<p>My son is thinking of applying to some BFA and BA programs. I was wondering that if you are denied admissions to the BFA program will they automatically consider you for a BA program or even just a non theater major, or are you just denied entirely. I am sure there is some variation among schools, but does anyone know of any of hand?</p>
<p>Well, here are 2 on the west coast:</p>
<p>UCLA (auditioned BA in Theatre), if you are not selected, you are out of consideration for the university at large</p>
<p>USC, if you are not admitted from their auditioned BFA Theatre major, you will be considered for their BA Theatre or any other 2nd/3rd choice majors or undeclared. The criteria shifts, then, with more emphasis placed on academic/EC/stats for general admission.</p>
<p>As you noted, each school handles this differently. It’s what makes having kids who apply for Theatre majors such a… joy? lol. A lot to keep tabs on, that’s for sure. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Boston University - you apply to the college of fine arts, and if you don’t make it thru the audition process, you’re application to the university will be denied.</p>
<p>BU has the two-year liberal arts program, which Theater School applicants may indicate an interest in, if they are rejected from the College of Fine Arts. The school offers little financial assistance (I have forgotten the name of the program, but it’s sort of a back door into the liberal arts college).Students may opt for the Theater Arts BFA at BU, instead of the pure Acting major, but the audition and application processes are identical. DePaul only allows application to a single program/division within the entire university. I believe that the same applies to NYU (although students who audition for musical theater at Tisch will also be considered for straight dramatic studios in the BFA program). Fordham-Lincoln Center will consider academically-qualified students for general liberal arts admission, even if they are not accepted into the Theater Performance program. Emerson has a “Theater Studies” option, which is available for students who are not succeeding, or have lost their enthusiasm, within the Acting or Musical Theater majors. It still requires an audition, although they will also accept additional materials (e.g. stage management/design portfolios, original scripts, essays/blogs, et al) from students who have indicated they would prefer Theater Studies on their applications (those submissions are optional). Montclair State and Pace both require academic admission before they will schedule an audition, and so they offer regular BAs to students who are not accepted into their selective BFA programs. Roosevelt University has a similar policy for CCPA applicants, and I think I’ve heard that Point Park does, also. American University does not require an audition for admission as an undergraduate, but the Theater department does for majors. Students may audition before they are accepted, or they may audition as freshman or first-term sophomores, when they are ready to declare a major. Rutgers University allows applicants to indicate up to three separate divisions they are interested in on their applications. The university application has to be submitted before students interested in Mason Gross School of the Arts can schedule their auditions. Mason Gross recommends that interested students also apply to the College of Arts & Sciences (which offers a non-auditioned major), and there is absolutely nothing to lose by doing so, since the single application form and fee will be valid for both (Mason Gross has its own, additional requirements and audition fee).Columbia College Chicago has no audition for entry; it does require prospective majors to audition by the end of their freshman year. Most other arts colleges will only consider applicants for specific BFA programs, because they don’t have general, liberal arts options.</p>
<p>Wow - stagemum! I have an urge to send you a check! That info is precious. We are at the stage of putting our list together, and I feel we have a few good safety options, and the reach options are the same as everyone else’s (and you’ve listed a few), but we’re looking for the target programs that best fit S. You have a few here that I will suggest to him. And I think it is a boon to have a place that, altho they may say no to you as far as BFA goes, will offer the BA. That is surely better for the ol’ ego!</p>
<p>Again, thanks.</p>
<p>Coastal Carolina has the BFA for Acting by audition and the BA in Dramatic Arts by interview. You interview as a part of your BFA audition and can indicate your interest in the BA at that time if you are not offered a spot in the BFA program.</p>
<p>Texas State offers the non-audition Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre (with Performance and Production Emphasis) which you can select if not offered the BFA Acting through the audition process.</p>
<p>WOW!!! Thanks SO much everyone… there are some great and informed parents on this thread. I am so happy to have this knowledge base to co me to because I have NO idea how to navigate this theater audition process. My S is only a rising Junior so I am glad I am getting started early. </p>
<p>I was a little disappointed to here about BU, as this would be a school my S would like to attend, even if he doesn’t get into their BFA program… bummer. I think Depaul as well. So you really can’t use some of these schools that would seem to be an easy admit into the regular school as a safety if they will deny you into the BFA program… some that only have 3% acceptance rate…huh. So a true safety would be a LAC with a theater program where you are at the top of the applicant pool. Fun, fun!!</p>
<p>@marblehead… I know that your S is at BUSTI… and my DS will be applying for next summers program. Do they get to audition at that time for admissions the following year or do you have to come back?</p>
<p>@madbean… good to hear from you… how is your DS doing at USC? As I recall he wasn’t auditioning into BFA acting programs right?</p>
<p>Hi 5boys. My S loves USC, thanks. He was interviewed/admitted for their BFA Theatre - Design, but ultimately switched to the BA in Theatre with his emphasis is Set Design so he could take a double major. That was a very hard decision, but he was extremely lucky to have the choices he did. All is working out well. 
Best of luck as you enter this process again.</p>
<p>Regarding BU, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why would the school deny admission to some other non-Fine arts major because a student applied for a fine arts degree and was not accepted? So the school gets an application from a student who is at the very top of SATs, Grades, APs and the rest. An application that would make the student a viable candidate at Harvard or Yale. BU is going to turn him or her down from other colleges at the school because it turns out his or her monologues don’t cut it? </p>
<p>I don’t have any personal information on this and folks may very be right on this but its hard to imagine a school policy reason for such an approach.</p>
<p>We were told by DePaul this year that if you were denied admission to The Theatre School you could have your application re-considered for another major.</p>
<p>ActingDad, it’s pretty common for a student who is accepted on the basis of an audition to a BFA program not to be automatically eligible for other non-arts programs at the school.</p>
<p>It happens much more often that a student who is accepted into an auditioned program has grades that are a little lower rather than a little higher.</p>
<p>I’m not sure but I think at BU you could apply to both the College of Fine Arts and one of the other divisions if you wanted to, but the applications would be considered separately.</p>
<p>BU does offer a theatre minor and also some very good extracurricular theatre.</p>
<p>Here is the link to BU - click on the common app/bu supplement. Lots of info, you could probably call them if it doesn’t seem right. But my son’s drama teacher made of point of telling us that if he applied to the BFA program and didn’t get in they will not accept him into another program at the university.</p>
<p>[Application</a> Instructions Undergraduate Admissions | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/freshman/application-instructions/]Application”>http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/freshman/application-instructions/)</p>
<p>5boys - the kids get to audition at the end of BUSTI if they are a rising senior. They can do a mock audition, which won’t count toward admission, but the panel gives then advice and tells them what they need to improve, etc. They can also do a real audition, and leave it at that, or they can re-audition in the winter with other applicants if they want. So you basically get to audition twice, which is cool.</p>
<p>I think the assumption is that if you are serious enough about theater that you would apply to a BFA program, then you would not casually decide to go to BU in a different major. (Not that I endorse the assumption, but I can understand the thinking behind it.)</p>
<p>At some schools even if you are admitted to the university in another major (or a BA in Theatre) you will not be able to take acting classes with BFA majors, participate in departmental productions, etc…, and if so it may be difficult… so these are important question to ask of each of the programs you are looking at.</p>
<p>At James Madison academic admissions is separate from artistic admissions. A student may be admitted to the university academically and if not admitted to the program attend in a different non-restricted major. </p>
<p>Most auditions are open to all students at the university, and non-majors/ minors may take classes on a space available basis. Overall, most of the students cast on the mainstage are majors (or students who have taken many classes), although there are exceptions to this, and it is not a policy. Student directed shows are are a bit more mixed in terms of majors and non-majors depending on the show. There is no policy that prohibits non-majors from auditioning, but the majors are focused and in regular training classes.</p>
<p>Great to hear Madbean!!! I love success stories. </p>
<p>Marbleheader…thanks for the info on the auditions at BUSTI… that is so awesome about the chance to do a mock audition. Cherubs is a very popular program at his HS school, but I think BUSTI sounds amazing. He will probably apply to Cherubs, BUSTI, and CMU next summer and see where he gets in. He was admitted to Tisch this summer, but decided to go to Stratford Shakespeare’s intensive instead… as he received a big scholarship to attend and zip from Tisch.</p>
<p>glass… I agree with you, but boy those acceptance rates into BFA programs are daunting. My S is still on the fence about doing a BA or a BFA in theater, so I am trying to convince him to keep all doors open. He is a good enough student to probably be admitted to some of the schools on his list just on his academics, but don’t really know how he will do in auditions. So far he has a lot of success in the theater world, but I know how much talent is out there in the real world. He is one of those kids that doesn’t take himself too seriously, loves to audition for fun, and everything just comes naturally. " Oh… I just got called back for lead…ok… sounds fun"</p>
<p>KAT… I definitely want my S to take a look at JMU… after reading a lot of your posts, it sounds like a great theater program. It is just not a school that is on the radar of a So Cal kid.</p>
<p>I guess DePaul has changed its policies this year. That’s why it’s essential to check out all current information. BU asked applicants last year if they wanted to be considered for the College of General Studies, if they were not accepted into the College of Fine Arts.</p>
<p>I would be happy to answer any questions he has or put him in touch with current students in the program.</p>
<p>^^My son just did the mock audition at BUSTI–very helpful feedback, and he has LOVED the program. It was his third summer intensive (each at different places) and by far the most valuable. He too would like to be able to consider both BA “generalist” and BFA acting programs, and I hope he can keep his options open–kids evolve a lot as seniors. And 5boys, definitely encourage your S to look at JMU–we saw a superb show there (NOT a musical) last year, and their new facility is gorgeous. </p>
<p>I am looking forward to watching the kids’ final performances at BUSTI Friday night…but then we start the senior year in earnest, and I don’t think I’ll ever feel ready!! :)</p>
<p>Thanks Kat! I will definitely keep you in mind as he gets closer the the application period next year. So many great schools! </p>
<p>Times and Marbleheader… I will be paying full attention to how you and your boys get through this process this year…I wish you all the best of luck. What schools do your boys have on their list so far?</p>