<p>Was anyone accepted to Juilliard this year? How small is their freshman class? Is it true that some years they don't accept anyone?</p>
<p>I haven’t heard of any Juilliard acceptances on this board. But I have to doubt that there are years when they don’t accept anyone. After all, they must keep afloat which means they need tuition and room and board, just as any college/conservatory program needs to accept students to keep going. I think it’s a myth that “some years we don’t find any qualified applicants.”</p>
<p>Maybe they don’t find any fresh out of high school applicants… As they do usually chose to accept those who already hold an undergraduate degree or are transferring.</p>
<p>At my son’s audition the only call back of the morning was a young woman - around 20-22- who was stunning and seemed to have that “thing.” (My son’s word, not mine!) He is 17…he went for the experience, with very open eyes :)</p>
<p>gypsyrose-
You asked about size of “freshman” class at Juilliard. They accept 18 “first year” students each year who move together through the four years of the program. As has been said, most of the students have undergraduate degrees already or are older with experience. My D got a callback last year. There was then a callback weekend where approx. 40 people from all the callbacks during audition season were invited to come and they were immersed in a simulated Juilliard experience of what it would be like if they were to attend. Through this weekend they choose a class by watching how people work together and whether they think they are suited to four years at Juilliard. D was not invited to this weekend, enjoyed the audition experience but had decided by the end of her 7-hour callback that Juilliard might not be right for her. We were told that until they instituted the callback weekend procedure, they lost a few-several first year students each year who didn’t realize the intensity they would be in for at Juilliard or what was expected.</p>
<p>I understand that a good number of high school seniors invited to attend Juilliard’s call-back weekend this year, which is very unusual.</p>
<p>That is interesting, Lauriemom, that “most” of the first year class have undergraduate degrees or experience already. That is not at all the impression we got on our tour of the school in February. The guide told us that there is a “mix” of high school graduates, degree holders, people with a GED and previous acting experience, etc. She said the entire school had about 38% international students, but did not know the actual percentage of internationals in the drama division. </p>
<p>It may be that she just doesn’t realize the actual composition of the first year class. Every single person on our tour was either a high school junior or senior. Why doesn’t the school make that very clear—that only X number of high school students are admitted each year? Competing for 18 spots—any of which could go to older, more experienced or international students----sounds bad enough, but competing for 5 or even 8 slots would definitely keep some people from spending the money on that audition.</p>
<p>Does this seem even a tiny bit unethical? Not to make the actual number of high school graduates accepted a very clear part of the INITIAL admissions process?</p>
<p>Last year, two of my D’s classmates (then, high school seniors) got all the way to the Juilliard callback weekend and loved the whole thing, as intense as it was! Neither made it into the “accept” pile, unfortunately! </p>
<p>This year, another kid from her school (a kid who is now a senior) got called back but did not get invited to the call back weekend. </p>
<p>I think Juilliard is quite open about how few high school seniors they end up taking. At least, all the kids I know who auditioned were well aware of it. But the kids still think it’s worth a try!</p>
<p>When we asked they told us that on average 50% (9) of the first year class are straight out of high school. BTW do they send rejection letters out to everyone who auditions or is your rejection official when you don’t get a callback? I would expect that they would extend the courtesy of a letter.</p>
<p>I guess I should clarify my previous post. Ten of the 14 people called back on my D’s day were college graduates or older. The students leading the parent info. session had all come to Juilliard right out of high school, but were from a variety of graduating years. I don’t think they have a set number in their minds that “we’re only taking this number of people out of high school.” It’s just different than many programs where everyone in a first year class is out of high school. It’s also not a bad thing. It was said in our parent info session that a first year class could have “someone 16 and someone 60 side by side” in it. I don’t know that that has ever happened, it was just an example. D talked heavily to the students assisting with the callback that day and one Juilliard student asked my D directions to an audition she had the following day for a Shakespeare Festival. D was surprised she didn’t know her way around NYC after living there (and D happened to have worked with the person the girl would be auditioning for.) Several students said they didn’t have time to do anything in the city not affiliated with the school. They made it seem like when they saw shows, they were the shows the school had gotten tickets to and they went as a group, same with museum exhibitions. They do community outreach on weekends together too (which D thought sounded great.) They talked of 6 hour long Chekov classes with no bathroom breaks, no time to eat or sleep…and sleeping in the theatre because they were too tired to walk to their rooms, which are attached to the building. D and I both think some of this was hyperbole on the Juilliard students’ parts. It was just interesting. It was also 2008, and I know things are different every year. We have known people there in dance who were extremely happy. When D was finished with her callback sometime after midnight, she said the Juilliard students made it sound like they were trapped in a “theatre monastery.” She wanted a very intense program where she would be immersed in theatre all day & night, but IF she was going to be in NY, she wanted to be able to explore the city on her own as well. The faculty and staff were all wonderful she said and we’re sure Juilliard is a wonderful place. We are not being critical, just sharing what happened in case it helps someone to be prepared. :)</p>
<p>My Daughter received a callback from Juilliard. She auditioned the first weekend of auditions this year in NY. We were there for 12 hours, as she was asked to stay for the interview as well. She LOVED every minute of it!!! Needless to say, she was very sad when she wasn’t asked back for the final callback weekend. The people at Juilliard were wonderful-very “down to earth”. She was honored to have gotten a callback. We had heard about them often taking “older” students over those straight out of high school. We kept our hopes up since my daughter has spent her senior year at a performing arts (boarding school) conservatory and thought that might be in her favor. Anyway it wasn’t meant to be, and I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. :)</p>
<p>Lauriemom, another BFA program that has a certain number of older students is Purchase. When we were on campus for my son’s audition, one of the freshmen told us that there is a 35-year-old guy in (I think) the sophomore class.</p>
<p>Purchase isn’t as hard to get into as Juilliard, but it’s definitely up there.</p>
<p>At my Juilliard first round callback there were 4 of us. I was the only high school student called back from the day. The other three were transferring from other universities and BFA programs and then there was one who was 26 with a undergraduate degree already. They said there current freshmen class ranges from 18-34 (or something in that proximity) and that the vast majority of the classes are composed of those already with an undergraduate degree. All in all, I do believe the training you can receive at most of these top BFA schools is (to a degree) equal. It really comes down to who you are as an actor and what you are willing to give to a program… How much can you invest yourself in the whole thing, because in the end - you get what you give. Juilliard as much as I am sure it is a phenomenal school, is a name as well.</p>
<p>Well, a few years ago, two kids (both 18 year old girls) were accepted to Juilliard drama from my D’s high school, which is a public arts school (admission by audition only … free tuition for city residents, though anyone from outside the city has to pay tuition.) Both are now juniors, I think.</p>
<p>thank everyone for your responses to my inquiry. This makes much more sense to me now. I didn’t understand that the make-up of the incoming first-year class could vary in age like that. I assumed there was a graduate and undergraduate program (I apologize for not doing my research) but now I understand what the person was referring to when they told me that some years they don’t take any high school seniors- or just one or 2- it could be a randomly comprised age grouping that makes up the ‘first year’ of that particular incoming class- very interesting concept. It would be great to hear from anyone who has been accepted and what they think of the program… if anyone is out there…I may just have to take a tour myself- I am intrigued!</p>
<p>Hey, gypsyrose: I like your screen name. :)</p>
<p>Here are some links from awhile back to a Juilliard student (who now has some Broadway cred) answering questions about the program …</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957516-post636.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957516-post636.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957646-post640.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/957646-post640.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/962140-post647.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/962140-post647.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1657494-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1657494-post6.html</a></p>
<p>And here’s a link to this year’s showcase to dispel any myths about there being some prototypical “Juilliard actor.”</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.juilliard.edu/college/drama/4yr//]index[/url”>http://www.juilliard.edu/college/drama/4yr//]index[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Thanks for posting those links, fishbowl.</p>
<p>I was one of the (aprox.) 16 undergrads at the final (40) callback at Juilliard this year. I was wait listed, which I am very excited about. It was an amazing experience. This year they went with and older class, as I know that there were only 2 undergrad boys admitted and one of them was a transfer. It seemed to vary in age while I was there but as the classes got newer (G-39-40) the classes got older. With the new direction the division is going in, it seems that the classes are getting older. Although, I do not think that is true, it really seemed like they were just looking for a Group that looked and worked well together. They told us that at the final 40, you are good enough to attend Juilliard but they are just looking to create a specific ensemble. Juilliard is a gem of a program; a lot of the rumors are not true. I recommend that undergrads look in to it, it’s not what most people think it is (in a good way).</p>
<p>cab578, what is the new direction the division is going in? We visited the school and DS was wowed by the program description, and we’ve read the literature, but that’s as much as either of us knows. The tour guide said they had recently revamped the academic requirements for the BFA and that a bit more classwork was undertaken under the new dean. The guide was a fourth year student, so I don’t know how “new” the dean actually was; the girl could have meant the dean came sometime in the past three years. Are those the changes you allude to, or is it something else? </p>
<p>Thanks for that information, btw, and congratulations on being wait-listed-----what an honor!</p>