<p>fullhouse: I’m going to agree that your son could use a safety non-audition school. You just can’t count on any auditioned program, even if you have nice long list of them and some with higher admissions rates (usually still not better than 20%). Last year Northwestern went down to the low teens (probably lower for potential theatre majors), so it really can’t be used as a backup for anyone.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything more about your son’s tastes in a non-auditioned program. It is true that most non-audition BFAs are at not highly academically selective schools. He would be better off at a selective BA with a great theatre reputation. </p>
<p>My D’s GPA was lower than your S’s, with the same ACT. She got into Brandeis and Bard, and was rejected at Vassar (whose acceptance rates also dropped significantly last year). These are still not safeties, but schools like Brandeis, Skidmore, Boston College, and others mentioned often on this forum would be good matches for your son, and much safer bets than Northwestern. Depending on where he’d like to be geographically, there are many more we could suggest.</p>
<p>I’m going to remark, too, that many of his auditioned schools aren’t known for “very strong” academics. My D wanted this, too, and she did go to a more mid-range university for her BFA. However, she is in an Honors College which is providing her with very challenging academics, although she certainly is in school with many students whose academic focus is very different from hers. I’m guessing your S would need to look carefully at some of his schools when he has his acceptances to see if the whole “package” will work for him. It took her a long time to decide, and this fall she’s had to do a fair bit of adjusting, but in the long run she is happy with her choice.</p>