College and BFA prep
Kat brought us the college list she used with her family. Start there, then hear coaches and students explain pre-screens and the months of preparation before a BFA audition.
Plot Your Way to a BFA
Kat's family is in the middle of the BFA application process. She brings the school list and what she's learned about choosing where to audition, including how to judge a reach school.
Listen to episode 5
Answers from the show
What is a BFA in musical theatre like compared with a regular college degree?
Expect to start theatre training in freshman year, with perhaps one general education class a semester. Kat describes a college schedule built around the BFA program.
Episode 5: Plot Your Way to a BFA
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You go straight into a musical theater program so you might have one gen ed class a semester the rest of it's training around.
What is a college pre-screen video?
Many programs ask for a pre-screen video before they'll invite a student to audition in person. It's the school's first impression of you, so give it time and care.
Episode 6: Bridging the Gap with CAP
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Schools have to have these things called pre screens where you where you submit a video to be considered to audition in person.
When should we start the college audition process for musical theatre?
Drew recommends allowing about 14 months: start around February or March of junior year and plan to finish around the middle of May the following year.
Episode 6: Bridging the Gap with CAP
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I like to have students and parents come to me in february march of junior year and we wrap up usually around the middle of may.
Do colleges expect students to be triple threats?
Drew recommends getting strong in two of the three skills. Rank your singing, acting and dance, then put training into your second-best skill.
Episode 6: Bridging the Gap with CAP
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Schools won't say we're looking for a triple threat because honest to goodness they're not they're looking for two out of three.
Is a theatre degree worth it if my child doesn't make it to Broadway?
Corey Mitchell sees an acting degree as a way into many kinds of theatre work. Plenty of people working in the industry have one. Broadway and film are only some of the places that training can lead.
Episode 13: The Theatre Gap Initiative
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That degree is your gateway to where your career path is it doesn't mean that you go and you get your degree in acting and that's what you're going to do for the rest of your life.
What is a slate and how should I do it at an audition?
The slate is your chance to meet the auditioners as yourself. Walk in thinking of something that makes you happy and let your slate say who you are and that you want to show them what you can do.
Episode 17: Summer Intensives and College Prep
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Your slate is supposed to say this is who I am I'm really good at this and I want to show you how good I am.
What are colleges looking for at a musical theatre audition?
College faculty are choosing students they'll work with for four years. Steve West says they want to see who you are and how you take direction, along with well-prepared material.
Episode 17: Summer Intensives and College Prep
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They're not casting the characters that you play in your monologues and songs they are looking for students to spend four years with.
Do you need a BFA to be on Broadway?
Steve West needed the training himself. He suggests looking at where Broadway performers went to school: many have theatre degrees, but some studied something else or didn't go to college. It depends on the person.
Episode 17: Summer Intensives and College Prep
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Most of the people will have a theater degree but someone will have studied biology or someone will have not not gone to any sort of higher education at all it is not a absolute requirement.
What can a middle schooler do now to prepare for a musical theatre college?
If your child already wants to study musical theatre, start with dance classes and voice lessons. You don't have to choose the most expensive teacher or studio.
Episode 17: Summer Intensives and College Prep
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Definitely start taking dance classes if you haven't started taking them yet and voice lessons if you can you know there there are more affordable ways to do those things.
What is it like to study musical theatre in college?
Elizabeth Lyons loved having a built-in group of people who cared about musical theatre. She says the alumni connections follow you to New York, where everyone seems to know someone you know.
Episode 28: Broadway Beginnings with Elizabeth Lyons
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One of the beauties of studying in musical theater no matter where you go is that you're you automatically have your own little club.
More on college and bfa prep
Related reading
Musical Theatre College List
The college list Kat shared after episode 5, grouped by how selective the programs were at the time. Published in November 2022.
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