HIGH SCHOOL RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The NYC Salt Residency consists of a diverse group of exceptional young people with the skill and drive to succeed. It is an intensive, multi-year program in which students develop photography and video skills, experience many facets of the visual industry and prepare for college. Participants in the Residency Program receive ongoing one-on-one mentoring from professional photographers, editors, educators, curators and gallerists. A key component of the program is college preparation that readies them for the university experience, as well as matching them to schools that best fit their personal needs and career interests. We have a dedicated college advisor.

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COLLEGE PREP

The first step we take towards college preparation is through career exposure. We believe as students see different career paths that they make more informed college choices. We have built into all of our classes exposure to different jobs in the creative industry through field trips and guest speakers. Our college programming starts Junior year in our programming.

We approach our college preparation in several ways:

  • Individualized College Guidance

  • Portfolio development

  • College trips

  • Application Bootcamp

  • Financial Aid Workshops

  • Exposure to Scholarship Opportunities

  • Essay Workshops

Individualized College Guidance

Our college advisor, Sherri Maxman - The College Maven, has over a decade of experience helping young adults find their path to college. She starts working with all our students in their junior year through a series of workshop and one on one meetings. Students build college lists, write essays, go on college visits, work through financial aid applications throughout their junior year. Additionally they work with an assigned mentor on portfolio development for applications. The week before school starts, we host a college application bootcamp at the corporate offices of one of our partners and students finish their college essay and all applications that week so that they head into the Fall of their senior year with minimal work to complete all their applications by our deadline of Thanksgiving.

Portfolio Development for art Schools:

All our seniors are matched with a professional artist to mentor them through the portfolio part of the application process. Our students begin development of a portfolio in the very first class once they enter our programming. We give structured focus to the application process the summer after Junior year after college lists are completed and students have identified the specific needs for each school they apply to with a portfolio requirement. Over the summer, students meet with their mentor bimonthly to review work and stay on track to have portfolios finished by the beginning of their senior year.

2009 Christian Rodriguez (a graduate of the first SALT class) as he got to his first day on campus at SCAD.

2009. Christian Rodriguez (a graduate of the first SALT class) as he got to his first day on campus at SCAD.

2015. Christian Rodriguez and SALT founder Alicia Hansen at his SCAD graduation.

 

Sign Up

Want to join the NYC SALT family? If you’re a high school student interested in photography or the visual industry and highly motivated to attend college, you can start by signing up here.

The student application period will open in April 2025. Please join the list to be notified as soon as applications open.

Sign up below to be notified when applications open

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • First year students will become Masters of the following:

    • a DSLR camera that we check out to them for the whole school year

    • Adobe Lightroom in editing, toning and archiving imagery,

    • Learning to See - exploring composition, light, color, gesture

    Along the way they will develop a visual vocabulary, explore exhibits, museums and meet working artists in their studios and places of work here in NYC. We start the year with a weekend orientation to build your class team for the year. We will explore career paths in the visual arts and have a heavy emphasis on how students can use the camera as a tool to make money and as a foundation skill set for almost any career path in the creative industry. Students work with professional artists to create a portfolio throughout the year. We have an exhibit of all student work at the end of the school year.

  • If you are a student who is interested in photography or the visual artists and desire to explore opportunities in higher education and careers in the creative industry in NYC, NYC Salt is the place for you. We are looking for dedicated, curious, and hardworking students who will be willing to show up and participate in class and who are hungry to take advantage of the many opportunities that are presented.

  • Our instructors are dedicated educators and practicing professional photographers living and working in New York. With two instructors for every class, we keep a low teacher:student ratio to ensure each student receives individualized attention & support.

  • Classes are in person at our photography studio in Manhattan at 127 West 26th St, NY, NY 10001.

  • SALT is a free program! If accepted, all class materials are provided.

  • Absolutely not. We understand students come to SALT with different experiences with photography, although it’s nice to see a portfolio, but we do not expect students to have it all together before coming to our program.  We expect all potential students to be dedicated and passionate about art.  That’s the key!

  • We believe in a lifelong relationship with our students. Our approach with each of our students is individualized because we are all different! Our high school students are in our residency program on average for three years depending on when they start. Once students go to college or into a career, we mentor, we connect to opportunities and we have a robust alumni program and a fellowship program where we will help our students take their dreams farther. Our very first student, Devin Osorio, started with us in the 6th grade and he went through our residency class, we helped him get into SCAD, saw him graduate and go into a career in textiles and now he works for us. We have known Devin for almost 15 years.

  • Our students, most first generation college students, are accepted to some of the best visual arts and communication schools in the country. Our alumni are working in careers in the creative industry. Many of our students have developed strong freelance businesses and have made a lucrative career as an artist in NYC. The photography community that surrounds SALT’s is very interested in helping our students succeed and invest their time and talent to help our students grow creatively. Lastly, we are a family here and it truly is a home to our students and alumni.

  • Nearly 100% of SALT students receive acceptance at the colleges and universities of their choice! 
    The list of colleges that have accepted SALT students continues to grow.  It includes:
    Binghamton University, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell University, DePauw College, Fordham University, Hampton University, Hunter College, Iona College, Macaulay Honors CUNY, NYU Steinhart, Parsons School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The School of Visual Arts, Stony Brook University, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Purchase, Swarthmore College, Syracuse University, University of Vermont, and more.

  • Yes! In the past 6 years, students were awarded over $8 million in scholarships. Of the most recent graduating class, the class of 2024, a collective $1.7 million in scholarship and grant funding was received. Achievement of this kind is also anticipated for the class of 2025.

GOT MORE QUESTIONS?

Please contact Alicia Hansen. alicia@nycsalt.org

We thank you for your interest and we look forward to receiving your application!