Office of Admissions Blog

By: Katie Friis, Dance Admissions Coordinator

Hello Dancers, I’m back with the next step for your college search!  Now that you’re aware of types of college dance programs and types of degrees (if you’re not aware, click here to read my last blog entry), it’s time to dig a little deeper into other factors that should influence your college decision:

• LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: If you’ve been a “city kid” all of your life, do you dream of going to college on a beautiful, leafy-green campus? Maybe you are from a small town, and you think you are ready to make the move to a big city. Wherever you want to spend your college years, it’s best if you can visit the campus in person ahead of time to get a feel for it. Try to visit during the school year, when students are on campus and classes are in session. Try to picture yourself living and studying in that environment, investigate what the city has to offer, and think about some practical issues: Will you need a car? Do you have a choice of living on- or off-campus? What are the job opportunities, both on- and off-campus? What are the cultural offerings? Juilliard is located in the heart of New York City, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We are part of Lincoln Center, which also includes The Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic, among other wonderful cultural organizations. We have a very small campus - one building plus one residence hall, which all first-time college students are required to live in for the first year. You can explore Juilliard further by taking our online virtual tour.

• PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: If you want to be a professional dancer, the performance opportunities that you get in college can be the foundation of your career. The on-stage experience that you get in college will increase your level of professionalism after you graduate, and working with guest artists or faculty choreographers can help you make connections that lead to internships, apprenticeships, and even paid company positions. Similarly, if you want to be a dance teacher after you graduate, the opportunities to assist with or teach classes while you are still a student will prove invaluable. Think about what your ultimate professional goals are, and then research what opportunities are available within each college program to help you reach that goal. How many performance opportunities are there per year? Do you get to perform as a first-year student? How often is student choreography showcased? How often are guest teachers/artists/choreographers brought in? Can students gain teaching experience? Are students given opportunities to learn the technical side of the theatre (i.e. lighting, costumes, sound design)? All of these types of opportunities, in addition to what the actual coursework is, are what make up your college education. Make sure that the program you choose offers opportunities outside of simply enrolling in Ballet Technique 101. Juilliard’s dance performance activities are outlined here.

• FINANCIAL AID: Ok, I know you don’t want to talk about it. The idea of shelling out thousands of dollars for a college education is probably a pretty fuzzy concept for you right now, and you are probably sick of hearing your parents and teachers harp on you about looking for scholarships. But believe me, if you graduate with a boatload of student loan debt, you will wish you had thought more about financial aid and scholarships before you started college! At first, you shouldn’t let the cost of private college tuition or out-of-state tuition deter you from applying for a program that really interests you - you never know how much aid a school will offer. But you should research how and when a school awards its scholarships, and you should also seek outside scholarships that are not tied to any particular school (http://www.fastweb.com/ is a great place to start looking). Juilliard awards its scholarships for dancers a bit differently than most schools: we look primarily at a dancer’s financial need, especially since we admit such a small number of dancers each year (12 men and 12 women). Many other colleges do offer dance scholarships based on talent, and/or merit scholarships based on academic performance, in addition to whatever aid your financial situation entitles you to. You can read more about Juilliard financial aid here.

Alright, so now that I’ve added to your summer homework assignment, I’ll give you some time to further your college search taking the above criteria into consideration.  I’ll be back soon with some thoughts about application and audition processes!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

I’ve been told that market research shows that the top three questions from prospective students are the following:

1. Does X have my major/the program I want/the degree I want?
2. Is X the right fit for me?
3. Is X affordable?

If you dig a bit deeper into these questions, they are great for beginning to define where you want to go to school next year, and then to narrow down your list to where you will actually submit applications. Ultimately, the answers you find will also help you decide where to go after receiving offers of admission - because you will be able to answer “Yes!” to all three questions for the right school.

So, let’s start with question #1 - what schools have the major/program/degree that I want?

This is like that wonderful question that everyone hates getting - you know, “where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?” It’s not a bad question, because once you have some sort of concept, you can then map out what it will take to get there.

So, get out a pen and paper, and start writing.

Do I want to play in an orchestra?

Do I want to be with a ballet company?

Do I want to be in musical theater?

Do I want to be in a professional string quartet?

Do I want to be a soloist?

Do I want to be a teacher?

Do I want to choreograph?

When you start exploring these ideas, it can become easier (though not that easy) to think about the type of education and experience that will get you there.

For example:

1. Juilliard is a conservatory, and therefore does not offer double majors/double degrees with any academic programs. Students who are interested in pursuing both artistic and academic study will most likely be able to do so in a university setting.
2. Juilliard offers programs in acting, dance and classical voice, but does not have a musical theater program. It is also important to know that due to the intensity of these programs, they do not intersect in any way. A student who really is in love with musical theater and wants to equally develop acting, voice and dancing skills may want to look at the many wonderful musical theater programs around the country.
3. Dancers should refer to the previous blog on researching dance programs - lots of great info!

How do you research Juilliard? Poke around our website - we have a great Virtual Tour, the Juilliard Journal provides great insight into the artistic and student life here, you can look at who our faculty are (look for the “Faculty” link in the Division you are interested in), read the audition requirements, and of course, if you can - visit!

More research tips coming in the next blog….

By: Katie Friis, Dance Admissions Coordinator

So you think you want to be a dance major in college. Great! What’s the first step? RESEARCH! Spend some time on the internet looking for college dance programs that meet what you are looking for. Then, go visit as many of the schools that you plan to apply for as you possibly can. What you invest in researching prospective schools will be well worth it, especially if it prevents you from having to transfer to another school because you are unhappy with the school or program you originally chose.

Before you begin your search, be aware of the following:

- TYPES OF PROGRAMS: Every college dance program has a different focus. Some focus on ballet only, some let you choose from a few different areas of concentration (ballet, modern, jazz, etc.), some offer a teaching track, or a choreography track, or even a technology track (i.e. dance on film). There are a ton of great programs out there, and it’s up to you to do your homework to find out which one(s) have what you want! Juilliard’s program has a dual focus on ballet and modern dance, and all students must study both forms. Juilliard also offers opportunities to hone your choreography skills. So if you are looking for a performance-based program in ballet and modern dance, and you might be interested in choreography as well, then you might want to consider applying to Juilliard! However, if you are only interested in hip-hop, or if you want to become a dance teacher right after college, or if you have never taken ballet before, then you will want to look at other programs. You can read more about Juilliard’s Dance Division here.

- TYPES OF DEGREES: Generally speaking, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in dance consists of about 50% dance course work and 50% academic credits in math, science, liberal arts, etc. over 4 years. A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree will skew more towards dance coursework, and a BFA earned at a conservatory will be even more dance-heavy. Some schools offer a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree because their dance courses are offered through the kinesiology or physical education departments, or because they have a strong focus on new technology in dance. BA and BS degrees generally allow more flexibility for double majors or minors, whereas BFA degrees are more focused and make it more difficult to complete coursework towards another major or minor. Every school is different in what it requires to earn the degree, so be sure to look for the dance major curriculum on the school’s Web site. For the record, Juilliard offers a BFA and the curriculum can be found here.

It’s also worth mentioning that some schools offer dance courses, but not an actual degree in dance. Dance as a major is relatively new (at least as compared to something like an English major), and many schools list their dance courses under other departmental headings - such as theater, kinesiology, physical education, or even music. You may have to dig a little to discover whether a school actually offers a dance major, and if so, under which department it falls.

Ok, I’ll be back in a few weeks with some more “food for thought” with regards to audition processes and other factors to consider during your search for your perfect college program. You’ve got a whole summer ahead of you; get busy researching!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

It’s amazing that we’ve gotten through another admissions season here at Juilliard - and a particularly tough one at that! With two application deadlines, and two audition periods, it was definitely double the work! Let’s hope the New York Philharmonic never goes on tour in March ever again….

Now, onward to next year.

I am going to begin our summer series of blogs with a brief explanation of what I have to look forward to next year myself. Very brief, actually - two words:

Kindergarten applications.

You may laugh. You may say - how can this in any way be relevant to an admissions blog for The Juilliard School? Trust me - applying to kindergarten in New York City is just like applying to colleges! For example - I’ve already started the process of researching schools, and my daughter has another year before she’ll start school. So, just like I advise families that the application process (or at least, thinking about it) should start in the junior year, here I am, one year out, starting my own process.

I attended a session last night on how to apply to public kindergartens - it’s an astonishingly complex process that really does require at the very least a two-hour information session on how it all works (though I’m still pretty baffled, and the wonderful woman who ran the session reassured all of us (not!) by saying that everything could change again next year - apparently the Department of Education (DOE) likes to shake things up on a regular basis).

It was interesting to me to be on the other side - usually I’m the one running the information session! But my biggest “aha” moment was when the presenter started talking about Hunter College Elementary School - a public school on the Upper East Side that is run by the City University of New York system, rather than the DOE. It’s a school for “gifted” children (is this starting to sound familiar?), and has its own application process, separate from the general public school process.

After the rather dire statement that only kids in the 98^th percentile and above on an IQ test are considered for admission, the presenter related that last year there were over 2,000 applications for the Hunter kindergarten, 200 made the test cutoff, and 48 kids were admitted.

You could hear a pin drop in the room.

You could practically hear hearts plummeting.

I felt it too - and that’s when my mental light bulb went on.

That’s how you all feel, isn’t it? When I talk about numbers for Juilliard?

The shock. The stomach sinking. The immediate sense of impossibility.

But it’s not. It’s not impossible. We have 765 students here who are proof. You could be one of them.

We started writing this blog is to try to help applicants and their families navigate the application and audition process - this year, we’ll do it together.

By Chris Venditti, graduating trumpet student

If you are reading this you are most likely a student preparing to come to Juilliard this fall.  So, first things first - Congratulations to you!  New York City and Juilliard have so much to offer.  There wouldn’t be enough room to tell you about all the things studying at Juilliard has to offer, but let me give you ten to whet your appetite for this fall.

1.  Your most valuable resource at Juilliard is your classmates.  If you are a musician, go check out a drama production.  If you are a dancer go to a music concert.  If you are an actor, see your friends in the dance department perform.  The very first performance I saw when I came to Juilliard four years ago was a dance in the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.  I remember sitting there in the balcony thinking to myself, ‘wow, now this is why I came to Juilliard.’

2.  Go meet Margo.  Who is Margo you ask?  Margo is the lady that answers the phone when you call the Juilliard general phone number.  She has a small office on the second floor where she operates the switchboard for the whole school.  When not connecting calls, she can be found talking with students offering her words of wisdom and support.  Lastly, she keeps a container of chocolate in her office, which is always stocked and ready for any student that comes looking.

3.  Practicing and rehearsing are good, but sometimes the best thing for your art is to get out of the building and take a walk.  My favorite thing to do when the weather is nice is to go take a jog in Central Park.  The park is very nice, and because it is so big you can jog for a very long time and not have to rerun any route.  The best part of the park for me is the Ramble.  The Ramble is in the middle of the park and is full of trees and winding paths.  If you are in the thick middle of it, the tall buildings and city noises and smells fade away.

4.  If you are a musician, go to as many concerts as possible.  There are plenty of ways to get free or very inexpensive tickets to concerts.  In the four years I have been here I have seen virtually every major orchestra in the world perform at Carnegie Hall.  I have seen plenty of ballets at the City Ballet, and operas at the Met.  Seeing the great artists of the world perform will inform your art more than almost anything else.

5.  Get out of Lincoln Center.  Don’t get me wrong, Lincoln Center is nice, but there is so much to see and do in the city.  If you like architecture, give yourself a tour of the city’s most exciting buildings.  If you like Thai food go out exploring, and find some good restaurants around town.  I am a big coffee drinker, so I have been all over the city looking for the best cup.  Here are two suggestions for you:

• Mud Coffee in the East Village
• 9^th Street Espresso in the Chelsea market.

6.  I personally love New York style pizza.  There are probably close to a dozen pizza joints within a ten-block radius of Lincoln Center.  Every time I walk by a place I haven’t been to I am compelled to go in a try a slice.  The best pizza I have found is Grimaldi’s pizza.  Grimaldi’s is under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side.  This place is cash only and they sell pizza by the pie only.  If you make the trip to Brooklyn you won’t be disappointed.

7.  Another thing that will inform your playing, acting, or dancing is going to museums.  There are so many cool paintings and works of art that are housed in New York’s museums.  The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) down in midtown gives all Juilliard students free admission.  The Metropolitan museum of art and the Natural History museum are nearby and are also great places to visit.

8.  The Yankees are the most successful team in Baseball history.  Games are played at Yankee stadium in the Bronx.  You should go.

9.  Make friends with upperclassmen in your division, they have a lot to offer you.  I am not saying this because I am one, but because I remember what it is like to be a first year here.  There are a lot of really talented people that can do some incredible things.  I find that I have learned as much from my fellow students as I have from my teachers.  Watch, listen, and learn.

10.  I know this is no big secret, but Juilliard is going to be what you make of it.  So, have fun, work hard, and in four short years you will be the one writing blog posts to future students.

by The Juilliard New Orleans Project 2009

This blog entry is simply to send you to another blog - a student written blog by a group of current Juilliard musicians, dancers and actors who went to New Orleans during our spring break in March.  I was inspired, awed, and moved both by what they wrote and what they accomplished - I think you will be too.

http://www.juilliardnola.blogspot.com/

Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions 

By: Nathan Makolandra, First Year Dancer

My entire life I’ve always wanted to go to Juilliard. I thought, and have been proven right, that it is the best school in the country for dance. As I got older, I began hearing somewhat scary tales about what Juilliard stood for and its likes and dislikes. However, as my freshman year at The Juilliard School draws to an end, there are so many things I’ve learned about this school that I never even knew possible.

For example, I grew up as a competition baby, you know the type…Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip-Hop were my favorite things. I loved the rhinestones and the cheering and the crazy stage moms (you know what I’m talking about) as much as anyone. However, I’d always believed that Juilliard was a strictly BALLET ONLY school that admitted the best Ballerinas from across the country-and with one ballet class a week for the last six years of my home studio training, I didn’t think I had a prayer. Boy was I wrong. Yes there are fierce Ballerinas apart of each and every class, but there are plenty of competition dancers kick-ball-changing down these halls.

Another surprise was the daily schedule of a freshman at Juilliard. We have one ballet class every day (twice a week we have men’s or pointe class) as well as modern or partnering too. What’s really cool is that we have an Elements of Performing class that teaches you to be the best artist possible, as well as Ballroom with an incredible ballroom instructor. And if that isn’t cool enough, we get composition twice a week (for all you choreography babies like me), the ever-necessary Alexander technique, and even a six-week study with the world-renowned Irene Dowd. And that’s all just freshman year.

Now you may be wondering, as I did, about academics. We have Humanities (basically college English) twice a week and L&M (music for dancers) also twice a week. I should tell you that if you’re looking for a broad academic selection (i.e. Science, Math, or Social Studies) let me put it to you this way: this is a conservatory. If you want math and all of that…this might not be the right place for you.

Something else that I was completely shocked and amazed by was the opportunity for educational outreach and outreach trips. The school has loads of organizations that can help you to find the best way to get involved with outreach if you’re interested. I strongly recommend looking into it. Look at me: I am going to be participating in PEPS this summer! This program has eight freshman dancers that perform at local NYC high schools. Did I mention you get paid????? Do you like to travel? Well I’m going to the Philippines this summer to teach at performing arts high schools. Twenty-two hours around the world to teach dance…what could be better?

I hope that my experience has been a helpful and educational one for you. I never realized how much this school has to offer. All I can say is that if Juilliard is the place you want to be…then go for it. And remember that there are so many things to think about when choosing a school. I hope that Juilliard is right for you.

By Patrick Posey, Director of Orchestral Activities and Planning

The Juilliard Orchestra, like its counterparts at other institutions, is a performing ensemble guided by an educational mission. What sets it apart, however, are the extremely high quality of both performance and education opportunities available to its members.

[Tony Tommasini, in a generally warm review of Pierre Boulez’s recent concerts with the Chicago Symphony at Carnegie Hall, describes their rendition of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella as “listless” and “stodgy and blurry….” At the reopening concert for Alice Tully Hall, David Robertson led the Juilliard Orchestra in a performance of the Pulcinella suite that was in every way sharper, clearer, and more alive than Chicago’s.]

Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise (blog), 3/12/09 http://www.therestisnoise.com/2009/03/tully-note.html

Few academic ensembles in the world are regularly compared to professional ensembles, however the Juilliard Orchestra, led by director of conducting and orchestral studies James DePreist, regularly receives such acclaims. Being that we’re housed at Lincoln Center, we perform frequently at Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic, as well as the new Alice Tully Hall and our own Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Our roster of guest conductors reflects the close relationship we have with our neighbors, and includes James Levine, artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera and music director of the Boston Symphony, Alan Gilbert, music director-designate of the New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez, former music director of the New York Philharmonic, and George Manahan, music director of the New York City Opera.

[”…it is deceiving to call the Juilliard players a student orchestra.”] Bernard Holland, New York Times, 2/4/08 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/arts/music/04levi.html

In addition to Lincoln Center performances, the orchestra performs regularly at Carnegie Hall, an accolade reserved for only the finest of the world’s professional orchestras and artists. The Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra are regular guests at Carnegie, and very often invite Juilliard Orchestra musicians to open rehearsals at Carnegie, as well as stopping by the school to give masterclasses and lead readings.

[During a week-long residency at The Juilliard School, six of the orchestra’s principal musicians will lead master classes with student musicians who occupy first chairs of Juilliard’s orchestra. In addition, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, who has led three professional video recordings of Bruckner symphonies with The Cleveland Orchestra for the Clasart and Medici Arts labels that have been telecast both nationally and in Europe, will lead a Juilliard student orchestra rehearsal of movements of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony on Thursday, February 5.]     

Cleveland Orchestra press release, 12/19/08 http://www.clevelandorch.com/html/PressRoom/pressreleases.asp?ID=252

Juilliard Orchestra performances are not limited to venues in New York City. In recent years the orchestra has performed around the world, including a tour of China immediately preceding the 2008 Olympics (performing three programs at Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts [the ‘egg’] and the Shanghai Grand Theater), as well as an American tour (2006, performances at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, Dallas’ Meyerson Symphony Center, Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, among others) and a European tour (2005, performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Lucerne Festival, the Konzerthaus Berlin, and in Helsinki, Finland). During the summers of 2003 and 2004, the Juilliard Orchestra was ensemble in residence at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

The Juilliard Orchestra is invited regularly to perform for national broadcast on Live, from Lincoln Center, recently with artists as diverse as John Williams, Itzhak Perlman, Wynton Marsalis, and Rene Fleming, and in 2004 was featured in performance with superstar Elton John at Radio City Music Hall.

Our educational mission is not lost in the flurry of performance activities. The Juilliard Orchestra is driven by this mission, which is served in a variety of ways. Guest conductors are chosen partly based on their dedication to education, and spend upwards of two weeks in residence at the school during concert preparation. In addition to our stellar faculty drawn from Lincoln Center orchestras, repertoire classes are offered for violin (Sheryl Staples and Yoko Takebe, New York Philharmonic), viola (Robert Vernon, Cleveland Orchestra), cello (Eric Bartlett, New York Philharmonic), bass (Timothy Cobb, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and winds/brass/percussion (Mark Gould, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - retired). The same musicians regularly lead sectionals for the orchestra, in addition to other guests (including Glenn Dicterow and Joe Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, Trish Rogers of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra).

Repertoire is determined by a cycle, with the goal being that each student receives a diverse amount of stylistic training during their 2- or 4- years here. With this in mind, each season features a broad range of repertoire, ranging from baroque to romantic and classical to modern. In coming years, a reading format will be introduced which will ensure that all students are given opportunity to spend time playing all of the Beethoven symphonies, as well as a number of other standard works.

Our program is a work in progress, and we’re constantly looking for ways to improve! With this in mind, our musicians are constantly given opportunity to express their feelings on everything we do. This is done through an email account we’ve set up, which all students can access and through which they can give us feedback completely anonymously. All comments are considered by the orchestral administration and shared with President Joseph Polisi and Dean Ara Guzelimian. This feedback helps guide policy changes and repertoire selection, as well as helping to select guest conductors for future concerts.

Activities of the 2008-09 season have included orchestral readings with Michael Tilson Thomas (Mahler, Symphony no. 6) and Franz Welser-Möst (Bruckner, Symphony no. 7), as well as a performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in Carnegie Hall (James Conlon, conductor), Beethoven’s Eroica at Avery Fisher Hall under Alan Gilbert, a concert performance of John Adams’ opera Death of Klinghoffer with the composer conducting, and (in collaboration with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center) appeared as the first orchestra to perform in the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall under David Robertson.

During the 2009-10 season (which will be announced in coming weeks) we will perform at Carnegie Hall, where Michael Tilson Thomas will lead the orchestra in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, tenor Robert Dean Smith, and the world premiere of a work for piano and orchestra by Chen Qigang featuring Lang Lang. Additionally, we’re quite fortunate to perform Brahms’ second symphony in Alice Tully Hall under the incomparable Bernard Haitink, and a concert in Avery Fisher Hall with Leonard Slatkin. Also returning are Alan Gilbert, Xian Zhang, Nicholas McGegan, Anne Manson, and of course James DePreist. Teaching residencies are in the works (similar to that of the Cleveland Orchestra described above) of prominent visiting orchestras from Germany and Great Britain.

For information on concerts, this season’s programs, and a look at our rehearsal schedules, check out the orchestra’s website at http://orchestra.juilliard.edu/. If you have further questions, please contact me at pposey@juilliard.edu - there’s so much going on, it’s hard to summarize in a few quick paragraphs, and I’m happy to tell you more!

By Hannah Goldshlack, 3^rd year voice student

Juilliard is a conservatory in every sense of the word: the term “undecided” does not exist as a major, no one reads the textbook for the final exam in lieu of coming to class, and the words “frat party” are sparsely heard.  What distinguishes us from a regular four-year university, however, is not the absence of frat parties.  Our student population is atypical from the average 18-24-year-olds in the sense that each one of us is here with a very specific mission, plus the dedication and passion to match.  In essence, these are the qualities that motivate a young artist to consider conservatory life.

But before getting too excited about a world eons away from the standard college experience, keep in mind that Juilliard does not deviate so far from a standard academic curriculum.  Our liberal arts department is teeming with highly qualified professors from some of the most renowned universities in this country.  If you are anything like me, it will elate you to learn that you can kiss your graphing calculators goodbye.  Our liberal arts team is devoted to making sure that Juilliard students graduate with the ability to read, write, and speak eloquently via the development of critical thinking skills, while participating in a learning environment relevant to the arts.

Our Core Curriculum, which is designed for students in their first two years, addresses issues of morality, religion, philosophy, and aesthetics through the writings and teachings of classic theater, poetry, and novels.  Following the completion of our Core Curriculum, students have an impressive array of electives to choose from, ranging from foreign language to Norse mythology to existentialism.  The geek that I am says that these classes are exhilarating, enlightening, and fruitful, and that everyone should take full advantage of our learned faculty.  Music students also have the option of taking one class per semester at Columbia University, for which they receive a grade that appears on their transcripts.

Still, I know what some of you in the cooler crowd must be thinking: “Why should I??  I just want to play/sing/act/dance!”  The truth is that playing/singing/acting/dancing will occupy more of your time than the standard liberal arts curriculum, which is three credits per semester.  But how will you feel if you find yourself being interviewed on NPR and all you can muster are unintelligible or banal answers?  OK, this may be a slight exaggeration, but my point is that you will never escape the need to read, write, and speak publicly; plus, your playing/singing/acting/dancing will always reflect those moral, religious, philosophical, and aesthetic issues that prompted the composition in the first place.  Now is a time when it is not enough to simply apply a personal interpretation to a performance; the arts transcend what is solely personal to accomplish a universal thought inspired by something greater.

By Charlotte Bydwell, fourth-year dancer

1. Outside the confines of your discipline, you can be a member of student groups and take on leadership roles within the Juilliard community. As a programming assistant for the Office of Student Affairs and a staff member for Residence Life, I have been able to use my creativity in a wider range of areas and improve my time management and communication skills.

2. Educational outreach is a significant and important part of being an artist in today’s world. Juilliard has many pre-existing programs through which students can develop their skills as arts advocates and experience the profound effects of their craft on those who are not exposed to it on a regular basis. I have been repeatedly amazed by the efforts of my peers to find new avenues for outreach by developing their own projects. Students from all the divisions commit their free time to the development of outreach programs and cultural exchanges that extend the reaches of their art forms.

3. Fatigue. To accomplish the supplemental activities listed in #1 and #2, a huge amount of energy and effort is required. Completing the curriculum alone demands a commitment of your total energy beyond what I could have imagined. For four years, you are asked to perform at a very high level for nearly all of your waking hours. Finding a regime for your downtime that will allow you to recuperate from your daily exertions is incredibly valuable.

4. Proper nutrition is a crucial factor in being able to meet the emotional and physical demands of the Juilliard curriculum. Being a dancer, food was always a concern, but in the past four years I have seen the impact that a balanced diet can have on everyone -actors and musicians included. Proper nourishment is key to being present and focused throughout the long hours of class and rehearsal.

5. Along with that, indulgences are important. I could never have anticipated the quality and abundance of tasty desserts in the Lincoln Center area alone. Bakeries and restaurants offer wonderful treats that are the perfect reward after a hard week’s work. A personal favorite: Levain Bakery’s enormous chocolate chip cookies (74^th and Amsterdam). My newfound foodie identity has also led me to explore other areas of New York City in search of hidden hot spots and culinary gems. These discoveries have helped make NYC feel a little bit more like home.

6. A Juilliard student ID will give you discounts and freebies far beyond what you initially expect. Free movies at MoMA and $10 student tickets at the Brooklyn Academy of Music are only two of many cultural exploits that are possible on a student budget, thanks to a Juilliard student card.

7. Seeing in-house performances can be an education in and of itself. As a student, you can attend concerts, recitals and plays from all the divisions free of charge. It is truly inspiring to see the fruits of your peers’ labor and know that you are seeing the stars of tomorrow in action.

8. Although I anticipated having close ties with the other members of my class, I underestimated the importance and value of the bonds that I now share with my 24 classmates. They have been my support system throughout our four years together; they have offered their counsel in times of challenge and their congratulations in times of success. They will continue to be a strong source of inspiration and a valuable resource in the years ahead.

9. Everyone is at a very specific point on his or her own learning curve. When surrounded on a daily basis by high-achieving young artists, it can be difficult to not compare your progress to that of your peers. Learning to value my own journey, with its hold-ups and standstills, and give credit to myself for my individual set of skills has been a huge part of my development at Juilliard.

10. I didn’t realize that I would be on the brink of graduation and have no clear conception of where I hope to go from here. Juilliard was the dream for so many years, and I never really thought about what would come next. My four years have been filled with such a wide variety of experiences that I find myself blessed and cursed by having developed such a large array of possible interest and careers paths.