It depends on certain factors. For all areas, artistic admissions decisions are not disclosed before your academic admissions decision has been released. 

• For the visual arts, there are two application deadlines. If you apply by the Early Action deadline, you'll find out your artistic admissions decision when you learn your academic admissions decision in Early Action. If you apply by the Regular Decision/final deadline, then you'll learn your artistic admissions decision sometime around March 1st (for students admitted academically during Early Action) or when you find out your academic admissions decision (for students who deferred admission in Early Action or who applied during Regular decision).
• For the performing arts, if you attended an audition in November, there's a possibility you'll learn your artistic admissions decision at the same time as your Early Action admissions decision. All artistic decisions will be released around March 1st (for students admitted academically during Early Action), or when you find out your academic admissions decision (for students who deferred admission in Early Action or who applied during Regular Decision).

You can see all of the audition and portfolio review days by visiting this website: jmu.edu/arts/admissions.  Registration for the audition/portfolio reviews closes one week before the date and certain days have been known to fill up (there is a waitlist.) It is recommended to register for your audition/portfolio review at your earliest convenience to ensure you get the day you're seeking.

Your supplemental application is due at different times, depending on the program. 

• For the visual arts, there is an Early Action deadline (November) and a Regular Decision/final deadline (early February). Visit jmuarts.slideroom.com for more details on this year's specific due date. 

• For the performing arts, your application is due 7–10 days prior to attending your audition. Take a look at the individual program to determine how many days prior to auditioning your application is due. It's never a bad idea to submit your application early, though!

In MyMadison, it is only marked when someone has completed their audition or portfolio review. When you register for your audition or portfolio review isn't tracked. It may take up to a week after completing your audition/portfolio review for your MyMadison application status to be updated

The visual arts on-campus portfolio review isn't required, only highly recommended. Your portfolio review status will be marked as complete when you attend an on-campus portfolio review or when your application is reviewed by the faculty members—whichever one happens first. The language is kept a bit vague because it is encouraged for as many people to attend an on-campus portfolio review as possible. If you would like to be considered for a merit scholarship from the School of Art, Design and Art History, you must attend an on-campus portfolio review or arrange a Skype interview (contact artdesignarthistory@jmu.edu for more details).

Click on the word "Incomplete" in MyMadison for more details about your application status. It will still say incomplete until you've completed an audition/portfolio review or until the faculty members have reviewed your digital portfolio. If it says your SlideRoom application has not been received, please allow up to one week for processing to mark your SlideRoom application as received (it's not automatic). If it's been more than a week and it still says your SlideRoom application has not been received, email admissionscvpa@jmu.edu for further investigation. 

The performing arts do accept video auditions for admission into most of the programs. If you would like to submit a video audition, please contact theatredance@jmu.edu or music_admit@jmu.edu, and they will provide you with the link. Please note that you will not qualify for merit scholarship from the School of Theatre and Dance or the School of Music if you submit a video audition.

Every year there are students who apply to a College of Visual and Performing Arts major who do not complete the audition or portfolio review process. You can still be admitted to JMU academically, but unless you complete an audition or portfolio review, you will not be allowed to register as a CVPA major during the orientation process.  There are some majors that do not require a portfolio review in the visual arts: Art History and Art (B.A./B.S.). If you're interested in pursuing a CVPA major, it is recommended that you complete the audition or portfolio review process as a high school senior (since many of the courses are sequential, and not starting in your first year could leave you behind towards completion of the degree in four years).  That being said, not completing an audition or portfolio review during this process doesn't mean you won't be able to pursue the visual and performing arts once you're a student at JMU, but know there are still additional audition/portfolio review steps and no guarantees.

Absolutely! Every year there are students who enroll at JMU who were not admitted artistically to the College of Visual and Performing Arts. There are many ways to explore your artistic passions, even if you're not in one of the arts majors. You can still audition for ensembles or productions as a non-major; you can declare an art, theatre, or music minor (with many subspecialties available too); you can also re-audition or submit another portfolio review as a current student. There is definitely still a path for you here at JMU!

In the School of Art, Design and Art History, you can declare an Art History or a Art (BA/BS) without completing a portfolio review.  All of the performing arts majors (Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, and Theatre) require an audition or portfolio review.  You can declare a Dance, Music, Theatre, or Art minor without completing an audition or portfolio review.

If you've been artistically waitlisted, that means the faculty members were not ready to immediately offer you a spot in the program. The college will typically wait to see how many students decide to enroll before making your final waitlist decision. Sometimes that happens before May 1, but often it will happen after the deposit deadline. Being on the waitlist does not guarantee a spot in the program, and if you've been artistically admitted to another university that is of interest to you, being on the artistic waitlist at JMU should not stop you from making a deposit elsewhere. You can let us know your interest by choosing to stay on the waitlist in MyMadison and staying in close contact with the program area coordinator to stay apprised of your place on the waitlist.

CHOICES+ is a special event for students who are admitted both academically and artistically to the College of Visual and Performing Arts. This exclusive event includes the full CHOICES curriculum and a special overnight stay celebrating the class of 2024. Qualifying students will receive an email invitation in March. While here, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Spend the night on campus with a current College of Visual and Performing Arts student;

• Attend classes with a student studying in your discipline and interact with area faculty members;

• Join us for a special evening reception for you and your guests with faculty and current students within the College of Visual and Performing Arts;

• Get to know other JMU arts students from the class of 2024 at a casual mix and mingle;

• Introduce your family to the deans of the College of Visual and Performing Arts in a presentation/Q&A highlighting our commitment to "Arts for the Real World":

• Participate in a private Harrisonburg walking tour with the Arts Council of the Valley.

• Wayland Hall is a first-year residence hall located in the Bluestone area of campus and is home Wayland Hall, the arts living-learning community. It's located just minutes away from Duke Hall, the Forbes Center, and the Music Building, and includes special arts features like:

  • first-floor art gallery and lounge space

  • two practice rooms with pianos

  • maker-space with lockers and easels

  • 150-seat recital hall

• Students who live in Wayland Hall will take a class called Arts 100 in their fall semester. This class investigates the connections between the visual and performing arts mediums, while also examining the broader impact of the arts in the world at large. As a student in this class, you'll be discussing different visual and performing arts mediums, attending performances, visiting galleries, and making long-lasting connections with students across different arts majors.

There are two ways that students are placed into Wayland Hall for their first year:

• Guaranteed spot: A select number of students will be given a guaranteed spot in Wayland Hall as a part of their artistic admissions decision. If you've been given a guaranteed spot, you'll see a Wayland Hall paragraph underneath your artistic admissions decision letter in MyMadison. If you are given a guaranteed spot in Wayland Hall, you'll have until May 15th to decide if you would like to room there.

• RLC application: The Office of Residence Life offers an application to live in one of our Residential Learning Communities (RLC). After you've placed your deposit, follow the steps outlined in your One Book to access the application starting on April 1. Please note that finding a roommate who is also a College of Visual and Performing Arts major will increase the likelihood of being placed in Wayland Hall during the application process.  The deadline to apply to live in the Wayland Hall RLC is May 15th.