<p>Prof. Himmelheber:</p>
<p>It’s great to see an actual professor from the program monitoring the forums. Some schools have a student doing it (which is fine) but many do not have anyone monitoring at all. For that I congratulate you.</p>
<p>We are helping our daughter through the MT app/audition process this year for 2012 entrance. </p>
<p>Some thoughts on your info:</p>
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<li>Web Site Info Not Clear: We too were waiting for information about auditions for incoming freshman. The site is not very clear. If you go to the main arts page and click on “Prospective Students” you get this page: [Welcome</a> to the College of the Arts at California State University, Fullerton](<a href=“http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/theatredance/prospstudents.html]Welcome”>http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/theatredance/prospstudents.html) - Under the heading BFA Theatre Arts, there is an “Introduction” link and under it, it says “auditions: pending” - for which we’ve been waiting for more info. ;-)</li>
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<p>If you do click on the “Introduction” link it opens a PDF document. You have to scroll all the way through the program marketing down to the bottom of page 2 under the heading “Core Curriculum” to find out the information you so clearly explained here on the forum. I would never have looked there for the program entry requirements. I would think the “Core Curriculum” would describe the courses the students would be taking in the program, not the program entrance requirements. My suggestion would be a section clearly labeled, “Admission into the BFA Musical Theatre Program”.</p>
<p>Further down on the Prospective Students page below under “Important Notice …” it sort of states what you’ve written here, but it is not really clear.</p>
<p>BTW: when we first began the application process (September/October?) there was still information on that page regarding a required video prescreen with “(coming soon)” - it seems to have been removed now. </p>
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<li>I’ll Invest If You Invest: While it looks like you’ve got a great program, it is too speculative to be a first choice for us. First off, the student has to put one year into a program in which they are not sure they will be accepted. Second, they have to hope they are in the top 25% in the eyes of your faculty to graduate with the BFA degree. </li>
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<p>We all know performance has an element of personal taste. If a student is a great performer, but just not to the taste of your jury (or if they just lose in the numbers game), they suffer. Sure, they could choose to prove you wrong later, but only after investing two or more years of their college career in your program. Secondly, any acting program requires a lot of trust - students are asked to rip open their emotional souls in front of teachers and classmates. I’m not sure how free a student can be in such an environment if they are constantly aware of having to be one of the top 25% to go further in the program. </p>
<p>Seems to me, you are asking the student and parents to invest their time and money in your program - so we should have the right to ask you to invest as well. That’s why programs who do audition and choose the students they want in their program from the beginning are going to be more attractive.</p>
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<li>Budget Issues: Your logic regarding the state cutting your BFA program if you only accepted 10 students as freshman really doesn’t add up. Nothing says you can only accept 10. You could structure the program any way you want and I am sure make it viable. Most of the top programs take between 10-30, and the majority are somewhat flexible on that (plus or minus 1/2) based on the talent they get each year. Many take transfers under specific guidelines.</li>
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<p>Just my two cents.</p>