The 9 Best Arts, Music & Film Programs for High Schoolers (2026)

The strongest arts programs for high schoolers admit students by audition or portfolio, not by grades alone — so the earlier you start building a body of work, the better your options. Programs like National YoungArts, RISD Pre-College, Interlochen, NYU Tisch, Berklee, and Juilliard Pre-College each look for evidence that you can already make serious work, and many welcome international applicants.

Here are the 9 best arts, music, theater and film programs for high schoolers, what each is, who qualifies, and how to approach them.

1. National YoungArts Foundation

Type: Cross-disciplinary recognition · Best for: National recognition across many arts disciplines · Eligibility: Emerging teen artists, portfolio- or audition-based

National YoungArts Foundation is the most recognizable cross-disciplinary honor for teen artists in the United States. It recognizes emerging artists across categories including visual arts, music, theater, dance, film, writing, and more, and winners are selected through a portfolio- or audition-based application.

YoungArts is a distinction rather than a summer program, and it can open doors: award recipients become part of a national network and are eligible for further recognition. Because it spans so many disciplines, it is often the first application serious teen artists submit — and a strong result signals to colleges and other programs that outside experts took your work seriously.

2. RISD Pre-College

Type: Residential summer program · Best for: College-level studio art and design, portfolio-ready work · Eligibility: Students serious about pursuing art or design

RISD Pre-College is the summer program run by the Rhode Island School of Design, one of the most respected art and design schools in the country. Students take college-level studio courses, build technical skills, and leave with portfolio-ready work. It is residential, immersive, and intended for students who already know they want to pursue art or design seriously.

3. National Portfolio Day

Type: Portfolio-review event (not a program) · Best for: Honest feedback directly from art and design college admissions

National Portfolio Day is not a program at all — it is a series of events (held in cities across the U.S. and internationally, and online) where you show your portfolio directly to admissions representatives from art and design colleges. It is the single most efficient way to get honest feedback on your work and to understand what different schools are looking for. If you are building toward a visual-arts application, attending one is close to essential.

4. Interlochen Arts Camp

Type: Residential summer program · Best for: Music alongside theater, dance, visual arts, film, and creative writing · Eligibility: National and international students

Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan is one of the best-known summer arts programs in the world, with strong offerings in music alongside theater, dance, visual arts, film, and creative writing. It is residential and draws students nationally and internationally.

5. Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI)

Type: Residential summer program · Best for: Young classical musicians and orchestral/chamber repertoire

Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) is a highly regarded summer program for young classical musicians, connected to the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Students perform, study with faculty, and immerse themselves in orchestral and chamber repertoire.

6. Berklee Aspire (Five-Week)

Type: Residential summer program · Best for: Contemporary and popular music — performance, songwriting, production

Berklee Aspire (Five-Week) is Berklee College of Music's flagship summer program for high schoolers, geared toward contemporary and popular music — performance, songwriting, production, and more. It suits students whose focus is closer to jazz, pop, rock, and modern styles than to the classical conservatory track.

7. Juilliard Pre-College

Type: Academic-year Saturday program · Best for: Exceptionally advanced young classical musicians · Eligibility: Admission by demanding audition

Juilliard Pre-College is a different animal: a rigorous Saturday program during the academic year (not a summer camp) for exceptionally advanced young classical musicians in New York. Admission is by demanding audition, and students commit to a full day of lessons, ensembles, and theory each week throughout the school year.

8. NYU Tisch Summer High School Programs

Type: Conservatory-style summer program · Best for: Acting, film and television, dramatic writing · Eligibility: Application-based

NYU Tisch Summer High School Programs offer intensive, conservatory-style training in New York across disciplines that can include acting, film and television, dramatic writing, and more, depending on the year's offerings. These are demanding, application-based programs designed for students who want a serious taste of professional training.

9. USC School of Cinematic Arts Summer Program

Type: Summer program · Best for: Hands-on filmmaking, screenwriting, and production experience

USC School of Cinematic Arts Summer Program brings high schoolers into one of the top film schools in the country for coursework in filmmaking, screenwriting, and related areas. It is a strong fit for students who want hands-on production experience and exposure to how a major cinema program approaches the craft.

Residential vs. Saturday, and how to choose

Residential summer programs give you concentrated time and a community of peers, which is transformative but requires travel and a bigger commitment. Saturday programs like Juilliard Pre-College demand sustained excellence across a full school year. Recognition and events like YoungArts and National Portfolio Day fit around whatever else you are doing and are worth pursuing in parallel.

International eligibility: many of these programs actively welcome international students — Interlochen, RISD Pre-College, and the university summer programs regularly enroll students from around the world. Always confirm current requirements, deadlines, and any visa or English-proficiency expectations directly on each program's official page, since details change year to year.

How to build toward these programs

The programs above admit by audition or portfolio, so what you make matters more than a list of credits. A few practical steps by discipline:

Build a visual portfolio. Aim for a cohesive body of work that shows range and point of view — observational drawing, work from direct observation, and personal projects that reveal how you think. Quality beats quantity. Reviewers want to see your process and growth, not just polished final pieces.

Prepare an audition. Choose repertoire that shows both technical command and musicality, record in a quiet space with clean sound, and give yourself time for multiple takes. Read each program's requirements carefully — required pieces, scales, sight-reading, and recording formats vary, and missing a requirement can cost you the audition.

Build a film or theater portfolio. For film, a short reel or a couple of complete short pieces usually says more than a long list of credits — show that you can carry a project from idea to finished cut. For theater, prepare contrasting monologues that fit the age and type of roles you can honestly play, and rehearse them until they feel like yours rather than recited.

For our full, verified list of arts opportunities, see Academic Competitions — Arts and the broader academic competitions directory.

Where IvyStrides fits

Auditions and portfolios prove what you can make. But selective programs and college arts departments also want to understand who you are and why this art matters to you — the through-line behind the work. For arts-bound students, a compelling personal narrative matters alongside a portfolio. IvyStrides' essay coaching helps applicants tell their story, and you can start with a free consultation to map out which programs fit your goals.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be an award winner to apply to these programs? No. Most summer programs admit based on a current portfolio or audition, not on prior awards. Recognition like YoungArts helps, but a strong body of work is what matters most.

When should I start preparing? Begin at least a year out. Portfolios and auditions take months to build well, and many programs have deadlines in the fall or winter for the following summer. Starting early gives you time for revisions and better recordings.

Can international students apply? Many of these programs welcome international students, including Interlochen, RISD Pre-College, and the university summer programs. Confirm current requirements, deadlines, and any visa details on each program's official page.

What is the difference between a residential program and a Saturday program? Residential programs are immersive, live-in summer experiences. Saturday programs like Juilliard Pre-College run weekly through the academic year and demand a long-term commitment.

How do I know which discipline program is right for me? Match the program to your focus — classical musicians look at BUTI or Juilliard, contemporary musicians at Berklee, visual artists at RISD, and film or theater students at USC or NYU Tisch. A free consultation can help you narrow the list.