Grace

Grace is an appropriate name for this talented dancer. She comes from a family of entertainers and has danced, modeled, acted, and mentored other young performers most of her life. When it came to helping her pick a college, The Short List knew it would have to be a special place. Grace wasn’t certain she wanted a career in dance but did want a strong dance program. She also talked about other interests and her desire to run a business someday. Knowing a conservatory wouldn’t meet her needs, we started with a long list of schools ranging from large universities with multiple academic choices to small schools with more focused liberal arts programs. Grace knew she might want to dance outside of school, so we suggested she focus on schools in big cities.

Grace visited schools in other cities but always found herself missing New York. We could see her enthusiasm for schools closer to home, so we helped her focus her energies on New York City. The Short List suggested Grace visit Barnard College, a small women’s college that is part of Columbia University. The more she researched the school, the more her interest was piqued by Barnard’s liberal arts education, ability to empower women, and affiliation with the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Grace also loved that students could enroll in classes at Columbia University and participate in activities on both campuses.

The Short List could see her enthusiasm for schools closer to home, so we helped her focus her energies on New York City.

The Short List discovered that Barnard was hosting a selective preview day to which students had to apply with an essay describing why the visit was right for them. Grace worked as hard on this application as she did on her college applications and was invited to the special two-day event. She met similar-minded women from all over the world and began to see that Barnard was a place where she could become a well-trained dancer and receive a broader, top-notch education.
Performing artists, like athletes, pursue a college on two tracks. Grace had the regular applications to complete, but also the auditions to attend. Early in her senior year, she decided to apply to Barnard Early Decision. She continued to attend auditions and work on applications for other schools, but waited eagerly for news from Barnard. Finally, word arrived that Barnard was excited to have her join their dance program.

For Grace, Barnard offered the best of all worlds. Her call to let us know of her acceptance attested to her excitement at enrolling at Barnard this fall.