<p>I’ve read that the audition is at least 90% of consideration for prospective students for music programs, but how would you define that extra 10%. </p>
<p>I assume the other components include:</p>
<p>Grades
Resume/performing experience
Extra curriculars (sports/clubs/community service, etc)
What else am I missing? </p>
<p>How would you rank these other components? And do you think they are the “tie breakers” for acceptance or just checklist items and the ultimate tiebreaker is the audition?</p>
<p>[this question applies to universities rather than conservatories as I’ve heard for that the audition is 99% :-)]</p>
<p>Every school is different. At Northwestern, students who pass the audition but don’t have outstanding grades/test scores are frequently not admitted, at UMich a student can be accepted and attend the music school without being accepted to the University and at Carnegie-Mellon, the music studio can usually “fight” to have a student accepted as long as the meet the minimum requirements.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that any two schools are exactly alike.</p>
<p>I would just clarify flute1298 re UMich, if you are accepted by audition and meet academic minimum standards, then you are admitted to the university AND music school.
(I’m sure that’s what you meant to say!).
In our experience for music schools it was mainly grades and test scores, other than audition. I really doubt the other stuff matters much but just the same, put it all in the application. If there are awards or prizes from competitions, definitely put those in. Summer programs, summer jobs, leadership experience. Having said that, I think there was a recent thread where someone said that things like applicant personality or teachability were more likely to be tie breakers than other extra-curriculars. You just never know.</p>
<p>CLRN8MOM - no, my D was accepted to only the music school. She was deferred at the University and later rejected. She was told by the admin in the SOM that she could reapply to the University after a semester in the school of music. She was looking to double major so maybe that was different, but the OP mentioned double majoring as well. We were shocked because she had a 3.8 gpa and 2100+ SAT scores, way above the “minimum” for most schools.</p>
<p>Hi flute1298 (apologies to K8sDad for sidetracking the conversation). Hmmm. We were told during D’s audition info session that once you are admitted to music, you are officially a university student. I don’t think there is that divide in the university, such as what they have at Oberlin. It does make sense that if you are interested in double majoring, then you would have to re-apply to the other major. Always good for applicants to recheck these things every year. I am also shocked that your D did not get in. Did she list a specific other major? Some are of course more impacted.</p>
<p>In terms of whether academics can trump music, what you need to do to apply, it is as many people say, “It all depends”. In terms of admissions to any school of music, standalone conservatory or not, the prime thing is the audition, things like grades, EC’s,SAT’s will have little to no bearing (I have heard in some cases they may use the ‘overall’ package when deciding with kids who are on the edge of getting in; I also personally think that for BM programs they should look at the kids musical resume and weigh that in the decision process, that a kid who all they have done is study their instrument and go to competitions, common in the strings and piano world, may be less qualified then the student who has actually done significant ensemble work, youth symphonies, chamber programs, music festivals…but that is another story).</p>
<p>In terms of the general admissions to the university, that depends as well. There are universities where unless the student has been a complete academic screw up the music school decision will get them into the university, there are others where the music school decision has a strong influence, and there are programs, like USC (at least from what I have heard, not claiming personal knowledge of this one) where a kid going into the music school has to meet the same standards as a kid applying to USC for academic only admission…</p>
<p>I think posters on here before have said something wise, they said that with kids intending to go into BM programs that they should maintain as academically a strong record as they can, it is kind of like in audition repertoire, it is better to build a repertoire for the most exacting program. That doesn’t mean a music student needs to be a 4.0 GPA/2000+ SAT, etc, schools take into consideration how much time and effort being a top level music student means, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, and some on here have made the point that having high academic stats may lead towards merit scholarships from the university…</p>
<p>Just to clear things up for flute1298 and clarn8 re:
</p>
<p>This is not exactly true. It is possible to be accepted to the school of music and NOT be accepted to LSA or the School of Engineering. Each have their own admissions. So in the case of Flute’s d or s, he or she can pursue the BMUS degree AND take courses offered in LSA but cannot dual degree (eg. get a BA in Chemistry, for example).</p>
<p>One who wants to dual degree MUST be accepted by BOTH schools – no small feat. 3.8 is presently about the bare min./average from a rigorous school with bountiful AP/IB – and the “average” ACT is now running 30+ with 39,000 applicants last year. </p>
<p>At the same time, K8sDad – at UMich I am betting academics forms more than 10% of the decision, even though it’s “talent-based.” At a rigorous school, the studio profs know the kids need to keep up with their peers, and theory at UMich is a bear. So they like to see kids with high stats to fit the profile of the university overall, since that’s the bar to which the profs teach. Unlike Northwestern, however, UMich can and occasionally does take a student with lower-than-university-average-stats based on talent alone, provided said stats are still above 3.0 and provided the talent is proportionately amplified The one music discipline where this is not true is music/sound/engineering, where there are minimum scores in math you must have to be admitted.</p>
The one music discipline where this is not true is music/sound/engineering, where there are minimum scores in math you must have to be admitted.</p>