California Institute of the Arts

Getting in is the hard part. California Institute of the Arts admitted 32.3% of applicants in its most recent reported class, one of the lowest rates in the country. Realistically it is a reach for every applicant, no matter how strong.

The real question is not your odds but your move. That is where Spike comes in: it reads your profile against what California Institute of the Arts actually rewards, and tells you what to do next.

While the foundation of a CalArts education is rooted in rigorous artmaking, critical thinking, and faculty mentorship, there’s a little magic that happens in our multidisciplinary environment that sets us apart from our peers.

The academic structure is organized into distinct schools, each offering specialized programs with specific admissions criteria, including a required Critical Studies component for BFA degrees.

• ArtArt, Art and Technology, Graphic Design, Photography and Media
• Critical StudiesAesthetics and Politics, Creative Writing
• DanceChoreography, Dance

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Verified from https://www.calarts.edu.

The current prompts, straight from the application. These change year to year, so most guides you will find are a cycle behind.

• 1. What informs your artmaking practice? 2. Why are you applying to the Acting program at CalArts? 3. What are your artistic goals? 4. What stories are you most interested in telling, and/or what communities do you hope to reach through your work? 5. What do you find artistically inspiring about the current moment in history?

• Applicants should address at least three of the following: your primary sources of artistic inspiration; your reasons for applying to the program and what you expect from the CalArts experience; specific faculty members you wish to study with and why; and the desired impact of your work on communities and audiences.

  Up to 1000 words

• 1. What is most important to you as a person and as a dancer, and why? 2. What are your artistic and personal goals? 3. Why are you applying to the BFA in Dance Program at CalArts?

• 1. What inspires you to make your art? 2. Why are you applying to the Character Animation program at CalArts? 3. What are your artistic goals?

• 1. What issues and concerns inform your artmaking practice? 2. Why are you interested specifically in the program in Experimental Animation at CalArts? 3. What are your artistic goals?

• 1. What issues and concerns inform your artmaking practice? 2. Elaborate on your relationship with experimental, independent, or avante garde film making and why you think this program is a good fit for your development as a filmmaker. 3. What are your artistic goals?

  Up to 1000 words

• Your artist's statement should discuss your goals and their relationship to your past experience, as well as evidence of your interest in performance-based design whether in theater, film, installation, writing, or other related forms.

• Your portfolio must include an artist statement of 250 to 500 words that includes all of the following: 1. Your background in the study and practice of music, including a crucial moment in your artistic development. 2. Your main musical passions and artistic influences right now – what you are currently listening to. 3. Genre(s) of music you are interested in performing and studying. 4. What you are interested in exploring or experimenting with at CalArts. 5. What attracts you to the particular Specialization to which you are applying. You may include a CalArts class, faculty, and/or offering that excites you the most. 6. Your long-term goals as a professional musician.

  Up to 500 words

Every prompt, with how to approach each →

Verified from https://www.calarts.edu.

The sticker price is about $77,560, but that is not what most families pay. After need-based aid, the average net price is $46,080.

Financial aid options include institutional scholarships, resources for outside scholarships, and private loans, with awards viewable through the CalArts portal, the Hub.

Ten years after enrolling, graduates earn a median of $41,198.

Verified from https://www.calarts.edu and the U.S. Department of Education.

“Collaborate on a multidisciplinary art project, attend a faculty mentorship session, then catch a performance at REDCAT, a Tuesday here.”

Students gather for a PARTCH Ensemble performance at REDCAT, while others reside in Chouinard Hall or Ahmanson Hall.

How hard is it to get into California Institute of the Arts?

Very hard. California Institute of the Arts admits 32.3% of applicants. Treat it as a reach for every applicant.

How much does California Institute of the Arts cost?

The list price is about $77,560, but the average price families actually pay after aid is $46,080.

Is California Institute of the Arts worth it?

Graduates earn a median of $41,198 ten years after enrolling, and 65% graduate within six years. Value depends on your aid offer and your goals, which is exactly what Spike helps you weigh.