<p>So I study with a National Symphony Orchestra Violist, and viola playing is one of my main extracurriculars. I’m thinking about Stanford, UChicago, Yale, and other colleges of the like.</p>
<p>I definitely don’t want to sound pretentious or anything by mentioning that my teacher is in the NSO and I study with her every week rigorously…so I guess my question is… How would I say this without sounding obnoxious and making it sound as good as possible?</p>
<p>Thank You :D</p>
<p>Do an arts supplement. I don’t know about the supplements from your other schools, but for Stanford, their version of the arts supplement includes a music resume where it would be appropriate (and probably expected) for you to include your teacher.</p>
<p>Majority of arts supplements probably suggest or require a music resume.</p>
<p>Yup, the only real way is to do an arts supplement. I think it’s safe to say not who you practice with, but how you play.</p>
<p>Thank You guys! I won’t mention my teacher, and I’ll think about that music supplement. I’m just worried it will take too much time to set all these things up, as I’m probably applying to 12 or so colleges. I really don’t want to put that much stress on myself doing college applications, since senior year course load is crazy 
</p>
<p>But thank you again for the suggestion 
I think I’ll just mention other things I do in Orchestra!</p>
<p>Most of the arts supplements are extremely similar if not exactly the same. You wont have to redo 12 supplements. You’ll need a recording (usually under 10 minutes) and most schools are pretty lax for non-music majors on what you decide to record. One solo piece or two contrasting works or anything really. You can get your recording done at home with a computer mic in one day. It’s really not that much work.</p>
<p>The resume should only be about a page long. It’ll list your music accomplishments, how long you’ve been playing, groups you play in, private teacher, leadership positions (principal, section leader…) etc. It’s basically all the stuff that you’ve put on the common app and then some. You can copy most from the common app so this part wont take more than an hour.</p>
<p>You’ll probably need one music teacher recommendation letter. But all you have to do for that is ask and give your teacher the deadline. </p>
<p>Really an arts supplement shouldn’t take that long and most schools have very similar guidelines (in fact, all the schools I considered applying to had the exact same requirements in the arts supplement, so one supplement would have been fine for all of them).</p>
<p>You can do the entire supplement this summer so you wont have any extra work during the year. Viola is one of the few more sought after instruments. It’s like oboe, bassoon, and stringed bass. Playing piano and violin might not help much, but if a school needs more violas and hears a good arts supplement they will want you.</p>
<p>You might want to consider using recording technology that’s a bit higher quality than a computer mic.</p>
<p>@Lagging…Yeah I see what you’re saying. I mean I’m principal of my school orchestra, and assistant principal of a pre-professional youth orchestra yadayada…but to be honest, I’m not sure how my “Artistic Musicianship” fares amongst those who are so highly talented in the admissions pool. Yale is my top choice, and a par music supplement will apparently HURT me 
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<p>The only thing that’s working for me here, is that I’m not the typical kind of person to play the Viola, and I’m the only one in the Youth Orchestra that isn’t White or Chinese/Korean 
lol</p>