Freshman Applicants: Theatre

For Fall semesters:

For Scholarship Consideration (this is non-binding):
November 15 – Deadline to submit the Common Application and Slideroom portfolio

Regular Freshman Admission:
January 15 – Deadline to submit the Common Application and Slideroom portfolio

For Spring semesters:

November 1: For Theatre Technical Tracks only

VCUarts continues to review applications until all spots are filled. Freshman applicants who submit complete applications by the deadline will receive a decision by April 1st.

Freshman applicants must apply using the Common Application.

Applicants may only submit one application to ONE major. Admitted students can request additional major/minor(s) during their first semester.

Applications will only be reviewed after ALL components have been received, including transcripts, test scores, and supplemental materials.

Include your Social Security number on your application if you wish to be considered for financial aid or the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime learning tax credit.

Please note: While VCU does not require your Social Security number for admission consideration, it is necessary for applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid and the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime Learning tax credit to provide a Social Security number to the university. To protect your privacy, your Social Security number will not be used as your VCU student identification number.

Request that your high school guidance counselor sends your official transcripts to VCU. Transcripts may be submitted electronically via the Common App or Naviance, or sent in the mail. If sending a hard copy in the mail, please request that your school counselor send your transcript, including:

• Senior-year courses and first-term grades, if available
• Class rank, if available
• High school profile

All foreign transcripts must be official and submitted in the original language. If the original language is not English, an official translation must be submitted along with the transcript.

Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes signed across the seal by official high school, university or college registrars.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Office of Admissions
PO Box 842526
Richmond, VA 23284-2526

VCU requires freshman applicants younger than 22 years of age to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their application to the university. It is recommended that you have your test scores sent to VCU electronically.

Applicants whose native language is one other than English must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to any other required test scores.

Score Optional Review

Freshman applicants with a minimum high school GPA of 3.3 may request that their application be reviewed without submitting standardized test scores (ACT/SAT). To be considered for admission to the university without submitting test scores, indicate that option on the “questions” section of Common Application. Questions about the test optional review can be directed to ugtestopt@vcu.edu. Please note the following exceptions:

Exceptions to Score Optional Review

Freshman applicants who wish to be considered for VCU’s merit-based scholarships (the Presidential, Provost and Deans scholarships) must submit SAT or ACT scores and cannot request the score optional review. The VCU Honors College also requires that all applicants submit SAT or ACT test scores and may not request to be reviewed without submitting these scores.

Admission to VCU remains a competitive process, and all candidates for admission will be considered on their own merits. Qualifying for application review without submitting standardized test scores does not guarantee admission to VCU.

Request your SAT scores from CollegeBoard (school code: 5570): sat.collegeboard.com

Request your scores from ACT (school code: 4379): actstudent.org/scores/send/

Once your application has been submitted, a link to schedule your audition will be sent to the email address listed on your application.

All Theatre VCU applicants, including Performance, Design/Technology, Stage Management, will be interviewed by one or more faculty members. The purpose of the interview is to allow faculty members to get to know more about the applicant’s interests, commitment and communication skills. This interview is an important part of the application process. Applicants should be prepared to discuss their recent theatre activities, career goals, as well as personal goals and experiences.

Audition/Interview Dates:

Spring Applicants

• Friday, November 8, 2019, 12 p.m.

Fall Applicants

• Friday, December 6, 2019, 12 p.m.
• Friday, January 24, 2020, 12 p.m.
• Friday, January 31, 2020, 12 p.m.
• Friday, February 7, 2020, 12 p.m.
• Friday, February 14, 2020, 12 p.m.

Prepare two contrasting (one comedic and one dramatic) one-minute monologues from published play scripts. Choose something in an appropriate age range that does not contain a dialect. Secure assistance in the preparation of audition materials.

Be sure to bring a resume and headshot to the audition. Introduce the audition pieces by only the play’s author, title and the character’s name (background on the scene or plot is not necessary). Maintain a positive attitude, dress professionally yet comfortably and, most importantly – have fun!

We find that the following playwrights are generally overdone or are more difficult for high school seniors to deliver successfully: Mamet, O’Neill, Pinter, Shakespeare, Shepard and Williams.

There are no portfolio requirements for Stage Management or optional portfolios. Please bring your prompt book to the interview.

Your portfolio will be submitted online through the VCUarts SlideRoom website. We cannot accept physical submissions.

Submit 12 to 16 works of art that you have created within the past two years that show your promise as theatre student. Present your strongest work and demonstrate your potential to develop a diverse set of skills and ideas. We prefer to see a diverse range of 2D and 3D media. Drawing from observation is recommended, while copying anime, cartoons, graffiti or tattoos is discouraged.

Images may be submitted in the following formats: .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, .TIF, .TIFF, .BMP, .TGA

Videos may be submitted in the following formats: .M4V, .MOV, .MP4, .WMV, .FLV, .ASF, .MPEG, .MPG, .MKV

All videos must be less than 3 minutes.

VCUarts applicants are required to have one reference submitted by their recommender of choice. Choose the person best qualified to assess your ability to be successful at VCUarts. You will be prompted to enter your recommender’s email address on the Common Application. You may only submit one recommender via the Common App. The system will then prompt your recommender to submit a letter of recommendation online. Be sure to notify your recommenders that you will list them.

If you feel it is necessary, you may submit up to two additional letters of recommendation. Your additional recommenders should mail their letters to:

VCU Office of Admissions
PO Box 842526
Richmond, VA 23284-2526