admissions and the arts heather v. mccowen, phd post secondary counselor the chicago hs for the arts
TRANSCRIPT
ADMISSIO
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TIPS FOR COLLEGE VISITS
• Best to go when college is in session (avoid summer)
• Don’t get too hung up on facilities
• Dance• Participate in a class if possible
• Music• Try to observe a lesson with the teacher you plan on studying with – better
than trying to take a lesson with an unfamiliar teacher
• Theatre• Sit in on a freshman acting class, see how open and welcoming the
students are (or are not)
• Visual Arts• Ask about support and costs of materials, access to studio space, gallery
space
A MOMENT FOR SOME NUMBERS*-
80% of Arts graduates report being “satisfied” or “Very satisfied” with their salaries
46% of Arts graduates donate to artistic causes
42% of Arts graduates are employed outside the arts
$45,000 average salary for arts grads with a BA, BFA or BM
75% continue to practice some form of Art regardless of main employment
*Taken from the 2014 SNAAP report (Strategic National Arts Alumni Project)- http://snaap.indiana.edu/pdf/2014/SNAAP_AR_2014.pdf
THE VALUE OF AN ARTS EDUCATION
“My arts education has affected my civic and community life in a plethora of ways. I am very capable at planning and managing community events. I am an effective public speaker at such events. I am a leader and have confidence leading others. I speak multiple languages that allow me to be effective in multiple communities. The arts training I received has so fully permeated my whole person that it effects everything I do. “
-SNAAP respondent
TYPES OF TRAINING
• Certificate vs. Conservatory vs. Liberal Arts vs. Comprehensive University
• Certificate/for profit• Conservatory – Myths and legends• Liberal Arts and the Arts• Comprehensive University
• Terminology? It all just depends on the college in the end. . .
DANCE
Ballet – years of formal training – students start as young as 3 or 4, and train for years. Specific body type and physical ability needed (think Joffrey Ballet) influenced by classical music
Jazz – can include tap, not as formal a style, heavily influenced by musical theatre
Modern – Athletic, uses a wide variety of music.
WHAT DO DANCE PROGRAMS LOOK FOR?
• Not “dance team”
• Long, formal training with a rigorous program
• Summer intensive work with a professional Dance company
• Several years back ground
• Audition based
• Photos required many times for admission
• Pre-Screen videos may be required to be invited to audition
DANCE AUDITIONS
• Start in October, and continue through late March
• In person auditions are always preferred
• Some schools do regional auditions
• Students have a prepared routine, then take a class at the audition
• Scholarships are tied to audition
• Male dancers (especially talented, tall ones) are worth their weight in scholarship
SCHOOLS FOR DANCE
University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign
Illinois State Univ.
University of Missouri – Kansas City
Western Michigan University
Indiana University – Bloomington
SUNY – Purchase
Fordham / Ailey Dance Program
Dominican Univ-California – Alonzo Lines Ballet
Univ. of Utah
Boston Conservatory
Point Park Univ.
The Univ. of the Arts
Univ. of North Carolina School of the Arts
Southern Methodist Univ.
Florida State Univ.
The Univ. of Michigan
Juilliard
The Hartt School- U of Hartford
Temple Univ.
WHAT DO MUSIC PROGRAMS LOOK FOR?• Instrumentalists • 3-4 years of private lessons (at the very least)• Youth Orchestra and/or Community Music School – Merit, Peoples, MWYA etc• Participating in school’s Band/Orchestra program• A’s in music classes, especially Band/Orchestra• Focusing on 1 instrument
• Vocalists• 2-3 years of private lessons• Piano skills a HUGE advantage• Participating in school’s choir• A’s in music classes, especially Choir• Can sing in 2-3 languages, usually Italian, French, or German
MUSIC AUDITIONS
• Deadlines for Music auditions may be earlier
• Tend to be in February, though many schools have earlier dates
• Piano, voice, and sometimes other programs have a Pre-screening requirement, prior to auditions
• Regional auditions are sometimes available
• Videos are accepted, live auditions preferred
• Best way to get rejected is to ignore the Audition requirements
• Colleges are lazy, they won’t change their audition requirements from Year to Year, students can look them up now to see what will be required by mid-senior year
• Need to be able to read music – there is usually an entrance music theory test to weed out non-readers
SCHOOLS FOR MUSIC – MIDWEST OPTIONS
DePaul Univ.
Northwestern Univ.
Roosevelt Univ.
Univ. of Chicago
North Park Univ.
Southern Illinois Univ. – Carb.
Western Michigan Univ.
Indiana Univ. Bloomington
Indiana Univ. South Bend
Valparaiso Univ.
Univ. of Missouri – Kansas City
Univ. of Missouri – Columbia
Augustana College
Lawrence Univ.
Univ. of Michigan
Michigan State
Univ. of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign
Univ. of Illinois – Chicago
Northern Illinois Univ.
Monmouth College
Columbia College Chicago
SCHOOLS OF MUSIC – CONSERVATORIES
Juilliard
Manhattan School of Music
The New School – Mannes
Boston Conservatory
Berklee College of Music
San Francisco Conservatory
New England Conservatory
Oberlin Conservatory
The Longy School of Music at Bard College
SCHOOLS OF MUSIC – MUSIC BUSINESS
Columbia College Chicago
Univ. of Illinois- Chicago
DePaul Univ.
Western Michigan Univ.
Southern Illinois Univ. – Carbondale
McNally Smith College
Belmont Univ.
Berklee College of Music
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)
The Hartt School- U of Hartford
Temple Univ.
WHAT DO THEATRE PROGRAMS LOOK FOR?• Great English/Reading skills
• Audition based
• Not as much interest on formal training
• Should do the school play
• Doesn’t need to have professional experience (some colleges get annoyed with this)
THEATRE AUDITIONS
• January and February
• Unified Theatre Auditions – 1st week of February in Chicago
• Live almost always preferred
• 2 Monologues – contrasting, from plays, age and gender appropriate
• Songs – 2 minutes
• Usually do not need a dance routine prepared, students do a class
• Check audition requirements for any thing they don’t want (no Shakespeare, no self-written pieces)
THEATRE SCHOOLS - ACTING
Roosevelt Univ.
DePaul Univ.
Northwestern Univ. – No audition
Univ. of Evansville
Southern Methodist Univ.
Univ. of Illinois- Chicago
Juilliard
Columbia College Chicago
Cornish College of the Arts
CalArts
THEATRE SCHOOLS – MUSICAL THEATRE
Roosevelt Univ.
Viterbo Univ.
Millikin Univ.
Indiana Univ. Bloomington
Univ. of Michigan
Boston Conservatory
Western Michigan Univ.
Univ. of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign
Point Park Univ.
Santa Fe Univ. of Art & Design
Cal Arts
Oklahoma City Univ.
Carnegie Mellon Univ.
Syracuse Univ.
Emerson Univ.
NYU
SUNY – Purchase
UNCSA
Florida State Univ.
Elon Univ.
Baldwin Wallace Univ.
Webster Univ.
Univ. of Cincinnati
Webster
THEATRE SCHOOLS – TECHNICAL THEATRENorth Central College
Univ. of Evansville
Indiana Univ. – Bloomington
Columbia College Chicago
Baldwin Wallace Univ.
Cal Arts
Elon
Cornish College of the Arts
DePaul
Emerson College
Ithaca College
Cornell College (Iowa)
WHAT DO VISUAL ARTS PROGRAMS LOOK FOR?• Portfolio
• 10-15 pieces of work• Digitized, ready for upload• Art classes in High school• Artist Statement• Most focus on the portfolio• Visual Storyteller• Scholastic Arts Competition
VISUAL ARTS - PORTFOLIOS
SAIC hosts the Chicago Portfolio day each fall
Some schools will allow students to upload work for critique
Visual Arts schools are great about High School visits, will offer classes
Typically due by December 15
Scholarships are awarded on Portfolios, can be increased with grades
VISUAL ARTS SCHOOLS
ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN
Alfred University, School of Art & Design
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Art Center College of Design
Butler University
CalArts (California Institute of the Arts)
California College of the Arts
College for Creative Studies
Columbus College of Art & Design
Cooper Union School of Art
Cornish College of the Arts
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Kansas City Art Institute
MORE VISUAL ARTS SCHOOLSKendall College of Art and Design
Laguna College of Art + Design
Lesley University College of Art and Design
Maine College of Art
Memphis College of Art
MICA
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
New Hampshire Insitute of Art
OCAD University
Otis College of Art + Design
MORE VISUAL ARTS SCHOOLSPacific Northwest College of Art
Paris College of Art
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pratt institute
RISD
San Francisco Art Institute
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
School of the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston
School of Visual Arts (SVA)
UIC Art & Art History
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
AND A FEW LAST VA SCHOOLS
Santa Fe College of Art & Design – Film
NYU- Film
Columbia College Chicago – Film
Furman Univ. - Art History
Carnegie Mellon Univ. – Art History
Southern Methodist Univ. - Painting & Art History
Florida State Univ.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Great Value in Arts Education
Transferrable skills are huge
Many colleges’ websites are terrible, but they do put their requirements out there (and they don’t change)
NACAC PVA fairs – 2015 Chicago Performing And Visual Arts FairDePaul University - Theatre SchoolSunday, September 20: 1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
EMAIL US!– WE CAN HELP!
Ashlee Hardgrave
UIC-Theatre and Music Admissions
Heather V. McCowen – PhD
Post Secondary Counselor
The Chicago HS for the Arts
Rebecca Ryan – DMA
North Park Univ. - Music Recruiter/Office of Admissions