Page 7 - Menlo School – KNIGHTtime News

KNIGHTtime News
GUIDING YOUR COLLEGE PROCESS
By Bea Hodavdekar
Menlo’s Creative Arts program does an outstanding job of nurturing artistic talent in our
student body. In fact, our student- artists go on to attend some of the nation’s nest art programs, such as NYU Tisch School of the Arts, the Rhode Island School of Design, and The Juilliard School, to name a
SUPPORTING ARTISTS
in the College Process
few. One of the great things about working at Menlo School is the access we have to admission o cers, and as a result, College Counseling
is able to collect best practices for ways to support student-artists in the admission process. Read on to learn more:
Freshman and/or Sophomore Year:
l Have conversations with instructors, coaches, and teachers for an honest assessment of talent.
l Begin collecting/recording work in preparation for admission requirements.
l With the help of the college counselor, research both audition/portfolio review and non-audition/ non-portfolio schools.
Investigate summer programs to see if students really want to commit
to their craft; a trial run! Check out Menlo’s summer program database here for a list of art programs!
Second Semester of Junior Year:
l Research portfolio requirements; it will vary from school to school.
l Reach out to program/participate in National Portfolio Day;
admission o cers at these programs are eager to help!
l With parents, discuss and plan the appropriate number of fall auditions and visits. These can be costly.
Summer before Senior Year:
l Students should start scheduling auditions early; some schools schedule on a rst-come, rst- serve basis.
l Be mindful of admission application deadlines and requirements; they vary from school to school!
l Be realistic; admission to some performance/audition programs is extremely selective.
Also, students should utilize
the collective wisdom of our
own Creative Arts program. Our creative arts faculty are seasoned professionals in their eld, and accordingly, they are able to
guide students in the creation of portfolios. In addition, Menlo College Counseling partners with Menlo’s Creative Arts programs to ensure
we are supporting our future artists. For further information, reach out
to Menlo College Counseling or the Creative Arts department!
7