Chance Me: ED for NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
1

Applying early decision to NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music as a production/songwriting/performance major. If I get in, I’m reeeally going to need them to deliver on scholarships/aid for me to actually be able to go, and I know NYU is notoriously bad at that.

DEMOGRAPHIC:

  • 22 years old, lower middle class white female from Philadelphia area, went to small private high school on a big scholarship.
  • Did not apply to school until now because I was working full-time as a touring singer-songwriter

GRADES:

  • No test scores are required for this specific school, so I am not submitting any. I took the SAT’s once five years ago and didn’t prepare at all because I pretty much knew I wasn’t applying to schools.
  • 3.6 weighted GPA
  • Took one AP, many honors classes, and did two independent studies (wrote my own curriculum, got it approved by the administration, and directed the class)

ECs:

  • I alluded to this earlier, but I have been working as a touring musician since I was 16 and have been doing it full-time since I was 18. I have played major festivals, toured as support for internationally-known artists, and acquired good press for each of my album releases.
  • A little over 200 service hours: I have played a few benefit concerts, piloted a music program for my local hospital, and still put in many, many hours canvassing and phone-banking every election cycle since I was 12 years old.
  • Was in every select and non-select choir (and was an elected officer of the choir), did a LOT of theatre, and took dance and musical theatre classes.
  • Tutored seniors from my school in pre-calc and geometry as a sophomore
  • Active member of school’s GSA

AWARDS:

  • Duke Ellington Award for Excellence in Music (senior year) - highest music honor at my school
  • Song Craft Award (junior year)
  • Nominated for Independent Music Award (2018) - international competition
  • Finalist for USA Songwriting Competition (2017) - national competition
  • Honor and High Honor roll all four years of high school

RECS:

  • Obviously I haven’t read them, but I am confident they will be very strong. The teachers writing them for me are now some of my closest friends, and I also have a couple outside recs (one from a successful film producer/label head who is an NYU alum, and another from a program director at a major NPR station).

In addition to the common app, NYU Clive Davis also requires a whole portfolio which includes my resume, music, other essays, and more.

Thank you!

2

Objectively, isn’t your portfolio the most important piece for estimating your chances?

3

Haha I am hoping that’s the case because I think it’ll be the strongest part of my application.

4

I would suggest that before you apply ED that you run the net price calculator to see if NYU appears to be affordable. (I do understand that you can get out of an ED agreement if the college is unaffordable.)

5

Hi! I just saw your post as I was looking for Clive Davis information. Im Happy you got accepted!! I applied for the same program for Early Decision II. I was wondering if I could take a listen to some of your music? I would love to talk to you more! Thank you!! :slight_smile: