Hello, I am currently doing a bachelor’s degree in composition at University of Montreal. (Its faculty of music is arguably one of the very best music schools in the french speaking world).
I would like to do a Master’s degree in America, especially at Yale School of Music (but I’m of course interested in other schools like Juilliard, NEC) and here is my situation :
Since the beginning of my studies I have worked very hard to get the highest grades possible, which worked pretty good. I have A+ in almost all my classes (the averages are often of B, B-, even C+). I have no B’s, and very very few A, A-'s. (I got these in composition classes, where teachers virtually never give A+ since it’s “impossible” to do a “perfect” composition.)
My GPA is of almost 4,2 out of 4,3. I have won “excellence schoolarships” and stuff like that.
Will all that seriously help me getting in if I manage to present some pretty good compositions too? Or a student applying for composition should have won a lot of competitions, done a lot of festivals, already be semi-profesionnal, etc. ? Because, I don’t have anything like that on my resume, I don’t have a career, I am not played, etc.
Thanks.
You are fine without the competitions, commissions, festivals and so on if your music is good enough to get in. The portfolio is very important. You do need good performances of 3 pieces or so for the portfolio.
Grades are important for some schools, but not as important as the portfolio.
Your academic skill may translate into a good statement of purpose on the application, and recommendations from composition teachers will be important too.
Good luck!
Thanks a lot for your answer.
Grades, when available, are factored heavily for graduate school. All things being equal, because there are more papers and projects involved in an advanced degree, schools will go for the student who has the better academic record. You’ve done an excellent job, @ParcOutremont , you should be very proud of yourself!
Not the same question exactly, but related. I can’t speak to composition or all grad schools. I do know an incredible string player with far less than incredible grades including multiple failures in music theory coursework. Player was stunning and one of the most in demand teachers in the country offered a studio spot for grad school both at NEC and Juilliard where teacher taught. However, neither conservatory Admissions Dept would grant admission due to the grades. Moral, it may be mostly about the audition, but other factors may tank your chances.
Good luck, ParcOutremont. You should be proud of your academic accomplishments.
Schools vary on the “papers and projects” involved in an advanced degree. So apparently the answer here would be, “it depends.” 
I think a rule of thumb is that bad grades can keep you from being accepted. But excellent grades won’t really help without an excellent audition.
Well put. For a composer it may be portfolio rather than audition…And the other question about awards and competitions would have a similar answer: a long resume of accomplishment would help (and the connections implied too), but with a really excellent portfolio, the lack of such a resume won’t necessarily hurt.
Thanks a lot to all of you, things are now clearer for me!
My S is at Yale and has taken a number of graduate seminars in the other colleges in various academic disciplines, with lengthy papers, readings, & tests - so being prepared academically will be helpful. He did have to submit the GRE and transcripts. But, as everyone else has said, they weren’t the reason he was admitted.