Acting

Master of Fine Arts

Application & Audition Requirements

Your application must be submitted online by the appropriate deadline. To begin, create your Juilliard Admissions Account, gather all of the required application materials, and follow the instructions to complete your application.

Start your online application

A written essay is one of Juilliard’s application requirements. Our Admissions Committee uses your essay(s) to learn more about you as an individual, and to gain a sense of who you are beyond your application, transcript, and audition. Your essay helps the Admissions Committee understand how your past experiences have informed your life as an actor, and how Juilliard fits into your pursuit of a career in acting.

Essays are evaluated on the way you express your ideas, the written flow of your thoughts, and your use of language (including grammar and mechanics). Using outside help to write your essay—whether generative AI, including tools such as Google Bard and ChatGPT, or help from another person—undermines the ability of the Admissions Committee to evaluate your potential for success at Juilliard. Submission of your essay confirms that the writing was produced by you, with no assistance from another person or electronic resource.

Essay Requirements

• 1–2 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font
• written in English (not translated from another language)
• must be your own original work
• submitted within the online application

Tips for Writing Your Essay

• Take time to think about what you would say to the Admissions Committee about your experiences and goals as an actor.
• Get the ideas down in a rough draft, and then speak them out loud.
• Edit your rough draft so that it is clear, and expresses your thoughts. Avoid bland, general statements about being an actor.
• Have a friend read the essay to give you feedback on whether it genuinely sounds like you.
• Review the final draft for grammatical and spelling errors. (Remember that “Juilliard” is spelled with two “I”s: JUI-LLI-ARD.)
• Attach your essay to your application.
• Remember that AI may be a shortcut, but in the end, it does not represent your own thoughts. If you are seeking an education at The Juilliard School, self-examination and honesty are qualities that will serve your growth.

Topic
Please write about why you have chosen to become an actor and your personal artistic goals. We encourage you to write frankly and openly about your life, your connection to your art, and how you see your art connecting to the world. Share your passion about people, politics, other art forms or anything that speaks to you.

Additional Essay Requirements
Additional essays are required in each of the following circumstances:

• Transfer Students
• Formerly Enrolled Juilliard Students
• Currently Enrolled Juilliard Students

Optional Essay
Should you have a personal or academic circumstance to share that you feel can provide context for a particular point on your resume – for example, a gap year, unusually low grades in a semester or year, etc. – you have the option to submit an additional short essay.

Transcripts are an important component of the decision process. They help us determine if you have sufficient scholastic competence to succeed in coursework at the level for which you are applying. Please send your transcript by the requested deadline found in the application timeline above.  

The Juilliard School accepts both official and unofficial transcripts during the application process. Students who are admitted and plan to enroll in the fall will be required to submit a final official transcript of their studies. 

We understand that the current academic year has not ended, and that, if you are currently enrolled, you have not yet completed your program. Please submit your incomplete transcript as is by the deadline; an official final transcript will be required later, if you are admitted and choose to enroll. 

You may view the status of transcripts at any time by logging into your application account. Please note that it may take the Office of Admissions up to 7 business days to process your transcript after it has been received 

Unofficial versus Official Transcripts  

• An unofficial transcript is one that you upload to your application or status page.  
  • In addition to what is listed below in Transcript Requirements, unofficial transcripts must include your name and the name of your institution. 
  • Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded to your application or status page as a PDF. 
• An official transcript is one that is sent from your school directly to Juilliard. You should follow the process outlined by the Office of the Registrar at your school. If your school does not have an Office of the Registrar, please work with the school department or administrator that oversees course registration, grades, and the conferral of degrees. 
  • Many schools use secure electronic sending services such as National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, eSCRIP-SAFE, or other systems. Electronic sending services must use this email address: [email protected]. 
  • Alternatively, your school can send us your official transcript via regular or express mail. Mailed transcripts must be sent in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing institution(s) to the Juilliard Office of Admissions. 

          Office of Admissions
          The Juilliard School
          60 Lincoln Center Plaza
          New York, NY 10023

 Transcript Requirements 

• Your transcript(s) must show all prior and current post-secondary coursework. 
  • For students studying outside of the United States, your coursework must be equivalent or similar to a U.S. undergraduate curriculum. Typically, this includes at least 24 credits of liberal arts courses. 
  • You will be notified if an official evaluation of your transcript is required in order to verify your academic level. Companies such as The Evaluation Company (use this link for a discounted evaluation: SpanTran Pathway - The Juilliard School), WES, or ECE can provide this service for a fee. 
  • If you are pursuing post-graduate studies, you must send us both your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. 
• If you have already completed your program of study, your transcript must also include the degree/diploma conferred and your graduation/completion date. 
• If your transcript is not in English, we require the transcript in its original language as well as a certified translation. 

In your application you will be required to identify a teacher or theatre professional who has worked with you in a collaborative setting or seen your work on the stage and can address your work as an actor.

The recommendation itself is not due until later in the application timeline. Your recommender will receive an email with a link to securely upload their letters to our application system. We will only accept recommendations received through our application system.

You may view the status of recommendations at any time by logging into your application account.

An artistic resume must be uploaded as part of the online application. The resume should be 1-2 pages and must include: 

• Your name (and any alternate name used)
• Education (all diplomas/certificates/degrees earned or in progress)
• Any experience related to your intended major

There is no specific layout required for the resume; however it must be uploaded in either a .pdf or .doc file format. Please do not submit program bios. The resume is used as a reference for faculty and the Admissions Committee.

A photograph or headshot is required. The photograph does not need to be taken by a professional, nor is there any specific format for photographs.

To be considered for financial aid and scholarship, you are required to submit the following items by the appropriate deadline:

More information about our awarding policies can be found on the Financial Aid section of the website. 

For information about tuition, fees and expenses, please visit Student Accounts.