Scholarships & Awards

Talent Awards are offered in Creative Writing on the basis of the faculty’s evaluation of each student writer’s demonstrated level of outstanding creative promise. In order to be considered for a Talent Award students must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College, together with a portfolio of some of their creative works, whether it be fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, etc.

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in Creative Writing:

• Students must submit 1 long sample or 5 short samples within the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other creative works.
• Playwriting/ screenwriting submissions please apply under Theatre

• Playwriting/ screenwriting submissions please apply under Theatre

APPLICATION FOR CREATIVE WRITING TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in Creative Writing:

Talent Awards in Creative Writing are renewable for four years by contributing regularly to the student literary magazine, AGON or the student arts magazine, Albright AM. Typically, the work involves a combination of some of the following activities:

• attend magazine staff meetings
• participate in coffee houses and workshops sponsored by AGON
• write feature articles
• write various pieces of work for AGON
• edit print publications
• contribute to design and layout

On the understanding that good writers are good readers, and as another way to fulfill the expectations of the Talent Award in Creative Writing, students can also choose to take at least one class in the English Department, including English 101/102 in their freshman year, each year of their time at Albright.

Students who receive the Talent Award are expected to participate in periodic meetings sponsored by the program.

Talent Awards are offered in Journalism on the basis of the faculty’s evaluation of each student writer’s demonstrated level of outstanding creative promise. In order to be considered for a Talent Award, students must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College, together with a portfolio of some of their creative works, whether it be newspapers, magazines or other mass media.

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in Journalism:

• Students must submit a portfolio of at least four samples of published articles from campus and/or community publications prior to interview.
• Students should also submit a statement detailing where the articles appeared and explaining the overall role they played in the publications as a staff writer or editor.

APPLICATION FOR JOURNALISM TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in Journalism:

Journalism Talent Awards are renewable for four years by contributing regularly to the student newspaper, The Albrightian, or the student arts magazine, Albright AM. During the first week of each semester, students will meet with the chairperson of the Communications department to outline specific expectations. Typically, the work involves a combination of some of the following activities:

• • write substantive/feature articles for the newspaper and related online sites
  • write and produce radio news scripts
  • edit both print and online publications
  • contribute to design and layout

Talent Awards in Fashion are determined through the submission of an online/digital portfolio, reviewed by Fashion Department faculty. Applicants must have submitted a complete admission application to Albright College before sending their portfolio.

Criteria for the Talent Award in Design and Merchandising:

• For Design, students must submit a portfolio with 10 original fashion sketches, 3-5 self-constructed garments, and a personal statement video.
• For Merchandising, students must submit 3-5 styling or trend boards showing theme/color/silhouette story, 3-5 magazine layouts or social media/blog posts with visual and written content, and a personal statement video.

APPLICATION FOR TALENT AWARD IN FASHION DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING

Maintaining Your Talent Award in Fashion Design and Merchandising:

Talent Awards are renewable for four years under the following conditions:

Design and Merchandising Students

• Will contribute 40 hours per semester to the fashion department by assisting with various tasks, including the Annual Fashion Showcase, the Business of Fashion Forum, the Fashion Alumni Panel, and other departmental needs.

Talent Awards in Vocal and Instrumental Performance are determined through the submission of an audition video(s) that will be adjudicated by members of the Music Department faculty. In addition, applicants must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College prior to submission of their audition video(s).

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in Vocal and Instrumental Performance:

Vocalists (Classical, Broadway, Pop/Jazz, or Rap Artists)

• Vocalists must submit an audition video(s) containing two prepared pieces (with piano/instrumental accompaniment) of contrasting styles, periods, and/or languages that showcase breadth of the applicant’s vocal abilities (tone quality, vocal range and flexibility, breath control, diction, rhythmic sense, etc.). For Classical singers, at least one selection should be in English.
• Videos must be submitted via links to streaming platforms (i.e. YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Vimeo etc..)

Instrumentalists (Brass, Guitar, Percussion, Pianists, Strings, and Woodwind)

• Applicants must submit an audition video(s) containing two prepared pieces (either solo or accompanied) of contrasting styles/periods that demonstrate the breadth of the applicant’s technical and interpretive abilities. Selections could be contrasting movements, sections from a larger work, works from two different stylistic periods or selections from your high school ensemble repertoire.
• Videos must be submitted via links to streaming platforms (i.e. YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Vimeo etc..)

TALENT AWARD IN VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Maintaining Your Talent Award in INSTRUMENTAL and VOCAL PERFORMANCE:

• Award recipients must participate in Lion Records in addition to at least one other credited major performing group (i.e., Chamber Ensembles, Jazz Combos, Rap Collective, Albright Chorales, Acapella Ensembles, Commercial Music Workshop and Studio Band).
• Award recipients are expected to audition for student recitals each semester or, in the case of Rap/Hip Hop Artists, record a single through Lion Records each semester.

Talent Awards in Music Industry are determined through the submission of a business portfolio adjudicated by Music Department faculty. In addition, applicants must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College prior to submission of their business portfolio.

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in Music Industry:

NOTE: All electronic documents must be submitted in PDF form

Curriculum Vitae/Resume (1 page) listing:

• Education
• Professional Experience
• Pre-Professional Experience
• Professional Organizations
• Leadership Experience
• Awards
• Community Service

Statement of Accomplishments/Goals (1 page) containing:

• Opening Paragraph: Introduce yourself and include general statements about notable goals you have accomplished.
• Body Paragraph: Write about the steps you have taken to in order to attain your aforementioned goals. Include specific actions that you have performed that are relevant to your desired field of study. Elaborate upon the impact of your work and how you, your employer, or the community has benefitted from your accomplishments citing specific data.
• Closing Paragraph: Write about your 1, 5, and 10-year goals, and how your prior achievements have taught your how to attain these goals.

Critical Writing Sample

• Example: Research paper

Supplemental Materials (one or more of the following):

• Business Plan
• Marketing Analysis
• Artist Management Portfolio (Personal or Touring)
• Letters of Recommendation
• Documentation of Community Work

APPLICATION FOR MUSIC INDUSTRY TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in MUSIC INDUSTRY:

• Students offered awards in this area will be expected to actively participate in Lion Records to fulfill their annual participation requirement.

Talent Awards in Music Production are determined through the submission of an online portfolio adjudicated by Music Department faculty. In addition, applicants must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College prior to submission of their online portfolio.

Music Production

Participants in the Talent Award Program can choose to specialize in Music Production. This includes creative works composed using grid-based drum machines and samplers (Native Instruments’ Maschine, Akai MPC, Ableton Push), turntable and DJ-based technologies (Vinyl records, CDJ, USB controllers), or synthesizers (Korg Minilogue, Native Instruments’ Massive), in conjunction with a digital audio workstation software (Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic Pro X). The awards are given on the basis of an online portfolio submission of at least four music production samples. If you are a rapper, as well, please see the Instrumental and Vocal Music Talent Award criteria.

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in Music Production:

Repertoire

Valid portfolio repertoire may include DJ mixtapes, beat tapes, remixes, studio recordings of electronic music, and the development of synthesizer patches or production sample packs, among others. Performance styles include such genres as hip-hop, house, techno, trap, EDM, ambient, trance, experimental, and more.

Technique

Skills and techniques in music production will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Composition – the musical content is composed and arranged according to the standards of the given genre
• Recording – audio recordings are clear and without background noise, clipping, and digital artifacts
• Mix – balance exists in track volume levels, frequencies (EQ), stereo width (panning), and use of effects such as reverb, delay, and compression
• Mastering – audio playback and loudness levels are mastered similar to the overall quality of comparable pieces

APPLICATION FOR MUSIC PRODUCTION TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in MUSIC PRODUCTION:

• Students offered awards in this area will participate in the Albright Rap Collective and help support artists associated with Lion Records.

Talent Awards in Theatre are determined through the submission of an audition video or (for Costumers, Designers, Technicians, Playwrights or Directors) an online portfolio that will be adjudicated by members of the Theatre Department faculty. Applicants must also submit personal statement in the form of a written essay or as a video. Lastly, as with all of our Talent Award programs, applicants must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College prior to submission of their audition video/e-portfolio.

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in THEATRE:

Part One: AUDITION VIDEOS/ONLINE PORTFOLIOS

Actors:

• Actors must submit an audition video containing TWO prepared monologues from published plays. Each monologue should be no longer than 60 seconds. Be sure to choose material that is age appropriate and that showcases the breadth of your acting abilities (vocal range and flexibility, diction, characterization, ability to play an action/pursue an objective, etc.). Please do NOT submit musical theatre selections. Musical theatre students are encouraged to submit audition videos of songs from Broadway musicals to the Music Department (Talent Awards in Vocal Performance).

Costume Design & Technology: 

• Costume Design & Technology applicants must submit either 6 costume design sketches or 3-5 high-resolution images of constructed garments, all as PDFs or JPEGs in a shareable folder (e.g., Google Drive) with a viewable URL link. 
  
  Optional: 

• Provide paperwork created for organizing costume designs or wardrobe processes. 

• Provide evidence of patternmaking or draping, including high-resolution images of the process and final product. 

• Provide script analysis or design concepts from any theater productions you’ve worked on with a director. 

Design and Production:

• Design/Production applicants must submit an online portfolio that consists of evidence of process/product (photos, videos, prompt books, sketches, schedules, etc.) – anything that helps us understand your level of experience in one or more of the following areas that include, but not limited to:

Playwrights:

• Applicants must submit an online portfolio containing a theatrical writing sample of approximately 10 pages that may be from one work or several. Please submit all written materials in PDF form and make sure that your full name is on each page of your creative materials.

Part Two: Personal Statement (Written Essay or Video Essay)

All applicants for the Talent Awards in Theatre must also submit a personal statement (either in the form of a two-page written paper (submitted as a PDF) or a 3 to 5-minute video that answers the following questions

• How would you describe your most meaningful theatrical experience?
• Why do you want to study theatre at Albright College?
• What are your learning objectives for your theatre training at Albright?
• Costume Design & Technology:  Explain your design and/or garment construction process. 

APPLICATION FOR THEATRE TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in THEATRE:

• Students must enroll in at least one Theatre course each year.
• Students must significantly participate in at least one of the four Theatre Department’s main stage productions in conjunction with the Domino Players Company each year.
• Costume Design & Technology: Students must enroll in at least 1 theatre class directly related to costume construction or design each academic year. Students must participate in a minimum of 1 production annually for THR201 credit in the area of costumes (including costume construction, wardrobe, and hair/makeup). 
• Students must actively participate in periodic Talent Award meetings.

Talent Awards are offered in Visual and Digital Art on the basis of the faculty’s evaluation of each student applicant’s demonstrated level of outstanding creative promise. In order to be considered for a Talent Award students must have submitted a complete application for admission to Albright College, together with a portfolio and letters of support..

Criteria for the Talent Award Review in VISUAL and DIGITAL ART:

Art & Photography Portfolios:

• Art or photography portfolios should include 10–15 jpeg images. These should be uploaded in a Compressed zipped folder or via a website link.
• Each piece must include descriptions as to the medium used, dimensions and year created. The top of the piece should be clearly delineated.
• We cannot accept any physical objects or mediums being mailed in or otherwise sent.
• Optional one to two letters of support from art teachers or other professionals familiar with your artistic ability.

Videos & Film Submissions:

• Video and film submissions should include at least 15 minutes of content submitted. Videos submissions should be uploaded to Youtube, Vimeo, or Google Video. Direct link to video MUST be provided!
• We cannot accept any physical objects or mediums being mailed in or otherwise sent.
• Optional one to two letters of support from art teachers or other professionals familiar with your artistic ability.

APPLICATION FOR VISUAL AND DIGITAL ART TALENT AWARD

Maintaining Your Talent Award in VISUAL and DIGITAL ART:

Talent Awards in Visual/Digital Art are renewable for four years with the following conditions:

• Students may enroll in at least two art courses by the end of the sophomore year.
• Alternately, students may participate in an art-based project each year arranged in consultation with faculty in the Art and Art History department.