Office of Admissions Blog

by Raquel Gonzalez, M.M. – Voice

My third year at Juilliard I joined the Gluck Community Service Fellowship.  I had sung at nursing homes while in high school but didn’t really have much true outreach experience.  I got involved with GCSF after hearing about it from my upperclassmen colleagues. I thought it would be a great opportunity for extra performing opportunities and to be able to perform for people within the city who might not otherwise have access to any type of performing art.

My first group consisted of myself (a soprano), a cellist, and two dancers. A motley crew to be sure.  Because of the size of our group and the space we required, most of our performances our first year took place in the outer boroughs–Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx.  Furthermore complicated by our conflicting and ever-changing rehearsal schedules within Juilliard, most of our performances took place on our one mutual day off: Sunday afternoons.

Our strange group offered certain limitations as far as repertoire was concerned, but for each performance we strove to find a new way to make cello and the human voice serve as an inspiring and exciting scene partner for the magic our dancers created. We performed a lot of Bach, Handel, and Mozart, but found ways to work in some golden age standards and even holiday tunes for our December performances. Our two dancers would improvise to Bach preludes, Mozart arias, and anything else we would decide to throw at them.  Assembling the program for each performance really tested our creativity and ingenuity, but the end of a successful performance was always incredibly rewarding. We worked this way for two years together, and then my former group mates graduated and moved on. I graduated and stayed at Juilliard for my M.M., continuing in the fellowship program with a different ensemble – for which repertoire was much easier to assemble.  Myself, a collaborative pianist, and two more singers make up my current group.  We perform at nursing homes, homeless shelters, psychiatric treatment facilities, and hospitals in the five boroughs.  Our mission? To entertain.

Now, this concept may seem strange to anybody who is training at a conservatory, learning to be always critical of your own work. Though audiences at Juilliard are always seeking entertainment, it is our keen ability as performing artists to imagine the highly critical (nonexistent) dialogue taking place in the minds of our audiences. This is a finely-tuned method we artists use to cause ourselves maximum grief. As soon as we convince ourselves that our audience does, in fact, want to be entertained, we are freed.

Now, Juilliard is not an inherently critical or scary place. On the contrary. But this is the place where we are trying to become our best selves, and–as I said–we like to freak ourselves out. But that is not a requirement (or recommendation) for being a successful performer! And the minute we get away from school, we remember that people WANT to enjoy what we do! Especially people for whom our performances are novelty, are exciting, are NEW.

Selfishly, GCSF serves as a place to remind ourselves why we do what we do when we have worked ourselves to exhaustion and talked ourselves in circles. And the people in the audiences at these various facilities? They feel that, too. These performances serve as an outlet, an escape, a remedy, or as sheer entertainment for the audiences we meet. I have had long discussions with residents at nursing homes about the history of the Metropolitan Opera, or the lineage of bassists in the New York Philharmonic. I have been serenaded by a man at an HIV/AIDS treatment center singing his own composition. I have seen an unresponsive child in a pediatric facility open her eyes and lock them on me as I sang.  And I have had a man in a psychiatric treatment center come up to me after a performance and say, simply, “That made me feel so much better.” And the same was true for me.

by Caeli Smith, 3rd-year Violinist

It’s comforting and empowering to know that there are people and programs at Juilliard standing by to help us become successful and well-rounded artists. Whether you’re a musician, actor, or dancer, once you arrive at Juilliard, you will discover that there are many different offices and programs outside of your department designed to support you, your education, and career.

One of my favorites is the Office of Career Services, where they help you out with everything from cover letters and resumes, to editing videos and recordings for auditions. Not only that, they’ll also hook you up with gigs for a that much-needed extra cash. Of course, Career Services is also a great place to find practical, real-world career advice. At Career Services, they make you feel supported as a student in a different way than your department teachers do. It’s comforting to know that there are people who are concerned with the business-end of your career – you know, the complicated bureaucratic stuff that we sensitive artists don’t always like to deal with! Career Services helps guide us through practical situations and prepares us for life after Juilliard.

Another office I love to visit is Educational Outreach. Let me just say it: this department is incredible. Educational Outreach offers numerous fellowships to students, to help us share our art through performances and teaching, all over the entire NYC metropolitan area. I am currently thrilled to be a recipient three of the fellowships, and to have the opportunity to teach and perform for New Yorkers of all ages. Aside from being an antidote to those soul-crushing hours toiling alone in the practice room, these fellowship opportunities provide us with teaching experience, resume boosters, and the extra cash needed fund our fabulous NYC lifestyle (AKA, that tiny little apartment in Astoria).

Also – take your blinders off! When students first arrive at Juilliard, they’re totally and understandably focused on and excited about all the great work ahead of them. It’s tempting to be narrow-minded and sink all your energy into classwork and practicing. Be sure to open your eyes. Be mindful all of the incredible artists around you, in so many disciplines. Take advantage of all the other divisions’ performances. Collaborate with them in performance and teaching. When you are at Juilliard you’re at the epicenter of the performing arts world. Music, dance, theater: it’s all here. Take advantage of the art being made by your peers outside your discipline. Their art will inform yours, and you will be stronger and better for it.

by Tina Gonzalez, Director of Financial Aid

Greetings, Applicants!

Financial Aid season is fast approaching!  Here are a few tips and reminders to keep you organized (and sane) during the coming hectic months.  But, first, did you know that:

• 90% of Juilliard students apply for financial aid, and almost 80% are receiving Juilliard scholarship assistance.

• You should apply for financial aid even if you don’t think you’ll qualify. There are loan and work-study programs available to most U.S. citizens/residents regardless of income.  In addition, Juilliard scholarship eligibility does not have a strict income cutoff.

• You must apply for financial aid to be considered for any Juilliard scholarships.  All scholarship decisions are based on a combination of both financial need and merit.

• The deadline to apply is March 1, but the best time to start is in early February, after you have your income information for 2012.  You will still have plenty of time, and the information you submit will be more accurate.

So, if you shouldn’t start the process until February, what can you do now?

• Peruse our web pages carefully for application procedures, FAQs, and tuition information. “Like” us on Facebook for tips and reminders. Use our Net Price Calculator to get a preliminary idea of how much funding may be available.  Do the same research at each school to which you are applying.

• Maintain a spreadsheet of all of your schools, including tuition, aid procedures and deadlines (and, later, scholarship offers).  Call them if you have questions!  Track the deadlines on a calendar, including a start date well in advance of the due date.

• Arrange to have your taxes completed as early as possible, if you are planning to file a U.S. tax return for 2012. The sooner you file your tax return, the easier it will be to complete the FAFSA.  HERE’S OUR BEST FAFSA TIP:  Filing your taxes electronically makes it easier to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when filing your FAFSA. If you won’t have your taxes completed by the end of February, use estimates, but keep in mind that your aid eligibility may change if you underestimate your income.

• Talk to your parents about college financing.  Get all expectations out in the open.  How much are they able to pay?  Do they expect you to borrow for your education? Are they willing to take loans on your behalf?  Will you get a work-study job on campus? And don’t forget that schools will be communicating directly with YOU (the student), so be sure to keep your parents in the loop.

• Research federal student aid programs to better understand your award letters from the schools to which you are accepted.  Be sure to find out if your state has any scholarship programs, and keep searching for private scholarships as well.

And, as always – contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or special circumstances.  We are here to help you!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

It’s a new year, and Admissions is ready to start with a bang!  We are going to really re-activate our blog, and I’m excited to share our plan with you.

If you applied to Juilliard for fall 2013, you know that we sent you a survey in December.  We’ve been poring over the responses you sent, and one of the biggest comments was that our applicants would love to hear more from current Juilliard students.  Admissions has found that providing direct contact is a real challenge, as we have over 5,000 applicants and fewer than 800 students (who have crazy busy schedules). So, we thought that while reading a blog is not quite the same as the opportunity to have a direct conversation, it is one way to hear directly from students about their experiences here.

So, starting next week, we plan to be posting on our blog at least once a week (maybe even two or three times a week if our students have a lot to say!).  You’ll hear from actors, dancers and musicians; about life at Juilliard, arts advocacy at Juilliard, and preparation for life beyond Juilliard.

Personally, some of my very favorite blog posts have been by Juilliard students.  I invite you to go back through our archives, and see what our students had to say in previous years.  Here are some of my top picks!

Happy little Juilliard surprises! http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=221

Freshman Year Findings http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=225

I thought I knew…but I had no idea. http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=110

10 more things about Juilliard http://blog.juilliard.edu/?m=200905

Juilliard Rumors: Debunked! http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=70

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

I am always excited to see writings by current Juilliard students, whether it is in the Juilliard Journal, in our own blog posts, or in outside publications.  This year, there is an extraordinary opportunity to read online articles by a large group of Juilliard students and faculty – the shared studio of Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, Hsin-Yun Huang and Steven Tenenbom.  The American Viola Society has started a studio blog, and invited this studio to be the first writers.

Now, don’t stop here just because you’re not a violist – there is an incredible wealth of information to be found regarding performing (which, to me, can be immediately translated into “auditioning”), working with an accompanist (which you’ll do at an audition!), effective practicing, and even stories about students taking their art around the world. It’s a true inside glimpse into the myriad aspects of being a Juilliard student, from what happens in a 4th floor practice room, to expectations as a performer, to the institutional philosphy of using your art to change the world.

So regardless of your instrument or major, enjoy!

By Monia C. Estima, Associate Director of Admissions 

You know that old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”? One of its cousins is, “Well, we’ve always done it this way,” which can mean that obvious and helpful changes to something don’t happen because you keep looking at a thing from one particular point of view. What I refer to in this case are the Admissions pages for the Music Division on the Juilliard Web site.

There are some pretty standard questions Admissions gets on a regular basis, and we developed our Web pages with an eye to putting all the answers out into the Interwebs to better assist our applicants. Every summer, as I settle down to update the Music application pages, I concentrate on improving them. But only this summer (after 8 years at Juilliard!) did it occur to me that some extremely common questions were not addressed, at all, on our site:

1. Is it possible to set up a sample lesson with a studio faculty member?
2. Do I HAVE to set up a sample lesson with a studio faculty member?
3. Can I substitute “X” work for “Y” for pre-screening/the live audition?
4. Do I have to present the complete work or just a movement?
5. Where can I direct questions about the suitability of my proposed repertoire?
6. May I make changes to my proposed audition repertoire?
7. Do I have to be accompanied on my pre-screening recording?
8. Do I have to present the repertoire for pre-screening in the order listed?

I look at the above list and SMH*. Really, it didn’t occur to me before that these should be addressed on our Web site???

Yeah, really. Pretty lame, huh? My bad (as no one says anymore).

Well, the lameness is over: answers to all of these questions can now be found in our updated pages (you’ll know they’re the updated pages if you see “Admissions for Fall 2013” at the tippity-top of each music admissions page)! Because everything’s broken up by degree level, there’s not a simple way to provide direct links to things here, but answers to the above questions can be found as follows:

• 1 & 2: “Private Teachers” section of your degree level’s “Additional Information” page.
• 3 – 6: The expanded “Notes on Repertoire” section of your degree level’s “Pre-Screening and Live Audition Procedures” page.
• 7: “Accompanists” section, same page as immediately above.
• 8: “Pre-Screening Procedures” section, same page as the previous answer.

So, everything relevant to applying to the Music Division can now be found on our Web site.

(…I’m pretty sure.)

*SMH = Shake My Head

by DJ Pimm, Admissions Assistant

Do you know what fall means in the Office of Admissions at Juilliard? It means a brand-new school year, a brand-new application, and the excitement of guiding a brand-new group of applicants through our application and audition process. We understand that the fall can be a daunting time for those preparing to apply to college. So, as you embark on your voyage through the Juilliard admission process, it is our pleasure to keep you informed, organized, and hopefully stress-free (at least in terms of your meeting the correct requirements), with some key information about the process.

First off, you can find highly specific outlines of our application requirements, audition repertoire, and audition processes for all programs at each degree level by visiting the Application and Audition Requirements Web page. If at any point you have a question about your application, please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions – you’ll probably speak with me, and I’m more than happy to assist you!

Friendly tip: Be sure to clarify your concerns long before the application deadline. Excepting Playwriting and Artist Diploma in Opera Studies applicants, we must receive a completed application, pre-screening materials (if required for your major), and an application fee by December 1.

Next, you should be aware of some new procedures at Juilliard – especially if you’ve applied in the past.

1)      Over the summer we made a significant change to our pre-screening submission process. All pre-screening materials must be submitted online in a digital format. In past years we’ve asked for applicants to send us CDs or DVDs in the mail. In an effort to keep the application experience as efficient and painless as possible, pre-screened applicants must now upload each audio or visual file directly to an online account right from the comfort of their own computers. You should note that this procedure is true for all pre-screened applicants in all divisions. To check whether or not your major requires pre-screening materials, visit our Application and Audition Requirements page.

2)      In addition to the pre-screening requirement for BFA/MFA in Acting candidates who reside outside of the United States and Canada, we will now offer a pre-screening option for all Alaska, Hawaii and Canada residents. Actors who pass the pre-screening round must also attend a live first-round audition. You can read more about the Acting audition process on the Drama Division Actor Training Program Application and Audition Requirements page.

3)      International applicants to the BFA in Dance are now required to submit pre-screening recordings. The pre-screening round is optional for applicants who reside in Canada. As is true in Drama, all dancers who pass pre-screening must also attend a live audition at one of our Dance audition sites. You can read more about the Dance audition process on the Dance Division Application and Audition Requirements page.

4)      We’ve made significant changes to the English Language Proficiency requirement for applicants who do not speak English as their native language. If this applies to you, please be sure to carefully review the English Language Proficiency requirement for your intended degree program. It’s highly important that we receive the required proof of your English Language Proficiency by the appropriate deadline for your program.

Finally, enjoy the process. Indulge in a tour of Juilliard, check out the Visiting Juilliard Web page for a list of On Campus Events, or take a look at Juilliard’s Calendar of Events and consider attending a student performance. If you don’t foresee a trip to New York City this fall, we still have you covered – Juilliard offers a virtual tour!

As we bid farewell to yet another beautiful summer in New York City, the Juilliard Admissions staff welcomes fall with open arms as the application for admission to the 2013-14 school year is now open. Best of luck – we look forward to hearing from you!

by Tina Gonzalez, Director of Financial Aid

Now that your application has been submitted, it’s time to start thinking about financial aid.  Most students are unable to afford the cost of college without some form of financing, and Juilliard students are no different.  In fact, about 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid, and almost 80% are receiving scholarship assistance. 

Here are a few key points to keep in mind during the next few months: 

Scholarship awards at Juilliard are based on a combination of financial need and merit.  This means that if you want to be considered for scholarship, you must complete the full application. Due to the School’s high level of selectivity, we do not offer merit scholarship.  We encourage you to apply even if you think you won’t qualify for need-based aid.  Although assisting students with need is our top priority, other factors also plays a role in our decision-making.

Financial Aid applications will be available in January 2012.  The Financial Aid application may be submitted online through a separate link on the Admissions Application homepage. We strongly encourage students to use this application method. A PDF will also be available on our website. 

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents will also need to complete the FAFSA, using their most recent tax information.  NEW THIS YEAR: Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when filing your FAFSA to save time and reduce errors.

Finally, we require copies of the student and parent 2011 tax returns (or 2010 if 2011 is not available). International students must send official documentation of their parent’s salaries, such as a tax form or letter from their employer(s). 

The deadline to apply is March 1, 2012.  It is extremely important to apply on time to be considered for all available funding!   

Use the Net Price Calculator to estimate your potential financing options.  Beginning fall 2011, all colleges are required to include this tool on their websites. While this does not represent a guarantee of a scholarship offer, it may assist you in your college planning. 

Visit our website for additional information.  We especially recommend our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page and Facebook page.  If you still have questions or wish to discuss your specific situation in detail, we encourage you to contact our office and speak with a counselor.  We’re here to help!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

Here we are again, just before Thanksgiving weekend – which means, of course, that this is the last weekend before Juilliard’s application deadline.  It’s always a curious time in college admissions – those few days before a deadline when application numbers start creeping up – and then astonishingly explode!  Although our offices are closed and all uf us really need these vacation days before the deadline, I always find myself logging on to our online application from home over Thanksgiving – just to have the fun of hitting “refresh” and watching the application numbers go up.

There are a number of things that we are watching carefully this year regarding our applicants – certainly, what our application numbers will be for our new M.F.A. in Acting is a big unknown.  It’s also our first year with a “received-by” deadline – which we discovered (painfully) with our first deadline of November 1 for our Opera Studies program seems to be a surprise to a lot of folks – despite it being all over our web site and application materials!  It is a big change, and in fact we are sorting out lots of administrative issues on our side as well.  We have to go through mail in a very different way – not sorting by a postmark, but by when it actually arrived at the School.  Rather than anticipating dozens of bins of mail a few days after December 1, it’s (hopefully) going to hit early next week. And then, of course, our applicants are very eager to confirm the arrival of their materials by the deadline – which will be tough for us to do because of the sheer volume of mail and time it will take to simply open envelopes.

All of that being said, these changes are very exciting – new programs and new processes, new applicants and eventually new students!  I hope that all of you reading this who are applying this year are going to get a lot done this weekend on your applications – it’s the perfect few days to wrap everything up and beat the deadline without any last minute stress.  I’ll be doing a lot of napping and yoga, in anticipation of all of your applications – and, of course, hitting “refresh” on the online application every once in a while!

by Luci Rosa, Assistant Director

Hello Prospective Students for Fall 2012!

What should you be doing this month?  

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

What to be looking for:

• Faculty Bios @ www.juilliard.edu/about/faculty/index.php
• Application Deadlines
• Pre-Screening Procedures
• Required Repertoire
• Standardized Tests @ www.juilliard.edu/apply/program-information/index.php
• Check out our FAQ’s @ www.juilliard.edu/apply/faq.php

You should be:

1. Passionate about applying
2. Disciplined in organizing your research
3. Motivated to provide your best work
4. Confident that you have completed all the necessary requirements.

And finally…IMAGINE  YOURSELF  AT  JUILLIARD!

Good luck on your application process,

Luci