The Juilliard School

New York, NY · Private · 468 undergrads

Admit rate: 9.2% (2,020 applicants)
Undergraduates: 468 (31.6% international)
Average net price: $43,571 (per year after aid)
Graduation rate: 93% (within 6 years)

Deadlines

Regular Decision: Nov. 2, 2026
Regular Decision: Dec. 1, 2026
Regular Decision: Dec. 2, 2026

Essays

Music applicants (BM) (250 to 650 words)

(Quotation from Wynton Marsalis, To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road) "As you grow older, self-knowledge becomes one of the hardest things to acquire….The first level of mastery occurs over self." As a musician, you may have thought about who you are and why you want to pursue an education in music. For this essay, begin by explaining in a few sentences what this quote means to you. Then write about a moment, musical or otherwise, when your knowledge of yourself changed—when an experience, and your reflections on that experience, deepened your understanding of who you are. Finally, write about how deeper self-knowledge will aid you in your studies at Juilliard and in your overall growth as an artist.

Dance applicants (BFA) (1 to 2 pages, double-spaced)

Please describe how you first became interested in dance and what inspires you to continue your training and pursue dance at the collegiate and professional levels. Tell us how you learned about Juilliard and why you have chosen to apply to the Dance Division. In your response, please discuss how conservatory training aligns with your artistic and professional aspirations, and how you believe a Juilliard education will help you achieve your future goals.

Acting applicants (BFA) (250 to 650 words)

Please write about why you have chosen to become an actor and your personal artistic goals.

Optional circumstances essay (Short essay)

Should you have a personal or academic circumstance that you would like to share, you have the option to submit an additional short essay.

Editor's notes

At Juilliard the audition decides almost everything, and the faculty recommend first, then the admissions committee reviews academics. So the essay won't rescue a weak audition, but it is read. Write it with the same care you give your repertoire.
Find your exact date before anything else. Prescreened acting applicants are due Nov. 2, dance Dec. 1, and the music pages say Dec. 2. Prescreening recordings are due with the application, not after, and the music pages say to upload well before the deadline.
Don't assume a merit package will arrive on its own. Aid forms are due Feb. 20, 2027 if you're invited to audition, and Juilliard says it can't meet full need for everyone. Run the net price calculator early.