Creative Arts Scholarships

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Whittier College is pleased to offer Creative Arts Scholarships to newly admitted students interested in participating in our Film, Art, Music, Theater, or English programs.

Creative Arts scholarships are renewable for up to four years of continuous study at Whittier College provided that the recipient meets their scholarship's unique requirements. International students are not eligible to receive Creative Arts Scholarships.

The Creative Arts Scholarship Application is open for submissions.

You must be a Whittier College applicant to be eligible for these Scholarships. Visit our First-Year or Transfer admission pages for more details about how to apply if you have not done so already.

Creative Arts Scholarships

Participation Requirements

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student (at least 12 units per semester)
  • Enroll in at least one art course per year
  • Attend all art scholarship meetings
  • Maintain a 3.00 GPA in studio courses, and maintain a 2.75 overall GPA.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of scholarship.

Application Process

The Creative Arts Scholarship is based on a separate online application process from the Whittier College application. We will match your Creative Arts Scholarship application with your Whittier College record using your email address.

  • Art portfolio: See directions below
  • Art Essay: In 600 words or less, express the importance of art in your life presently and the place you believe it will hold in your future. Please write and save this essay in a format like Word, then be ready to copy and paste its contents into the application form when prompted. 

Art Portfolio

Prior to completing the Creative Arts Scholarship Application, you must assemble a portfolio using the following guidelines:

  • Select 10-20 pieces of art, with at least two drawings if possible
  • Create a folder in Google Drive titled, “[First and Last Name] Art Portfolio”
  • Copy .jpg image files of each portfolio submission into this folder
  • Further submission instructions can be found in the application

Participation Requirements

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student (at least 12 units per semester)
  • Make at least one short film and/or participate as a key crew member in at least two student film productions per year and become an active member of Video Production Studios (VPS) on campus 
  • Attend and participate in the Whittier College Student Film Festival (as a filmmaker or with festival prep and setup)
  • Complete at least three credits in Film per year
  • Remain in good academic standing with the College, minimum 2.0 GPA

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of scholarship.

Although not required, most Creative Arts Scholarship recipients will opt to declare and fulfill a Film Major or Minor.

Application Process

  • Film Example: Select one or more examples of your best work as a filmmaker. Provide an unlisted YouTube or Vimeo link for each example. Copy the link(s) and include in your application.
  • Film Reflection: Write a reflection about one of the filmmaking examples you shared as your best work that includes your reason for choice of subject matter, your artistic process (the challenges and rewards of making the film/what worked during production and what didn’t) and what you hope your audience “takes away” from the experience after watching your film. Upload or attach where indicated on application.
  • Artistic Statement: Write an artistic statement (or you can shoot a video of yourself) that describes the reason(s) you want to be/are a filmmaker and your future career plans. If you choose the video option, include an unlisted YouTube or Vimeo link in your application. Upload and attach where indicated on application.

Participation Requirements

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student (at least 12 units per semester)
  • Enroll in Music 70, Introduction to Music Theory and Musicianship during their first year, or transfers in comparable coursework (requires course enrollment; Music 70 is only offered in the Fall Semester, so plan accordingly)
  • Participates in a leadership capacity each semester in at least one Music Department-approved musical ensemble (requires course enrollment; course numbers vary per ensemble)
  • Maintains a cumulative GPA of 2.5

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of scholarship. 

Application Process

The Creative Arts Scholarship is based on a separate online application process from the Whittier College application. We will match your Creative Arts Scholarship application with your Whittier College record using your email address.

  • Music audition: See directions below
  • Music Essay: In 600 words or less, express the importance of music in your life presently and the place you believe it will hold in your future. Please write and save this essay in a format like Word, then be ready to copy and paste its contents into the application form when prompted. 

Auditions

For the current year, all music auditions will be conducted online via YouTube.

YouTube Auditions

To submit your video audition, you will copy its link into your application form. Therefore, you must be prepared to submit this video by the application date.

  • Make sure that your YouTube video is not set to Private
  • You may set the video to Unlisted to prevent unauthorized viewers
  • Title your video “Whittier Music Audition: [First and Last Name]”
  • Include the titles and composers of the work(s) performed in your video description
  • You may submit one YouTube video that includes both audition pieces, or two separate YouTube videos that each contain a single audition piece

Videos of live public performances or group performances will not be accepted. Treat this exactly as you would a live audition, performing solo or with one accompanist in a private room as though you were performing in front of the audition committee.

Participation Requirements

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student (at least 12 units per semester)
  • Participate in at least two Theatre Arts Department main season productions as an actor or a technician each academic year
  • Complete at least three credits in Theatre per year
  • Remain in good academic standing with the College, minimum 2.0 GPA

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of scholarship.

Although not required, most Creative Arts Scholarship recipients will opt to declare and fulfill a Theatre major or minor.

Application Process

  • Audition (Actors Only): see directions below
  • Headshot (Actors Only): in JPG format
  • Tech Portfolio (Tech Only):
    • Select 10-20 pieces that you feel best represent the work you've done in Theatre production. All submissions must be submitted through Google Drive.
    • Create a folder in Google Drive titled, “[First and Last Name] Theatre Tech Portfolio.”
    • Copy .jpg image files of each portfolio submission into this folder
    • Take all portfolio submissions and place them into this folder. If your work can't be shared or displayed in .jpg form, you may reach out to Professor Gil Gonzalez at ggonzalez@whittier.edu for guidance.

Auditions

Applicants are asked to perform one monologue, 2 to 2.5 minutes in length, from a theatrical play of their choice. Film monologues are not accepted. Applicants are recommended to avoid extreme characterizations so that their personal essence may be conveyed. Simple hand props are encouraged, however, costumes and elaborate props are not appropriate.

YouTube Auditions

To submit your video audition, you will copy its link into your application form. Therefore, you must be prepared to submit this by the application deadline - not the live audition date.

  • Make sure that your video is not set to Private
  • You may set the video to Unlisted to prevent unauthorized viewers
  • Title your video “Whittier Theatre Audition: [First and Last Name]”
  • Indicate the play your monologue comes from in the video description

Submissions of reels, footage from production work, live public performances, etc., will not be accepted. Videos must be monologues adhering to the same guidelines as in-person auditions.

We want to get to know each candidate, so please take a few minutes after your video monologue to tell the Scholarship Committee about yourself--your theatre background, what you like about it, your future life and/or career plans, etc. Be direct and informal. 

Participation Requirements

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student (at least 12 units per semester)
  • Enroll in at least one English course per year
  • Consider submitting a piece annually to a campus publication (The Quaker Campus, or the Greenleaf Review) or to one of our three campus writing contests.
  • Maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA in English courses

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of scholarship.

Application Process

The Creative Arts Scholarship is based on a separate online application process from the Whittier College application. 

  • Create a file in your Google Drive titled, “[First and Last Name] Writing Portfolio”
  • Adjust the sharing settings in the file so that it can be read by anyone with the link
  • Copy into this document at least three substantive pieces of original writing in any genre. This portfolio may include works in a single genre or multiple genres including but not limited to the following: Short Story, Journalism, Poetry, Blog Post, Screenplay, Song Lyrics, Novel Chapter, Public Service Writing, Memoir, One Act Play, Personal Essay, or Dramatic Monologue. If your piece is in an emerging genre that is not listed here, please include a sample; we want to read your work. The Whittier English department offers classes in everything from traditional literature like Shakespeare and Maya Angelou to science fiction, horror, and graphic novel. We also offer writing workshops in short fiction, poetry, screenwriting, journalism, and food!  

To submit your portfolio, copy its link into your application form.