○ Grades: 7-12
The Alabama School of Fine Arts provides an ideal home for teenagers in the state in grades 7-12 who wish to follow their passions for art, math or science.
A tuition-free, state-funded public school, ASFA inspires students to fully develop their creative abilities.
Students choose from six specialties: creative writing, dance, music, theater arts and visual arts, as well as math-science.
In addition, ASFA students get a well-rounded education from a nationally acclaimed faculty. The school offers AP and honors classes, a college counselor and a dormitory for students living beyond commuting distance.
ASFA is “a next-level school,” says Tim Mitchell, school president.
More than 90% of ASFA’s graduating seniors receive merit scholarships for college each year, Mitchell said.
The students also thrive in the creative, nurturing atmosphere at ASFA, located in Birmingham’s downtown cultural district,
“I hear all the time, ‘I’ve found my people. This is my place,’” Mitchell said.
“The combination of all the arts and the math and sciences in one building is its own teacher, so no matter what department you’re in, you are interacting with a lot of creative individuals and kind of cross-pollinating ideas,” says Celeste Pfau, a visual artist and 2007 ASFA graduate.
Admission to ASFA is based on applications, letters of recommendation, school records, and auditions or interviews.
Located at 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., ASFA will host an open house for prospective students and their families Nov. 4.
For more information aboutAlabama School of Fine Arts, call205-252-9241 or go to asfaschool.org.
