Chicago Arts Students Receive Millions in Scholarships

CHICAGO, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents worrying about paying for their kids' college may want to consider sending their teens to Chicago Academy for the Arts (CAA). This year, the graduating class of '09 collectively received scholarships totaling $3.5 million.

Included among these scholarships were two full rides. Among the prestigious institutions to which the graduates were accepted are The Juilliard School, Grinnell College; Kansas City Art Institute; New York University/Tisch School of the Arts; and Cooper Union.

Pamela Jordan, head of school, attributes the volume and amount of scholarships awarded to the strong, professional training the school provides and the connections CAA has built with higher education institutions. Equally important is the general acknowledgment that arts education better prepares students for success in future academic and professional endeavors.

"Research continues to show that arts education helps students throughout all disciplines," says Jordan. "CAA provides professional training in visual, performing and media arts supported by a strong academic curriculum. This prepares our students to thrive in higher education and to succeed on a global stage where diversity and creativity are essential."

CAA is the only independent, non-profit, college-prep high school for the performing, visual and communications arts in the State of Illinois. It is one of the premier arts education organizations in the nation and is designated a "National School of Distinction" by the Kennedy Center.

"Our faculty is comprised of practicing artists who teach art at a professional level. Providing this education at an independent school allows us to be flexible in our approach and to respond to the potential of each student individually," adds Jordan. "In addition to performing on the world's stage and screen, our alums are successful biophysicists, engineers, attorneys, and scientists. That's the power of an arts education. It can prepare students for success in any field."

The school also offers a challenging academic curriculum with an emphasis on critical thinking, intensive studies and independent inquiry.

Chicago Academy for the Arts provides an environment where students can immerse themselves in daily professional classes under the direction of accomplished artists, providing a context not available in traditional classrooms. Ninety-seven percent of its graduates are accepted by the nation's leading colleges, universities and conservatory programs and 90 percent of its students are accepted into their first choice institution. For more information, visit www.chicagoacademyforthearts.org.