Class of 2026 Undergrad/Class of 2024 Grad: The Tours, the Auditions, the Journey

You got this! :crossed_fingers:t3:Pulling for you!

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Congratulations to your son, so nice to have a great acceptance this early! My daughter loves Oberlin.

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Selected for Music college interview means to guarantee admission? what are the chances of admission? what is the purpose of 15 mins interview?

is this a place where your son has already auditioned in person? He is interested in composition, if I recall. I would think an interview is a standard part of a composition application. I would not think there is anything to suggest there would be a “guarantee” of admission. They are just interested enough to want to get to know him better to see whether there is good fit. A positive sign, but definitely not a guarantee.

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Music schools are communities, and also music requires working together. So the interview can (at least superficially) make sure an applicant is a good fit in that way. For some schools, the aesthetic direction of a young composer may also be something to talk about. Fit needs to be mutual for that. So there are many reasons for an interview. Interviews range from a nice chat to a serious perusal of scores. Good luck!

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Music composition often requires an interview as a standard part of the application process. I have not heard about it meaning a guarantee of admission.

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An interview for composers is the equivalent of an audition for an instrumentalist.

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Right! Although some colleges require both an interview and a performance audition for composition majors. Or at least they did.

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Yes, I was going to add that…some do and some don’t. So if there is an instrumental audition involved, the interview is part of the audition, basically.

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Thank you all for your responses! He didn’t have audition for this one, only interview and they said its an invitational interview at one place and they said they will have interview if they want to know more about the student in another place on their website. I was just confused/curious :slight_smile: Thankyou all for your insight though, appreciate it!!

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Good luck to him!

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Sharing a little information about Eastman. We were offered a master’s class a week before auditions (remote) - it was a nice opportunity to see the professors work together (clearly they have a good working relationship). The class was mixed levels - BM, MM and DMA students together. Five students were selected ahead of time to play (my kid being one) - there was 1-2 days’ warning ahead of time. She loved it, and was very impressed by the talent in the room (many were 4-8 years ahead of her in development). It helped reinforce her enthusiasm; she is very intrigued by the community at ESM. Helpful tips provided, no need to stress out. Tell your kid to be open to the experience and soak it all in.

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My son had his remote audition with Eastman on Friday for viola. (It went very well he thinks.) We had a chance to visit in October and felt the same camaraderie between faculty, staff, and students. My son had a lessons with two professors and attended a studio class. The students there are so friendly and generous with words of encouragement. It really felt like a special place. We know it is a long shot to get in for almost anyone, so just keeping our fingers crossed!

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Getting towards the end here! DS had his virtual interview/sight reading with Vanderbilt yesterday (after submitting a video a few days earlier). He feels like it went well, but, in contrast to Oberlin, there was no immediate positive feedback at all…probably best not to read anything into either reaction. Zoom audition with Bard coming up in a couple of days and then he and DH fly to Cleveland for a Baldwin Wallace audition next weekend, before we settle in for the long wait for decisions. He’s very happy he doesn’t have any more videos to do; he much prefers live auditions where he doesn’t have to listen back to them over and over and second guess everything! Meanwhile I’m contemplating about 14 different itineraries for visits in early April, depending on where else (if anywhere; knock wood) he gets in.

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Yes, it’s best not to read anything into the audition. Some schools/teachers are tight-lipped and seem to follow a set process (little or no communication until the offer). Others schools/teachers tend to give lots of feedback and be more like the Wild West (teachers may contact you before a written offer). And there’s everything in between. It is not uncommon to get acceptances from any of these schools. Like you said, it’s just best to wait it out.

Good luck…you are getting closer to the end…even if time is moving slowly!

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Auditions are complete over here and my bp is markedly lower. :smiley:

We need someone to start the 2026 acceptance thread!!

Wishing everyone’s kids well as they wrap up their auditions and interviews! Let’s go, Class of 2024/2026!!

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Hi! You are a wealth of knowledge!! Do you have any experience with regarding how heavily a performance audition is weighted for a non-performance major (comp)? Does it vary by school?

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My son was a music composition applicant three years ago and as I recall it varied by school. Many of the schools require the composition students to continue to take private lessons on their instrument/voice and to take part in ensembles, so they have to be accomplished enough on their instrument ( or voice) to do that.

Also, as I recall, the performance repertoire for prescreens was the same for composition majors and for performance majors at many of the schools.

Edited to add that at one school he had to pass the instrumental prescreening before they would even look at his compositions.

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My kid avoided any school that required an audition for a composition student, on principle, because my kid felt composition should stand alone, and it really isn’t necessary to even be able to play an instrument to write music.

One conservatory that did not have an instrumental audition for composers, did require them to play in an ensemble or sing in a chorus.

So I really don’t know how it works for composers who have to audition on an instrument!

Thank you both! Yes wish we knew. He has started taking composition lessons and that teacher is shocked at change in rules since he went. I wish I knew to avoid those schools. Partially financially driven but for better not worse he’s in pool with performance majors. They don’t have to compose something hahaha?! Lessons learned. Hopefully it will work out