My advice is- don’t stress too much. There is not a magic formula- or a “right” way to handle this. I have seen kids get into great BFAs with nothing but public HS shows on their resume. I have seen people spend thousands on camps/programs etc and get denied by their favorite schools. Are training and performance valuable- you bet. But do what seems right to you- what is your kid interested in- rather than worry about what will get them a spot in a BFA
@MidwestMTMom - For your son who is a junior- you might want to check out a college program for this summer. Many of them have already accepted people - you might want to call around and see who is still taking applications. They are a great way to gauge if a student is interested in the rigors of a BFA.
A wide variety of programs can be found on this thread
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/122525-summer-program-big-list-data-info-keep-adding-p1.html