Applications for the 2021-2022 school year will be available online early November 2020. Conservatory Workshops/Reviews are held in January and February.

Conservatory Workshops/Reviews provide applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their artform and receive helpful feedback from our conservatory staff. Conservatory Workshops/Reviews may include a submission of digital materials or an in-person experience. In-person experiences may include showcasing prepared materials or a prepared performance piece. Applicants should carefully examine the specific Workshop/Review Guidelines to prepare for their Conservatory Workshops/Reviews. If the guidelines specify that materials will be submitted digitally, those materials will need to be included when the application is submitted on or before January 5, 2021. No student will be able to select a conservatory for enrollment if they have not completed ALL aspects of the Workshop/Review Guidelines for that conservatory.

New applicants will need to create a new applicant portal in OCSA’s Admissions System. Applicants who have previously submitted an application will have access to their previously created applicant portal. Families with multiple students applying must use an individual, unique email account for each applicant. When creating your account, please enter the student applicant's first and last name, but the parent’s or guardian’s email address. All admissions information will be sent via email to the primary email account associated with the application. Once an application is submitted, log in to your Applicant Portal to view your status.

OCSA will not request a prospective student to submit any student records, including transcripts, grades, birth certificates, individualized education plans, or 504 plans prior to enrollment at OCSA. For Conservatory Workshops/Reviews, depending on the conservatory for which you are applying, a prospective student may submit an art portfolio or YouTube link(s), along with the application submission. Please carefully review the Conservatory Workshop/Review Guidelines prior to submitting your application.

As part of the application processing, all submitted documents must be verified as correct. Checklist items, such as submitted artwork and YouTube videos, will initially show as “Not Received” highlighted with a red X. Once the application is processed, these checklist items will show as “Received” highlighted with a green checkmark. Workshop/Review participation will be recorded and included with the Checklist Items shown in the applicant portal.  If additional applicant information is needed, the Admissions Department will contact you via email. The email address used to create your applicant portal will be used for all communication. Please use a parent or guardian email address.

While students may only select one conservatory for enrollment, we encourage all applicants to participate in Workshops/Reviews for three different conservatories, in order to best prepare themselves to select a conservatory that would be a good fit for them. We strongly recommend that all applicants who have selected the Instrumental Music Conservatory or the Popular Music Conservatory also participate in a workshop/review for at least one other conservatory. These conservatories do not have an entry level of instruction, thus spaces are limited. If an applicant does not meet the minimum proficiency in their Conservatory Workshop/Review for either Instrumental Music or Popular Music, they will need to select one of their alternate conservatory choices for enrollment.

The window to schedule any in-person or virtual Conservatory Workshops/Reviews will open on November 30, 2020. When you schedule your Workshop/Review, you will receive a confirmation email containing complete details for the event. The applicant’s portal will also show the Workshop/Review date and a reminder email will be sent a few days prior to the event. These emails will be sent to the primary email address used to set up the applicant’s portal. Please use a parent or guardian email address when setting up your applicant portal. 

Yes. A new application and completed Workshop/Review is required.

No. As long as the student wishes to remain in their current conservatory, they will not have to complete the admissions process again.

All admissions-related deadlines and events appear on the OCSA website. 

Depending on available classroom space, students may be offered enrollment mid-year. Mid-year offers of enrollment may be extended to applicants currently on the OCSA waitlist.

No. OCSA is a closed campus and non-OCSA students may not visit classes at any time during the academic or conservatory day. 

OCSA provides a rigorous college-preparatory academic program. Students are expected to make a commitment to their academics as well as their conservatory classes. OCSA adheres to the California State Mandated Requirements for High School Graduation and students must complete the minimum requirements for graduation by the end of their senior year. OCSA does not limit admission or enrollment for academically low-achieving pupils. The school’s faculty and staff are committed to supporting the educational needs of each and every student.  

After becoming familiar with the various conservatories and the skills characteristic of those conservatories through OCSA’s Preview Day, prospective students are invited to fill out an application and participate in the Conservatory Workshop/Review Process to help them decide which conservatory is the best fit for them. Applicants will then select their desired conservatory for enrollment. Should the number of applicants exceed space available, a lottery is conducted, by conservatory, to determine which students are admitted. OCSA admits all applicants on a space-available basis.

The deadline to apply for the 2021-2022 school year is January 5, 2021.

Soon after completion of each of their Conservatory Workshops/Reviews, applicants will receive a rubric with helpful feedback from our conservatory staff, which they can use to select a conservatory for enrollment. Applicants will only be able to select a conservatory for which they have completed a Conservatory Workshop/Review. Applicants will not be able to change their conservatory selection after it has been submitted. If there are more applicants than spaces available, there will be a lottery conducted in order to determine enrollment in each conservatory. The enrollment lottery will be drawn by grade, conservatory, and when applicable, concentration. Each applicant will be randomly assigned an Applicant Number at the time their application is submitted, which will be used to identify that applicant in the enrollment lottery. The enrollment lottery will be conducted in accordance with the application of lawful preferences stated in our charter, and will be livestreamed so it can be viewed from any device that has internet access. All applicants will be notified of the results of the enrollment lottery within 10 business days. Once all enrollment spaces are filled for a particular conservatory, Applicant Numbers will continue to be drawn and placed on a waitlist in the order drawn.

No. OCSA does not provide I-20 paperwork necessary to support student visas.

Additional support is available for students, parents, or guardians who require translation in order to best understand our admissions processes, as well as for those who need technology assistance. Applicants who have received or are currently receiving special services are encouraged to request any necessary accommodations to support them during the admissions process. Please contact admissions@ocsarts.net or call 714.560.0900 ext. 5510 to receive support. All students who have a passion and/or interest in the arts are encouraged to apply.

Yes. All applicants who wish to be considered for admission to both Orange County School of the Arts and California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley must submit an individual application for each school. It is necessary for applicants to participate in individual Workshops/Reviews for each school and conservatory for which they are interested in enrollment. If the applicant is offered enrollment at multiple schools, the applicant will select the campus of their choice for enrollment.

Applicant status information can be viewed in your applicant portal. If additional information is needed, you will be contacted via email. The email address used to set up your applicant portal is the primary email and will be used for all communication from the Admissions Department. Please use a parent or guardian email address when setting up your applicant portal.

We ask that all applicants commit to the date and time that they initially scheduled for their Conservatory Workshop/Review. All in-person or virtual Workshops/Reviews take place in January and February. Scheduling your Workshop/Review as soon as possible is recommended, as space is limited for each available date.

Yes. A new application and completed Workshop/Review is required.

Yes. Current OCSA students are welcome to apply for a conservatory transfer once per year. Current students wishing to apply to a new conservatory must submit a complete conservatory transfer application and participate in a new workshop/review activity for their desired conservatory. The deadline to apply for a conservatory transfer for the 2021-2022 school year is January 5, 2021.

OCSA currently receives more than 2,000 applications annually. The school is forecasting enrollment space for approximately 550 new students for the 2021-2022 school year. The majority of available enrollment spaces are in grades 7, 8, and 9.

Preview Days are traditionally held on the school’s campus three times each year. Prospective students and families receive an overview of the academic and arts programs, and have the opportunity to meet with conservatory directors and take a self guided campus tour. Private tours are not available. With current social distancing measures in place, OCSA is offering a Virtual Preview Day experience for the 2021-2022 application period.

OCSA does not condition its admissions on performance ability. OCSA is committed to serving all students who have demonstrated a passion and/or interest in the arts. Prospective students are encouraged to attend a Preview Day to familiarize themselves with the various conservatories and the skills characteristic of those conservatories.

OCSA is a tuition-free, donation-dependent, public charter school. No student is offered or denied enrollment based upon financial capacity. Each school year, funds must be raised to support the operation costs of the different arts conservatories, and the school relies on parents and the community-at-large to help reach fundraising goals. OCSA does not require parents or guardians to make financial contributions of any kind.