Longtime lurker here who just went through the process with my D. She has committed to a school that was originally high on her list, but she had some waitlist schools that were even higher. She is contemplating reapplying to her waitlist schools and just a few others that were her top choices. Her current school is a stretch for us financially, and the others she’s considering would definitely be less even at full price. She might consider staying at her current school if she finds she really loves it, but we’d obviously rather send her somewhere cheaper if she is accepted. We’re hoping that if she does end up loving where she will be attending this fall, that maybe we can request more aid for the following year.We talked about a gap year, but she didn’t think she’d find enough work in our hometown to keep up her skills. My heart is breaking that she’s not 100% happy about her choice and that she gave up other options that I think would’ve offered great opportunities.
If anyone has knowledge of the transfer process such as how to get college recommendations from professors when you’re telling them you’re leaving their program and how to share/not share that info with classmates you’re just meeting as well, I’d appreciate it. I’m really looking for someone who has advice on transferring from one conservatory/conservatory-style BFA to another BFA conservatory program. If you need more details on why/where, please PM me. I don’t want to offend anyone by naming specific programs.
Just something to keep in mind about transferring- she may not get the scholarship money when she applied she did as a freshman. Schools are notoriously more stingy with transfer students. If she isn’t happy with her current school she may be better off just taking a Gap Year even though she is uncertain about it. If she heads to a school with the mindset she will be leaving, she will likely not get as involved as she might elsewhere and not truly learn to love her current school. The faculty and the students may also not look too kindly upon someone who is attending but doesn’t “really want to be there” and is planning on leaving even before they get started. It could get uncomfortable for your D and I am sure no one wants that. Revisit the idea of a gap year if she truly doesn’t want to attend.
Yes, we know about the lack of scholarship money with transferring, and we did discuss the gap year idea. She is fully prepared to embrace her school as much as possible but doesn’t want to completely give up the possibility of some of her dream schools when she felt like she was so close. Two of the schools she plans to apply to do not offer scholarships but would still be significantly cheaper than her current school.
I guess the one main thing you need to make sure she understands is just because she was “so close”, does not mean she will be accepted if she tries again. This has NOTHING to do with her talent and everything to do with what the school is looking for in their class. If she was on a waiting list at a school, she could end up being rejected at the same school or end up on the waiting list again. Or she could be accepted. If someone auditions again who made the wait list the first time, there is no guarantee that she would be accepted if she auditioned a second time. The school may have a different class need/ensemble planned, etc. She could end up in the exact same position. Just a reality of this crazy process. Best of luck to you both!
I’m currently at the end of my gap year and I didn’t work anywhere to keep up my skills and still was accepted into some of the top programs. There also really isn’t anywhere to work in acting in my area. Honestly, at the beginning of my gap year I didn’t think I’d be going into acting so there’s also that. What I did do was work with a good audition coach, and every once in a while I would do a bunch of auditions if not to get into a school, then just to practice my pieces. There’s honestly so much more to a gap year than the honing of skills (which is also a big part), you learn quite a bit about yourself because you get away from the noise of other people in school. It can be very difficult but I would highly suggest it.
In addition to all the other helpful comments here, you also have to understand that there are far fewer openings for transfers, and that she may have to start at the beginning again, which would mean an extra year of tuition $$.
If she were accepted to a few of the schools on her list, four years there plus this year would be cheaper than staying at her current school for four years. My understanding is also that at many of these programs, even though you are applying as a transfer, you are still considered a first year student and they are creating a new ensemble. They are not holding spots for freshman vs. transfers–they’re all just considered first-year students.
My D says there are lots of kids who are transfers in the Green Room Facebook page. Maybe your D can connect with some of them to see how they went through the process of transferring after freshman year. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a group of theatre kids in a closed group who share info on schools, auditions, monologue/song choices, etc.
My advice would be, do NOT start a school and plan to transfer. That situation would seem like your D would be looking for reasons NOT to like her current school. If her heart is really somewhere else, a gap year allows kids to apply as true freshmen, and eliminates the extra hurdles (and lack of financial aide) that transfers face
You should confirm that with the schools you’re interested in because that certainly is not the case at all schools.