Hey guys! I am currently in the process of putting together my audition binder for musical theatre schools. Anyone have any tips or tricks to help organize all of the information? Also how many schools should one apply to?
@nikkixbires Hello and welcome! Hey, there is a separate forum for musical theater majors which you may find helpful since the audition process is different. But stick with us here too - we’d love to know how things are going for you. Good luck. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/
Are any of your students at the Berklee 5 Week this summer?
I was also wondering if you’d been touring schools this summer! If so, what has impressed/not impressed you and your student? Are the lists taking shape? So excited for all of you!
We’re getting ready for move-in for our Eastman Class of 23 kid. Exciting and bittersweet! One fun thing we’ve discovered — tons of kids and RAs have done YouTube videos with dorm tours for every school you can think of. Worth searching if you’re interested in a school and wondering how the kids actually live.
@akapiratequeen We have been touring the schools. So far we checked out
CIM,
Blair,
Eastman,
Oberlin,
Jacobs school of music.
I think the most important thing is the find the right teacher to study with. All schools have + and - one way or another.
My kid loved Oberlin. I think the setting and the architecture really impressed him. Not sure how he would feel if he gets in. It is such a small place. We loved the music library at Eastman. Jacobs school of music had the worst practice spaces (at least what we saw, maybe there are some other ones) but university is beautiful with great teachers. CIM practice spaces were claustrophobic for my taste. BTW congratulations on Eastman acceptance, and good luck with the move.
Thanks, @Doransa! And best of luck to your son! What are the favorites so far?
@Doransa Was it the ugly round building at Jacobs!!! Where you can’t find your way in or out…but you’re definitely stuck in a dirty 1970s building? I think they do have some nicer ones in a new building (just completed as my D left) but they may be harder to come by. My D never seemed to care about the practice rooms…and from the state of any of her rooms during college, I guess a clean, nice room really wasn’t a priority. Sounds like you had some good tours.
@akapiratequeen I think Oberlin , CIM and Eastman all are his favorites. Eastman seems to be a hard reach for him but he would like to try. He is planning to major in Composition and application process is overwhelming. On top of his compositions some schools want prescreening videos , essays and what not. If he passes the prescreening then the interviews and live auditions on his primary instrument.
He was in a Eastman summer camp he absolutely had the best time of his life. Found great friends and good teachers.
@bridgenail I believe it was the older building we saw the practice rooms. We did not see any dorm rooms there.
@Doransa the Eastman audition process is challenging for sure, but the environment at the audition and among the students was surprisingly nurturing and supportive. I think that’s when my son realized he’d found “his people” — in spite of all the work, their program rose to the top of the list after audition weekend. It was a stretch for him as well, but I believe it helped that he’d worked hard at the summer program and was clearly eager to learn. Eastman gives generous merit aid, as well. Best of luck to your composer!
Also: I believe Boston conservatory is very good for composition, too. Have you visited?
We’ve finally narrowed the list enough to buy plane tickets and plan some trial lessons. We’re going in October to visit Eastman, CIM, Oberlin and Boston University. I’m probably just as excited as my daughter to finally get this show on the road. She met a lot of wonderful violin faculty this summer at music programs which really helped her to narrow down the massive list of potential schools. I’m actually secretly hoping to see a few more schools taken off the list. We’ve got a three month calendar posted in the hallway at home so everyone can see what’s happening this year musically. It’s showtime ?
@SweetStrings all great schools! so excited for you guys! It’s a long haul and there were times when I couldn’t EVEN but it was a wonderful experience, too.
Haha, I finalized my apply list near the beginning of the summer but am starting to second-guess myself. I know I thought through everything and it’s a good list but it’s still tough because I don’t already have all the decisions XD I crossed off U of Utah a while back, but they may end up back on the list because the academic merit aid is just so enticing.
I did want to visit some schools, but my dad wants me to wait until the live auditions so we don’t have to fly around the country a whole bunch. I get it. So, we’re gonna wait on that for now… just focusing on essays and audition repertoire here.
Good luck to all of you!! I’m sure this is gonna be an exciting year!!
My son’s status before his college application year started (Mid-August 2018):
No essays, no drafts
No recommendation letters arranged
No artistic resume ready
No repertoire list completed
No prescreening recording sessions (with live rhythm section) scheduled
No SAT or ACT taken
No sample lessons (at all)
Pretty solid college list which was changed later in Mid-October
***But he made his top choice school with great talent scholarship!!!
Many people in this thread (Class of 2024/2022) are very organized and ready. But if you aren’t (or your child isn’t) quite progressing yet, you aren’t alone. Like my son, some 17/18-year-olds do everything in last minutes “just fine”. But it’s so STRESSFUL!
Hi @Doransa .
My son just went through the music composition application process last year and yes – they want a LOT. I couldn’t believe how much the schools required (although note that neither USC nor Oberlin wanted a performance component, although everyone else did). I found that a good spreadsheet and a comprehensive calendar to keep track of the many moving parts was essential.
A couple of options that might not be on your radar: UC Santa Barbara has a very unique composition program as part of their School of Creative Studies. McGill and University of British Columbia both have good composition programs if you are open to Canada. And if your son likes Oberlin, he may also like Lawrence, which has a similar model.
Best of luck to you! It does get better!
@Sweetstrings, Since you’re traveling to Boston, New England Conservatory is an excellent school with some great violin faculty. You should make the trip a twofer.
Hi- my daughter is starting her senior year and is currently working on applications. Her interest is music education and songwriting or vocal performance (depending on which school). Her main instrument is voice but she also plays violin, guitar, banjo and piano.
I’ve been on and off CC for a few years. I have an older daughter beginning her junior year at Tulane University with a dual major in music composition and digital media production.
The process for my younger daughter is different and I’m feeling anxious because she has questions about the applications and I don’t know to whom she should turn. I’m hoping this forum helps. Thanks.
@tlrgrills welcome!! I would probably get along with your daughter 
I’m an aspiring music educator as well, and my primary instrument is voice. Where is your D applying? Good luck!
@MMRose I already started a excel but even with that there are so many things to consider. I will make sure have a calendar handy. Most of his friends are only writing essays and asking for references while we are struggling what to do first.
USC kind of far for us but maybe he should add to his list. He will try Oberlin for sure. McGill is a very good school, and we have some relatives there. So it might be an option. He checked out Lawrence but I think there are only two teachers and he discarded it. He is considering CIM which has only one teacher. So not sure what is his logic. We will check out UC Santa Barbara for sure. Thank you. We are asking him to apply some universities with good music composition teachers. Just in case conservatories do not work out.
I hope it gets better, right now I do not see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Where did your son go?
@MMRoseI just saw the Thornton school of music next to your name. Congratulations.