Pace University’s BFA in Acting
I sat down with an acting BFA student I worked with in the 2018 application season who after successfully auditioning to many of the top BFA programs selected Pace University in NYC. I'm very happy to write that she is as happy with her choice today as she was when she called me excitedly after her audition. Here's part of my conversation with her.
What makes Pace so special and so different? Pace is a medium sized program, only 30 students, but each semester we are divided into two classes of 15 students each and that makes it feel like a small BFA program. The teachers really know us, they help us network, make introductions, and write recommendations. They are connected to our successes both in and out of the classroom, and we are in NYC, the place for stage theatre. Pace also has one of the biggest student run LGBTQ centers on a college campus.
What is the flavor of the acting program? Because we are with 14 different students each semester we learn how to act with different people and learn how chemistry and interpersonal dynamics affect our acting. All the students are very collaborative and there is no internal competition so we all really support each other and help each other grow as actors.
What was it about the audition that let you know it was going to be the place for you (if you were accepted)? Everyone engaged with me as an individual, they were really nice, and I could tell they were looking to create a community of kind people with shared values.
Tell a bit about the courses you take and when you actually get on stage. We take a variety of courses from Shakespeare to modern training which is all applicable to being on the stage, we also take three semesters for film and TV (though there is a separate BFA in Acting for Film, Television, Voice-Overs and Commercials), as BFA Acting students we also learn dialect training, singing, movement and voice over. We also have six elective classes for all the performing arts students so we mix up a bit with other majors too. We have to pass a practicum to be on the stage, that consists of being on tech for a Sophomore, Junior or Senior performance. Mine was to be the costume assistant to a performer with 20 wardrobe changes, it was super hard, but super fun.
How has school been during Covid? When Covid started in spring 2020 I was in my second semester Sophomore year and all classes moved to zoom. During that summer I got involved with Get Out The Vote efforts which led to my interest in justice and equity issues. When my Junior year began in the fall of 2020, and Covid took all classes to zoom again, I decided to pursue and double major in Women's and Gender Studies, putting my BFA acting on hold until we could get back to the live stage, hopefully for fall 2021. I was able to fill my schedule with classes toward this major and now I am petitioning to also take coursework towards a Masters in Public Administration. So if all the cards fall as they should, I'm hoping to graduate in Spring 2023 with a BFA in Acting, a BA in Gender and Women's Studies, and an MPA focusing in non-profit studies! That's a mouthful. I am definitely reaping the benefits of attending a BFA program at a university where I can broaden my education outside the arts, perhaps not the path for everyone but it worked very well for me.
Pace School of Performing Arts is one of a number of conservatory programs embedded within a larger university. While not every BFA student wants to take advantage of courses outside their BFA, if you do then such a school is probably the right direction. If you'd like personal guidance on your college selections and applications schedule a free 30 minute call to learn how I can help you.