1. ADMISSIONS AND THE ARTS HEATHER V. MCCOWEN, PHD POST SECONDARY COUNSELOR THE CHICAGO HS FOR THE ARTS

2. ARTS AREAS COVERED: DANCE-MUSIC-THEATRE- VISUAL ARTS

3. GENERAL CONCEPTS OF ARTS ADMISSIONS

4. BFA, BM VS. THE BA Does it matter? What about a “Safe” double major? Can’t I just minor?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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...

9. ACCREDITATION ISSUES NASM NASD NAST Regional Accreditation Why this does or does not matter...

10. AND NOW, BY DISCIPLINE

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. MUSIC Instrumental Vocal Jazz or Classical? Music Business/Production

16. 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

17. 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 yearaudition requirements Need to be able to read music – there is usually an entrance music theory test to weed out non-readers

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

21. THEATRE (YEP, RE) Acting Musical Theatre Technical Theatre

22. 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)

23. THEATRE AUDITIONS January and February Unified Theatre Auditions – 1 st 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)

24. 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

25. 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

26. THEATRE SCHOOLS – TECHNICAL THEATRE North 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)

27. VISUAL ARTS Painting/Drawing Mixed Media Graphic Design Photography Film Art History

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. MORE VISUAL ARTS SCHOOLS Kendall 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

32. MORE VISUAL ARTS SCHOOLS Pacific 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

33. 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.

34. 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 Fair DePaul University - Theatre School Sunday, September 20: 1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.–Chicago Performing And Visual Arts Fair

35. EMAIL US!– WE CAN HELP! Ashlee Hardgrave UIC-Theatre and Music Admissions ashleeh@uic.edu Heather V. McCowen – PhD Post Secondary Counselor The Chicago HS for the Arts hmccowen@chiarts.org Rebecca Ryan – DMA North Park Univ. - Music Recruiter/Office of Admissions rryan@northpark.edu