Juilliard School Dance
- Acceptance Rate
- 65.0%
- SAT Range
- 1050–1250
- ACT Range
- N/A
- Avg GPA
- 3.25
- Size
- N/A
- Type
- N/A
- Student:Faculty
- N/A
- Setting
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- Graduation Rate
- N/A
- Retention Rate
- N/A
- Tuition (In-State)
- N/A
- Tuition (Int'l)
- N/A
Student Life & Environment
Life at Juilliard Dance immerses students in an intensely focused artistic community where virtually everyone shares passion for dance. The conservatory environment differs fundamentally from typical university experience, with physical training, rehearsals, and performances occupying time that might go to social activities elsewhere. Daily schedules revolve around the physical demands of dance training. Mornings begin with technique classes, often by 8:30 AM, when bodies are fresh and capable of their best work. Afternoons involve rehearsals, composition classes, academic courses, and preparation for performances. Evenings may bring additional rehearsals or performances. Rest and physical recovery become essential concerns that structure social time. The Juilliard building at Lincoln Center houses rehearsal studios, theaters, practice spaces, and student facilities. Dancers spend much of their lives within this building, creating a community that can feel intense or claustrophobic depending on temperament. The shared physical experience of training creates strong bonds among students, with injuries, breakthroughs, and cast assignments affecting everyone's experience. Housing is guaranteed for first-year students in the Meredith Willson Residence Hall adjacent to the Lincoln Center campus. Upper-class students compete for limited continuing residence hall space or find apartments in Manhattan's notoriously expensive housing market. Many students share apartments with multiple roommates, stretching stipends and financial aid to cover New York living costs. Diversity within the Dance Division has improved but reflects ongoing challenges in American concert dance. The program actively recruits and supports students from underrepresented backgrounds, recognizing that the field's development requires diverse voices and perspectives. The small cohort size, typically around 24 students per year, means individual students' experiences can vary considerably based on cohort composition.
Location & Surroundings
The Juilliard School occupies purpose-built facilities at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Manhattan's Upper West Side. This location places students at the center of New York's unmatched dance ecosystem, with access to performances, companies, and professional networks unavailable anywhere else. Lincoln Center itself houses the New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs nearby, and dozens of other companies maintain New York bases. Students can see world-class dance regularly, developing connoisseurship alongside their own training. Professional dancers often teach at Juilliard or offer master classes, connecting students to working artistic lives. New York City demands adaptation from students arriving from elsewhere. The scale, pace, noise, and cost differ dramatically from most American cities. Housing costs consume large portions of student budgets even with financial aid. Navigating the subway system, managing personal safety, and handling urban stress become necessary life skills. However, most students find the city's cultural richness and professional opportunities more than compensate for these challenges. The Lincoln Center neighborhood combines proximity to Central Park's green spaces with Upper West Side residential character. Restaurants, cafes, and shops serve the area's professional and academic populations. The 66th Street subway station provides direct access to the 1 train, connecting to the rest of Manhattan. Climate in New York includes hot, humid summers and cold winters with occasional significant snowfall. The physical demands of dance training continue regardless of weather, requiring careful health management during temperature extremes and flu seasons. Students must balance the city's abundant dining options against nutritional needs for athletic performance.
Costs & Career Outcomes
Tuition at Juilliard currently exceeds $52,000 annually, with room, board, and other expenses bringing total cost of attendance above $75,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study. These costs reflect the intensive instruction, small class sizes, and New York City location that define the Juilliard experience. Financial aid significantly reduces costs for many students. Juilliard meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students, with the average aid package exceeding $40,000 annually. Merit scholarships may supplement need-based aid for particularly promising students. Still, many students and families borrow to cover remaining costs, a decision requiring careful consideration given dance career economics. Career outcomes in dance differ markedly from most fields. Professional dance careers are physically demanding, often brief, and rarely lucrative. Principal dancers at major companies may earn solid middle-class incomes, but most professional dancers supplement performing with teaching, choreographing, or non-dance work. The median career length for performing dancers is approximately 15 years, after which transitions to teaching, arts administration, or new careers become necessary. Juilliard dancers enjoy advantages in this competitive landscape. The school's reputation opens doors for company auditions, and the technical training prepares dancers for demanding repertory. Alumni networks at major companies mean Juilliard graduates often have connections when seeking positions. However, even Juilliard training cannot guarantee employment in a field with far more trained dancers than available positions. Major companies hiring Juilliard graduates include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Martha Graham Dance Company, and numerous other modern and contemporary companies. Some graduates join classical ballet companies, while others pursue careers in commercial dance, Broadway, or emerging hybrid forms. Teaching positions at universities and conservatories absorb many dancers as performing careers conclude. Students should enter Juilliard with realistic understanding that passion for dance must motivate the investment, as financial returns are uncertain. Those who succeed do so through artistic commitment, adaptability, and often willingness to create their own opportunities through choreography, company-building, or entrepreneurial approaches to dance careers.
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