The Arts and the Admissions Process

If you are an artist, singer, musician, filmmaker, or performer and think you may want to highlight your talents, you should begin documentation of your talent as early in your high school career as possible, but definitely by your junior year. Artists and performers should begin creating an arts resume that documents special talents in detail.

Artists and Photographers

It is vital that you create a portfolio of your strongest works both in and outside of school. Your teacher will help you to select your strongest work and advise you on how to best photograph them for showcasing purposes. Your portfolio should be continually updated as you create new work. You should store these images on your computer and the cloud or some other type of storage device so that you can be ready to upload them during the application process. Give each piece a title and know the size, height x width, and the medium. Each school has different requirements on uploading images including the number and type of artwork so you should know as soon as possible what the requirements are of the school to which you are applying. Generally, schools require 15 – 20 pieces of artwork that have been recently created. Most schools require several pieces of direct observational drawing no matter what specific program you may be interested in. You should also prepare an artist statement. Your art teacher will be able to help you and guide you through the process.

Instrumentalists/Vocalists

If you are applying to a conservatory program, you will be asked to audition in person or digitally and you should prepare for this with your instructor. Colleges only want solo performances. The first step is to discuss with your instructor which pieces to prepare. If you are a singer, you will need to line up an accompanist. If you wish to accompany yourself on the piano while you sing, allow time to practice both portions. Depending on the situation, sometimes the best CD’s are done professionally in a studio. Your performance should be accompanied by a description of the pieces and a short statement on why they were selected. All musicians should seek the advice of a music instructor at school or their private teacher in selecting pieces and for ongoing help with the process.

Performing Artists and Dancers

If you are applying to a conservatory program, you will be asked to audition in person or submit a recording. It takes time to work with your acting or dance teacher to prepare the works you will perform. Audition protocols vary from school to school. Students must assume responsibility for these schedules. This involves planning and should be done in consultation with your coach or dance teacher.

Filmmakers

You will be asked to share some of your video work if you are applying for a film school. We recommend preparing a Vimeo portfolio of your best work or utilizing the ZeeMee Platform. Include a brief bio about you and a descriptive sentence or two with each video. If you have won awards, include these in the text with your video. Some schools ask you to submit only one video (usually under five minutes). Take your time to make a video that represents your best work. You can edit together parts of different work for this video. Consider being on-screen to introduce your video from the anchor desk if you are applying to a broadcast program rather than a filmmaking program.