<p>It was really really hard for us not to go with Stephen F Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, based pretty much entirely on their amazing entire year abroad in their BFA program.</p>
<p>We didn’t for several reasons go with them, (and would possibly second guess that if we allowed ourselves to go there - which we don’t because, why do that to yourself) but if a built in study abroad program is a priority for you, you really should look into this school. You have the option of either a year long internship (either junior or senior year) where your choices include the Guthrie, Alley theater in Houston, Dallas, Children’s Theater, Arizona Theater Company, and some others, OR, you can spend your fall semester at Rose Bruford and then choose from either Spain or Estonia for the spring. Plus they go to Ireland for the summer. Your scholarships and financial aid extend to the study abroad semesters.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.theatre.sfasu.edu/international.php?link=eta[/url]”>http://www.theatre.sfasu.edu/international.php?link=eta</a></p>
<p>It is one of those programs that do about twenty five or thirty shows a year (a few big mainstage ones, and a lot of small student directed and produced shows) and the BFA is by audition/review in the second year, and my impression is that admission is based on the individual student’s progress rather than fitting into one of just a few slots in a small capped program.</p>
<p>It is a state school, almost dirt cheap for TX residents, still quite affordable for OOS. If you want academic rigour in your other classes it is not really the school (that was a drawback for us, though not everyone is looking to sign up for that kind of grind and sometimes I’m sure my D wonders why she did!) When we looked into it more closely we didn’t like the honors program set up, which is how you usually compensate for a less academically selective school. Also it doesn’t have an MT degree which at the time, she wanted. </p>
<p>But you absolutely cannot beat their integrated foreign study experience especially if cost is a factor for you.</p>
<p>Their design students go to London and Paris. I’m not going to tell my daughter that. (it’s okay, she’s going to Japan for the summer…but I’m still not gonna tell her about that.)</p>
<p>Her acting professor at St Ed’s who she simply adores, and who is really a fantastic instructor, is an alumni from SFA.</p>