#bfa program

[angel-of-stagelights]

Actual Things That Happened at Acting School pt. 3

You didn’t ask. I answered anyway. All of the following are actual things that happened at my conservatory before I graduated.

Someone realized that the wall phones that we can use to call security or the front desk (there’s one on every floor in the common room) are all connected and have the other floors on speed dial. This went about as well as you can imagine

For a while, half the building was playing “floor wars” which just involved all the different floors setting up increasingly elaborate pranks for each other. 

At one point during this, I came home from a long day and all our dining room furniture was gone. The only way they could have possibly done this was to carry it all down a very narrow flight of stairs. The bastards.

PowerPoint night was established and quickly became very well-attended

The COVID protocols were lifted and then quickly put back into place like a month later, but not before a secret party collective could form

The secret party collective also went about as well as you can imagine

The school hired an ENTIRELY NEW STAFF MEMBER just to figure out who was in the secret party collective

So basically we were just living in a really bad detective show for like three weeks

I had to watch this kid with like three different “young broadway” type awards slam back two shots at 11 in the morning on a goddamn WEDNESDAY

In conclusion, young artists are insane

Like actually good lord

[e-major-and-ipa]

Applying to Theater Programs? Here’s some things to consider!

If you’re approaching your senior year of high school and are planning to major in theater, now is the time to start researching programs (especially now as we’re in quarantine!). But, you might be thinking, “How do I begin this process? What are the most important factors when choosing programs to apply to?” Below are some factors from me as well as some peers of mine that we considered important when it comes to applying to schools. 

I wanted to make this list because when I was applying to colleges, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t really do any research on programs and what goes into the college audition process. Because of this, I ended up with really limited options and ended up not getting into any musical theater programs. If you feel lost, or you don’t really have anyone to guide you into this process, this post should help you begin! 

What programs should you apply for? - My best advice is to apply to a mix of programs. Don’t just apply to the big MT schools (NYU, CMU, U Mich, etc.). Tons and tons of people are going to be applying for these programs and they don’t accept many. With theater, it’s important to have a range of places. Look for BFAs of course but also look at BAs. Look for audition-only programs and non-audition programs. Look into MT programs but also look into Acting and general Theater as well. 

Where do you want to go to school? - This was a huge factor I didn’t consider until December of my senior year. I realized I wanted to be close to home, which left me with two schools I could choose from. Consider this factor early on. Do you want to be close to home? (I understand this might not be an option for many people). Do you want to be near a city or a smaller town? East Coast, West Coast, or Midwest? It might not seem like it, but this factor has more weight than you think. 

What size school do you want? - Do you want a large school with a big student population and things to do or do you want a smaller, more condensed environment? 

What learning environment suits you best? - This one is sort of a mashup of the last two, but it’s the overall point of those two questions. You want to find a program that suits your learning abilities best (location and size are big factors for this!!). 

What do you want outside of your major? - I think this is something that’s forgotten because we get so wrapped up in the audition process. What other opportunities does the school have to offer outside the art department? For example, I wanted to make sure I’d be able to get a student job on-campus. Maybe for others it’s the ability to join a fraternity or sorority. You’ll need something outside of the theater-major world to escape to every now and then (trust me it’ll keep you sane). 

How do the art programs interact? - Will you be able to join choir if you’re not in the music school? Can you take dance if you’re not a dance major? Can you take voice lessons if you’re not in MT/Vocal performance? This was a deciding factor to a few friends of mine, and it’s very important when considering! In my personal experience, the ability to take classes from the music/dance school have been a saving grace for me. If you want a well-rounded artistic experience, consider this! 

This is the most concise way I could keep it! I know these factors seem very broad, but they’re the jumping off point you need when you begin to research schools! As I said before, I didn’t think of any of these things until it was too late. If you start doing the research now your process will be smoother, especially because many theater programs require prescreens. And remember, you do not need a BFA from a top school to have a career in theater!!!! Good luck and please send me any further questions about this process that you might have! 

[helcat21]

there needs to be a place where performers looking to persue a career on stage can vent. i just make myself cry looking at some skinny blonde on tiktok who has a giant social media following, involved parents who put her onstage at a young age, and a high school with a highly funded theater program who can only maybe riff and struggles through head voice. she’s good but this is the girl who will beat you your whole life, the reason you’ll never get into a top bfa program or ever have a chance in following your dream. but we stick to toxic positivity and tell young performers rejection is par for the course and that if you just work or practice hard enough you’ll get an opportunity. i’m lucky, so much more privileged than most people could dream to be and i still have nothing but my voice at the end of the day. being barred from social media and going to basically special ed school with no theater program doesn’t help that

[e-major-and-ipa]

College Audition Season and Prescreens

Hello there! I know it’s the season of prescreens, prescreen results, and college auditions.  This can be such a stressful and overwhelming time, so I wanted to offer some words of encouragement! On my YouTube channel, I’m posting a series surrounding college auditions. Today I posted the first video about handling prescreen rejections! I’d love if you check it out! Next week I’ll be talking about passing prescreens and preparing for auditions! Oh, and they’re holiday themed! 

https://youtu.be/vRZqtyaC9iQ

[yosearch]

New Post has been published on http://www.yosearch.net/admission/upesdat-upes-design-aptitude-test/

UPESDAT 2016 Notification | UPES Design Aptitude Test 2016

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

I'm auditioning for musical theatre BFA programs this year and I'm having trouble finding safety schools. In musical theatre, how do you decide on a safety school because obviously it's like every other audition where you can't always get cast, so are there really safety schools for mt? And what qualifies a school as a safety school?

A safety school for MT would be one that has a higher acceptance rate!  So, some schools accept 1 out of every 1000 who audition, others audition 1 out of every 200.  The latter is obviously significantly easier to get into than the former.  But you’re right--BFA programs are going to have less “safe” options.  That’s why also picking out a BA program or two that speak to you may be a good way to give yourself those backup options, since those typically have much higher acceptance rates!

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

I am starting drama school in October (Acting) and I have not been given an equipment list; what would you recommend that I purchase?

Hmmmm...  Well, if they haven’t asked you to bring anything in particular, I’m not sure if there’s anything that comes to mind that I feel is completely necessary.  If you’re taking dance classes, then definitely leo/tights/dance shoes, etc.  If you’re taking movement classes, just clothes you can move in.  Other than that, they’ll tell you your textbooks when you get to classes.  There are things that you’ll need over the course of four years-character shoes, stage makeup, etc.--but getting those now isn’t necessarily required!

[i-remember-there-was-mist]

Do any of your followers know how hard it is to get into Hofstra University's BFA program on Long Island?

Followers, anybody know?

I will say, check out this link. Obviously I don’t have any personal experience with this university, but from what people are saying here, their BFA program is a scam... So just make sure you’re doing your research on their credibility, because I would hate for you to go there and then find out that their program isn’t solid.