I am so lost in the music college application process and I am hoping you guys can help. My son came to singing late and we live in the sticks where there is very little music and music education. As a result he has none of the usual competitions, choral performances etc. that a lot of people seem to have. He is a true bass at 17 which we have been told is pretty rare. He wants to pursue classical singing and/or opera. He is also a pretty strong student, 3.9 full diploma IB and a 31 ACT. We do have a private teacher, who I think is very good, but she usually works with adults and doesn’t know the college process very well. He was accepted to Interlochen and Brevard and WNO this summer so that was a good start but I still have so many questions!
I understand the remote, uninformed feeling. You will get advice here. Another idea, that requires some “grit” maybe, is to find a singer bulletin board / forum and link a youtube video of the singing and get some feedback.
Singers mature much later than instrumentalists, so coming to opera late isn’t an impediment (the way coming to violin or piano late would be.) There are some very informed parents of singers on this board who can likely give you good advice. @“Mezzo’sMama” knows the field really well.
A couple of answers:
1.) He doesn’t need to check all the boxes…meaning it’s OK to have not done a lot of competitions. Competitions are a double-edged sword as you have found out. I don’t find them highly meaningful in high school for voice as my D did well in some and got nothing in others. They are truly a “mixed bag” in trying to anticipate success. They are good however for practice and if you do enough of them, it can be a bit more meaningful in figuring out where you stand. But one competition with mediocre results means NOTHING.
2.) He has some acceptances at good summer programs that have natl pull so I would guess he’s on the right track. This is meaningful.
3.) A college professor and his private teacher are positive. Assuming that they have decent experience with voices, their opinions are meaningful. And it is true that applicants are judged on potential and often how easy they are to work with. Again this makes winning high schools competition not so important.
4.) He’s MALE! Males are usually in demand. He will be judged against the other pool of males in general with the needs of the school (for voice type) in mind.
I would not take the comments on “level of competitiveness” too literally as we all have wondered about our children. Voice in particular is tough as all voices are young (most people only studying a few years at most). From your description, however, it appears he has done singing “outside of choir only in high school” so I think he sounds competitive particularly with the summer program acceptances.
I’m not sure if he is looking at a BM or BA (since you mention arts supplement) so you may want to clarify that to get better answers.
Have you or has he read the Double Degree Dilemma essay posted closer to the top of the music forum? It describes different paths for studying music using hypothetical young people and it can be really helpful for kids to figure out which one they most identify with.
It sounds to me as if, for a on-BM program, your son should most definitely include a music supplement to the common app. For one thing, ensembles on campus will need him. He should include a recording/video, a resume (which would detail those summer programs, his training with the teacher etc., and then a letter or two from music teachers or directors.
Does he have any other (academic) interests? If so, he could consider a BA. If he wants to focus on music with 2/3-3/4 classes in music, then a BM. If he wants both, then a double degree BM/BA or a double major BA or major/minor. It is also possible to study something else and do music via lessons and extracurriculars.
Finally, he can apply to more than one of the above options and choose late in senior year!
He sounds like he is talented and also it sounds like he loves it. This summer should be helpful. Also he will hear what others are doing 
It sounds like he is doing fine…
I think all the answers can be found in this forum. I am just know figuring out the questions. He wants a serious music school but also the ability to continue study in another academic field… like a Dual Degree. Or a good LAC with a strong music department. So I started looking into schools. Here is my next question… there are BMs, BFAs BAs in music with a concentration in performance and certificates. Is there a big difference? I am trying to make lists of schools for him. Does anyone know where they might already have lists of good schools that tell you what the degree options are? How did you guys approach this? It is so much more complicated than when my daughter applied on straight academics!
@DVmom18 , welcome! I second @bridgenail 's comments and advice! It is unimportant that your S hasn’t done competitions, and has had little choir experience, at this point (except, as @bridgenail suggests, for comfort and experience of preparing and auditioning). I also think it is an excellent sign that he has been accepted to some pretty terrific summer programs. The first and most important thing he can do is to ask some of the faculty he meets and sings for this summer for a list of schools and teachers he should consider for Undergrad. He may want to do this via email so teachers and directors have time to reflect and so that he can remember and have a record of what they say. If he does this with several different faculty members, you should very quickly get a sense of “how he might stack up” against competition in different programs, AND you’ll have an excellent list to start with. Clarifying his educational and career goals (as they are now) will also really help define a list; it will be very helpful to state said goals in any correspondence with summer faculty when asking for recommended programs for Undergrad. Generally speaking, and especially for males, he will be judged in college auditions on what he can bring to the program (i.e. what roles he can fill in productions) and career potential, in about equal measure. I hope this helps.
I agree with the above. You will want a teacher or two with recent experience to help with a list. Even if it’s just a couple of schools then you could find comparable school suggestions here.
Look at the double degree dilemma pinned near the top of the music forum to assist you in understanding different degrees for music. @compmom gave some general info up thread on coursework expectations in music. The BM is the most common and will have usually more strict audition requirements. A BA is generally lighter on music study and allows a lot more other academics (and may allow for a double major). There are also BFAs and BSs in music (but not as common) that can sit in between a BA and BM. They are all fine degrees.
One concern I have is your comment on an “arts supplement”. That would be for a BA degree in general. For a BM or BFA he will need to audition. You do not submit an arts supplement in that case. He will submit a pre-screen. Generally in the summer, people are firming up their list of schools and reviewing pre-screen requirements. They will be working with teachers on their repertoire for auditions. He will need songs in 3 languages including English. By looking at some pre-screen requirements you can tell if your kid is ready for a BM at a school for example. He will have into the fall (usually dec 1) to submit pre-screens. Based on the results he will be invited for a live audition in winter.
Maybe you know this already. But if not I strongly suggest going to some music school websites and searching the admission requirements. Be sure to be on the music schools admission site - not the general school site. You could look at Oberlin and Lawrence BM pre-screen requirements for LACs. Then look at U of Michigan and Indiana U for big state school requirements. And check the school where he did the sample lesson. Even if he never applies to these schools you will see the expectations in pre-screen requirements which should help determine how competitive he is and what he needs to do this fall.
This is great info. What I did with my older non musical child was to take her interests, scores, GPA etc and come up with a big list of schools to consider. Then we narrowed it down. That’s what I am trying to do here and the fact that I am somewhat unaware of all the music requirements make me worry that I will miss good options. Then, when he gets back from summer camp, he can start whittling down that list and we will start checking pre reqs. It’s going to be a crazy year.
Agree with @dramasopranomom - ask for advice from the summer faculty.
It is so much easier with the academic kids! We can quantify their data and make some reasonable predictions. Music doesn’t lend itself to that. Don’t forget type of school (stand alone conservatory, private college, or state uni) as well as location. I found that these variables mattered a lot in my D’s choice.
Again, I would read the Double Degree Dilemma essay, and make a chart of the options for him. If he is doing a summer program he may be enthused about pursuing music more intensely, but often it is wise to apply to a variety of options (BM, BA, double degree, double major etc.) and decide in late senior year, for a kid like this.