jazz/shreddermom

So, in audition to conservatories, my son is applying to a few liberal arts schools with non-audition music majors.

One of these schools told my S that they prefer a hard CD/DVD to the common app online arts supplement (or both, I suppose). Knowing this, he asked another school what they preferred. The second rep (from a music department) replied that they didn't even know they had an art supplement and asked him if he could provide a link. He clarified (although it was already pretty clear) that he meant the Common App arts supplement. He is waiting for further instruction.

But it got me thinking. Is it better to just send in art supplement CD/DVD's to schools by mail? Do they even check those common app arts supplement weblinks? And if you do submit these by mail, what should accompany them, if anything? Is there typically a procedure for having the music dept. get them? Anyone experienced this?

darkblademaster

The schools I'm applying have explicit arts supplement instructions. There's a separate form for several schools, that also listed the kind of music that they wanted to hear, to be mailed along with a music CD. Maybe there are supplement forms for the schools that you're talking about.

jazz/shreddermom

dark, if you read my post again you will see that is not the type of thing we're asking about. My son is doing those, too, believe me. All the prescreens, etc!!!!

I am talking about places like Brown, Wesleyan, Bard (for jazz, which is non-conservatory and has a regular liberal arts admissions process).

thumper1

GREAT typo!! (I'm not poking fun at you but it was a great slip of words!!)

KatMT

Most departments (whether conservatory, liberal arts college, or something in between) will NOT see the application you send to the admissions office... including the arts supplement.

In terms of the common app. arts supplement to a liberal arts college or university this will most likely not go to the department either. If a department at a liberal arts school has talent scholarships, or sway with admission decisions they probably will have information on how to audition (or submit materials) on the department website. If they have no talent based scholarships, nor sway there is likely no need to send materials or links to the department.

The arts supplement goes to admissions and aids them in evaluating the whole student, and what unique talents they will bring to the student body.

this is my understanding of the process. Please do share different experiences you all may have had. THANKS!

jazz/shreddermom

KatMT, I'm confused. But again, I am not talking about conservatories or universities with "conservatory" type departments where prospective have to send prescreens and audition with specific requirements (NEC, NYU,Purchase, MSMNY). That we understand. Those schools are taken care of.

I am talking about LAC's where a student might major in music, and where their music skills might help them get admitted. Bard jazz (which is not in the conservatory) or Wesleyan, for example.

So the arts supplement is not the way to send a sample of music to an LAC school's music department for review in schools where the student would be merely declaring him or herself a music major with NO audition? Seems odd to have an arts supplement if music departments don't make use of it. I would think an LAC admissions department would want the art department in question to weigh in.

Are you saying that, in my S's case, he should ignore the arts supplement and send directly to the music department? Or do both?

Thanks for clarifying.

And Thumper, show's where my head is mostly at!!!

SpiritManager

I think your best bet is to email the head of the music program at those schools and ask them directly. There is no one way for every school. Some, like Williams, or Yale, will tell you explicitly how to submit supplemental music materials and where to send them (usually directly to the music Dept.) but others don't say anything at all. That doesn't mean the materials won't be helpful for ultimate admission. I am positive it will be helpful for Brown, Bard and Wesleyan - just make sure they go to the right place. You have time still, don't worry - the deadlines aren't for awhile, and for supplemental material like that you often can even submit after the deadline.

No harm in providing the link on the Common App, in addition to sending in the materials - to the right place.

jazz/shreddermom

Thanks, spiritmanager. And we're not panicked. As I mentioned, my son is contacting the various schools - their responses were what surprised us. Hence my question.

However, people should note that the common app requires arts supplements to be submitted prior to submitting the application for those schools. You can't click the application submit without first submitting the arts supplement.

compmom

Our daughter did not know that the Common App had an arts supplement, or is that new? My memory is fuzzy. She applied to a bunch of conservatories and two colleges, and is a sophomore at a wonderful college, majoring in music.

She called admissions to ask them what they would like her to send. This was partly to be considerate (for instance, she asked if she should send a CD and let them know which 3 minutes to listen to), and partly to know what was appropriate.

For music, she ended up sending one CD (with note about which 3 minutes she considered her best work), two letters of recommendations from teachers (instrument and composition), and a program or two from performances of her work. This did not look overwhelming and was not a whole lot for admissions to deal with, but gave a good picture of what she had been up to.

She sent all this to admissions.

I have no idea if the music department ever saw or heard any of this! I guess we figured that admissions would send it over if they saw fit. Admissions told her to just send all the stuff to them.

I think a call to admissions at each school is the best way to go. CD's are a very valuable part of an application for anyone who wants to study music. I personally feel, also, that the recommendations from music teachers really helped our daughter get in.

Another thing you son can do is to meet with someone in the music department, and bring a CD and whatever else, along, if the professor asks. But our daughter only met once with someone from a music department, and that was when, by chance, the head of the department walked by and the secretary said something!

Our daughter did visit classes in the music dept. once she was accepted, however, which helped a lot in choosing. Your son can look forward to that!

SJTH

My son applied to two schools where he used the Common App arts supplement. He, too, is a jazz musician, and had the conservatory admissions process going as well. One of the non-conservatory schools he applied to was Columbia Univ., which MOST DEFINITELY sent his supplement materials off to their music department. He sent everything regular mail. It included the supplement form, music resume, two music teacher recommendations and a CD with three songs on it. He was admitted.

I work as the parent manager of our high school College Center. Every university representative that comes through, from small to larger liberal arts schools, instructs students to use the Arts Supplement, and tells them that they send these on to the appropriate department (performing arts, visual arts, etc.) for evaluation. I am a huge proponent of using the supplement to tell more about a student. EVERY college is trying to build a well-rounded community, and having strong students in the arts--whether they intend to major or not--is critical. My feeling is that those who DO plan to pursue their particular art at school are valued, and these supplements are critical.

Clarimom

jazz/shreddermom, I too would urge you to carefully check the website and requirements for each school. Yale/Brown other Ivies have specific details about music supplements on their website (For example, Yale's states that you should NOT use the common app arts supplement, but their own system). The music recordings/supplement you submit are given to the music department as a part of the admissions process, who could advise admissions as to the quality of the performance. But, you definitely need to check each place. I can confirm that just about every school my son is considering(non-auditioned) has very specific requirements listed on their website regarding the music supplement--which are not anything to do with the one on the common app.

jazz/shreddermom

Thank you all. So, SJTH, your son printed the online arts supp form off the common app and sent that in?, with his rec's and stuff?

How insane for a school with a strong arts programs to accept the common app, for the common app to HAVE an arts supplement, and for many of those schools to prefer receiving arts supplements yet another way! College admissions, music or general, has gotten way too complex.

For us the schools in question are only Wesleyan, Bard and Lewis & Clark. Thankfully there are no others. At this time.

SJTH

Yes, that's what he did. I am sure that L&C (with which I am very familiar) will send the arts supplement off to the music department as well. Never hurts to call, though.

KatMT

It was my understanding that the arts supplement went to the admissions office NOT the department, that the primary purpose was to strengthen your overall application to the college or university, and if the admissions office policy is to send it to the department they will do so.

However, each school may handle it differently. It sounds as if SJTH's experience has been different. I believe that the advice above to contact the admissions offices and the departments directly is the way to go. If the department has no sway in the admissions decision making process it will not be helpful to send it to the department, and it would be better to send the supplement directly to the admissions office.

jazzzmomm

just adding some concrete experience here for what it's worth. One of my sons applied to schools not just for music, but with a strong interest in music. At Amherst, for example, a separate arts supplement sent in with his application got a personal reply from the jazz studies department, so they obviously shared his application with them.

At Duke, we did some research and found that they had a djembe ensemble, so sent a CD of son playing djembe to that director. Got a phone call from him.

If there is a chance to be creative and make a specific contact, do it. Nothing to lose. Perhaps small schools like Amherst do circulate arts supplements to appropriate departments.