Class of 2031 Arts Merit Scholarship Application

This scholarship application is for Bucknell Class of 2031 applicants interested in applying for the Arts Merit Scholarship(s).

Bucknell's Arts Merit Scholarships are awarded to selected first-year students who plan to pursue studies in art & design, art history, creative writing, dance, film/media studies, literary studies, music (major or non-major) or theatre (performance or design and technology). Financial need is not a requirement. Recipients will receive notifications along with their admissions decisions.

The following are the deadlines to apply for scholarships based on your application round:

Early Decision I: November 1
Early Decision II: January 10
Regular Decision: January 10

If you have any questions about the scholarship process, please reach out to ArtsMerit@bucknell.edu. If you have department specific questions, please reach out to your faculty liaison.

For more information, visit the Art Merit Scholarships Website.

*Required Fields

General Information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Confirm Email Address

Birthdate

Art and Design

Art & Design scholarships will be awarded based solely on the Arts Merit Scholarship application materials. An interview or campus visit is not required or expected, and will not factor into the selection process.

Recipients must major in Art & Design.

200 to 300 word statement about why you want to major in Art & Design at Bucknell.

Applicants will need to submit the following portfolio item(s):

Portfolio of 10 JPEG images of artwork.
Document with information about each image: title, year created, dimensions, and media.

Art History

Arts Merit Scholarships in Art History are awarded to Art History applicants with outstanding academic profiles. No separate application is required. Simply checking the box above and submitting this form will indicate your interest in being considered.

Recipients must major or minor in Art History.

Creative Writing

Arts Merit Scholarships in Creative Writing are awarded to prospective students with outstanding academic profiles with a commitment to English-Creative Writing. Applicants who select Creative Writing as a prospective major or primary area of interest are automatically considered for the Arts Merit Scholarship. No separate application is required. The faculty liaison, Professor Elinam Agbo, will contact finalists to schedule an interview. Simply checking the box above and submitting this form will indicate your interest in being considered.

Recipients must major or minor in Creative Writing.

Dance

Dance scholarships will be awarded based on the Arts Merit Scholarship application materials and an audition. Dance faculty liaison, Professor Dustyn Martincich, will reach out to selected finalists to schedule an audition.

Recipients must minor in Dance.

Essay (up to 250 words) on this prompt: A liberal arts dance curriculum emphasizes a broad-spectrum view of the discipline—history, theory, performance, and design and production. It also examines dance's relationship to other academic disciplines. Why are you interested in a liberal arts program in dance?

Applicants will need to submit the following portfolio item(s):

Dance Resume
Video (preferably featuring solo performances in all dance styles studied or identify yourself in group pieces).

Film/Media Studies

Film/Media Studies scholarships will be awarded based on the Arts Merit Scholarship application materials and a virtual audition. The Film/Media Studies faculty liaison, Rebecca Meyers, will reach out to selected finalists to schedule an interview.

Early Decision I and II, and Regular Decision finalist applicants must arrange a virtual audition directly with the Film/Media Studies faculty liaison.

Recipients must major or minor in Film/Media Studies.

In 500 words, explain why you are interested in studying film/media studies and what skills or interests you would offer Bucknell's film community.

Applicants will need to submit one of the following:

1. Sample film or televisual analysis that demonstrates critical thinking skills (1,500 to 2,000 words, double-spaced, 12pt font). No film reviews, please.

2. Sample screenplay (in proper screenplay format).

3. Video excerpt of creative film/audiovisual production work. No more than five minutes, please. For longer films, it is best to share the first five minutes of the work. In the case of shorter films, combining a 3 minute film with the first 2 minutes of another film is permitted. However, please note that this should not be a highlight reel. You may submit a video file or link to YouTube, Vimeo or other video-sharing sites. This can be work produced for a class, in a summer workshop, independently or for the purpose of this application.

Literary Studies

Arts Merit Scholarships in Literary Studies are awarded to prospective students with outstanding academic profiles with a commitment to English-Literary Studies. Applicants who select Literary Studies as a prospective major or primary area of interest are automatically considered for the Arts Merit Scholarship. No separate application is required. The faculty liaison, Professor J. Chow, will contact finalists to schedule an interview. Simply checking the box above and submitting this form will indicate your interest in being considered.

Recipients must major in Literary Studies.

Music (Major)

All prospective music majors who complete an audition will be automatically considered for Arts Merit Scholarships.

For information on what to prepare for an audition, visit the "Suggested Audition Materials" section of the Department of Music Auditions webpage.

Application

Complete the audition form on the Department of Music Auditions webpage to sign up for an audition.

Audition

Refer to the Department of Music Auditions webpage for specific audition requirements.
Music major candidates — including composition candidates — must attend an on-campus interview where they will have auditions and sample lessons with music faculty, meet current merit scholars, and tour music facilities. Requests for virtual interviews and auditions (such as long-distance travel) may be made by emailing music@bucknell.edu

Music (Non-Major)

All prospective non-music majors who wish to participate in music department ensembles or chamber groups, or to provide musical accompaniment, are eligible for Arts Merit Scholarships. No on-campus audition is required.

Applicants will need to submit the following portfolio item(s):

Upload an audition video, including:

Instrumental audition: A video featuring a solo performance (no large ensemble work) less than 10 minutes in length.
Voice audition: A video featuring a solo performance — do not master the audio.

Theatre

Theatre scholarships will be awarded based on the Arts Merit Scholarship application materials and an audition. Theatre faculty liaison, Mark (Hutch) Hutchinson, will reach out to selected finalists to schedule an audition.

Recipients must major or minor in Theatre.

Area of Interest

Performance

Design and Technology

Essay (up to 300 words) on this prompt: What are you bringing and what do you want us to gain from working with the Bucknell Theatre community?

Applicants will need to submit the following portfolio item(s):

Please submit a resume that highlights your experience in theatre (acting, directing, design and technology).
1 Letter of Recommendation - Theatre teacher, director, coach or mentor

Once you have submitted your Arts Merit Scholarship application, next you must fulfill the requirements laid out by each department based on your application round. Please visit the Arts Merit Scholarship Website to review the requirements of your department’s scholarship application.

Arts Merit Scholarship applicants will receive an email confirming their application which will include follow-up instructions and a list of required portfolio materials.

We look forward to reviewing your application!

Class of 2031 Arts Merit Scholarship Application

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