<p>I was accepted to SUNY Purchase off the waitlist as a transfer. I love the idea of being right outside the city, attending conservatory-like training for four years. However my parents raised up a valid point: They suggested I go USC for two years and get my BA in theatre, and then go on to get an MFA wherever. In the same amount of time as going to Purchase, I could have an MFA at another University. </p>
<p>What's your guys' opinion on this? Which would be the better option? I know I wouldn't need a masters after going to Purchase, but my parents want me to attend a "prestigious" university.</p>
<p>There’s no guarantee of getting into a good MFA straight out of college. In fact, it’s more the exception than the rule these days, so don’t count on it taking the same amount of time. I understand the average age of a first year MFA class to be around 26 years old.</p>
<p>Speaking globally, an MFA is the ideal education/training combination and is the standard degree for classic theatre, but gets most pigeonholed into the “too old” category for most other things straight out the gate.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase IS a “prestigious” university from a Theatre point of view! I would not pass up the current opportunity for a maybe in the future.</p>
<p>Picking up on what amtc wrote, you need to educate your parents in terms of “prestige.” Some of the most prestigious BFA Acting or Musical Theater programs are not located within prestigious universities. So, the neighbors may not think your school is prestigious. However, in the acting world, the names of prestigious acting schools are very known. And what’s gonna count for you in the future is that casting people have heard of Purchase and consider it prestigious even if your neighbors do not. This is something that those who apply to specialized degree programs need to understand. You are applying to the program almost more than to the university itself. You are primarily seeking best programs, not necessarily best colleges. Sometimes, a prestigious BFA program is indeed located within a very selective college and you can get a “name” program and a “name” college in one package. But often, prestigious programs are not located in prestigious universities. Example: BFA in Acting at Rutgers or BFA in Musical theater a University of Cincinnati. When you enter the work world in acting, what will matter most (if even considering prestige, that is), is the name of your program, not the name of your university. </p>
<p>I agree with fishbowl and Gwen Fairfax that there is no guarantee of getting into a name MFA program after your BA as these are very hard to get into and many times require you to work professionally in between your BA and MFA and so you won’t be graduating the MFA any time soon, not to mention, as amtc says, it’s not a guarantee that this option will be there for you, whereas Purchase is a professional degree program and is prestigious in the theater world and it is a sure thing.</p>
<p>As the parent of a kid who went through a similar decision just this past week, I would say: Go to the school that you want to go to NOW. Do the degree and the program that feels right for you THIS YEAR.</p>
<p>My D’s choices included a very prestigious BA (although perhaps not quite as juicy for theatre as USC, I don’t know) and a BFA that is nowhere near as prestigious as Purchase but will be plenty valuable and will provide her with the experience she wants. We did not urge, or even suggest, that she take the prestigious BA - we told her that she should do what she WANTS to do in the fall, and let prestige take care of itself.</p>
<p>She also asked herself what about an MFA someday, but she knew that wasn’t guaranteed, and she saw plenty of very stressed MFA candidates at Unifieds and didn’t want to bank on having to make that cut, again.</p>
<p>There is also the financial issue - USC is 2 years, and Purchase is 4 (no chance of any gen ed credit or anything to shorten it?)? But it costs less per year, probably. I can’t work the numbers for you, nor do I know or need to know your financial situation. But in this you do differ from my D, because her BFA option was significantly less than (like 25% of) her BA option. You really should take that into account, too, including where the money will come from for the MFA.</p>
<p>This is a VERY personal decision. Look at how you’ll spend your day, every day, and ask yourself which school feels like what you want to be doing and where you want to be going. Otherwise you’ll just feel like you’re in the wrong place (again?), unless you have VERY good reasons for taking your “second” choice.</p>
<p>I didn’t like USC “back in the day” when I attended for a whole host of reasons…of course I was an English major not theater so YMMV. SUNY Purchase is a good school at a great price (if you are in state?).</p>
<p>Congratulations! I’m just a Purchase parent but there are several conservatory students on this board if you want to connect. There’s most likely a FB page too forming for your class.</p>
Congratulations and best of luck to you.</p>