<p>My daughter is filling out the Jack Kemp Cooke graduation arts application and has a question that I also cannot figure out from the materials on their website. They want you to upload a "portfolio" sample-- I guess a recording!-- but they don't mention whether it should be audio or video and they don't specify any format. Does anyone have any idea what they want? (They are specific about length, but that's all.)</p>
<p>Secondly, in the FAQ section they say they want parent income info for anyone under 30. But my daughter's application asks only for the applicant's tax info and parent educational info. The FAQ says that applications need to scan and upload tax documents, but there is no place on the application to upload these documents. </p>
<p>We're confused! Anyone have any experience with this?</p>
<p>Son doing the same, glassharmonica. They do request recordings, but it is not clear if they want video or audio. We were wondering the same thing here. The parent’s tax info only happens if applicant makes the SECOND round. First round the application only asks for applicant’s tax info.</p>
<p>AH, thanks CM. I’m really perplexed that they aren’t more specific with their tech requirements… maybe anything goes?</p>
<p>Yes, I guess so, glassharmonica. Also my S uploaded a video, it said it was successfully done, but now when he logged back in it doesn’t show that anything was submitted. A very confusing process. I would think it would show up on the application that something was submitted–he might have to email them to find out what’s up.</p>
<p>Ugh, not encouraging. Please let us know what they say!</p>
<p>Their website said they will respond to email questions within 3 days. He said he sent an email today, so I certainly hope he hears back soon. If for some reason he’s not able to load recordings he needs to know asap, since the deadline is fast approaching.</p>
<p>My daughter has not even made her recordings-- so you’re ahead of the game from where we sit! (Does that metaphor make sense?)</p>
<p>Oh, not really, sorry to say. He had one recording from before (since they say can be within the last 2 years), but the other two are not recorded yet (nor are his pre-screening videos for grad applications). Sigh. So we’re pretty much in the same boat. :(</p>
<p>Anyone else have a kid working on this application? We are very confused by the Household Information question. It says, in bold type, “Do not list the applicant as household member.” Then it says “Total number of people including yourself”. The question is required and the drop-down does not permit you to select zero. If you select “1” it wants you to list another person. This must be an error others have encountered. My daughter wrote to them to ask what to do but we don’t know if they will be able to respond before the deadline… thoughts?</p>
<p>Yes! I have the answer for you! Yay! My son wrote and asked the very same question and actually got an answer from them. Their application is so confusing and contradictory in places! And their answer to him is even more crazy: Here is what they said to do. Enter your parents as dependents–and in the drop down menu choose “Other Dependent” and for relationship put “Mother” or “Father” (i.e. enter mom’s name, choose drop down and choose as above). They apologized for the confusion, but yes, this is what they said to do, and no, I don’t understand it either, but I guess we are dependents of our children now. </p>
<p>This is what he is going to do based on their email, so hope that helps! There is also a Parent Financial Form that I am working on and probably going to have problems with as well I anticipate!</p>
<p>Well, good to know she’s going to take care of me…</p>
<p>Good luck with the parent financial form. It took me HOURS and I’m still not sure I got it right. It is a very invasive form; they even want to know the amount of your retirement account. Although, unfortunately, they do not ask anything about your debt. </p>
<p>Also do you have any idea how many kids made it to level two of this grant competition? I’m wondering what the chances are… now their apps go to the school, who gets to pick who to send forward. I have no idea how they will make the selection, but my daughter will be up against dancers, actors, jazz musicians, and opera singers in addition to instrumentalists from her school, so after all this work she may not squeeze through. </p>
<p>I have looked but do not find any info about how many proceed on to Phase 2. Yes, I was a little perturbed to find out that all the hard work on this application–financial information, portfolio, and so many essays!!–may all be for naught if the school does not nominate the applicant. And, the school may only nominate two–not only is my son up against other musicians but also actors, artists and writers as well. So I was kind of holding off on even finishing up the parent part until we heard from his school–but since I don’t want to be stuck doing it at the last minute, I guess I’ll break down and do it this weekend. It really is a poor system I think to make the applicants jump through so many hoops–and unfair because the schools with huge talent pools get the same amount of choices as those schools who might not even have a strong music/art/writing department. It puts talented kids in strong large departments at a disadvantage–but I suppose it saves the foundation time because someone else does much of the process for them. I don’t even know how many students at my son’s school applied–that itself would have been nice to know because then you might have a better idea of what your chances might be. I have no idea how the nominating process goes at his school–he just had to make copies of the application (so his part is all done) for them as well as send them his portfolio. </p>
<p>My daughter’s school requires everyone who was nominated to complete the application by Monday 2/17.
And then they will decide who to put forward. Interesting that your son had to copy his application. At my daughter’s school she simply received an internal memo telling her when the internal deadline is. Then there was another memo explaining who the second recommender should be because “many were asking”. So I guess there are many, but my daughter does not know anyone who is applying. The school did not ask to see her work sample. I guess it’s because her school is a relatively small conservatory and they already know everyone’s work. I also assume that they must be able to see the applications–otherwise, why would they ask for them a week early? </p>
<p>I’m terribly stressed to get this done because I have a ton of deadlines this week-- but she is even busier than I am and still has to finish her part of the application, which is much more involved. I spoke to her today and she’s so sick she could barely speak. And she has to fly to LA for her first audition this week–yikes!</p>
<p>Oh, so sorry, Glassharmonica–hope she gets better soon! Not a good time to be sick, poor thing! Good luck to her on her audition! </p>
<p>Yes, their part of the application for Phase 2 is very involved–I think my son said there was a lot to complete that was very time-consuming and 6 or 7 essay questions. He was not a happy guy trying to finish it–and his internal deadline was February 7 already. So, it was just after a week of 3 auditions and just before a concerto performance he had–so he was really scrambling to finish it by the deadline. And, his school told him not to officially submit his application to JKC until after he heard if he was nominated or not. So…still waiting to hear.</p>
<p>Wow, the schools handle the application so differently. </p>