BFA Stage Management

APPLICATION

The first step is to submit the online application. There is no application fee. Applicants receive a confirmation email and gain access to their DePaul Portal after they submit the online application.

Portfolio

The portfolio must be uploaded to your DePaul Portal and should include the following:

• Resume - should include theatre experience and non-theatre experience (extracurricular activities, employment, etc.)
• Examples of stage management paperwork - should demonstrate your organizational and planning skills and might include prompt book pages, calls sheets, rehearsal notes, communications, etc.
• Photograph - for identification purposes, need not be a professional headshot
• Essay - one page answering the following two questions:
  What are the skills and qualities of a successful stage manager?
  What is it about managing that you most enjoy?

Applicants may choose to include optional, additional items such as a video, artwork, technical theatre involvement examples, etc.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

Have an official copy of your high school transcript sent to The Theatre School Admissions Office. If you have taken college credit courses you wish to have considered for transfer credit, please have your official college transcripts sent to us as well. 

If you are a transfer applicant and have completed at least 30 hours of college credit or are 24 years or older, high school transcripts are not required.

TEST SCORES

You can choose to apply with or without ACT or SAT scores. If you choose to submit your test scores and they do not appear on your high school transcript, request the testing agency forward a score report to DePaul, if you have not already done so. Our college code number for ACT is 1012 and for SAT is 1165.

If you choose to apply test optional, you are required to submit answers to several short essay questions as part of the online application. Learn more about applying test optional.

If you are a transfer applicant and have completed at least 30 hours of college credit or are 24 years old or older, test scores are not required.

THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Request three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your desire to attend The Theatre School, such as a teacher, director, or employer. They should not be from family members or personal friends. There is no specific form required for the letter of recommendation. Your recommender may send their letter to us by mail or email, or your counselor may use the High School Counselor Recommendation Form on The Common Application.

Interview Fee

There is a $50 interview fee that must be paid before your application can be prescreened.

Interviews

Interviews for Stage Management applicants are by invitation and prescreen results are communicated on a rolling basis. All of the above application materials must be received before a prescreen decision can be made.

Applicants are given instructions on how to schedule the interview at the time they receive the interview invitation. Interviews take place in-person in Chicago or by phone, skype, or facetime.

You will interview one-on-one with a faculty member from the department to which you are applying. We believe that during the interview, the questions you have for us are as important as the questions we have for you. There is no fixed format or schedule of questions for the interview, so you will be evaluated as an individual by an individual. The faculty member who conducts the interview will be interested in your theatre experiences, academic record, personal achievements, extracurricular activities and plans for your artistic future. The best preparation for the interview is to be curious; come with plenty of questions about courses, instructors, programs of study, student life and anything else you would like to discuss.

APPLICATION STATUS CHECK

Application materials can be mailed, emailed, or uploaded through your DePaul Portal. To check the status of your application materials, view the checklist on your DePaul Portal or call The Theatre School Admissions Office at (773) 325-7999. Please allow at least three weeks from the time you send in your materials before requesting a status check.

Materials submitted to DePaul University by applicants or guidance counselors via Common App, Naviance, or other electronic sources will be received by The Theatre School Admissions. You do NOT need to send them to us again.