ADMISSIONS AND THE ARTS Heather V McCowen, PhD Post Secondary - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ADMISSIONS AND THE ARTS

Heather V McCowen, PhD Post Secondary Adviser The Chicago HS for the Arts HM College Consulting

A R T S A R E A S C O V E R E D :

D A N C E

• M

U S I C

• T

H E A T R E

• V

I S U A L A R T S

G E N E R A L C O N C E P T S O F A R T S A D M I S S I O N S

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 affects everything I do. “

• SNAAP respondent

BFA, BM VS. THE BA

• Does it matter?
• What about a “Safe” double

major?

• Can’t I just minor?

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. . .

ACCREDITATION ISSUES

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

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

Things to Remember during the application process

• Aim to get applications started by August 15, completed by October 31
• Check the Music/Dance/Theatre/Vis Arts Website for arts deadlines

○ many times they are sooner ○ do NOT rely on the main admissions office deadline

• If they have a separate arts admissions office, work through them
• Colleges either

○ have you apply directly to the School (of Music, of Theatre, etc) ○ have you apply to both the University and the School. If so, you have to be admitted to both to be a music major, etc. . .

A N D N O W , B Y D I S C I P L I N E

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

More great dance!

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.

MUSIC

• Instrumental
• Vocal
• Jazz or Classical?
• Music Education
• Music Business/Production

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 can be 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

More Music!

• 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 Berklee College of Music San Francisco Conservatory New England Conservatory Oberlin Conservatory The Longy School of Music at Bard College The Colburn School

Music Education Schools - Selected Highlights

Northwestern Univ. VanderCook School of Music Illinois State Univ. Southern Illinois Univ. Northern Illinois Univ. Eastern Illinois Univ. Bradley Univ. DePaul Univ. Indiana Univ.-Bloomington

More Music Ed!

Iowa State Univ.

• Univ. of Cincinnati
• Univ. Of Missouri - Kansas City
• Univ. of Illinois - Urbana / Champaign

Roosevelt Univ.

• Univ. Of Northern Iowa
• Univ. of North Texas

SCHOOLS OF MUSIC – Music Business/Arts Management

Baldwin-Wallace Univ. Butler Univ. Columbia College Chicago

• Univ. of Illinois- Chicago

DePaul Univ. Western Michigan Univ. Indiana Univ. Bloomington Southern Illinois Univ. – Carbondale Belmont Univ. Berklee College of Music California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) The Hartt School- U of Hartford Temple Univ.

• Univ. of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

THEATRE (YEP, RE)

• Acting
• Musical Theatre
• Technical Theatre

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 @ Berklee Western Michigan Univ. Point Park Univ. Cal Arts Oklahoma City Univ. Syracuse Univ. Carnegie Mellon Univ.

More Musical Theatre!

Emerson Univ. NYU SUNY – Purchase UNCSA Florida State Univ. Elon Univ. Baldwin Wallace Univ. Webster Univ.

• Univ. of Cincinnati

Webster

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)

VISUAL ARTS

Painting/Drawing Mixed Media Graphic Design Photography Film Art History

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 - Sunday Oct 20, 2019 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 SCHOOLS

Kendall College of Art and Design Laguna College of Art + Design Lawrence University 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 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

AND A FEW LAST VA SCHOOLS

NYU- Film Columbia College Chicago – Film Furman Univ. - Art History Carnegie Mellon Univ. – Art History Southern Methodist Univ. - Painting & Art History Florida State Univ. Tribeca College - Chicago - Film University of Southern California - Film NYU-Film

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 – 2019 PVA Fair: Thursday Oct 24 7 - 9 pm UIC Forum National Portfolio Day - 2019 Sunday Oct 20, 2019 - 1 pm to 4 pm SAIC

EMAIL Me!– I CAN HELP!

Heather V. McCowen – PhD Post Secondary Adviser The Chicago HS for the Arts hmccowen@chiarts.org HM College Consulting www.hmcollegeconsulting.com heather.mccowen@hmcollegeconsulting.com