West Coast MT Schools

soozievt
Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:05:10 +0000

Eve,
I think it is fantastic that you are taking the time to share details about your program for those who are considering applying. I likely speak for others who wish we had such inside information about the details of a program and the process of auditions for every school!

While I am through with this process with my own child and admittedly did not look at West Coast schools (she did not want to) and do not know much about them, I do have two questions about what you wrote.

One is, you mentioned that the National Association of Schools of Theater accreditation guidelines allowing for just 20 students in junior and senior year combined (so that is an avg. of 10 per year). I am curious, then, how come every BFA program my D appliled to except CMU have more than this per year in the class. Is it because this is merely a “guideline”? I mean they all have more.

Second, I mostly have a comment, not really a question. I thoroughly understand your reasoning about the audition process/juries being after the second year and it makes sense reading it. However, I have to admit I would have a quesy feeling entering a college with the intent of majoring in MT and then find out I could not after two years and at that point it is too late to audition for the other BFA programs. I guess that is a chance a student has to take (and I realize your positive point about other theater majors or related opportunities), but it is possible that the student might have gotten into another BFA program if not yours (at least in my observations, kids get into some, not others, sometimes in total reverse of their peers…one got into X but not Y and then the other got into Y but not X) and so when a student is not admitted to ONE program, it does not necessarily follow that they are not “competitive” to be admitted to another BFA program. In the system whereby the audition does not occur until after soph year, the student has all their eggs in one school’s basket and if they really wanted to pursue a BFA, and do not pass muster with the jury after soph year at your school, they are out of luck in terms of pursuing a BFA. It is a little akin to a cut system. I realize there are other benefits or very valid reasons behind this system but it would make me nervous to go that route. I think it is great that you are explaining all this so that someone can weigh the options and be fully informed of the process. Again, what you wrote made perfect sense but it still would make me nervous about such an option that closes out other BFA choices. I realize you are not the only school with such a system. I think Northwestern has something along these lines as well.

Again, thanks for all the contributions you have made to the forum. It helps to have those IN the programs participating here.

Susan