Office of Admissions Blog

By Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

By now, you are really honing in on a couple of different things – where you will apply, and your audition repertoire (solo, monologue).

In both cases, your life will be made infinitely simpler if you can start out this fall figuring out what the application and audition requirements have in common – I think you will find more similarities than differences, and that is what is going to reduce your workload and also allow you to focus and prepare a reasonable amount of repertoire.

Let’s start with repertoire.

Last year, I asked a Juilliard voice student to research the audition repertoire at 12 different undergraduate vocal programs. Then she did an Excel spreadsheet (I LOVE these – a great way to get all of the information in one place, easy to read and compare). By filling in “an additional work of your choice” requirements with pieces that were required at other schools, she found that a voice applicant applying to music programs needed to prepare only 4 audition pieces.

By lining up all of the audition requirements for your schools of choice in one place, you can start with the school with the most requirements, and see where those fit in with other schools. For example – in Classical piano, Juilliard requires a Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart or Schubert sonata for one category, but has a relatively short list of acceptable sonatas for each composer. Another school (or schools) may require any Mozart sonata. Another may require any Classical sonata. Choosing one of the Juilliard options of eight Mozart sonatas will fulfill all of these requirements!

This holds true for dance and drama as well – most programs have a solo requirement (dance) and monologue requirement (drama) – who has the most? Who is the most specific? Can those specific requirements also apply to schools with more general requirements?

It will be to your benefit to be preparing the least amount of repertoire possible – it will give you more time to polish, to get every piece to 150% – so that even taking into account nerves, stress, and the numerous other audition variables such as bad weather, strange locations, exhausting travel – you’ll be able to audition at 100%.

By: Katie Friis, Dance Admissions Coordinator

Ok, so we are nearing the end of summer and your senior year looms large – it’s almost time to start those college applications! Here are a few more things to keep in mind before all the craziness of applying and auditioning for college dance programs begins (if you missed the beginning parts of this blog series, click to read Part I and Part II):

- APPLICATIONS: In this age of technology, it is standard to complete your college applications online. In fact, many schools participate in something called the Common Application, which lets you apply to a number of schools at once without having to re-enter all of your information. Juilliard does not participate in the Common Application, but we do have an online application which can be accessed here after September 1. Our application deadline is December 1. I cannot stress enough how important it is to adhere to each school’s application deadline! Keeping track of deadlines, audition dates, and required materials (like SAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation) can be daunting – may I suggest that you keep a spreadsheet with the requirements for each school?

- REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A DANCE MAJOR: All colleges require an application for admission, but not all of them require an audition to be a dance major. Some schools simply allow you to declare your major once you are enrolled, or after your first year. Other schools might admit you to the overall college, but then you need to audition separately for the dance department. At Juilliard, a live audition is required of every applicant in dance before any admissions decisions are made. If you are admitted to Juilliard’s Dance Division, then you are automatically a dance major. Juilliard does not offer any double majors or minors to dance students, and admitted students are generally preparing for professional dance performance and/or choreography careers. You can read more about the dance audition process here.

- AUDITION COMPONENTS: If the schools that you are applying to require an audition, be sure to check the what/where/when far in advance! Some schools will accept auditions via DVD, others require a live audition. Some schools require you to come to their campus to audition, and others hold auditions in several cities. Some schools audition year-round, or let you audition by taking a class with currently enrolled students, and other schools have strict audition time periods. Some auditions consist of a class given by a faculty member, and other auditions require you to come prepared with a solo. It’s important that you are aware of each school’s audition process, so be sure to read up on it far enough in advance so that you can take time to create your best audition DVD or solo. Juilliard’s dance audition process can be found here.

I wish you all the best with your college applications and dance auditions! Let me know if you have any questions about Juilliard’s Dance Division, or the application and audition process. I look forward to hearing from you!

By: Jo Mei, Third Year Drama Division Student

Hello, my name is Jo Mei and I am a third year Drama student. There are so many things that are special to Juilliard that I want to share with you that it’s hard to choose where to start.

Well, I’ll begin with my final step in the “getting in” process. The year I applied was the first year the Drama Division incorporated the Final Callback Weekend into its admission process. Out of all the people called back during the initial audition process in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, 40 or so candidates are invited to spend 2 days at Juilliard, where they’ll get a feel for what a typical Juilliard day is like. Then out of those 40, 18 are selected for the incoming class.

Initially, those two days put a lot of fear in my heart. I thought, “There’s no way I can act for two whole days straight.” But it turned out to be a fantastic experience. I was able to meet the entire Drama faculty because they guided us as though we were already their students. In those two days, I took a hardcore movement class, had my first exposure to masks, learned about poetry, an established poet performed for us, I sang (poorly), read a short play… and so much more. Sometime during that first morning I realized the point of this is not to do everything they throw at me perfectly, the point is for the faculty to see me try my best, be myself, and not fear to fail. This was also a chance for me to take a hard look at what Juilliard training is like. Do I like this? Can I see myself here with these people for 4 years? Obviously, for me the answer was “Yes!”

Another thing you might not know about the Drama Division (unless you’ve taken a tour of the school) is our famous photo wall. Each year every student, faculty and staff member gets a new headshot taken and the photos of the students go up on a wall in the drama theater lobby. I love looking at the glowing faces of my classmates. Somehow each photo captures something very genuine and intimate and seeing them all together just makes me very proud to be among these talented artists. Make no mistake, these are not glamour shots by any means – some of us despise our own photo and can’t wait till the next year, but that’s also part of what makes it great. Not to mention, the photo session at the beginning of the year is just one big party with food and music and catching up about the summer, and meeting the first year students. My very first photo session/party will burn bright in my memory always.

If you think it’s difficult getting into the Drama Division as an actor, that’s nothing compared to the Playwriting Program. Each year only 4 playwrights are accepted out of hundreds of applicants. And as the playwrights compose new plays at Juilliard, the entire Drama community assembles to hear their new works. And what makes these readings special is that the parts are cast with actors from across the division. So it’s a rare opportunity to work with students in other years of training and sometimes even alumni of the division will return to read as well. For example, this year, one of my classmates got to collaborate with alum Greg Jbara, weeks before Greg won the Tony for his work on Broadway in Billy Elliot.

Also, many of the playwright’s plays get developed into studio workshops either for the 2nd year or 4th year season. And being able to contribute to plays as they are conceived, edited and re-edited is an enormously gratifying experience. How great to be able to say I originated a role in a play written at Juilliard that goes on to have a life off-Broadway or at Lincoln Center.

The time slot where we read new plays is called Community Meeting. This is also something unique to Juilliard Drama, I think. Every week, the entire division gathers as a unit. Some weeks we hear new plays, other weeks it’s a time for guest speakers. Just this year we had Ed Norton, Laura Linney, and Edward Albee, just to name a few. This has also been a time for master classes, or just a time for dialogue. We’ve also had a string quartet come play for us… I have to say Community Meetings are full of surprises.

One more cool Juilliard happening I’m selfishly looking forward to is the 3rd year’s Shakespeare Rep slot. Actually, I’m looking forward to the entire 3rd year season, which includes a movement-based play and a cabaret. But we will end the year with the Shakespeare Rep, which is two Shakespeare plays simultaneously rehearsed and performed by the same cast. This year the third years worked on Othello and Love’s Labour’s Lost and last year, Julius Caesar shared the stage with As You Like It. One more cool thing about Shakespeare Rep is that the plays are performed on our uniquely designed Globe set which is modeled after the original Globe Theater from Shakespeare’s time.

So, as you can see, I can go on about Juilliard Drama but I hope this brief blog entry gives you some insight into things you might not have known.

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

What is the worst thing that can happen during an audition?  I’m sure from a student’s perspective, it’s falling on stage, or forgetting your music, or having your cello (that was shipped as luggage) not make it to your audition city.

But for admissions staff at a school in the Northeast, with auditions in early March, it’s a snow storm.   

I don’t watch the weather, usually – I’m the person who never has an umbrella, and who wears the pretty shoes on the day it snows.  But around audition time, I have weather.com up on my computer all day – tracking rain, tracking snow….hoping that the “March roars in like a lion” will be a bit delayed, or not happen at all.

Two years ago, we had a massive snow storm around our drama audition callback weekend.  Miraculously, everyone made it in – though a few students drove hours and hours, missing the first day of the callback, because of cancelled flights. 

And this year, it has happened again.  A massive blizzard, dumping up to a foot of snow in some areas.  New York only got about 6 inches, but no matter, because flights were cancelled, buses were cancelled, trains were delayed, and in general just getting to New York was virtually impossible for about 12 hours.

So, my day was spent running around after phone calls, emails, delayed applicants, lost instruments (yes, both a cello and a bass were lost in transit), re-scheduling applicants, notifying faculty, and in general trying to make sense in a whirlwind.  Somehow, though, in all of the craziness, only 6 people today didn’t make it to their audition – 6 out of about 200.  So in the end, perhaps, it was not at all as bad as it could have been.  But the potential of it was the worst stress – trying to come up with contingency plans, trying to calm down the many frantic phone calls, and at the same time trying to keep the auditions running smoothly and calmly for everyone who was here!

I am hoping that the rest of the week will be easier – at least a bit less frantic so my poor feet can make it until Friday.   And I hope that everyone makes it here safely, and has the best audition experience that we can give them.

To end my sad tale, I leave you all with some wonderful song lyrics that I heard recently at our 3rd Year Drama Cabaret.  I love attending the cabaret – our drama students may not all have the most beautiful voices (though so many do!), but they can tell a story like nobody’s business!  The young man who sang this song (from a musical, “Violet”, that I had never heard of) rocked the room with a moving, soulful and completely heartfelt rendition that has stayed with me for days – perhaps you’ll understand why just from reading the words.

You gotta give it room and let it, let it sing
You gotta give it room and let it sing
Oh you gotta lift up your voice and sing
Got some years ahead to go
You’ll go free if you take it slow
Got some years it won’t be long
You’ll be free to sing your song

Oh boy you got left, right
Oh boy

There’s precious little really folks like us control
You can make your music from the simplest thing
And though no one has got to tend your soul
You’ve got to give it room and let it
Let it sing, oh
You’ve got to give it room and let it
Sing

You’ve got to let it sing, oh
You got to let it sing
You got to give it room
And let it sing.

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

We have been terribly neglectful of our blog in recent weeks – buried under with having two auditions periods (January and March) this year, which has turned out to much crazier that we could have ever imagined! 

With our February/March auditions starting in less than a week, I thought we should recycle some of the amazing blogs that were written last year – they are still completely relevant, interesting and entertaining! 

So – here are some great audition tips….

And here are some more….

And here are some wonderful thoughts from the Senior Assistant Director for Music Admissions….

And finally, I’d like to share these thoughtful and encouraging words about being on the other side of the audition experience, from one of our bassoon faculty, Dr. Frank Morelli:

“We want people to do well – we’re not sitting there waiting to be able to criticize someone, or say ‘ah – that’s it – they don’t have a chance!’  We sit there waiting to hear another wonderful young player, who we know they and their families have spent years preparing for this moment.  I take [these auditions] with a great deal of seriousness, and try to take [them] with kindness – to be thinking kindly as well.”

All of us here wish for you that your audition at Juilliard is truly absolutely the best performance you can have – that you know that you have represented yourself and your talent to the best of your abilities!

By Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

New York City can inspire great love, and sometimes fear or intimidation, for those who don’t know it, or are not used to large cities.  There is no doubt that it is a mecca for the arts – full of opportunity both to perform and to see the world’s greatest artists.

But I am often struck by the little moments that can pass by so swiftly that they might not register as unusual, or uniquely New York.

Yesterday I wrote about my morning subway ride.  This morning, as I walked down Amsterdam Avenue from 72nd Street (a bit late to work after a late evening of auditions) I passed the branch New York Public Library that is just around the corner from Juilliard.  And there was a line outside, because it was about 10 minutes to 10.

Shouldn’t all libraries have lines of eager people outside, just waiting for them to open?

By Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions 

This morning, I was on the subway at a ridiculously early hour, on my way to work for our January auditions.  Many train drivers are quiet, and don’t use the P.A. system except to announce delays, etc.  But sometimes, you ride a train with a driver who is feeling chatty.

So, I’m sitting down, a little bleary-eyed (having had only one cup of coffee before leaving my house), and the driver says:

“This is the 1 train to South Ferry.  Next stop, 96th Street.  [Long Pause]  And just a reminder, this is a very special day today.  Today is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and tomorrow we get a new president.  Happy Holiday, and God bless America.”

 Thank you, Mr. Driver, whoever you are.

By: Mónia C. Estima, Senior Assistant Director for Music Admissions

And we’re back from the holiday break. (OK, we got back on Jan. 5^th but it’s been hella busy and this is the first chance I’ve had to write.) (Yes, I do know that “hella” is, like, SOOO five years ago.)

Auditions for 12 music departments are due to take place over the next two weekends. While the rest of my colleagues in Admissions prepare audition forms and whatnot for those, I’m working on e-mailing and scheduling the roughly 1000 music applicants we expect for March auditions.

::Mónia’s heart seizes::

No, I’m fine. Really.

Stressed? Who, me? Nah, that’s crazy talk, everything’s going along swimmingly, why–

::Mónia sees pretty pink eighth notes doing the can-can along her wall::

Hmmm, that’s curious. Never seen anything quite like that be–

::Mónia smells coffee brewing, even though there’s no coffee-maker in the Admissions Suite::

Mmmm, I could use another cuppa…what, I’ve only had about 6 today so–

::Mónia hears the cannon shots from the 1812 Overture::

Now that’s just weird; I’m listening to streaming online radio on www.krock2.com and there’s no way they’d be playing Tchaikovsky (unless it was part of some really sick mash-up or remix or something).

::Mónia realizes she’s hallucinating again and gives herself a good shake::

Look, it’s ok, right? We’ll audition about 400 applicants this month, plow along in February to prepare for March auditions, and everyone’s going to be ok; us, applicants, moms/dads/guardians/significant others/pretty pink eighth notes… Right?

Right.

To all of you cool cats auditioning in January: bassoonists, clarinetists, bassists, flutists, horn players, harpists, oboists, percussionists, ‘bones (tenor and bass), trumpeters, and tuba players—we salute you!

Good luck everybody! And, you know, if you too start seeing/smelling/hearing things that aren’t real, don’t fret; this too shall pass.

*The title for this blog was fished from “The Flame,” by Arcadia (a sub-division, if you will, of Duran Duran).

By: Mónia C. Estima, Senior Assistant Director for Music Admissions

OK, folks, I’m taking a break from January audition scheduling madness to talk about live audition repertoire for Music applicants. (Wheeeee!) I decided to write this blog in the style of an FAQ–most of it is pretty general and can apply to all music applicants, though I do toss in a couple of instrument-specific matters here and there.

Q: Can I substitute “X work” for “the work specified on the application?”

A: Usually, no. Often, faculty leave things open so applicants can fulfill a requirement with works that best represent them (for example, “gimme a sonata by this guy,” or “play me a concerto from that era”). However, when they get particular enough to name a composer, or even a specific work, that means they’re looking to hear a certain something which another work will not provide.

Q: The requirements for my instrument say I’ve got to have “major and minor scales.” Is that all minor scales?

A: Unless otherwise specified, applicants should be prepared to play the heck out of all minor scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic). (And, in fact, all major scales as well!)

Q: Can I present something for the live audition that’s different from what I listed on the application?

A: Sure, so long as it meets the published audition requirements. Sometimes you’re not sure whether a particular piece will be “audition ready” when you submit your application. But, come audition week, it’s ready, Freddy! We like to leave room for applicants to update their repertoire but, again, any changes must conform to the published requirements. Click here for instructions and a link to the Audition Repertoire Change Form.

Q: If I change my live audition repertoire, do I have to get it approved?

A: You do if you’re applying to Classical Piano or Collaborative Piano. Otherwise, you just fill out the form, as noted above. If you want to check with us to see if the new work fits the requirement, send an e-mail detailing:

1. Your instrument/major

2. The degree level to which you’re applying

3. The repertoire requirement to which you’re referring, and

4. The new piece/composer you’d like to use to fulfill that requirement

To: repertoire (at) juilliard.edu

It may take anywhere from 7 to 10 business days to get back to you with an answer, so please be patient and don’t wait until the week before your scheduled audition to ask (‘cause we may not be able to get back to you in time!).

Q: What if I change something for my live audition repertoire, thinking it meets the requirements, but then at my audition the faculty tell me it doesn’t?

A: Wow. My stomach just churned at the very thought. You don’t want to go there, guys–trust me. Admissions doesn’t check folks’ repertoire lists in advance of the auditions to make sure they match the requirements–it’s the applicant’s responsibility to insure that s/he brings the correct repertoire. SO, if you’re making a change, and you have any questions whatsoever about whether the change fits the requirement, check with us first (see the question/answer just before this one that tells you how).

Q: I’m using “insert name of extremely lengthy work” to fulfill “X” requirement; do I have to prepare the whole thing?

A: For whichever work you select to fulfill a requirement you must prepare the complete work, unless otherwise noted on the application. Sure, you may rock the second movement of a particular work, but how are you with that tricky section in the fourth? I can think of several cases where applicants failed to prepare the complete work and then were put on the spot when faculty asked to hear something they hadn’t prepared. Please believe that “I don’t have that” will totally kill the buzz from your stellar execution of what you did have. Totally.

Here’s a question some of our lovely work-study students thought of (thanks Hannah, Jennifer, and Jonathan!):

Q: Will I be asked to perform everything I list for my live audition?

A: Probably not. An applicant is usually invited to start off with her/his preferred work from the live audition repertoire list (or, if your department requires it, you may be asked to start with some scales). Then you may be asked to present another work and, possibly, a third from your list. You may be stopped in the middle of a measure but don’t take offense–it’s just a time-limitation thing. HOWEVER–make sure you’re ready to play everything from your rep list, because you never know what the faculty’s going to ask for!

That’s all I can think of right now. If you’re burning up with any repertoire questions, first you should stop, drop, and roll. THEN you should e-mail us your questions, as noted above. And, in case I don’t blog again any time soon, Happy Holidays to you all and see you in the New Year!

The title for this blog was purloined from Duran Duran’s “(Reach Up for the) Sunrise.”

By: Carolyn Michelle Smith, First-Year Drama Student

Just last year, I was right where you are, trying to decide if I wanted to apply to an acting MFA program or to Juilliard. And I’ll have to admit: It can be quite a difficult decision!

My name is Carolyn Michelle Smith and I’m in my first year in the Drama Division here at Juilliard. I applied to the school as a Diploma student. Originally, I thought to myself: “How do I go back to school for acting for four years and not get an MFA!?” I received my BA from Fordham University at Lincoln Center some years back, graduated and thought to myself: “Yeah, I’m think I’m done with school for a while.” In my mind, as an actor in New York City, it was all about getting work. I completed an Acting Apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville, took classes at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C….and I worked! Then one day in the middle of a rehearsal I found myself stuck. There were certain tools in my “Actor’s Toolbox” that I needed to access. It was then that I realized…I didn’t have them! I could no longer simply rely on instinct, I needed technique.

It was at that moment that I decided to take matters into my own hands. I figured, now was the time: I was going to apply to grad school.

I began applying to schools, and quite honestly, found the process to be a bit dizzying! Deadlines, and essays, and fees…Oh my! When I looked into Juilliard, I found myself a bit hesitant about applying to a program that offered a Diploma instead of an MFA. My first thought was: “Ummm, not so sure about that!” The financial investment, plus the extra year (Juilliard’s Drama Division is a 4 year program) left me feeling a bit apprehensive. I sought advice about it, and then decided it was definitely worth a shot. Always good to have options, right?

I applied, auditioned and was accepted! It was the best phone call I think I’ve ever received! I accepted the offer after further research, a campus visit and many conversations with my actor friends over coffee. I realized it was an offer I couldn’t refuse! More than anything, it was really my visit to the school that cemented my decision. When I came, I saw a performance, and spoke to several current students in the Division. It just felt right… like the perfect fit.

My decision in choosing Juilliard instead of an MFA program was based on a few key factors. First off, I felt that the Drama Division demanded a level of focus and training that I’d been searching for in a program. Having worked in the industry for a few years, I was familiar with the type of actor that walked out of Juilliard. There was a level of professionalism they were equipped with, that was unmatched. Also, I saw the “extra year” as an added benefit. As I mentioned earlier, while some MFA programs are only three years, that additional year after graduation is all about getting your feet wet in the industry. While this may be an option for some, I’ve found that the shows, classes, and exposure offered in your fourth year at Juilliard can provide just as many opportunities as a year of “making the rounds” in the New York Theatre scene. Not to mention the fact that many of the directors, designers and playwrights that you collaborate with here are the same professionals you’ll be working with when you’re out in the real world. Receiving an MFA seemed to be a great idea because it would give me the option to teach. However, in my heart of hearts, I know that I got into this industry with a love for performance. Fortunately, Juilliard does offer several education outreach programs (both in the U.S. and abroad) that will allow you the opportunity to give back as an educator. Finally, when it came down to money, I was wondering what to expect in terms of loans. As a Diploma student, getting funding is hard but not impossible. Look for scholarships, Grants and Fellowships. Anything you can do to make the cost of tuition a bit easier to handle.

Above all else, when looking at schools and deciding, just remember whether it’s 3 or 4 years, you want to be in a place that feels like home. Too often we make decisions, based on reputation alone. Trust your gut. With every school that you’re applying to, remember that you are interviewing the school as much as they are interviewing you. Take your time, ask questions, speak to alumni, do everything possible to get the assistance you need. Go where you can grow.

Juilliard is exactly what I was looking for during this phase of my artistic development. Everyday in class, I look back, and remember where I was a year ago…I smile and then realize, I’m exactly where I was meant to be!

Note from Tina Gonzalez, Director of Financial Aid: It’s important to note that the diploma program is considered an undergraduate program, not graduate, which may affect students’ eligibility for federal aid.  Contact the financial aid office for more information.