Admissions Update

Summer Update - Applicants for fall 2010: Ellington is currently completing registration of returning and new students, and we will know by early-mid August if we have unexpected openings in particular departments.  Auditions for any openings would be held the week of August 16.  If you would like to be considered for a possible audition, please complete the online application found below, and be sure to send in your final report card from this past year as well as your paragraphs and any recommendation letters. If we do have departmental openings, we will first invite & audition students who have completed the application AND sent in materials by August 11.

Applicants for the 2011-2012 school year:  We will begin accepting online applications for the 2011-2012 school year on October 1 and will hold auditions after winter break.  Please check back with us in early September for specific open house and audition schedules.

Questions? Please contact Ms. Power at bpower@ellingtonarts.org or 202-298-1777 ext.1774

Admissions Process and Application

Ellington auditions incoming 9th and 10th graders, with exceptions made in the upper grades for students transferring from an accredited arts school and for students in active military families.  Because Ellington is a D.C. public school, attendance is tuition-free for verified District residents.  Non-residents may attend but must pay tuition to the District of Columbia Public Schools.  Please click here for more information for non-residents.

Admission to Ellington follows a five-part process:

1) Complete the online application,

2) Submit additional application materials,

3) Audition,

4) Take an academic assessment test, and

5) Participate in a family interview. 

So let's get started!

1. Click here to complete the online application form.

Please be sure to complete all information completely and accurately!  A misspelled email address or an incomplete mailing address (D.C. quadrant?  Zip code?  Apartment number?) could prevent us from getting in contact with you to schedule your audition.  Please be sure the primary contact email address is correct - that is how we will contact you with your audition schedule and subsequent results!

2. Submit additional application materials

After you've submitted your online application, you will receive a confirmation email that tells you to send us the following supporting materials so that your application is complete.  We must receive all these materials BEFORE we will schedule your audition. 

As soon as possible, you will need to send our admissions director:
    A copy of your most recent report card. If report cards have not yet been issued for this school year, this may be your final report card from the previous school year.
•       Two (2) letters of recommendation, one from an arts teacher and one from an academic teacher.  (Note:  these truly are letters - we do not use recommendation forms.)
•       Two (2) small photos with your name written on the back.  Passport size is fine.
•       A paragraph explaining why you’d like to attend Duke Ellington as opposed to a more traditional high school.
•       A separate paragraph for EACH arts area for which you will audition explaining why you are drawn to that arts area, and what you would hope to gain by coming to Ellington.

All materials should include the applicant's name and be sent to Barbara Power at bpower@ellingtonarts.org or by mail to:

Barbara Power

Admissions Director

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts

3500 R Street, NW

Washington, DC 20007

**If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submitting your online application, contact the Admissions Director (Barbara Power).**

3.  Audition!

Applicants who submit their online application and supporting materials by the deadlines will be scheduled for an audition(s).  Note that you must have sent us a paragraph about each of the art areas for which you would like to audition - if you selected multiple auditions on your application but only send in paragraphs for 1 or 2 auditions, you will be scheduled for only those 1 or 2.

The bulk of our auditions will be scheduled for the week of January 25th between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Additional audition times will be added if needed. When we notify you of your audition date and time, we will also email you the audition requirements - click here if you would like to learn now about audition requirements for each arts department.  Please be sure to read the requirements closely - failure to prepare and provide all materials can adversely affect your audition!  After your audition, please do not call regarding your results.  Once decisions have been made, we will contact you in a timely manner.

4. Take an academic assessment test

Those who pass their audition will be scheduled for an academic assessment and family interview.  Ellington auditions students from well over 100 schools, so the standardized academic assessment test is an important tool for us to understand your report card.  And if you come to Ellington for school, it helps us to place you in the proper class sections.  The test itself takes approximately 2 hours, and we will supply all testing materials. 

5. Participate in a family interview

The family interview is the last step of our process, and is extremely important.  You've passed your audition so we've already met you artistically - this is the chance for us to learn about you as a whole - the artist, the student, the person.  Family interviews are conducted with the applying student accompanied by at least one supporting adult, staff from the relevant arts department, the Dean of Students, and the Dean of Academics.  Interviews are approximately 20 minutes long.  They give us a chance to get to know each other better and to each assess whether Ellington is a mutual fit - Ellington for you as well as you for Ellington.  Admissions decisions are determined within a few weeks of the family interview.