Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) Application

Use this application if:

• You want to apply to degree studies for any session (Ontario high-school students should see their guidance office). Fee Information.
• You’re a mature or university/college applicant (if you’re applying to more than one university). Fee Information.

York University Application

Use this application if:

• You are a mature, international or university/college transfer applicant (if you’re only applying to York), OR
• You want to take courses as a Visiting Student, OR
• You want to apply to a certificate, OR
• You are currently taking a York pre-University/”Bridging” course or YUELI course

Fees: $130 (non-refundable)

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email containing your York reference ID. This email will be sent approximately 5-10 business days after you submit your application. Please complete step 2 once you have your York Reference ID.

Questionnaire: Outline a 6-8 min. no-budget film that you could make this summer, with a specific story you are passionate about. In addition, you will also be asked to describe your favourite filmmaker, what you hope to communicate as a filmmaker, one recent creative project that you were centrally involved in, and what the experience taught you.

Portfolio: We are also looking to see a 5-minute video (no longer) that has been directed by you. Alternatively, you can be the videographer, writer or editor (please specify your crew position). You can also submit photographs, visual art pieces or visual documentations of an artistic project that you created or developed. You may submit a compilation of projects or one single piece. Avoid demo reels cut to music.

Interview: Based on our evaluation of the questionnaire and portfolio submissions, short-listed applicants will be invited for an on-campus or Zoom interview. Interview days are generally scheduled in February and March.

Acceptance is based on all three elements of the supplementary evaluation – portfolio, statement and interview – in addition to your academic qualifications.

We strongly encourage all our short-listed applicants to attend the on-campus interview as it offers you the most extensive and engaged experience. However, if extenuating circumstances preclude you from coming to campus, you may arrange for a distance interview via Zoom.

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!

Screenwriting portfolio: Your writing portfolio should include your strongest creative writing in screenwriting, playwriting, or narrative prose writing. The portfolio should be 8 to 10 pages in length, double-spaced, and consist of no more than three separate pieces of writing. The pieces in your portfolio may be excerpts from larger pieces. Upload your portfolio as a single PDF file.

Questionnaire: Tell us about a story you would like to write for a ten minute film which could be made by a small student crew with limited locations, tell us about a character from a novel, screenplay, TV show, or play which you find particularly compelling, and Describe one recent creative project that you were centrally involved in.

After evaluators review your submission, certain applicants will be contacted to join the next round: a live 2 hour writing exercise hosted on Zoom.

Audition Process The Department of Dance BFA program requires you to complete a dance audition as part of your general admissions process. Typically, we have in-person auditions that take place in February/March, with the option to submit a video audition for those applicants living far away from the university.

For your online audition, upload no more than a 5 minute video of yourself doing the following components:
• Warm-up movement of your choice to get your body ready for this audition (no music) – 2 minutes long.
• Improvise or create a solo for yourself that uses levels and different qualities (with music) – 3 minutes long.

Dance in person: 1.5 hours, mix of contemporary movement, West ​African dance, and improvisation.

Part 1: Questionnaire
Goals, interest, other relevant experience

Part 2: Audition
1.5 hours
After audition: tour, performance viewing, and Student Q&A

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!

Preparing for your audition:

Read over the audition details below and check out our Audition FAQs here for information specific to your instrument and genre.

The audition: Our application process is designed to help us get to know each other. Our auditions are grouped into four broad categories of performance: Classical, Jazz, World Music, and Digital/Electronic Music. The area you choose to audition for should reflect your interests but does not imply that you will be limited to that area if you are accepted to the Department of Music. All of our students must demonstrate their musical ability in one of the above areas. If you have a particular interest (such as composition, music education, ethnomusicology or other music studies), please indicate this in the Supplementary Evaluation questionnaire.

Once you have completed the questionnaire you will be directed to choose your audition option and identify your focus further: instrument or voice, and performance category of Classical, Jazz, World Music. (If you wish to audition in Digital/Electronic Music, please be sure to indicate this in the Supplementary Evaluation.)

We are holding online auditions in February/March 2022. You have a choice of: 1) an Online option, where you record your performance (of two contrasting pieces) and include links to the recording with your application (you will be contacted for a follow-up (zoom) interview); or 2) Virtual option, where you perform and have your interview together, virtually, though zoom.

In both the Online option and Virtual option, the audition includes both performance and a conversation/interview, since we would still like to meet you!

What happens at an audition/interview?

Your audition will take 15 to 20-minutes and will generally include:

• A performance of your two contrasting pieces
• A discussion of your musical knowledge, experience, goals and aspirations
• Some assessment of theory and musicianship (you may be asked to identify intervals, scales and chord types, and sing pitches, intervals or scales)
• Some sight reading and additional exercises if further information is needed to make a complete assessment

Helpful information regarding choosing appropriate repertoire for your specific audition type may be found in our Audition FAQs.

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!

Theatre (BFA, BA) online and in-person audtions typically take place in January/February. There are 3 ways to apply to theatre.
1) live in person,
2) live over Zoom, or
3) video upload.

Please follow the directions below.

Part 1 – Getting to Know You.
Upload a reference letter.
Introduce yourself (please keep this part to 5 minutes) – speak of who you are, your interests and experiences; and please answer the following questions:

Why do you want to study theatre at York University?
What do you see as the role of theatre in our society?
Name a person or play that has influenced your passion for theatre and tell us how.
If you could create a dream job for yourself, what would it be?

Part 2 – Presentation (please prepare no more than 3 minutes of material)

Our application process is designed to help us get to know you. What you choose to perform or present should reflect your interests, but does not imply that you will be limited to that area if you are accepted to the Department of Theatre. During our first year, all students experience foundation training in all areas of the program. For the purposes of this evaluation, we prefer people to deliver a performance or presentation that is memorized or prepared material, rather than reading from a script or improvising. Please include no more than 3 minutes of material.

For video upload:

Your video should be filmed with a single camera, and should be unedited. We don’t require a professional recording. A basic “home” recording will suffice, provided the video shows you fully (not only your head/face) and the recording quality allows us to clearly view your presentation.

Prepare a performance of 1 of the following:

1. a contemporary monologue – use only published plays – read the play and know the story, don’t use monologue books! (you may be asked questions about your character)
2. a piece of your own dramatic writing
3. a song (some examples could be original, traditional, cover, standard, rap)
4. a poem (some examples could be original, spoken word, slam, ASL
5. a comedy routine
6. a dance piece (some examples could be street dance, traditional/folk dance, improvisational dance)
7. a performance that does not use text (some examples could be puppets, installation, juggling)

OR

Upload an oral presentation about one of the following:

1. your experience directing or dramaturging a play in production or a play in development
2. your experience in teaching theatre (acting, movement, improvisation)
3. your involvement in a community event or project
4. your experience in one of the following: producing, stage managing or building costumes, lights, sets, props for a performance piece
5. a design portfolio showcasing your original design work in costumes, sets, lighting or props (some examples could be drawings, photographs, painting)
6. an organized documentation of your own art or craft work (drawings, photographs, costumes, props, sets, paintings, furniture, metalwork)
7. a critique of a performance or play or artistic installation that you have seen. Your video should be filmed with a single camera, and should be unedited. We don’t require a professional recording. A basic “home” recording will suffice, provided the video shows you fully (not only your head/face) and the recording quality allows us to clearly view your presentation.

Choose the option you feel most comfortable with – the one that will allow you to reveal the most about yourself. Don’t worry about being locked into one area; we understand that you likely have more than one interest in theatre.

Part 3 – Written Exercise

List up to five theatrical productions and/or performances you’ve seen recently. Where possible, we encourage you to reference professional theatre productions but high school and/or community productions, including virtual/remote performances and installations, are also welcome. Please choose one of them to write about and discuss the elements of the performance and/or production that stood out for you

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!

Part 1: Comprise 8 artworks that illustrate your technical and creative abilities.

At least two different media should be presented from the following:

• drawing
• photography
• sculpture
• digital art
• printmaking
• computer-generated imagery
• Painting
• audio-video
• experimental work

Slides or photographs are acceptable for large or awkward pieces but original, unmounted artwork is preferred. Your portfolio may include work carried out for class assignments as well as independent projects.

Part 2: Sketchbook
A current sketchbook, idea book or journal is required and will count as one of your 8 pieces.

Questionnaire: Why do you want to study Visual Arts? What strengths and skills do you bring with you? How will York’s Visual Art Program help you achieve you goals as an artist?

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!

Assembling Your Portfolio

Your portfolio should comprise 10 to 12 samples of original work that demonstrate a wide range of ideas and competency with different media and tools. At least one piece in your portfolio should present word(s) and image(s) that communicate a message.

In addition to the types of work listed below, 8-10 images from a sketchbook or concept/idea book are required.

Your portfolio should contain your best work from at least 3 of the following areas (areas 1-6 are highly recommended for inclusion):

1. Two-dimensional design work e.g. designs for posters, logos, letterheads, book/magazine covers and interior page spreads.
2. Typography e.g. poetry or words using an expressive font or page layout, typeface designs, expressive lettering, projects with text settings designed for clear communication. Drawings and experiments with typographic form.
3. Interactive media e.g. web site design and/or other interactive work.
4. Motion graphics e.g. video or animation using images and typography. Short pieces with a strong message are preferred.
5. Drawing & Illustration e.g. direct observational drawings are preferred (not drawn from photographs). Imaginative drawing is also welcome. It is good to demonstrate the use of a wide variety of media (pen & ink, charcoal, pastel, coloured pencil, marker pen, collage, digital drawings).
6. Photography e.g. B&W prints, colour prints, hand-tinted prints, digitally manipulated.
7. Painting e.g. representative and/or non-representative in oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache.
8. 3D Design/Sculpture e.g. scale models from plan drawings, craft and fibre experiments.

The sketchbook or concept/idea book is a very important component of the portfolio. It should contain a variety of studies and examples of your media/tools experiments and demonstrate an exploration of visual and annotated ideas, comments and critiques. It will represent a variety of things that interest you and the ongoing development of ideas. Include 8-10 pages from your sketchbook as a single file.

Questionnaire: Why Design? Briefly describe your training or background in the visual arts/design. Briefly describe your reaction to a piece of design seen in the last year and explain why you feel it was effective. Tell us about a book, film, a piece of music, play or dance you have experienced within the last year that has had an impact on your understanding about art and design, and list some extracurriculars.

Questions? Email: evalampd@yorku.ca

Good luck!