| Some of our numbers from last year may be revealing. Chrism, of the 17 initial offers we made for the BFA in Acting and Musical Theatre, 10 were to people we saw on the national tour. So I don't think that auditioning off-campus puts a student at a disadvantage, unless the school says so. Michigan is blunt--they much prefer to see people in Ann Arbor. But I think for the rest of us, as I've said before, we wouldn't make the considerable investment of time and money if we didn't expect to recruit a significant portion of our class from the unified auditions.
That said, it is easier for us to evaluate dancers on campus or in Chicago, only because I can't take our dance coordinator to NY, SF and LA. (In those cities, I put dance auditions on tape for her to look at.) But that doesn't necessarily apply to other schools. CCM, for example, does an extensive dance call everywhere they audition. But it's a very expensive proposition and most schools can't afford it.
Kellster, of the 16 who eventually decided to accept our offers, 8 had attended performing arts schools, summer college preparatory programs, or after-school theatre programs, and there's no question in my mind that they learned a great deal from these programs. But 8 had only done high school work and perhaps some community theatre. So don't count yourself out. If you believe in your talent, and if you really want to do this, you will find a way to do it somewhere.
Hope this helps. |