NSDramaBFA

Hi All--
Just briefly wanted to let prospective students about The New School for Drama's new BFA Theater program, initiating Fall 2013 here at The New School University in Greenwich Village, New York City.
Based on our prestigious MFA division, the new BFA is designed as a selective and high-level, interdisciplinary program for actors, directors and writers, with a focus on project-based curriculum, collaboration, civic engagement and, of course, performance.
Over the past few years, The New School for Drama has trained some of the most exciting (and award-winning) young talent and is very fortunate to have a fantastic faculty of top professionals, including Jon Robin Baitz, Christopher Shinn, Michael Weller, Cotter Smith, Peter J. Fernandez, Joe Grifasi, Stephen Karam, Daniel Aukin and many others.
Please take a look at our website for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
We'll also be conducting workshops around the country this fall and winter and be in Chicago and San Francisco, as well as New York City, for auditions in early 2013.

OddDad

For now, just a quick question. What is your position with the new BFA theater program? Thank you!

NSDramaBFA

Hi, Sir--
Two of us have access to this account: My name is Pippin Parker, I'm the Director of the New School for Drama division. I was previously on faculty here, and Chair of the Playwriting Dept. and stepped into this role last July (2011).
My colleague Carrie Neal, Associate Director, has access as well and is extremely familiar with all aspects of the BFA program.
We are in the process of hiring an Admissions person specifically for BFA, so that person will be assuming the bulk of recruiting and communications for undergrad.
One quick point, the new BFA program has now been officially accredited by New York State Education Department, so any information you see with the asterisk indicating "pending approval" is outdated.
I thank you for your question, it's important for prospective students and their families to be able to weigh the source of information when contemplating this complicated decision.

glassharmonica

Great to know about this program (even though my daughter did her auditions for BFA last year.) If this were last year, the New School program would have been on her list. (She is currently at Fordham majoring in Playwriting and Acting.

College Reps on CC get a special category/distinction. Does anyone know how they go about applying for that? KatMT, a frequent poster here, for example, is a college rep.

KatMT

I think I emailed a Moderator or administrator from my school email account so it could be verified.

Magsdan

Glassharmonica, is your daughter studying as an undergraduate? Most of the playwriting/screenwriting courses I have come across are for graduates. My daughter is interested in the same major as your daughter.

glassharmonica

Magsdan, yes, she is a freshman. She was looking for an auditioned program where she could double-major in acting and playwriting. The playwriting major is small-- 0-2 majors per year. I think currently there are 5 playwrighting majors, although students outside the major may take playwriting as an elective. Fordham is an auditioned BA (not BFA) program, so there are also academic courses to contend with. We actually learned of the program here on CC from SandKmom, whose son is currently a senior (I think) in the same program. A visit there, and a talk with SandKmom's son last November convinced her that Fordham was her top choice, so she was glad to have been admitted.

soozievt

Magsdan, while not really the topic of this thread, I do want to mention to you that NYU/Tisch has a BFA degree program in dramatic writing.

glassharmonica

Yes, that is true. I should have mentioned that my daughter looked into NYU Tisch (where she was accepted into the BFA acting program) and learned that she would need to apply to the Dramatic Writing program as a second major during her Sophomore year. I'm sure it is also a wonderful program.

Magsdan

Thanks glassharmonica and sooziet. We knew about Tisch, but weren't aware that my daughter would have to apply to the Dramatic Writing program as a second major in her Sophmore year (!-thanks) She is still considering NYU Tisch, but the prohibitive nature of the tuition fees and the selectivity factor may make it an unrealistic option. We should have more of an idea when she does her SATS in January.

stagemum

Magsdan - I think your daughter could combine her interests within the Theater Studies program at Emerson or the Theater Arts/Acting BFA program at BU, if she qualifies academically. Both require auditions, but grant more flexibility than the pure Acting majors, so that students can explore other aspects of Theater. Needless to say, all these programs are highly selective and exceedingly expensive if you do not receive any financial assistance. Fordham-Lincoln Center falls into the same category. NYU/Tisch, Fordham, and Emerson set high academic standards, also; BU's College of Fine Arts/School of Theatre wants students who qualify academically, but is more willing to relax its standards for talented applicants. Once you have some test scores, and a better sense of how your daughter stands as an academic applicant, you might get a clearer admissions scenario via Naviance or other tools.

Magsdan

Thanks stagemum. I noticed the 'mum' not 'mom' part of your name. Are you from the UK? As a parent in the UK, I felt out of the loop and overwhelmed by the whole college selection process until I discovered cc. The advice and information has been invaluable to me. I'm still daunted by the process, but feel that I can cope a bit better now. Thanks everyone!

stagemum

Magsdan - I am not from the UK, but grew up in a semi-Anglophile household (as did my husband). We always said "Mummy" or "Mum," instead of "Mom."