Equity Arc’s New Common App Portal for Summer Study

CMPI fellows who are BIPOC have greatly benefitted from using the Equity Arc Common Application the last few years. This application allows them to apply for free to about 30 top summer music programs across the United States using a standard set of recordings and a similar application for each program. To find out more, you can view Equity Arc’s Summer Study page or watch the video overview.

In the past, Equity Arc used the Acceptd platform to process applications. This platform had drawbacks, including having to still do separate applications and requiring fees from Equity Arc. This year, Equity Arc has transitioned to an in-house portal, streamlining the process.

We’ve walked through the process with the new portal and have found it to be relatively straightforward for the most part. Here is how it works.

Step 1: Make an account

Go to the portal page at https://equityarc2.my.site.com/s/ and click Log in to either log in to an existing account or create a new one. Choose “Not a Member?” to make a new account. When making an account, a student will need to enter their email address, which will then need to be verified. A password is created during this verification process. You will need to answer a few additional questions to create your profile.

Step 2: Fill out your Arc Card

The next step is to select “My Arc Card” from the navigation menu and complete the information. This section includes basic information, including your name, address, and a basic musical history.

Step 3: Answer the Basic Questions

The Basic Questions form the basis of the common app. To simplify the process of applying to multiple programs, it is essential to answer the Basic Questions accurately and completely, as these answers will populate the applications for any program you choose to apply to. You can save a lot of time by answering them fully before starting any program applications.

 

You can access the Basic Questions from the bottom of the Arc Card as well as on many other pages. You can answer each section separately by clicking the pencil icon next to each one or select the blue button to answer all the questions at once.

Some of the sections, like “General Music Experience,” are a little vague, but most of the other information is relatively straightforward.

It is recommended that you enter “NA” for any question that does not apply, including the Financial Aid section for those who choose not to apply for financial aid.

Step 4: Select Your Programs

Next, click on the “Programs” section of the navigation menu, or choose Browse Programs from many of the other pages. Click on any program that interests you for more information. If you want to apply, choose “Apply Now” under the Program Details for the specific program you are interested in. This will generate a draft application for that program after a few clicks.

Each program you choose will have a separate application, but they will all be prepopulated with your Basic Information. This information can be edited independently on each application if necessary.

Each program application also includes a section for Supplemental Questions, which include space to upload the required recordings and any additional items, such as a list of repertoire or a headshot. You can complete this information by hitting the blue button that says Answer Remaining Questions.

Here is where we ran into a bump – you MUST answer all the Supplemental Questions at once. The section will not allow you to move forward unless you answer all the questions. We did notice that files we uploaded did save even after exiting out of this section, but answers to text questions did not. To avoid losing your work, you may want to answer any written questions offline and cut and paste your answers when you are ready to upload all your recordings.

We have not tried to upload recordings yet, but it appears you may have to upload them separately to each application. There is no place to save media universally across all the applications.

Step 5: Review Your Applications

One of the nicest features of this application portal is the streamlined “My Program Applications” tab. This tab lists all your program applications, whether they are in draft form, in progress, or submitted. Deadlines are clearly listed, including a helpful countdown to when they are due. You can view or edit your applications directly from this screen.

Step 6: Submit and Wait for Your Results!

While we have not submitted any applications yet, it looks like submission is as easy as a click of a button!

We have yet to see how some of the other functions, like the ability to Follow a program or the Notifications, work in practice. We will update this article as more information becomes available.

Overall, this new portal seems a welcome improvement over the messy, and often very busy, Acceptd platform. We hope it makes applications much easier for students this summer.