<p>lbligh/prodesse - It’s often difficult to know what parents and students on these threads mean when they say their scores and grades are good or bad. I know my son had poor grades (bad) at a respected private school (good), with respectable test scores, and one out-of-the-park Critical Reading result. If your son is in a similar range, I would suggest applying to some state schools (are you VA residents?) with rolling admissions; some will accept a student for the BA program as an option, even if the auditioned BFA is much more selective. In NJ, for instance, students can apply for up to three divisions of Rutgers for a single application fee. Mason Gross required an additional audition, and my son was not accepted, but he was accepted into the College of Arts & Sciences. I will presume that your son falls well within the range academically for the Virginia state colleges you mentioned. Temple is pretty competitive academically, and so you should check Naviance or another source to see whether your son aligns with their academic demands. They do not consider talent in admissions for prospective theater majors, unless they have changed policies recently. You might also consider Rider College. They are trying to upgrade their performing arts, and have introduced a musical theater program in association with the Westminster Choir School. They also offer a talent scholarship. DePaul does not have a Musical Theater major, but they stage musicals regularly. They are highly selective in terms of talent, but not as much academically. You could also check out Columbia College Chicago as a “safe” school, and CCPA/Roosevelt, if you visit Chicago. We were not particularly impressed with CCPA for Acting, but thought that it was very strong for music.</p>