OCSA provides a rigorous college-preparatory academic program and adheres to the California State Mandated Requirements for High School Graduation. Students are expected to make a commitment to their academics, as well as their conservatory classes, and must complete the minimum set of requirements for graduation by the end of their senior year. The school’s faculty and staff are committed to supporting the educational needs of each and every student.

Prospective and enrolled students cannot apply to a grade level above the standard grade level for their age or apply to "skip" a grade level.

Conservatory Placement Activities provide applicants with an opportunity to demonstrate their art form. With the exception of the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory, all OCSA conservatories require participation in a Placement Activity. Upon completion of the Conservatory Placement Activity, applicants will receive a scored rubric with helpful feedback and a proficiency level from our conservatory staff. Applicants will only be able to add an entry into the lottery for a conservatory in which they have completed a Placement Activity and met the minimum proficiency level.

Applicants should carefully examine the specific Placement Activity Guidelines for each conservatory, as ALL aspects of the guidelines are required for an application to be considered complete. If submissions do not match the Placement Activity Guideline requirements, the final rubric score will be affected. When guidelines specify that materials are to be submitted digitally, those materials should be included when the application is submitted on or before January 17, 2023. Conservatory material such as art portfolios and writing samples must be saved as a single PDF in order to be successfully uploaded into the application. For assistance converting a file into a PDF, please contact our Admissions Office as soon as possible. Please do not wait for the application submission deadline to request help.

For in-person Placement Activities, applicants will be able to schedule their appointment dates and times. The window to schedule any in-person Conservatory Placement Activities will open on November 30, 2022. All in-person Placement Activities for the upcoming school year will be conducted in January and February 2023. Once a Placement Activity appointment is scheduled, there can be no changes to the scheduled date or time.

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.

If you have questions, please read our Admissions FAQ. You may also contact our Admissions Office at admissions@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 5510.