Because a goal of The Academy is a student’s conservatory placement in college, it is truly important to pick one art department to concentration on. The Chicago Academy for the Arts welcomes prospective students to be a part of The Academy experience through a Shadow Day: Full Shadow Day from 8:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or Arts Shadow Day from 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Applicants must submit the online application and complete the Shadow Day Registration to reserve a Full Shadow Day. This includes observing academic classes in the morning and your art department of choice in the afternoon.

An Arts Shadow Day is for interested applicants who want to get a better understanding of what it is like to hone their artistic skills at The Academy by observing and participating in a regular afternoon of art classes. 

Please contact Jessica Phelan, Senior Admissions Associate, at jphelan@chicagoartsacademy.org to learn more about your Shadow Day options. 

When choosing an arts department, keep these points in mind:

1. Musical Theatre involves elements of singing, acting, and dance. Students will need to display an interest and talent in all three areas. The Theatre Department is primarily concerned with acting, directing, and production.

2. The Music Department has two distinct paths: vocal and instrumental. The Department focuses only on classical and jazz music. Every student takes classes in piano.

3. The Media Arts Department is for writers, filmmakers, and animators looking to tell a story. Applicants concerned over whether to apply to Visual Arts or Media Arts should ask whether they are interested in storytelling. Animation students take classes in Visual Arts, so they are not giving up drawing if they choose this department. Students interested in fashion should choose the Visual Arts department.

4. While the Dance program is largely focused on ballet, your audition does not need to be in that discipline. Audition with whatever style of dance in which you are most comfortable.