Help! Is my list OK? Do I have a shot?

stagemum
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:58:39 +0000

Every school on your list is different, in terms of the importance they place on your academic record, but your audition is critical at any auditioned BFA program. You can have perfect grades and scores, but they won’t help you if you audition poorly. A good application and transcript will only help you if you qualify in terms of talent. You’re a good enough student that you should qualify academically at most schools, if the talent auditors determine that they want you. It’s not quite the same as athletics, where the coach can push a hopelessly unqualified applicant past the regular admissions committee, but most B.F.A. programs are likelier to compromise their academic standards (provided the candidate has fulfilled basic high school curricular requirements) than their talent assessments. It’s fiercely competitive, especially for girls, and so there are very few “safe” schools for auditioned programs. If you are certain you want a conservatory-style B.F.A., then you should probably consider including a few more schools that participate in the Unified Auditions. Do you have a preference for a type of environment (ie. urban, traditional college campus, broader university community, etc.)? Will you have a chance to visit the schools you’ve mentioned? My son’s choices have changed somewhat since we toured some campuses.Although you said you won’t major in musical theater, that seems to be your strength, and some schools on your list (e.g. Fordham-Lincoln Center, Rutgers-Mason Gross) do not have strong musical theater programs. I think Boston Conservatory, on the other hand, only offers musical theater.