Idyllwild Arts Academy

5.00 5 1 (14 reviews)
Tel: 19514687223
52500 Temecula Road P.O. Box 38
Idyllwild, CA 92549
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Idyllwild Arts Academy is home to 300 students from 27 countries and 26 US states, all devoted to intensive study of the arts. Located 2 hours from Los Angeles, 2 hours from San Diego, and 1 hour from Palm Springs, the Academy is an artistic crossroads for Southern California.
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Idyllwild Arts Academy is home to 300 students from 27 countries and 26 US states, all devoted to intensive study of the arts. Located 2 hours from Los Angeles, 2 hours from San Diego, and 1 hour from Palm Springs, the Academy is an artistic crossroads for Southern California.
The Music Department offers concentrations in Classical Music, Voice and Piano; Jazz Music, Voice and Piano; and Songwriting. Our curriculum combines performance opportunities with music academics and private lessons with some of the top musicians in Southern California.
Idyllwild Arts has five dormitories, each with their own unique culture. Students are housed two to a room, and most dorms feature en-suite bathrooms.
The Academy's Dance Department offers students training in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Students spend many hours in the studio each day, honing their talent with American Ballet Theatre trained faculty.
InterArts offers students the chance to explore and combined multiple art forms or to focus in Fashion Design. Students present their work in two fully choreographed Fashion Shows each year.
The Visual Arts at Idyllwild Arts Academy encompasses many things. Our students ground their work in Drawing and Painting, but also explore Sculpture, Ceramics, Printmaking, Graphic Design and Photography.
Krone Library is home to countless resources and study spaces for IAA students as well as the College Counseling Office. Our College Counseling staff work with our students throughout their time at the Academy, helping them prepare for the next step in their artistic journey.
The Moving Pictures Department offers hands-on training in film for students interested in becoming screenwriters, cinematographers, sound designers, film editors, directors and countless other jobs. Just two hours from Hollywood, the possibilities are endless.
Creative Writers have the chance to study fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dramatic writing, and screenwriting in an intimate, workshop-driven department.
Theatre students can choose to focus in Acting, Musical Theatre or Theatre Design and Production while at Idyllwild Arts. With at least 9 performances a year, our students stay busy learning about all aspects of theatre and graduate with resumes that show skill in performance, costume design, lighting, sound, set construction, stage management and directing.
  • The Idyllwild Arts Academy is the country`s premier and internationally-acclaimed residential arts high school (9th-12th; PG) (August through May) which provides pre-professional training in the arts and a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum to a diverse student body of gifted young artists.
  • Idyllwild Arts Academy's 310 students hail from more than 35 countries and pursue artistic excellence in Music, Theatre, Dance, Visual Art, Creative Writing, Film & Digital Media, InterArts / Fashion Design.
  • Graduates of Idyllwild Arts Academy currently excel in every professional field of the arts including Broadway theatre, primetime television, classical and jazz music, motion pictures, graphic design, photography and more.

Alumni Reviews
  Review School

  • Review Description

  • Class of 2017
    5 Stars   10/24/2017
    Chapman University
     Living on campus surrounds you with your education and makes you think about it in the context of your life in a more efficient way than traditional high school. The arts focus offers more connection. . .

  • Class of 2017
    5 Stars   10/23/2017
    I will attend the University of British Columbia.
     The school is highly international, so my closest friends were from all over the world. The diversity created a really unique class dynamic with perspectives I never would've thought of. The arts focus was also. . .

  • Class of 2017
    5 Stars   8/28/2017
    Tufts University
     The close student/teacher relationships Natural environment to hike and live in Arts focus . . .

  • Class of 2016
    5 Stars   10/23/2017
    Dominican University of California
     The fact that Idyllwild Arts is located in the middle of mountain I think it is the most unique aspect about this school. The teachers plus the environment make a perfect combination for an artist. . .

  • Class of 2015
    5 Stars   12/3/2016
    Hiram College
     Idyllwild Arts Academy is truly a unique experience. There are just over 300 students, so your friends and even acquaintances really become like family. I personally really like the way that the schedule works. Being. . .
  • Show more reviews (9 reviews)

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Definition of Terms 
2017 School Data
Idyllwild ArtsBoarding School Avg.
School FocusPre-prof. Arts / College-prepCollege Preparatory
Grades Offered9-12, PG7-12
School TypeCo-edCo-ed
ADD/ADHD SupportYesYes
Supports Learning Differences (LD)YesYes
Religious AffiliationNon-denominationalNon-denominational
Year Founded19861910
Campus Size208 acres110 acres

Student Body

Enrollment310 students300 students
% Students of Color
20%
20%
% International Students
50%
20%
% Students Boarding
95%
68%
Average SAT Score1480* National Avg. »View
Average ACT score26*National Avg. » View
Offers Post-Grad YearYesNo

Academics and Faculty

Saturday ClassesYesNo
Frequency of Saturday ClassesLess than once a monthWeekly
Classroom Dress CodeCasualCasual
Average Class Size13 students12
*National School Avg. » 20
Teacher : Student Ratio1:51:7
# of AP / Advanced Courses Offered2717
ESL Courses OfferedYesYes
% Faculty with Advanced Degree
85%
70%
Summer Program OfferedYesYes

Finances

Endowment Size$6 million$17 million
Yearly Tuition
(Boarding Students)		$62,835$53,300
Yearly Tuition
(Day Students)		$30,000$28,560
% Students on Financial Aid
65%
37%
Merit Scholarships OfferedYesNo

Admission

Application DeadlineJan. 15 / Apr. 1 / rollingJan. 15
Accepts Standardized ApplicationYesNo
SSAT RequiredNoYes
Acceptance Rate
65%
55%
Director of AdmissionsTara Sechrest
Associate Director of AdmissionsJara Ruiz-Anchia

Course Listings

List of Courses OfferedLink to List of Courses

AP / Advanced Courses

# of AP / Advanced Courses Offered2717
CoursesAdvanced Honors Biology, Honors Acting Seminar (Theatre Majors), Honors American Literature, Honors Calculus, Honors Calculus II, Honors Chemistry, Honors Classics in Western Literature, Honors Counterpoint (Music Majors), Honors French, Honors Gov & Econ, Honors History of Western Civ, Honors Literature of Western Thought, Honors Physics, Honors Pre-Calculus, Honors Spanish, Honors Technical Theatre Seminar (Theatre Majors), Honors U.S. History

Extracurriculars

Total Extracurricular Organizations723
ExtracurricularsHonor, Various

Club or Organization:
Non-competetive, Peer, Student, Tour

Arts and Music Programs:
Pre-professional

College Matriculation

Year: 1999 - 200310 Most Popular College Choices  (# Enrolled)
Juilliard16
USC16
NYU (Tisch)10
University of Michigan10
San Francisco Art Institute8
Curtis Institute6
Rhode Island School of Design6
Eastman5
Emerson3
Stanford3
Link to Matriculation Data

School Notes

  • The Arts Academy is located 5300 feet up in the mountains above Palm Springs in the San Bernardino National Forest. We are 2 hours from Los Angeles, 2 hours from San Diego and 1 hour from Palm Springs.
  • Academic classes are held Monday-Friday mornings and arts classes are held from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Upon graduation our students are accepted to Juilliard, Curtis, Oberlin, Peabody, Johns Hopkins, USC, Stanford, Yale, UCLA, San Francisco Conservatory, Chicago Arts Institute, CalArts, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Michigan and NYU, just to name a few.
  • School accreditations: WASC, Western Boarding School Association (WBSA), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), NETWORK of Performing and Visual Art Schools, Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), Counci
  • Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
    • Shepard Fairy - Graphic Artist and Designer
    • Neal Beasley - Princess Grace Award Winner - Modern Dance, Trisha Brown Dance Company
    • Liang Wang - Principal Oboe - New York Philharmonic
    • Casey Abrams - American Idol 2011 Finalist
    • Trevor Hall - Recording Artist
    • Marin Ireland - Tony Award Nominated Actress
    • Elora Hardy - Sole Print Designer for Donna Karan
    • Cristy Candler - Broadway Musical Theater Actress
    • Vesselin Gelev - Associate Concertmaster - London Philharmonic
    • Bei Zhu - Co-Concertmistress - Hong Kong Philharmonic
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Quick Stats
  • Grades: (Boarding) 9-12, PG
  • Students: 310 students
  • Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $62,835
  • Yearly Tuition (Day Students): $30,000
  • Acceptance rate: 65%
  • Average class size: 13 students
  • Application Deadline: Jan. 15 / Apr. 1 / rolling
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