APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be enrolled in an Oklahoma public school, private school, or homeschool program.
In general, applicants for OSAI 2020 must be at least 15 years old by September 1, 2020. (i.e. It’s okay if you're 14 during OSAI, but you must turn 15 by September 1, 2020 to apply.)
- The vast majority of current 9th-12th graders can apply.
- The earliest most students are eligible to attend OSAI is the summer after their freshman year of high school.
- Graduating seniors up to age 19 are also eligible.
- Current freshman who will not be 15 by September 1, 2020 may still be eligible to audition. Please call our office at 405.605.7500 for more information.
How to Apply
To apply for the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, you must submit an online application and attend either an audition or interview, depending on your artistic discipline(s).
1. Read the audition information for your artistic discipline(s).
Click title to jump straight to your discipline’s page and review audition requirements and guidelines: Acting, Chorus, Creative Writing, Dance, Drawing & Painting, Film & Video, Orchestra, Photography.
2. Apply and schedule your audition using our online system.
- To schedule your audition, you must pay the non-refundable application fee(s) using our secure online system. The fee is $20 for the first discipline and $15 for each one after that. We accept credit cards, debit cards, cash, checks, and purchase orders.
- You must bring a government-issued I.D. or a birth certificate to your audition/interview. If you audition for more than one artistic discipline, you must bring your I.D. or birth certificate to ALL of your auditions.
- See the full Audition Schedule for dates and locations.
- Don’t forget to learn the basics about OSAI and read the Frequently Asked Questions.
Selection Process/Judging Procedures
All applicants, whether accepted, not accepted, or selected as an alternate, will be notified via email by April.
Auditions are judged by professional artists, educators, and members of the Oklahoma Arts Institute Artistic Advisory Panel. Three judges score each discipline/instrument, and students are selected solely based on those three judges’ scores.
Acting and dance auditions are all “live” auditions, meaning applicants are scored at the audition. Chorus and orchestra auditions are audio recorded and scored at a later date. Chorus, orchestra, creative writing, and drawing and painting auditions are blind, meaning judges do not know the applicant’s name, age, hometown, etc. Film and video and photography auditions are partially blind, in that the interviewer has information about the applicant, but the other judges who score the work at a later date do not.
Please note: Pre-recorded/videotaped auditions are not permitted. We work to ensure the audition process is as consistent and fair as possible. In order to achieve this, we require all applicants to complete the same audition requirements. The live audition component is a vital part of the Summer Arts Institute audition process because it helps to establish each applicant’s maturity, their ability to work well under pressure, and, thus, their chances of success in the rigorous Summer Arts Institute environment.
All auditions are judged on a statewide basis, NOT by audition location. Selection is made at the conclusion of statewide auditions based on audition scores, NOT on audition location, applicants’ hometowns, or other demographic information. Whether students choose to audition in their own hometowns or other locations will have ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT on their chances of being accepted to OSAI.
Please keep in mind that OSAI is extremely competitive. Each year, approximately 1,000 students audition for about 270 spots. If you aren’t accepted this year, please try again next year. Many of our alumni were not accepted the first time they auditioned. Thank you for auditioning and good luck!