Importance of rigorous academic classes?

MichaelNKat
Tue, 24 May 2011 07:22:23 +0000

At most BFA MT programs, AP’s that result in college credit will not, unfortunately, enable you to graduate early or save you any tuition dollars. That is because most BFA programs have a very structured sequence of mandated departmental courses that you take with your cohort over a four year period. Typically, the AP’s can be used to waive out of required liberal arts classes (but not classes in the mandated MT curriculum) thereby freeing up time in a student’s schedule to take desired electives. Moreover, scholarships typically require a student to maintain full time status so AP’s can’t be used to lighten the number of classes taken in a semester. However, at schools that offer an opportunity for a minor or second major, using AP’s to free up scheduling time can facilitate those other pursuits.

My daughter walked into her BFA program with 3 college credits in History of Theatre and 3 in Acting which she obtained during the summer before her senior year of h.s. from a university that housed a BFA MT program. Her school, as is typical with most BFA programs, would not apply those credits to her MT curriculum, not even to the History of Theatre class in her MT curriculum, and she could only use those credits as elective credits. She still, however, had to maintain full time status to maintain her scholarship. Other students, who had 4’s and 5’s on AP’s, were able to waive out of required liberal arts classes so they had the space in their schedule to take other classes.