Columbia Central

Arlen and Elaine Cohen Rubin Scholarship in the Arts

For Incoming Freshmen

The Arlen and Elaine Cohen Rubin Scholarship in the Arts was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for one high school senior who will graduate from the Chicago Academy of the Arts or the Chicago High School for the Arts, plans to enter Columbia College Chicago for the first time in Fall 2024, and intends to major in Musical Theatre or Acting.

• How to Apply

  Incoming freshmen may be considered provided they meet the following criteria:

  • Graduated from the Chicago Academy of the Arts or the Chicago High School for the Arts
  • Intend to major in Musical Theatre or Acting at Columbia
  • Have been admitted to Columbia
  • Submitted two letters of recommendation
  • Uploaded a portfolio (see below for portfolio guidelines)
  • Have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

   

  Letters of recommendation should be submitted to scholarships@colum.edu. Please see Columbia Connect for more information.

  Awards are based on review of applicant's admissions file, portfolio submission, and demonstration of financial need through a completed FAFSA.

• What to Submit
  Acting applicants must submit:

  • Submit a full resume of theatrical, educational and community activity history.
  • Submit a video audition of two monologues. The monologues should contrast each other. Each monologue should be between 60 and 90 seconds, and the total video run time should be no more than three minutes. Video must be recorded in a well-lit environment with high-quality sound.

  
  Musical Theatre applicants must submit:

  Overall

  Each piece can be filmed/uploaded as a separate piece of media or a continuous video. Please do not exceed five (5) minutes total.

  Slate
  There should not be a separate “slate” video—slates are to appear at the beginning of each piece. To slate for a song, share your name, the title, and show in which it appears. To slate for a monologue, share your name, the title of the play, and the playwright.

  Songs & Monologues Options
  1 song and monologue OR 2 songs (total of: 2 contrasting songs from the musical theater canon OR 1 song and 1 monologue)

  Songs
  When submitting two (2) songs: these should be contrasting pieces from the musical theatre canon.

  • One song should be a ballad and one song should be up-tempo.
  • One song should be written prior to 1970; the other should be written after 1970 and contrast the style of the first.
  • Each song file should be 60-90 seconds. This time limit includes the slate at the beginning of the piece.
  • Songs should be filmed in a ¾ shot, which means the top of the head to your knees should be visible in the frame.

  
  Monologue
  When submitting one song and one monologue: Prepare one age-appropriate contemporary monologue from a play or musical (no television shows, movies, or dialects) no longer than 60 seconds.

  • This time limit includes the slate at the beginning of the piece.
  • Monologues should be filmed in a “close-up” shot, which means the top of the head to the middle of your chest should be visible in the frame.

  ​​​​​Dance

  Please record and submit two (2) short dance combinations. Choose between:

  1. BOTH of the combinations linked below.

  -or-

  2. One of the combinations linked below and an additional combination showcasing & celebrating your special style, technique: Hip-Hop, Tap, Acrobatics, West African, African-Caribbean, Latin, Ballroom are some examples. No barre work. Please stick to vocabulary and steps you are familiar with and can execute well. We just want to see where you are in your dance training—show us YOU through your dance.  

  Total running time for the dance portion of your video should be 2 minutes maximum.

  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 1 “The Wiz”
  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 1 (Dance Only) “The Wiz”
  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 1 (Music Only) “The Wiz”
     
  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 2 “Pirates”
  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 2 (Dance Only) “Pirates”
  • Musical Theatre Audition: Combo 2 (Music Only) “Pirates”
     

  Statement Video
  Thirty (30) second personal artistic statement video. It may address areas of interest (such as performance, teaching, choreography, and/or actor/musicianship) or what makes you unique as an artist that would flourish at Columbia. ANYTHING you want: a special skill, a passionate speech, “What do you want us to know about you?” and “What makes you unique?”
  ​​​​​​Musical Theatre Portfolio Items

  •  A full resume of theatrical history including name of show, role played, and venue.
  • A full-color headshot.

   

• About Arlen Rubin and Elaine Cohen Rubin

  Arlen Rubin is the retired Chief Financial Officer of Live Marketing, Inc., a full service Trade Show and Events Marketing agency, founded by his wife Elaine Cohen Rubin in 1973. Mr. Rubin graduated from the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana with a B.S. in Accountancy and became a C.P.A. in 1967. Prior to graduating from the Champaign campus, he spent 3 years at the Navy Pier campus (which at the time offered no degrees).

  Mr. Rubin started his career in 1966 as a staff accountant with Seidman & Seidman (now BDO Seidman) and in 1970 changed positions to the accounting firm Alexander Grant & Company (now Grant Thornton). He remained at Alexander Grant, where he was an audit manager until 1976. He did accounting consulting work for a short period while waiting to be approved by the SEC to begin a new career as an independent floor trader at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Mr. Rubin became a member of The Chicago Board of Trade in 1983 and remained there until 2002. From 1966 until 1972 Mr. Rubin served in U.S. Army Reserve and received an honorable discharge. Mr. Rubin is currently a trustee of Columbia College Chicago’s. Mr. Rubin and his wife Elaine have been married for 42 years. He is a lifelong Chicagoan and they have been city dwellers for the past 28 years.

  Elaine Cohen Rubin is the retired President and Founder of Live Marketing. Thirty-five years ago, Elaine Cohen pioneered the concept of live, professional marketing presentations at trade shows, creating a new niche and a new industry–live marketing. Since then she has contributed significantly to the growth and development of delivering branding and marketing messages through face-to-face marketing events. Her efforts have made live presentations the second most important reason people remember exhibits, after size. In recognition of these contributions, in 2005 Elaine was awarded the prestigious Hazel Hayes Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the Exhibit Designers & Producers Association (EDPA). In 2007, she was named a finalist in the Lifetime Achievement Award category from the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

  A graduate of the Cherub Program and of Northwestern University, Elaine was an actress, singer, dancer/choreographer and director. She performed professionally in television, theater, and industrial shows, working with such stars as Chita Rivera, Paul Lynde, Robert Urich, and Mickey Rooney.

  

• Scholarship Terms
  • Scholarship is automatically renewable each year up to four years* provided the recipient:
    • is enrolled full-time each Fall and Spring semester
    • does not interrupt enrollment
    • meets the terms of Columbia's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, including maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average and a 67% completion rate of all credits attempted
    • continues to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year for the subsequent academic year and this application must demonstrate continued financial need
    • submits any missing documents that are required to secure financial aid by the deadlines provided by Columbia Central

    *Please note: Freshmen will need to enroll an average of 15 credit hours for a BA and an average of 16 credit hours for BFA, BS and BMus each Fall and Spring semester to graduate within four years. The four-year limit is not based on degree completion, and the same limit applies to students pursuing double majors.

  • Scholarship amount is up to $10,000 per academic year, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring; scholarship does not apply to Summer semesters
  • Students who interrupt their enrollment or enroll less than full-time will forfeit any remaining scholarship funds
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Students’ scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • Scholarship may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs, excluding Summer semesters. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program not associated with Columbia College will forfeit their scholarship during the semester spent abroad
  • Recipients will be asked to participate in thanking the donor(s) before funds are disbursed
  • The Office of Development will host an initial meeting with donors and the scholarship recipient, then at least once-yearly meetings thereafter to discuss: Highlights of what the recipient has achieved and learned during the semester, challenges they've encountered and how they've overcome them, and what projects they are looking forward to for the upcoming year.
  • Scholarship is limited to courses for which a student registers through MyColumbia and does not cover Columbia Online courses
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia portal under MyFinancials
  • Scholarship is based on academic and financial need information provided to the college at the time of admission. Any subsequent, additional, or clarifying data that significantly alters this information may make a recipient ineligible to receive this scholarship.
  • The rules governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply

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