by Sajel Oelerich

When I transferred to OCSA (Orange County School of the Arts —an arts magnet high school) after my freshman year, I was no longer the big fish in a small pond. Suddenly, I was thrust into a sea of incredibly talented artists from various backgrounds. We were known as ‘The Glee School’, and yet, I felt a great deal of imposter syndrome (which reared its head when I decided to apply for 25 top-tier universities—with and without arts programs—without telling a single peer… more on this later). What can I say? I did not fit the standard, so to speak, of a “theater kid”. I didn’t have the—albeit stereotypical—boisterous, theatrical energy, and I wasn’t the star of the program. I was on the quieter side, and I often found myself extremely nervous at the prospect of large theatrical productions or singing in front of peers for our weekly performances. I felt most at home in my acting classes, which I had been recently introduced to, after coming from a background in classical voice paired with a rigorous slate of academics. In acting class, I didn’t feel the pressure of perfecting my vocal technique; in acting class, imperfections were embraced, each performance of a scene was different, and the world suddenly could turn inward—the eye of the stage and audience disappearing, and my internal world revealing itself. Which leads us to our first question…

How do I know which track is right for me? While it can be very difficult to pinpoint, and I am not a believer that you cannot do both, for the purposes of college applications, I would begin by asking yourself if there is an element you feel more closely aligned with. Does acting feel like the sidekick or the main character in your performances? Do you enjoy the theatricality of acting in musicals, or do you desire a deeper dive into the complexities and emotions of a characters’ world? These questions will give you insight into what track may be better suited for you. 

What are the differences in requirements for a BFA in Acting versus a BFA in Musical Theater? The requirements of BFA Acting programs are most often two contrasting monologues, as opposed to two songs and two monologues, or two songs and one monologue (per Musical Theater requirements). But the difference lies not only in the lack of a singing and dancing element, but also in the style of acting. I found, in my own search and audition process, that many of the Acting programs responded to a more filmic approach to the material—a more grounded and less stylistically theatrical approach to the pieces—whether contemporary or classical. This helped me stand out amongst hundreds of candidates for these highly selective programs accepting anywhere from 10-30 students total in their freshman cohort of actors. I ended up deciding between USC, UCLA, Pace University, and NYU as my top choices, and I went with the school that offered me the most scholarship money: NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

How do I pick monologue material, and how important is the audition? Picking material and audition preparation are likely the most important steps if you do decide to go down the path of a BFA in Acting. The auditions are weighed extremely heavily in the BFA, given the high selectivity of these programs. But think of this as an opportunity—a chance for the faculty to grasp not only your talent but also your range, your personality, your professionalism and preparedness, and your ability to be emotionally vulnerable and open to the characters you are playing.Your material itself is a very personal choice, but I would recommend working with an audition coach or theater teacher to go over your auditions. Pick your material VERY early on so that the piece has time to live and breathe in you and as you, well before any audition sign-up even pops onto your application portal. 

There are no definitive rules on this, but generally speaking: unless it speaks to you in some unique and personal way, stay away from the most iconic, well-known speeches and monologues, i.e. Macbeth. P.S., you don’t get extra points for picking classical over contemporary, so don’t feel the need to prove yourself unless this is a listed requirement (pay attention to the individualization of these per school). I also recommend reading the pieces out loud while picking; this may help you narrow down those you have the most visceral response to, right off the bat. Once you have a single piece secured, it's easier to strategize your second piece; pick something that shows an alternative side of you or your skill set. Overall, think of these monologues like the personal statement of the performance application —they should speak to or reveal something about you. 

Can I apply to both Musical Theater and Acting programs for different schools? 

Absolutely. There is no rule book, no one way to go about this process. And the truth is, different schools vary in their emphasis on each component. One thing to consider is that many Musical Theater programs do not prioritize acting training. If acting for film and TV, or in Broadway plays, is where you see your future career clearly, I would advise you to tread carefully in auditioning for Musical Theater programs, as the breadth and depth of your acting training will inevitably be cut short by the split curriculum. Many programs have separate faculty all together for their respective acting and musical theater tracks. While NYU has 10 acting studios, each dedicated to a different acting technique—Atlantic, Stella Adler, The Experimental Theater Wing, The Meisner Studio, Lee Strasberg, The New Studio (musical theater), The Classical Studio, and Stonestreet for film and TV—a school like Carnegie Mellon integrates musical theater and acting students much more fluidly and seamlessly, with classes and productions overlapping.

Finally, to BFA or not to BFA? The other option (I know, sometimes the plethora of options in and of itself can be stressful), is to go with a BA, or bachelor of arts, versus a BFA, or bachelor of fine arts. Now, I could dedicate an entire blog post just to this topic alone, but the short of it is that a BFA will be conservatory in form, meaning it will be a structured, highly dictated schedule of daily classes. Some schools change it up like NYU, with three conservatory days and two academic days, or some form of this, but again, intensity will vary depending on the school and program. In a BFA program, your life is tied to the cohort: you rehearse with them outside of class, and you are with them all of the time in class. Common complaints can be that part of the typical college experience is missed within the rigor and small, curated size of these programs. On the flip side, this intimate cohort can be a welcome gift to students seeking refuge and bonding opportunities in the context of a larger university setting. Speaking from personal experience, I loved the diversity I experienced between NYU seminars often featuring upwards of 200 students, my acting classes of only 15, and the entire city of New York to wander through and take in as I pleased. I would highly suggest shadowing or sitting in on actual classes when and where you can, if you plan to visit these schools. All in all, the BFA is an intense deep-dive that is ultimately meant for career preparation in the field. It will feature more actual technique, acting, and performance in addition to a curriculum that builds on itself year by year. These programs are also tightly knit, with students often finding little difficulty receiving help or personal attention from faculty. The BFA is indeed taxing, rigorous, and not entirely conducive to the party/social scene if Greek life is a priority for you. If you crave structure, intensity, and career preparation, a BFA will be your best friend. 

The BA, on the other hand, is somewhat more mysterious in format. Well, not really, but these programs are often more fluid and customizable, allowing you to take other classes and explore a greater range of academic interests, maybe even double major. They also lean more heavily on theory than performance with greater emphasis on the study of literature, the history of acting, and film analysis than on acting performance or technique classes. I will say, if performance is what you desire, the BA may not be the best for you, unless you intend to actively seek it out through student theater or outside of the program via alternate performance groups on campus. However, if you like flexibility and balance, and you are not yet ready to commit solely to a career in the arts, the BA may be the perfect outlet for greater exploration. It is also important to note the dynamics between the majors—the BA program will accept a higher ratio of students, if selectivity is a concern, but the majors often do not really interact at all, as the curricula are separate. 

At the end of the day, I can’t stress it enough: give yourself options. Apply for a handful of BFA programs, a few BAs, and for some, entirely academic majors if you are unsure. I did all three with musical theater, non-musical theater, BA and BFA, and even some Biology (I’m not saying you have to do all of these). But even if you are sure, just remember that the arts have never and will never be dictated by a singular path, and so leave some margin for error and play. By the same token, if you don't receive the acceptances you were hoping for, know that there are many ways to get to where you want to go, and the highly selective BFA programs, however well reputed and regarded, may not be YOUR answer, just one of many.