BSwirlyU09

So, I am an out-of-stater who also happens to be a Junior Musical Theatre major at Ball State, and I am among MANY. We have students from California, Texas, Missouri, Ohio (like myself), and a variety of other states. Being from another state does not at all hinder anyone's acceptance into the program (as some have asked before) - in fact, as a whole the department is very diverse.

Moving on - I'd like to talk a little bit about my experiences here in the department, and perhaps spark some questions from interested prospective highschoolers and transfers and others. Let's see...all in all I feel that I have had an EXTREMELY detailed and (to use the word again) diverse experience here. I came in as a double major in musical theatre AND dance, and therefore feel that I have a pretty good idea of the department as a whole, and can honestly say that I made the best possible choice for me. When auditioning for schools, I had three in mind: CCM (of the University of Cincinnati), Otterbein, and here. I had heard of BSU through some performer friends of mine, and had also caught wind of it through the show choir circuit. In the end, after my auditions and offers, I decided that this department had the most welcoming and supportive environment, and was the place I thought that I would be able to grow the most. And, not to sound cheesy, I was right. In a competitive world, such as is the performing one, it is virtually impossible to find a talented and prestigious theatre department that isn't also accompanied by a hostile environment, where friends are set against friends and fun is replaced by extreme pressure. Here I found friends who both cared about me as much as I cared for them, and helped to promote a competitive setting in a healthy and fun way. Don't get me wrong - I do feel very challenged in my abilities in acting, singing, and dancing, but at the same time I feel that it is in the faculty's concern to push each student to his or her own personal best. I feel confident in this department’s talents and in its sincere want for me to succeed in this tough, harsh business. I have grown exponentially as a performer and a person here and look forward to the next year and a half (is it really only that much longer?!) here at BSU.

If you have some questions about what it's like as a student here or anything else you can ask me here or through my email: mjwarrell@bsu.edu
...break legs!

MTDad777

We received a call back from your school at Illinois theatre fest. It seems to have a good reputation as an academic institution along with many other things. We haven't heard much regarding the MT program but it sounds like a nice environment. They sent us a pile of information and I noticed that the talent scholarship was very lean versus the cost of the school (something like 16K for 4yrs, 4K per year) so we didn't want to audition if we couldn't afford the school. We do however have a friend from our school that went there to audition this weekend. We were curious as to how many spots are available? Thanks.

ball state bill

We accept 16 students per year in the MT program. Acceptance letters were sent out this past week. Also, we have scholarships that include up to 1/2 tuition waivers. Hope this helps.

Ball State Bill

DKMom

ball state bill,

Did rejection letters go out too? Daughter was accepted to Ball State in general and is just waiting to hear about the results of her audition (boy, that was a LONG day for all involved!) She suspects it will be a rejection for MT but would like to know one way or another.

Also, it seemed with the BS admission she can still enter the Theatre Studies program with the MT rejection, is that correct, or does she have to have something in that rejection letter which says you didn't make it into MT but we invite/encourage you to enter the Theatre Studies option?

ball state bill

Yes, the no letters have gone out....and she also can major is TS and re-audition for MT in the fall. Hope this info helps.

Bill

DKMom

Thanks, Bill. It did help. She did received her 'no' letter, to no surprise, and she is weighing the TS/re-audition option.

theatregirlx0x0

Does Ball State have any sort of senior showcase/opportunities to audition in NY/L.A.?

ball state bill

Yes...Ball State does Senior Showcases in LA, NY, and Chicago. Each year, industry professionals from all three cities come to BSU, select the students who will participate, and work with those students and the faculty members assigned to each Showcase. This past year, the industry professionals were Stephanie Klapper in New York (Stephanie is a Broadway, Off Broadway, and Regional theatre casting director with tremendous credits to her name), Erica Daniels in Chicago (Erica is the casting Director at Steppenwolf Theatre), and Claire Sinnett in LA (Claire is a respected agent and teacher in LA). Since its inception eight years ago, 85% of the students who attended the Showcases are know in those cities and working within the industry. Seven of the nine students who attended this year's NY Showcase received agent offers. Students have signed with Stewart Talent, Professional Artists, Independent Artists, CESD, SCAW, Buchwald, Krasney, and Eisen among others. Our LA Showcase will take place in May. Hope this answers your question!

Ball State Bill