It’s that time of year again when it seems like the words on everybody’s lips are college search, especially if you’re considering a performing arts degree. If you’re serious about pursuing the performing arts as a career, your technical training started a while ago, but preparing for your college search and admissions process is a different beast altogether. Leading up to your senior year is a whirlwind of visits, auditions, prescreens, conferences, and applications, and if you’re not ready for it, the whole process can be overwhelming.
Luckily, as a high school junior, you don’t have to worry about that just yet. That doesn’t mean you should just sit back and wait to start your college search until the spring or summer, though. You can actually learn a lot from watching your older friends go through the process. So go find yourself an upperclassman who’s pursuing a degree in the performing arts, and make yourself a new best friend. If you pay attention, watching them go through the process will ultimately help make your performing arts college search easier and more successful.
1. How soon should I start looking?
You can tell pretty quickly which of the seniors spent time visiting colleges and which haven’t. The ones that have seen some campuses and met some faculty are usually calmer and more collected at the beginning of the school year. They've weighed their options and know what they want in a program and in a campus culture.
2. How many programs make the final cut?
Senior performing artists who are serious about studying their craft at a collegiate or conservatory level usually have a very organized list of programs that make their final list. If they’re too picky, they could find themselves with very limited or even no options come the spring. Prepared seniors play the numbers game. They’ll choose three or four programs from each of these categories: dream schools, best fit schools, and safety schools. Find out how they organized their search and what factors they considered. You shouldn't base your search entirely on what they did, but it’s a good place to generate ideas.
3. How early should I start applying?
You’ll find that your friends who started applying early are going to be easier to be around come October. Most applications for performing arts programs open around the beginning of September, and close around the beginning of December. While that’s certainly not true across the board for performing arts programs, the general consensus is that the earlier you apply, the better off you’ll be.
4. Where can I find scholarships?
Watching your friends discover performing arts specific scholarships is a great resource for you as a junior. Most scholarships recur annually, so keep track of the sources and requirements of scholarships your friends apply for. And if you can, find out who won them and what they did differently.
5. How do I beef up my resume?
Your senior friends were probably running around like crazy last spring and summer (and probably even this fall) to find more experiences to add to their resumes. Ask them how they spent their summers: at a community theatre? teaching a dance class? volunteering? Be sure to ask about their connections, too. This will put you in a good position to have a solid resume when it’s your turn to start applying.
Even though you aren’t going through the process of visiting colleges, creating a prescreen video, meeting with faculty members, or preparing your application, you can still learn a lot from your friends who are. So pay attention to your senior performing arts friends, and ask them a lot of questions. Next year when it’s your turn, you’ll be better prepared to enter into the performing arts college search yourself. And we at Acceptd will be here to help you every step of the way.
Photo Credit: Gavin Whitner
