Chicago College of Performing Arts Admission

The CCPA Office of Enrollment is currently working remotely. Please contact us at ccpaadmissions@roosevelt.edu with questions about the application process. You may also request a virtual appointment with a CCPA Enrollment member.

Submit your RU application

All students must first submit their Roosevelt University Application online. There is no fee associated with this application.

The Roosevelt University Application for Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Fall 2021 is open!

Application Deadlines

Spring 2021: November 1 (Select Music Conservatory programs only)
Fall 2021: December 1 (BFA programs are fall starts only)
Summer 2021: February 15 (MA programs are summer starts only)

All Chicago College of Performing Arts students must submit the following supplemental materials:

Artistic Application & Application Fee (via GetAcceptd)
2 or 3 Letters of Recommendation
Official Transcripts from all previously attended schools/institutions
Optional: Official ACT/SAT scores (Freshman-only)
TOEFL scores (if applicable)

Once you submit your application, you will be able to view your Supplemental Items Listing within the Application Checklist. This is where you can view and track what materials have been received or are still outstanding.

Mailing address for transcripts and test scores:

Roosevelt University
Admission Processing Center
1400 N. Roosevelt Blvd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
admissionforms@roosevelt.edu

Submit your Artistic Application

All CCPA applicants must also submit the Artistic Application, which allows applicants to provide more information about their artistic background, submit their musical introduction or pre-screening recordings, and schedule their future audition/interview.

Music Applicants: www.getacceptd.com/rooseveltmusic
Theatre Applicants: www.getacceptd.com/roosevelt

The Artistic Application fee is $100 and is paid through the GetAcceptd website. All applicants will be required to provide email addresses of their recommenders, as well as provide a response to a few short-answer questions.

Fee Waiver Requests

The Artistic Application Fee is $100.

Undergraduate applicants seeking a waiver of the application fee must submit a Request for Application Fee Waiver or other qualifying documentation to support@getacceptd.com.

Graduate applicants seeking a waiver of the application fee must submit qualifying documentation to support@getacceptd.com.

This form must be received prior to the application deadline.

*Undergraduate applicants who are current members of the Merit School of Music, Music Institute of Chicago, Midwest Young Artists, or Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as CCPA Graduate and Performance Diploma alumni/currently-enrolled applicants, will automatically qualify for a 75% discount. The above request form should not be completed by these applicants. Please email Fred Peterbark, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services, directly for information on the discount process at fpeterbark@roosevelt.edu. Discounts will not be made retroactively after applications and fees have been submitted.

Music Conservatory applicants:

After you have submitted your initial Roosevelt University application, all graduate performance applicants are required to submit pre-screen materials (download PDF) for review before they can be invited to a live virtual audition. Pre-screen materials are to be submitted through GetAcceptd.com and are due by the application deadline of December 1st.

After you have submitted your initial Roosevelt University application, all undergraduate applicants are encouraged to submit a musical introduction of two contrasting songs/excerpts and a major and minor scale. Musical Introductions are to be submitted through GetAcceptd.com and are due by the application deadline of December 1st.

Theatre Conservatory applicants:

BFA Acting, BFA Musical Theatre and BFA Musical Theatre: Dance Concentration -- After you have submitted your initial Roosevelt University application you are required to submit pre-screen materials for review before you can be invited to a live virtual audition.

You may not submit your pre-screen materials via GetAcceptd.com until you have first submitted the Roosevelt University Undergraduate Application. The pre-screen deadline is December 1st, though earlier submission is highly recommended.

Due to COVID-19, we will not be holding any in-person auditions in Chicago or at National Unified Auditions. ALL auditions will be conducted in real-time in a virtual live format via GetAcceptd.com.

Please see "Theatre Conservatory Pre-Screen and Audition Details" below.

Transfer and International Applicants

Transfer Applicants (Music Conservatory)

If you are currently attending another institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and applying to transfer, you must submit a Transfer Acknowledgement Form as per NASM requirements. We will not be able to consider you for a scholarship if you are offered admission without this on file.

Mailing address for NASM forms:

Roosevelt University
CCPA Office of Enrollment, Room 918
430 S Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
ccpaadmissions@roosevelt.edu

International Applicants

Demonstration of English proficiency is required of all students. This requirement may be satisfied in the following ways:

Four consecutive years of secondary education (high school) within a United States or Canadian school at which English is the language of instruction
Completion of 30 transferable semester hours, to include the equivalent of English 101 and English 102, at an accredited United States college or university (undergraduate applicants only)
Completion of a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree at a regionally accredited, United States or Canadian college or university at which English is the language of instruction
For all other students, submission of TOEFL scores is required (IELTS scores are no longer accepted)

All TOEFL exam scores must be submitted by March 1 to receive full scholarship consideration (there is no minimum required score for admission).

Applicants who are unable to access the TOEFL exam, must contact CCPA directly in order to be provided an alternative exam option.

All non-native speakers of English who are admitted and enrolled will be required to take Roosevelt University's English Language Proficiency (ELP) exam upon entry and may be required to complete additional coursework as part of their program of study.

EVALUATED TRANSCRIPTS: International applicants must also have their transcripts sent to an evaluation service, who will then provide an evaluation to Roosevelt University. Please refer to the International Admission page for information on foreign credential evaluation services.

Submit Financial Aid Documents

US Citizens and Permanent Residents must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if they wish to be considered for federal aid. Please see our Financial Aid page for more information. Enter Roosevelt’s six-digit Federal School Code (001749) to ensure the University receives your FAFSA information.

As the CCPA Scholarship is one award and is inclusive of merit/talent and financial need, all undergraduate applicants that are US Citizens or Permanent Residents are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA by March 1.

All applicants offered admission to the Chicago College of Performing Arts are automatically considered for scholarship.

The scholarship award for the Professional Diploma in Opera grants full tuition with the exception of the Graduate General Fee, Student Activity Fee, and CTA Ventra U-Pass Fee.

CCPA also offers Graduate Music Student Assistantships. However, each assistantship is not always available.

International students must submit a Financial Support Budget Form.

Music Conservatory Audition/Interview Details

A prescreen is required for all graduate performance applicants. All pre-screening recordings will be submitted through GetAcceptd.

All undergraduate applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a musical introduction, which is also to be submitted through GetAcceptd.

Music Conservatory

Brass Performance (BM, MM, Diploma)
Classical Guitar (BM, MM, Diploma)
Honors Bachelor of Musical Arts (BMA)
Jazz and Contemporary Music (BM)
Music Composition (BM, MM)
Music and Computing (BA)
Music Education (BM)
Music Education and Performance (BM)
Opera (Professional Diploma)
Orchestral Studies (MM, Diploma)
Percussion (BM, MM, Diploma)
Performing Arts Administration (MA)
Piano Performance (BM, MM, Diploma)
Strings (BM, MM, Diploma)
Voice (BM, MM)
Woodwinds (BM, MM, Diploma)

Dates & Locations

LIVE AUDITIONS: Due to COVID-19, we will not be holding any in-person auditions in Chicago. ALL auditions will be conducted in real-time in a live virtual format via GetAcceptd.com.

Live Virtual Audition Dates:

February 6
February 13
February 20
February 27

Theatre Conservatory Pre-Screen and Audition Details

A prescreen is required for all BFA Acting, BFA Musical Theatre and BFA Musical Theatre: Dance Concentration applicants. All pre-screens will be submitted through GetAcceptd.

BFA Acting:

2 60-90 second contemporary monologues (written during the 20th Century-present) from published plays. This time limit includes the slate at the beginning of the piece and is strictly adhered to; please do not upload media files longer than 90 seconds.
Monologues must be from published plays. Monologues cannot be from musicals, television shows, or movies.
Monologues should be filmed in a “close-up” shot which means the top of the head to the chest should be visible in the frame.

BFA Musical Theatre and BFA Musical Theatre: Dance Concentration:

We are following guidelines for the Common Musical Theatre Pre-Screen. Each piece should be filmed/uploaded as a separate piece of media. No continuous videos.

SLATE

There should not be a separate “slate” video, rather slates are to appear at the beginning of each piece.
The proper slate for a song is to share your name, the title, and the show in which it appears.
The proper slate for a monologue is to share your name, the title of the play, and the playwright.

SONGS

Students should prepare 2-contrasting pieces:

One song should be a ballad, and one song should be an uptempo.
One song should be written prior to 1970. This song can be either the uptempo or the ballad (student’s choice). One song should be written after 1970 and contrast the style of the first.
Each song file should be 60-90 seconds (this time limit includes the slate at the beginning of the piece and is strictly adhered to; please do not upload media files longer than 90 seconds)
Songs should be filmed in a 3/4 shot which means the top of the head to the knees should be visible.

MONOLOGUE

One 60-90 second contemporary monologue (written during the 20th Century-present) from a published play. This time limit includes the slate at the beginning of the piece and is strictly adhered to; please do not upload media files longer than 90 seconds.
Monologues must be from a published play. Monologues cannot be from musicals, television shows, or movies.
Contemporary monologue should be filmed in a “close-up” shot which means the top of the head to the chest should be visible in the frame.

DANCE (for Musical Theatre and Musical Theatre: Dance Concentration applicants)

All dance media should be filmed in a “full body” shot taking care to keep the student’s entire body in the frame at all times.
Applicants do not need to slate in any dance media.
Regardless of which style of dance you execute, the choreography and the movement should be story-driven and connected to the music where the applicant is dancing with a sense of purpose.
HELPFUL HINT: Applicants are encouraged to keep a full-length mirror behind the filming device so as to see themselves as they execute choreography.

Dance

30-60 seconds of dance, in whatever dance discipline you are most comfortable with: jazz, ballet, modern, African, hip hop, lyrical, or contemporary.
No barre work. A ballet solo is acceptable.
No tap. For applicants that tap, consider showcasing that skill as part of your wild card submission.
Please use steps, movement, and physical vocabulary that you are familiar with and can execute well.
Dance media can be self-choreographed but must be a solo video of you. This can include a show, competition, or other performance so long as you are clearly featured on your own.
All choreography must be performed to music; no “a cappella” dance media please

Applicants for the Musical Theatre: Dance Concentration program must also submit the BALLET OPTION. This optional for the BFA Musical Theatre (non-dance concentration).

Ballet Media should be no more than 30 seconds.
Execute a brief series of plié, tendu and grande battement; and also pirouette en déhors (to both sides), and grand jeté across the floor.

WILD CARD VIDEO

Wild Card submission is completely optional.
Submissions should be no more than 60 seconds.
This media can be ANYTHING you want: a special skill, an interesting story about yourself, a passion speech, an instrument that you play, etc. “What do you want us to know about you?” and “What makes you unique?”

LIVE AUDITIONS:

Due to COVID-19, We will not be holding any in-person auditions in Chicago or at National Unified Auditions. ALL auditions will be conducted in real-time in a live virtual format via GetAcceptd.com

Live Virtual Audition Dates:

January 30
February 6
February 20

Live Virtual National Unified Auditions:

January 23-24
February 8-11
February 13-14

Contact Info

CCPA Enrollment & Student Services

AUD 918

312-341-6735

ccpaadmissions@roosevelt.edu

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