Admissions Requirements
Requirements for Applying to our
Full-Time Conservatory
The Office of Admissions must receive the following five application materials for acceptance consideration.
To apply to our Full-Time Conservatory program, click here. A $50 USD non-refundable application fee is required to be paid with a credit card along with the submission of the completed online application.
A transcript is a complete and original secondary school marks/grades sheet that bears the school seal and certifying signature of a school official. High school seniors should submit their most recent transcript and must request that an official final transcript be sent following graduation. Applicants can find and submit a Transcript Request Form by logging into their Full-Time Application Account.
Other Instructions:
- If you have taken college courses, we will need your college transcript in addition to your high school transcript.
- If you have completed a bachelor’s degree, we do not need your high school transcript.
- For applicants from the United Kingdom, the equivalent of a high school transcript is your GCSE results.
- International students, please submit your complete academic records for any secondary schools, colleges, or universities you have attended.
- Do not submit personal diplomas or original copies of records that cannot be replaced.
In order to audition, The Academy requires either an official or unofficial copy of your transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts are documents delivered directly by the applicant to the Admissions Office and include unsealed copies of transcripts sent by mail, email or fax from anyone other than the school or institution of record.
Unofficial Transcript Submission
If an applicant to our New York or Los Angeles campus wishes to submit an unofficial transcript, it must be delivered to the Admissions Office at the campus you are applying to.
Delivery Options:
- Email to the address indicated in the applicant’s Full-Time Application Account
- Fax to 212-685-8093 for New York applicants, and 323-464-1128 for Los Angeles applicants
- Mail to the campus you wish to attend:
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts
New York Admissions Office
120 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Los Angeles Admissions Office
1336 N. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Official Transcript Submission
An official transcript is mailed directly from the school or institution in a sealed envelope. A student may deliver an unopened official transcript directly to the Admissions Office at the campus he or she wishes to attend. After graduation, a final official transcript is required for enrollment to The Academy.
An employer, teacher, counselor, clergy, advisor or anyone who has known the prospective student for a period of two (2) years or longer may write the letter, but not a friend or family member. The letter should be written on letterhead stationery and should mention the relationship of the writer to the applicant.
This letter may be written by a member of a high school or college theatre department, or by a director, producer, or other professional theatre person who has had an opportunity to appraise the applicant's potential. Applicants with no dramatic training or experience should substitute a second letter of personal reference.
In order to schedule an audition, the Office of Admissions must receive a completed Application and have a transcript on file.
- See Audition Requirements
- See a full listing of Audition Cities and Dates
Additional Admissions Information
Notification of Admission
The Admissions Committee considers application materials along with the audition report. Notification of the decision is made within four weeks. Accepted students are required to return a signed enrollment agreement along with a non-refundable and non-transferable $750 deposit to indicate their intention to enroll. This deposit will reserve a space for the accepted student in the desired term.
Deferment
A full-time admitted student may request to defer enrollment one time for a maximum of one year from the original application term. Approvals are at the discretion of the Director of Admissions. Deferred students are required to return a signed enrollment agreement along with a non-refundable and non-transferable $750 deposit to indicate their intention to enroll. This deposit will reserve a space for the deferred student in the new desired term. Deferment beyond one year requires resubmission of the admissions materials, re-auditioning and a new deposit.
Campus Visit
Although The Academy does not permit auditing classes, prospective students are welcome to visit the school by appointment to meet with an admissions advisor, view the facilities, and gain a sense of the atmosphere and environment. Visits may be scheduled through the Office of Admissions at least 48 hours in advance.
Transfer Policy between The Academy Campuses
All candidates for admission to The Academy must declare their choice of campus for First Year training at the time of their audition. Upon request, Academy students who are invited back for the Second Year may apply to transfer between the New York and Los Angeles campuses. Approval for transfer is made by the Director of Instruction at the campus to which the student is applying and may be subject to the availability of class space.
Due to the repertory nature of The Academy Company, transfers between campuses are not permitted for Third Year students.
Eligibility
Education at The Academy is specialized. Serious, responsible and highly motivated applicants are sought for admission. All entering students must have received a high school diploma or have completed a GED program. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above is required to be considered for admission.
Each candidate is evaluated individually; consideration is based on dramatic ability or potential, academic qualifications, and readiness in terms of maturity and motivation to benefit from the program.
Candidates may pursue admission for the First-Year class in the Fall or Winter Term. The courses in Fall and Winter are identical in curriculum and format. Students from both groups, if invited to return, join the same Second-Year class the following fall.
International Student Information
Language Requirement
In addition to the requirements listed above, international students whose native language is other than English must demonstrate sufficient competence with speaking, writing and reading English at a Grade 12 level to avoid communication problems between faculty and students that might impede learning and development.
Academic Records
International applicants may email or upload a copy of all academic records (transcripts) in their original language. We will notify you if an English translation is needed. More details on requirements can be found on our International Requirements Page.
Student Visa
A Form I-20 will be issued only after the applicant has been accepted for enrollment and has met all standards set forth by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and The Department of Homeland Security. The Academy does not issue travel documents in order for the applicants to audition.
Timeline
We encourage early application/audition for all international students and recommend sufficient time allotment for visa processing (6-8 weeks prior to enrollment).