Important Dates for New Applicants:
Inquiry Forms Accepted – Ongoing until January 12, 2012
Application Deadline – January 13, 2012
Recommendations Deadline – January 13, 2012
Notification of Audition/Portfolio Review – January 30, 2012
Music, Theater Auditions / Visual Arts Portfolio Reviews – February 11 and 18, 2012 SAVE THE DATES
Dance Auditions – February 12, 2012 SAVE THE DATE
Acceptance Letters Mailed – March 5, 2012
Student Enrollment Acceptance Deadline – March 30, 2012
Thank you for your interest in New Mexico School for the Arts. If you are a passionate artist and want the opportunity to study your art form each day while you also go to school, then NMSA just might be the place for you! NMSA opened its doors in September of 2010 with 137 talented young people from across New Mexico.
NMSA students include the musical prodigy who needs access to advanced instruction or the visual artist whose art class no longer provides ample challenge. Teachers and parents across New Mexico report that high school youth with outstanding artistic gifts are not being adequately served. NMSA provides these students with a place to go and encourage them to pursue their passion with excellence.
NMSA is a public charter high school for New Mexico youth. NMSA admits students based on passion, promise, and aptitude for the arts and follows 31 states with over 75 public art schools providing intense study of arts and academics to high school students. Students at these schools consistently outperform their peers in academic testing by 29 -33%.
Residential students, who do not have access to daily public transportation to and from school, pay for residential costs on a sliding-scale fee based on family income with financial aid available to offset room and board fees. Students are considered for admission without regard to geography or their ability to pay residential fees.
New Mexico School for the Arts is a public charter school and receives the statewide per capita funding to support its academic programs. There is no tuition, and the costs of much of the arts programs, the residential program and various other activities are met through fees and private philanthropy through the non-profit affiliate, the NMSA Art Institute. The NMSA Art Institute provides $6,500 per student for arts programming per year. A voluntary annual Arts Fee of $1,000 per student is requested from the family to help offset the cost of the arts programming. This is not a criterion for acceptance in to the School. The parents of NMSA students are also expected to contribute their time, talent or financial resources to help support the School, and to generate support for our arts and residential programs.
If you are a student interested in applying to attend for the 2012-2013 school year, application forms will be available starting September 15, 2011. More information on the application and audition process can be found at our How To Apply page.