The University of the Arts Top Questions

My college experience has been excellent. I have learned how to write TV shows and screenplays. I have created a portfolio of writings that I can take into the working world. I have also learned the ins and outs of the industry and therefore, I should be able to find employment. Since this school's program is very focused, note my major is Writing for Film and TV, that is what I have done for the last 3 years. This school has taken my raw talent and turned me into a sophisticated writer, just as good as anyone who is currently writing on a TV show today; or who has had a screenplay made into a movie. I have been encouraged, coached and pampered. The school has made me confident of my ability and ready to enter the workforce in my chose profession. I believe that is the most valuable gift that I have received from University of the Arts.

College has been an extremely positive experience in many aspects: it has stimulated my mind, pushed me to mature and develop in a beneficial direction, endowed me with a greater appreciation for the arts, given me the opportunity to improve my skills with communication and working successfully with others, and in many additional manifestations. I have gained so much knowledge from my classes that I can put into practical applications for now and for my future as a working artist. Never before have I grown to understand my art and myself so well as when I’m thriving at school. This school heavily emphasizes the benefits to working in groups and, through this course of action, I have greatly improved my attitude and communication skills. Not to mention, I have gained many friends who share my interests and passion for art; they will be life-long ties and network opportunities. Living on my own at UArts, I have also learned how to manage my time and money responsibly. This gained perspective is valuable to me because it will remain with me for my entire life, enriching my future and setting a positive attitude for my career path.

My college experience has made me feel like an expert in something I knew almost nothing about before I attended. I have learned that working with glass is my passion. I have had many experiences I would not have had without my professors. I have performed in glassblowing shows in NYC and the International Glass Art Conference I have started an internship at a local glass studio through people my professor introduced me to. I have also been able to teach glass classes on blowing and stained glass. Through these experiences I have learned what I want to do with my future and have gained confidence in my skills. Glassblowing is a skill I would like to continue to develop for the rest of my life. Performing and teaching are two paths that I never considered before. However, now that I have been able to do both, I already have plans to do so upon graduating next year. I even feel like I have the skills to build my own equipment and studio. The people I have met at or through my college feel that anything is possible with glass and they have made me feel the same way.

The University of the Arts allowed me to explore who I was as a person and as an artist in a comfortable and safe environment. I had a number of wonderful professors that challenged me as an artist and helped me both critic and develop my work. The University is located in Center City, Philadelphia. Philadelphia has a smaller town feel, but has many opportunities for artists and a lower cost of living than New York. However, if you decide you want to experience New Yorks' art scene it is only a train ride away.

I feel it's strange to say that I feel selfish about going to college. I know it's what my parents want for me, and I know that it is an opprotunity to expand my knowledge and skillset. However if there's one thing that college has taught me, it is that I am blessed with an opprotunity that very few will ever be able to experience. During my first semester I found a man in my class sketching into some raggedy book. He was my age, but I didn't recognize him from my class and asked if he was new. He looked up sheepishly and said he was hoping to observe the class. He told me how he was a poor artist that spent his time either drawing tourists or auditing classes. He simply didn't have the money or education to get into a college. Before this, I was oblivious about just how lucky I was.. I've decided to cherish my classes and knowledge gained from school, but to also focus on spreading free education to those who don't have the same opprotunity as me. Everyone deserves the chance to broaded their minds.

I have grown quite significantly as a creative arts student. I originally began in my freshman year as a Fine Arts major, but soon found a strong passion for Photography. I had to do a lot of catching up with my fellow photographer peers for the first semester as I had never taken a photography class before. What I have walked away with is a strong sense of motivation and drive to succeed within my feild. I learned quicker than I have ever learned before and I am still continuing to learn new things each day. This experience has been worth a lifetime for me, because I am now able to see clearly and without question what I would like to [pursue as a career. I am an aspiring photojournalist applying for this scholarship because I want to be able to continue on my path without as much financial hardship as I have recently encountered.

Freshman year was a year of personal discovery. Uarts rekindled my love and my passion for my quest in becoming a greater musician. I discovered confidence. I unlocked creativity. I discovered myself. Music is the center of my universe. I love music. Passion inspires my music. When I first came to Uarts, I really thought I was pretty good, but I was soon humbled by the sheer amount of excellent talent I was surrounded by. I found myself practicing my heart out in the silent darkness where no one could here how bad I was. Two people saved me from my depression. My mentor and my teacher Ron Kerber. Ron's lessons on Thursday became my favorite class of the week. Ron would take my expectations for myself and push them further than I thought possible. Suddenly, I found myself making new friends and playing on sateg regardless of how people thought I sounded. The University of the Arts has given me confidence not only for performing arts, but for everyday I live my life.

The University of the Arts has made my life a road paved with many bumps and rough patches, but through it all, this school made me understand the reality of where I stand as a person. Attending this school is a challenge. There are many struggles than there is ease while attending this university. With everything being taken into account, such as issues involving finance, housing, and academics, I'm glad to know I experienced all of that. I’ve learned that with every defeat come a victory and a lesson well learned. Challenges and struggles are a part of life and life will not get easier from this point on. The university forces us to realize that this is what we as students will face in the future. Going to this university does help us find one's identity as an artist, but more importantly, it gives us the oppurtunity to see ourselves as an adult. What we become and what we do in the future, depends on the challenges we face and the courage to overcome it in the present.

My college has expanded my veiw of acting and myself. I am not the cocky fish from the smallest of ponds that I once was. Not to say that I have lost confidence in myself (there were moments). The training we go through changes the way that you even approach the craft itself by giving you a foundation. In this foundation you find that there is much more work and specific ideas that go into this nebulous thing that we call acting. It also teaches you to live better and more freely in terms of remembering how to be innocent and how to play.

Attending University of the arts has been so valuable to me because I have opened myself in ways that I did not think were possible. In high school I was rather shy, but at Uarts I felt at home and at ease because everyone shared a common interst, art. I have made so many lifetime friends which is invaluable, not to mention great relationships with my professors. I have transformed as a dancer, my technique has flourished and so has my performance quality. I am able to speak out and communicate with others so much better than I have in the past. Uarts has directed me to the path of figuring out myself and what I truly want out of my dance career and out of life which is invaluable. University of the arts is a great place and I am fortunate to have been accepted into the establishment.