We found the college application and audition process so daunting (uber-competitive, expensive and time consuming), we sort of gently pushed our D for a BA vs BFA decision spring/summer of her junior year. I would have supported either path, but I thought trying to simultaneously pursue both application/audition processes well would have been too difficult for us. D decided on the BA route, but she kept NYU and BU on her near-final list because they both held auditions in our city and allowed for ample non-theatre academic studies.
She is thus far happy in a BA program and has worked with many talented kids and is right now in rehearsals for a student-written and directed musical, but as we explore summer opportunities it’s clear to me she’s not as technically competitive as MT conservatory trained kids. I think she would need to supplement her summers and/or pursue an MFA later to try to achieve that level - if that’s what she wants.