Probably they occasionally see promise that doesn’t evolve for reasons that no one can foresee and occasionally they miss talent for reasons easy to deconstruct in hindsight. But it is the process as it now exists. And it does appear to work. But two auditors, one from Otterbein and one from Florida State, have intimated that it is getting harder.</p>
<p>I haven’t been on this site for quite some time, so I’m catching up. What is a LAC school?</p>
<p>Hi LAStageMom, </p>
<p>LAC stands for Liberal Arts College.</p>
<p>eratpseuphony – I would include to babar’s post that academic qualifications and background also come into play with some programs. </p>
<p>Basically - you can control your preperation, material selection , extra-curricular participation (to an extent), and academic record. Each school is looking for something different. That is why it is important to create a diverse list of schools with safeties, matches, and reaches.</p>
<p>“Hi Robbie, as a mom who is very stressed out and am obviously stressing my son more than the audition process, I had to laugh when I read your post. I will try and let up on him a little bit now! I was curious about Syracuse. We have not considered it because of grades, SAT. My son is right around your stats. Do you have to be admitted to the college first like Boston? Also, how do you fit in with the other students in general ed classes - do you find the courses difficult or are you able to handle it with all the rehearsals, etc. I would appreciate your feedback on this.”</p>
<p>hi robbie, i am also interested in syracuse and the questions asked by hcpss.</p>
<p>I think every school is different in what they are looking for in the people they admit - hence, why we get into some schools and not into others. It’s the same with all acting - some people will love you and what you have to offer, other people, it won’t be what they are looking for.</p>
<p>I know that the school I am currently at really wants to know who the kids are in their audition. In fact, they say on their website that they are looking for “raw talent” and “a passion” ect. as opposed to polish and perfection. Because, in my personal opinion, what you need to be an actor is an IMAGINATION…and I know the program i’m in really focuses on training individual actors, as opposed to cookie cutter students - so it is important for them to get to know us and our point of view…</p>
<p>But, really, who knows, right? Above in only my interpretation. Acting is so tricky tricky and finicky - because, of course, we only can do our best - and everything else is outside of our control.</p>
<p>But, please, do audition for schools! I almost didn’t audition for my school because I thought there was no way I would get in - and I did without even being wait listed (not that wait listing ever has anything to do with your abilities either!) and it is a perfect fit. Do not let fear of rejection stop you, ever. Be yourself, work hard, good luck You never know where the roads will take you…</p>
<p>Thanks for your insights, nik. It’s always great to hear from people who have been through the process and not only survived, but also found the perfect fit in a school. Can you tell us what school you attend and what you like about the program? That would be really helpful.</p>
<p>Re: Syracuse’s academics. For what it’s worth, according to the College Board, the middle 50% of admitted SU students scored between 550-650 on the critical reading portion of their SAT and between 570 and 680 on the math portion. (They didn’t reveal what kids got on the writing portion, unfortunately.) From what I understand, admission to Syracuse for drama or musical theater is a two-fold process: you have to pass an academic bar of some kind and then score well on your audition. Of course, if you don’t get in, you won’t know which it was, from what I hear. (It’s the same at NYU, apparently.) The College Board also says that the following are very important factors in deciding admission to the 'Cuse: very important admission factors:
Character/Personal Qualities
Class Rank
Application Essay
Recommendations
Rigor of secondary school record
Standardized Test Scores
Academic GPA
Level of Applicant’s Interest</p>
<p>Does anyone know if schools like to accept students that are from the same high school, or would they rather not, just to mix it up?<br>
My D and two of her best friends are all in the midst of auditioning at a lot of the same schools. We were talking about it yesterday and she is worried that added to the general stress of the whole process, will be the added element of her good friends being accepted/rejected from schools that you might be accepted to or rejected from. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any advice. I think they should talk about what could happen now and just try to support each other and hide your disappointment if you don’t get into one of your top schools and your friend(s) do. It will be tough!</p>
<p>My D attends an arts high school and many if not most of her classmates will be auditioning for a small group of the same schools. (Of course, each kid also has other colleges/conservatories on his or her list, in addition to this “core” of schools.) So yes, I think it will be quite stressful in the way you mention, when some get in and some don’t. Fasten your seatbelts, parents! As one of the wise, been-through-it-all musical theater moms said: we parents have to be our kids’ “soft place to land” during this very stressful and often heartbreaking process.</p>