Apply to USC Kaufman
Admission to the BFA in Dance is highly selective, with the school seeking to enroll approximately 24 of the world’s most exceptional dancers each year.
Applicants for Fall 2025 admission—including first-year applicants, transfer applicants and current USC students—must submit all materials by December 1, 2024. This includes the USC Undergraduate Application and the USC Kaufman Portfolio for first-year applicants and transfer applicants. Current USC students need only submit the USC Kaufman Portfolio. All applicants are notified about the results of their portfolio review in mid-December. Finalists are then invited to our live auditions in January.
Information about Fall 2025 admission will be available on our website in July/August.
Read frequently asked questions and peruse our BFA brochure.
Interested in applying for a minor in dance? Visit our Dance Minors page.
The University of Southern California admits students of any race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disability or mental disability. The University’s full non-discrimination policy can be found on the Web at policies.usc.edu.
News and Tips
Student Blog: Life as a First-Year
Attending any university for the first time fills you with a variety of emotions. You’re eager to finally be in a new environment with individuals from all over, but you also carry a sense of fear from stepping into a new chapter of your life. I felt those exact emotions. I was finally at my dream school, ready to embark on my new journey as a USC student. But, I was highly anxious about starting something new.
Student Blog: Performance Opportunities
Performance opportunities at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance range from large productions to impromptu performances. From New York to Japan and Germany to Los Angeles, USC Kaufman has taken in the works of its Artists in Residence, guests and students to various heights. Alumnus Nina Gumbs (BFA ’22) discusses her experience.
Student Blog: Making the Most of Open House
There is no doubt that the college application process can be a stressful time in your life. I remember researching all kinds of dance programs around the country as I tried to decide where I might fit best. Luckily for me, The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance hosted many in-person events for prospective students like myself. These events give you an understanding of what a day in the life as a USC Kaufman BFA looks like.
Student Blog: Performing Iconic Repertory
One of the main pillars of our curriculum here at The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance is our Repertory and Performance course. This course gives students the opportunity to learn and perform a diverse and exciting range of work, including new works and iconic repertory. I have been fortunate to perform iconic works by choreographers George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin and Justin Peck, just to name a few.
Student Blog: Diversifying Training with Cross Techniques
The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance continues to seek to transform dance. One goal that our community continues to work towards is the idea of “The New Movement.” USC Kaufman explores addressing this idea through a hybrid and collaborative approach. One way the school allows students to explore the idea of “hybridity” is through the module of cross techniques.
Anne’s Admission Advice: Perfecting your dance resume
Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services Anne Aubert-Santelli outlines what information should be included in your dance resume.
Student Blog: Being a scholar artist
A scholar artist (or scholartist, as we like to say at USC Kaufman) thinks critically about dance and creates meaningful discourse surrounding important aspects of the dance industry. By making progress towards a graduate degree, minoring or taking classes in different fields, USC Kaufman students are constantly redefining what it means to be an artist in the 21st century.
Anne’s Admission Advice: Applying to USC Kaufman
Assistant Dean of Admission Anne Aubert-Santelli describes changes in the application process for prospective students to the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, due to COVID-19.
Student Blog: Benefitting from Career Services
Eli Alford (BFA ’22), recent alum of USC Kaufman is currently working as a fellow at BalletX in Philadelphia. He discusses the resources that USC Kaufman Career Services provided to him during his senior year.
Anne’s Admission Advice: Getting to Know the Admission Team
Kyle, Elliott, and I love hearing from prospective students. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need information! Come say hello if you see us in the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center or at your high school’s college fair. Part of why we do what we do is to connect with students like you! Know that we’re here to help you navigate the complicated dance admission process.
Having a Traditional College Experience
My experience as a student at USC has truly been incomparable to all other experiences throughout my life. Having the opportunity to pursue a BFA at USC Kaufman has given me constant inspiration and joy. My experience has been enhanced greatly through the ability we have to maintain aspects of a traditional college experience as well.
Anne’s Admission Advice: Mastering your video response
The video response is a unique part of our application. We ask you to address the following prompt in 30 to 60 seconds on camera: USC Kaufman’s Affirmations include five values that guide the school: excellence, belonging, risk taking, community and integrity. How do you see one of these values impacting the future of the dance field?
Anne’s Admission Advice: Refining your written short answer
The USC Kaufman Portfolio has two short answers—one that’s required and one that’s optional. Assistant Dean of Admission and Student Services Anne Aubert-Santelli has some advice on completing yours.
Anne’s Admission Advice: Nailing your video solos
USC Kaufman has a two-stage audition process: You first submit two video auditions for review by the faculty committee. Finalists are then selected for live auditions taking place in January. What do you need to know about and how can you really shine in your video auditions?
Anne’s Admission Advice: Acing your live audition
USC Kaufman has become known for its unique live audition experience. The fact that we have a two-stage audition process—whereby we narrow down the pool to a list of finalists—allows us to do things differently.
BFA students add minors alongside dance training
The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance is a dance conservatory in a university setting. Students in the BFA program take a myriad of dance classes along with school-wide general education requirements. This allows BFA students to explore subjects outside of dance, as well as add minors to complement their dance training.