<p>Last year my son auditioned at Berklee in November and received his acceptance email right after midnight on December 23rd. Seven hours later his scholarship offer arrived. I don’t know if Berklee will do these pre-Christmas emails this year, but wanted to share in case an early Berklee auditioner is wondering. The housing info wasn’t mailed til early January, though, I believe.</p>
<p>I will add that other November auditioners were still accepted in January (another local friend was), so it’s a staggered process, I guess.</p>
<p>Christinenc1,</p>
<p>D feels exactly the same way about the USC app process. Hard to understand to how they can possibly sort through 400 applicants in 2 weeks time. I shared with D that Norah Jones was rejected at Thornton, and Steven Spielberg couldn’t get into the USC Film school twice.</p>
<p>I have posted these numbers before, so I may be a bit fuzzy. Last year nearly 500 applications were received for the pop program, a little over a hundred (maybe 125 audition? I have to look at my past posts!), and approximately 25 are accepted.</p>
<p>It’s sad that so many talented students are turned away.</p>
<p>A note, though, on the pop performances as we’ve been going to them for three years. They are not the best judge of talent - that comes when you go to see the students’ “outside” bands and performances, frequently held at USC. These are groups they form on their own, or singer/songwriters with backup bands made up of students. These are the configurations of groups and artists making EP’s, getting gigs, winning competitions and pursuing careers even as they attend USC.</p>
<p>In the midterm and final performances (the "showcases referenced above), the entire year’s class is divided into 5 bands not of their own choosing, and each does only a few songs. Often a songwriting major will sing, a pianist will serve as "musical director, a vocal major will play a second instrument they’re learning. Not everyone necessarily gets to “showcase” their strongest talent or the specific skill that likely got them admitted to the school. Being local and knowing many of the kids through our soon, we have brought friends to the performances, and we are often dissappointed that they don’t necessarily get to “see so-and-so” do “such-and-such.” </p>
<p>By junior year, when they’re performing and arranging their original material, the showcases explosively wonderful.</p>
<p>I feel for anyone who doesn’t get to audition at a school they wish to consider, and I know how hard that is. Luckily, there are many great music programs at other colleges and plenty of opportunities for the talented students turned away from USC. </p>
<p>But I feel the need to defend the level of talent we have witnessed. I can assure you there are plenty of extraordinary kids in the program (and a few who’ve left it after recording contracts and opportunities to go on tour.)</p>
<p>I echo what jazz/shreddermom articulated in the last post. My S is a freshman at Thornton in the pop program as a singer songwriter. He has showed me a lot of material online that these students have written, performed, etc. and I have been so impressed with the quality and talent. We also had the pleasure of seeing a few students perform live on parents weekend at a venue on campus and I was blown away by one young woman in particular.</p>
<p>I do want to also mention pre screenings. Just because someone gets a “no” on a prescreen doesn’t necessarily mean that they are less talented/qualified than a candidate that has passed. It may be that the person isn’t picking the right material that showcases their particular strong points. My S’s keyboard teacher is an extremely talented performer and has experience in the music industry. I strongly believe that without his guidance and assistance in making the video he may or may not have received an invitation to audition. I think prescreens can be a crap shoot. With that being said, I think that with these highly competitive schools, you do need to show the admissions committee other support material that makes you stand out. For example, what have you done outside of HS that demonstrates your musical talents.</p>
<p>And to add on to what poprockmom said, the admissions rate of the USC Pop program is now akin to the ivies at well under 10%. That means scores of “qualified” and highly talented applicants are declined. With about 25 spots, that means just a few singers, a few singer/songwriters, a few for any given instrument. After the auditions, it also becomes about balancing the group in terms of types and flavors of artists. I honestly don’t know how they pick.</p>
<p>Things will hopefully ease up as more and more other schools (both universities with conservatories and stand-alones) begin to add contemporary programs to their offerings. I believe this will happen.</p>
<p>Got my callback letter on Friday morning and I’m pretty excited for my audition for Popular Music Voice at USC. Does anyone have any advice?</p>
<p>Has anyone heard from Oberlin yet? The wait is freaking tearing me apart!</p>
<p>My thoughts exactly… Have not heared from oberlin yet for classical voice eek.</p>
<p>I applied to Oberlin for classical voice (soprano), and I have not heard anything either. My friend who is a tenor got an e-mail on friday morning inviting him to a live audition. This may unfortunately mean we have not passed.</p>
<p>Not familiar enough with USC to give advice, but congrats to you, hector1rios. Way to go!</p>
<p>I have received an email inviting me for live audition from Oberlin. I applied for piano major though… anyway, has anyone heard from SFCM?</p>
<p>I got denied to SFCM, but I’m waiting on Oberlin.</p>
<p>Classical piano as well.</p>
<p>hector1rios, what track are you auditioning for?</p>
<p>What do you mean by track?</p>
<p>Atredis,
my friend (piano major) just told me that she haven’t received any email from Oberlin as well.</p>
<p>I guess that’s sort of relieving. </p>
<p>What about NEC?</p>
<p>My daughter heard from NEC that she passed prescreening for grad Contemporary Improvisation. Her main instrument is double bass and she will audition live in February. I don’t know if they have notified all of their undergrad applicants yet.</p>
<p>Piano Performance BM, Classical</p>
<p>Dec 18- Rice Shepherd School (passed)
Dec 20- CIM (passed)
Dec 21- Oberlin (passed)</p>
<p>Still waiting on NEC, Eastman, Peabody, and Northwestern U.</p>
<p>hector, I mean what major - vocal, instrument, singer/songwriter, etc. Sorry!</p>