<p>Soozie, that is very good advice. My D didn’t get into the one program that she thought would meet “all” of her criteria - and maybe it would have, maybe it wouldn’t - some criteria can’t be guaranteed, after all (like how she would have felt about the people in her class, relationships with professors, etc.). But when she chose among her very nice group of acceptances she DID focus on program. There have been things about the school she has wished were different, but they definitely were “secondary” considerations. Everything she knew about the program and what she could get from her education there has been what she had anticipated (both in theatre and in liberal arts).</p>
<p>And it is also true that when you choose a BFA, it is very difficult to be sure that you could stay at that school for a BA if the BFA doesn’t work out. They are such different degrees, and there are only a few schools that offer both degrees in theatre, or where there is a smooth transition between the two programs. </p>
<p>I think because my D’s chosen BFA school wasn’t “perfect” in every way she had a very clear opportunity to decide just how much she wanted a BFA over a BA. While that decision was somewhat stressful, it gave her an opportunity to put her heart first and take a risk on what she wanted most - even if she might have found later that it wasn’t right for her. For us, choosing what she wanted right now was more important than worrying about 3, 5, 10 years in the future. Trying to do that was too painful, and literally paralyzing for her.</p>
<p>If a kid might have a broad spectrum of interests, passions, etc., it is very important to include all options in the application list. You can always turn down an acceptance, but you can’t pull an option out of thin air in April of senior year if you didn’t apply. This is a reason why theatre kids often have twice as many schools on their list as “regular” kids - not to increase their acceptance rates, but to increase their options when decision time comes.</p>