9 , ▁the ▁board ▁visited ▁the ▁F ior ello ▁H . ▁La Gu ard ia ▁High ▁School ▁of ▁Music ▁& ▁Art ▁and ▁Perform ing ▁Arts ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁They ▁came ▁away ▁convinced ▁that ▁a ▁successful ▁arts ▁school ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁exclusive ▁program , ▁that ▁is , ▁a ▁program ▁that ▁would ▁function ▁on ▁its ▁own , ▁without ▁sharing ▁space ▁within ▁an ▁existing ▁secondary ▁school . ▁To ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁right ▁students ▁en rolled , ▁they ▁also ▁agreed ▁that ▁ad mission ▁would ▁be ▁subject ▁to ▁an ▁aud ition . ▁ ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁opened ▁on ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁at ▁a ▁closed ▁Queens way ▁Senior ▁School . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁E SA ▁moved ▁to ▁its ▁current ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁Royal ▁York ▁Colleg iate ▁Institute ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁closed ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁The ▁school ▁gained ▁a ▁strong ▁reputation ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁de cade ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁Toronto ' s ▁best ▁secondary ▁schools . ▁Stud ents ▁began ▁to ▁apply ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁Toronto ▁Area ▁and ▁southern ▁Ontario . ▁ ▁Application ▁and ▁Aud ition ▁Process ▁Stud ents ▁are ▁accepted ▁into ▁their ▁chosen ▁field , ▁namely ▁D rama , ▁Dance , ▁Contempor ary ▁Art , ▁Music ▁( B and ▁or ▁Str ings ), ▁Film ▁and ▁Musical ▁Theatre , ▁after ▁under going ▁an ▁application ▁process ▁and ▁passing ▁an ▁aud ition ▁the ▁year ▁before . ▁ ▁They ▁must ▁submit ▁their ▁grade ▁seven , ▁last ▁term ▁report ▁card