<p>MTDad777, I know that I am going to be on a slippery slope to “go there” because I can already see any comments I make as being misinterpretted to imply that you NEED these benchmarks to get in and you do NOT. However, when someone has certain things on their record, it can demonstrate strengths. You can be very very strong and not have some of these things on your record due to lack of opportunities or whatever. So, you don’t need X, Y, or Z to get in but I’m saying that when a candidate has X, Y, or Z on an application, it can show indicators of strength.</p>
<p>Let me also be VERY clear that we are discussing BA admissions and NOT BFA admissions (the latter having an audition that counts a whole lot). In BA admissions, for one thing, you are not necessarily applying for admissions into a major. Usually, there is no committment when you apply, to have to do a certain major. You often indicate an interest in a major but are not tied to it and do not declare the major upon entering but rather, at the end of the first or second year. And thus, the review of an application for a BA is not THAT heavily weighted on things related to the major, other than demonstration of interest in it and evidence of having explored it, and so forth. So, how talented you are in theater is not necesarily paramount when applying to a BA as it is more the total of many factors. </p>
<p>So, what I mean as far as strengths on a BA application…first, if it is a very selective college (example, Northwestern), the student needs to have stats that are in the ballpark for that school…SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests (if required or recommended), class rank (or distribution within the class), rigor of coursework chosen in the context of what is available at the student’s HS (selective colleges prefer to see a rigorous class load taken), and GPA. Once a student is relatively in the ballpark (and way more applicants are than they can take), there are many other factors that come into play. Good essays matter. Great recommendations really help. Then there are the extracurricular activities. They want to see commitment to select activities over time and a certain level of participation and contribution to that activity. Then, there are achievements within those activities. Achievements need not be official awards either. Qualities like leadership, drive and initiative matter. </p>
<p>So, say an applicant interested in pursuing theater in a BA school, has the stats to get in and all that stuff. One would look at their activities and pursuit of their interests and achievements in those areas. If I were looking at a student who had been immersed in taking classes or lessons in the field, had been in productions with significant roles (not all roles need to be significant but having stood out in their local area is an indicator to some degree), had perhaps won some adjudications of some sort or another on their state, regional or national level, had played significant roles in the region outside of school or perhaps in a summer program drawing from a talented pool from all over, had some leadership initiatives in the field (created a show, started a student run company, directed something, etc.), and so on, I would have some benchmarks that would indicate deep interest and commitment and talent. You do not have to win awards or have X number of lead roles to get into a BA program. But when one reads a file where a student has a lot of these things, there is some indication that they have the talent and drive to have achieved what they have so far, along with training, etc. That doesn’t mean others are not every bit as talented. It just would be harder to know of their talent on paper. </p>
<p>I view lots of kids’ resumes. Some have had more opportunities than others. But frankly, the kids with achievements on their resumes have had more success than the ones who have less significant achievements. Kids who have achieved very little locally or even in their own high school have not fared as well as kids I know who have won state and national awards, have played many lead roles both locally and in wider talent pools such as summer programs, have possibly worked professionally and the like. Again, I cannot emphasize enough that you do NOT HAVE TO HAVE ACHIEVED ALL THOSE THINGS TO GET IN. But I am saying for the kids who have certain dedication, leadership, and achievements, often those kids HAVE gotten in and so that is what I meant by being able to ascertain some level of ability just by looking at the total application file and background. </p>
<p>I know a lot of kids in this field…both through my child, her BFA program, her theater camp, and then all of my clients. For instance, let me mention some kids I know at Yale or at UMich or NYU…many of these friends have won NFAA awards (you do not need to win one to get in, please know this!!!), several have won state level awards either for thespians or voice, all of them have played lead roles many times over both locally and in strong talent pools at summer programs, some have done professional work, and many are movers and shakers and leaders who have led their own initiatives at school and beyond in their community in starting theater groups ,directing shows, writing shows, choregraphing shows and what not. All had different types of opportunities available to them but all of them rose to the top in their local area or school (I cannot think of any exceptions). If you are applying to either a top BFA program or a top BA school (ie., Northwestern, Brown, etc.), please know that you are “competing” against kids who have achieved at least locally (if not state or nationally) and there are a LOT of kids out there who have done so. So, for instance, if one kid’s record has multiple leads at school, regional theater and summer programs and awards locally and nationally and another kid has done very little but take voice, no dance classes and just school theater and been ensemble every time, they likely are not competing on the same level. That is without the audition. Again, you do NOT need those things on your resume to get in!!! But what I am saying is that someone who does have these things on the resume usually has the talent to back it up because their experiences have led to a certain level of skill that makes them competitive. It isn’t the resume that gets you in but the skills and so forth and if there is no audition, often what is on paper can demonstrate a certain level of achievement and devotion and training and so forth to indicate that there is likely talent behind it. Selective BA schools are looking for highly motivated achievers who will do great things on their campus. If the student has done some great things before college, it indicates they may continue on that path in college. That’s all.</p>
<p>Let me give you one example. My D attended a theater camp that draws from the entire country and even other countries. The level of talent there varies widely. However, there are some VERY talented kids in the entire group. From years of observations, I can tell you that the kids who have played leads there and been in their select cabaret troupe (MT) whom I know, have all gone onto very well known BFA programs or highly selective BA programs (some wanted a BA). I know many others there who have never risen out of ensemble. I even work with some of these kids. Many of them are not getting into the same schools as the other kids. It is not black and white and there are exceptions but I can say that the results seem to correlate a bit with what they have on paper. What they have on paper is not what gets them in, however, but it is the skills and attributes that have been acquired to have had those experiences and achievements that have translated into admissions into the more selective BFA and BA schools. To me, this is really a no brainer. It is like one kid gets straight A’s and another is a C student. I don’t expect them to land at the same colleges necessarily. Exceptions exist, however.</p>