<p>Lots of great information and discussion here for prospective college actors. I’ve got one thing to emphasize and perhaps another point to add to the mix.</p>
<p>I think it bears repeating that not all BFA or BA programs are the same. Each and every one of them will have a different ratio (if you will) of training to academics. Figuring this out is probably more art than science, starting with departmental statements, curriculum evaluation, AND research (gasp!) with real live students who have actually gone through the program. With the BA programs, there is also the issue of how involved a student needs to be with the department (perhaps to the exclusion of meaningful involvement with other ECs and outside interests) in order to get a fair shot at casting and/or have “insider” status (whatever that might mean).</p>
<p>Perhaps a point that has been missed is that BA students frequently exercise quite a bit of initiative to create the education/training mix they want, by tailoring training in a way that suits them best. Most of my daughter’s high school theater crowd went the BFA route (and most loved it), but she never saw this as HER direction. She wanted a thorough immersion in a college liberal arts curriculum, plus as much acting/theater training as she could get, plus as much performance opportunity as she could get. She wanted conservatory training as well, but for her personally (with classical theater in mind), she wanted this when she was a few years older and in theory wiser, and coming out of it with an MFA. During her BA days, she supplemented the BA style training with two semester long conservatory experiences – one in the fall (LAMDA) and one over the summer (Moscow Arts at Harvard). This particular mix was her own design, but that general concept of creating her own idiosyncratic path was not at all unusual in her BA theater world, either at her school or at her friends at other unis.</p>
<p>Unlike law, medicine, and engineering … there is absolutely no “one” or “best” path. Perhaps just YOUR “best” path. Best of luck to the OP and all!</p>