<p>I have decided to stay in-state for my first two years and then transfer out to a highly competitive school where I will finish out my four years. since I've bought myself some time I now have plenty of time to look into a really good fit for me. So, what colleges should I look at that are highly competitive and will give me that extra edge my last two years? I'm open to any suggestions because I have time to really look into each colleges musical theatre program! Thanks :)</p>
<p>Before you put that plan into action, and IF you are desiring to apply to BFA programs as a transfer, please be aware that none of these BFA programs would allow you to enter and just do two years. Some make you start over as a freshman and some may give you sophomore standing. These programs have very specific four year curriculums and therefore they want you to do them and so it is not like transferring from one BA college to another BA college where a lot of the coursework at the first BA college will count. The courses you do at your in state school are not the same as what will be in a BFA curriculum in other words. The BFA programs want you to get the four years of MT TRAINING. It is a specialized degree program. Transferring works differently than for regular college. </p>
<p>I encourage you to use the search function on the MT Forum and read the many threads on transferring into BFA MT programs. You also need to be aware that SOME BFA in MT programs do NOT accept any transfers.</p>
<p>I also want to mention that you are going to get less replies by your VERY general question. You are simply asking what competitive MT program should you apply to? You give no personal selection criteria. Therefore, anyone could just name any MT program. Read up on each MT program. There are specific MT programs subforums at the top of the MT Forum which include many (but not all) of the MT programs. Further, view the pinned thread at the top of this forum that gives you the “Big List of MT Colleges” and begin there.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. My question was somewhat meant to be vague. Once people began to name some suggestions I would further investigate them. I will DEFINITELY check with the school i’m transferring to about transferring my courses and credits. I thought most all school/universities accept transfers, but thank you for bringing up that information.</p>
<p>If you use the search tool to look through this forum you will find lots of valuable advice about transferring. I bumped one recent thread for you, but there is plenty more info out there.</p>
<p>As for the question of schools that accept credit, many BFA programs may accept your general ed credits for transfer but they provide four years of professional training and they want their students to have 4 years of it the way they teach it, so most BFA programs will only accept you as a freshman, regardless of how many credits you have accumulated.</p>
<p>Re: post #4…
But where do people begin to make suggestions of schools to you? With no personal selection criteria, let alone no mention of your academic qualifications, or artistic ones, people would just start naming every MT program that exists and no need to bother to do that as CC has a Big List of MT Colleges pinned as a thread at the top. </p>
<p>Selecting colleges involves personal selection criteria (what you want in a college), your academic qualifications (it is not enough to say the school offers MT…you have to be qualified to possibly be admitted), and your artistic qualifications/background/needs, etc. If you provide ALL of that here, along with more specific questions, more people are bound to offer you suggestions, compared to your original post. Just saying this from my experience on this forum for over seven years.</p>
<p>Not all BFA programs accept transfers. For example, Emerson’s BFA program does not. But as has been mentioned, even if they DO accept transfers, it is even more competitive for transfer admissions (less transfer slots) and many programs make you start as a freshman and some let you start as a sophomore but none that I know of would place you into the junior class, particularly coming out of a BA college or community college.</p>
<p>One more thing…I believe you are a senior based on previous posts where you did plan to audition this year for college. Another path you may wish to consider is taking a GAP YEAR and training and working and apply to college next year as a freshman applicant. The odds of getting into a BFA in MT as a freshman, while very difficult, are easier than as a transfer. Also, as a transfer, it will cost your family more money as it will take more than four years of college to do the plan you outlined.</p>
<p>I’d also back up what soozie said in post #7. I’m currently a high school senior planning on taking a gap year. I’ve only been involved in theatre for a couple years now so a gap year will not only give me more time to prepare for MT college auditions, but will also give me a chance to make sure this is what I absolutely want to do. Getting a job to raise money for the exspensive audition/application cyle doesn’t hurt either. The odds as a freshman applicant are better than that of a transfer, plus I’ve heard that transfers get less money in financial aid. (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong about that.)</p>
<p>My guidance counselor contacted several schools about how taking a gap year would affect my application into an MT program, and Pace University got back to her saying that I would be looked at as any other incoming freshman and if the gap year gave me more confidence in my audition, then it would be well worth it.</p>
<p>Of course, the gap year option isn’t the best for everyone, but it’s definitely the best route for me. Take a look at all of your options before you decide to be a junior transfer because, as others have said, you would have to start as a freshman in most BFA programs.</p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>