<p>When it comes to an audition based BFA program, the most important factor that you bring to the admissions process is the audition itself. Academics are relevent only to the extent that a particular school considers academics as part of the admissions process and there is a great deal of variability in the weight given to academics depending on the school. It can range from an equal weighting to only a 10-20% weighting or even less. Even where academics are weighted “equally” with the audition, in reality, the audition is the tougher nut to crack because there is no objective standard by which to guage how you will do in an audition and even if your academics pass muster, you can be denied admission to the MT program based on the audition.</p>
<p>Academic qualifications are easy to evaluate. Most schools post the academic profile for their current freshman class so it’s easy to tell whetjer your academics are a good fit for a school or make the school a reach. At some schools, the academics for Theater students are relaxed compared to the academics required for other programs while at others, you must meet the same academic standards as any other applicant.</p>
<p>History of performing, awards etc are gingerbread as far as admissions criteria are concerned and the presence or lack thereof will rarely if ever be determinative of the admissions outcome. The real value of performing experience is the training and experience that occurs which will make a student a more developed and therefore competitive auditioner. </p>
<p>The key to success in applying to audition based BFA programs is to come to the process as well prepared as possible which means as much prior training and performance experience as possible, thorough preparation for the audition and putting together a well diversified list of schools that match the student’s strengths. A good place to start to get a wealth of info is the thread “Class of 2009 and 2010 - Preparing to Apply” which is pegged as a “featured thread”.</p>