Pace University Musical Theatre Acceptance Rate

Last Updated on December 24, 2022

Broadway is very competitive. Extremely competitive. But it’s also wonderful and rewarding and an experience like no other. So do the work now that will get you in the right doors, get you in the right auditions, get you in the right BFA programs, and get you in the right shows. That’s what’s going to get you on Broadway.

Pace University School of Performing Arts (New York, NY) is among the top schools in the country for both acting and for musical theatre. Our application process is selective, so we look for students who demonstrate excellence both as artists and as individuals. We are looking for a passion for performing, a strong desire to learn, a thirst for knowledge, an openness to new ideas and opportunities, leadership potential, maturity and personal responsibility. We strive to create a diverse community of students who bring different experiences, strengths and interests to campus life.

Pace University’s Musical Theatre Program is one of the most renowned in the country, which is why it has one of the highest acceptance rates to Broadway. The Musical Theatre program at Pace features a competitive two-year conservatory acting program for undergraduate students.

So what are we looking for?

Strong performance skills (acting or musical theatre)

Clear sense of purpose when completing your application materials

Artistic integrity/honesty

Academic skill/potential to succeed at Pace

A desire to be challenged academically

2018 Commencement: New York City | The Pace University NYC U… | Flickr

Is Pace University A Good School For Musical Theater

We are delighted to welcome you to Pace University!

At Pace, we believe in the power of higher education. We believe that it’s an education that allows us to grow as individuals and as members of society. It’s an education that challenges us to think critically, problem solve creatively, and reach new heights.

We are a private university in New York City with a broad-based curriculum that includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the fine arts. We have strong programs within the School of Arts and Sciences, a thriving theatre department, a competitive undergraduate program in business and a full graduate program.

If you’re interested in music and theatre, then you’re in luck! We have the only four-year Musical Theatre major in New York City. With our Music program, we provide students with a career-focused course of study that prepares them for professional success by combining technical mastery with artistic development—and we have the best rate of acceptance for Musical Theatre majors of any university in the nation! Students who study at Pace are more likely to be cast in professional productions after graduation than at any other institution.

The Musical Theatre department at Pace University proudly takes the field as a formal member of the League of Professional Theatre Training Programs. In 2008, our Musical Theatre program was one of twenty-four programs accepted into the League of Professional Theatre Training Programs, founded by Pace University in 1968 as a central organization for schools that train working actors and actresses. There are presently more than 250 member institutions and studios. Their membership embraces conservatories, two and four year colleges and universities, and professional actors training centers.

The School of Performing Arts at Pace University offers BA and BFA programs that balance strong academics with intensive, pre-professional training. Our graduates are prepared to enter the workplace as knowledgeable, disciplined artists devoted to the integrity, pursuit, and preservation of their craft. Dedicated to providing the finest possible professional training, we offer majors in:

  • Acting – International Performance Ensemble (BA)
  • Directing – International Performance Ensemble (BA)
  • Stage Management (BA)
  • Acting (BFA)
  • Acting for Film, TV, Voice-overs & Commercials (BFA)
  • Commercial Dance (BFA)
  • Musical Theater (BFA)
  • Production & Design for Stage & Screen (BFA)

Pace University Acceptance Rate

For the past several years, we’ve been working to expand our pool of applicants and to diversify our applicant background. But we didn’t want to sacrifice quality, so we did it in a way that did not compromise: by admitting more students than ever before.

Pace is a New York university that combines a student-centered, liberal arts education with a set of nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs. The university has a vibrant theatre department, a strong program in business, and an active community of artists who create works on the stage, in the galleries, or next to their desks.

78.7% (2020)

Pace University Musical Theatre Ranking

A survey conducted by OnStage has named Pace University’s School of Performing Arts the “Best Theatre College” in New York for 2017. Pace University’s bachelor’s program in theater is 30 out of the 247 ranked schools in New York.

Is Pace University Prestigious

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Theater in the School of Performing Arts offers elite training by well-connected professionals working in the industry that combines the disciplines of acting, music, and dance. Designed to train the unique performer, the BFA in Musical Theater major offers you the opportunity to showcase your abilities and talents while preserving and refining your individuality. Our acting, music, and dance courses have all been designed with the professional musical theater performer in mind, and each class seeks to bring together these three disciplines into a cohesive synthesis.

Pace University Musical Theatre Audition Requirements

Audition & Interview Requirements By Major

BA Acting (International Performance Ensemble)

Acceptd pre-screen upload**:

  • Headshot or photo
  • Resume
  • 2 contemporary (written after 1945) monologues, contrasting, from published full-length plays, each under 90 seconds
  • 1 (optional) reel that includes any work you have done in film, TV, voice-overs, or commercials
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” that can be anything you want – be your creative and interesting self!

Callback audition:

  • Be prepared to present one – perhaps two – monologues (can be the same or different from pre-screen)
  • Additional details will be sent in advance of the audition

**All three acting majors upload the same materials on Accepted; prospective students select which major or majors they are interested in as they create their Accepted profile.

These Downtown Choreographers Are Reshaping Dance on Broadway - Dance  Magazine

BFA Acting

Acceptd pre-screen upload**:

  • Headshot or photo
  • Resume
  • 2 contemporary (written after 1945) monologues, contrasting, from published full-length plays, each under 90 seconds
  • 1 (optional) reel that includes any work you have done in film, TV, voice-overs, or commercials
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” that can be anything you want – be your creative and interesting self!

Callback audition:

  • Be prepared to present one – perhaps two – monologues (can be the same or different from pre-screen)
  • Additional details will be sent in advance of the audition

**All three acting majors upload the same materials on Accepted; prospective students select which major or majors they are interested in as they create their Accepetd profile.

BFA in Musical Theater | PACE School of Performing Arts

BFA Acting for Film, Television, Voiceovers & Commercials

Acceptd pre-screen upload**:

  • Headshot or photo
  • Resume
  • 2 contemporary (written after 1945) monologues, contrasting, from published full-length plays, each under 90 seconds
  • 1 (optional) reel that includes any work you have done in film, TV, voice-overs, or commercials
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” that can be anything you want – be your creative and interesting self!

Callback audition:

  • Be prepared to present one – perhaps two – monologues (can be the same or different from pre-screen)
  • Additional details will be sent in advance of the audition

**All three acting majors upload the same materials on Accepted; prospective students select which major or majors they are interested in as they create their Acceptd profile.

BFA Commercial Dance

Acceptd pre-screen upload:

  • Headshot or photo
  • Resume
  • 2 photos (full body) – one in first arabesque en l’air and the second pose of your choosing
  • 1 solo dance video under two minutes – can be in a studio or as a featured dancer and choreographed by yourself, a teacher, or friend
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” that can be anything you want – be your creative and interesting self!

Callback audition:

  • Prospective students will be evaluated in ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop in small groups
  • Some students will be asked to stay for a final interview

BA Directing (International Performance Ensemble)

Acceptd pre-screen upload:

  • Resume
  • One video clip (no longer than 2 minutes) in which you give an elevator pitch for a show you would like to direct
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” that can be anything you want – be your creative and interesting self!

Callback audition:

  • Additional details will be sent in advance of the interview

BFA Musical Theater

Pace participates in the Musical Theater Common Pre-Screen. For detailed information, please visit: https://getacceptd.com/musical-theater-common-prescreen

Acceptd pre-screen upload:

  • Headshot or photo
  • Resume
  • 1 contemporary (written after 1945) monologue from a published full-length play, under 90 seconds (OPTION A from Common Pre-Screen)
  • 2 song selections, contrasting, each 60-90 seconds (either OPTION A or OPTION B from Common Pre-Screen)
  • 1 (optional) dance solo – required for those applicants who consider themselves dancers (DANCE OPTION A)
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” video/media – can be anything you want: a special skill, an interesting story about yourself, a passion speech, an instrument that you play, etc. “What do you want us to know about you?” and “What makes you unique?
BFA in Musical Theater | PACE School of Performing Arts

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