What’s the very earliest you can hear from schools as music applicant? I’ve already applied to BW and Susquehanna. I know BW I’m not even auditioning till November 11 but Susquehanna I think I’m just submitting videos
Wow. Looks like BW gives decisions by Dec 6. That is crazy. For Susquehanna it looks like their EA decision date is 12/1. That is great. You should have two really early answers.
2 Likes
S24 is having a trial lesson and the meeting the music department head for a tour of the music department at an LAC. These will be one on one. Is it odd if I go on the music department tour with them? He will go to the lesson without me. It is far from home and the regular tour is after the music part.
1 Like
We went on the tours with ours but always hung in the back and let her ask questions. We just went and got coffee during the lessons.
3 Likes
Perfect! Thank you
Not odd at all! Enjoy!
1 Like
Agree with everyone else esp as there is distance involved. Hope it goes well
So whole thing was great. Does anyone have experience with getting a pre read for LACs. The music department was very clear that they would support his application. Is there any role for prereads when the spike is music rather than athletics?
@helpingthekid I have never heard of a “preread” for a non-audition BA program but maybe someone else can correct me. The music teacher or even chair can say the chances are excellent but it is still admissions that makes the decision, based on many factors. Music certainly helps a lot. (Then again my kid did not do any trial lessons…)
1 Like
Does that mean audition based programs do pre-reads for kids who pass prescreens?
Not in my experience. Between both my kids, they had very positive sample lessons/faculty interactions that didn’t lead to an offer and mediocre sample lessons/interactions that did.
My kids both auditioned voice. I think that can be a little different because there are so many doing that. And they auditioned either at LACs or SOMs so a lot of times there was an academic and music admission. But they are building a class and possibly trying to read who will actually attend and have budgets to align. I’ve seen some unexpected admission results knowing a lot of kids in our metro who’ve auditioned a bunch of places. Definitely set a tone that there are likely to be disappointments in the process.
ETA - if you have a personal relationship with someone on faculty, like due to master class, lessons, summer programs, etc that may be different. One of my kids did have a closer relationship with a faculty member that gave some insight into the process.
I am not sure there is such a thing as a pre-read for an audition based program. My experience for this is for BFA programs but the pre-screen acted as the academic weed. If you made it to the audition then you are academically appropriate for the school, they did not allow people to audition who would not be academically admitted. It was then all based on the auditions. Are BM programs different?
Hi, all! My daughter is applying to Master’s programs (again) during her gap year. Do you welcome grad admissions posts here?
If so, could the title be altered to read Class of 28 Undergrad/Class of 26 Grad?
If not, no worries! I can start a separate thread but the cross-pollination has been instructive in the past. Separate threads also make sense, however, as the threads are long. Just let me know.
I will say I may not have much info to contribute as my daughter is doing her own thing mostly, but I can report what I do find out. 
Best of luck to everyone!
4 Likes
done!
Sorry folks that was awkwardly written! I did not mean to imply pre-reads were done at audition schools!
1 Like
I guess for schools like Bienen where academics matter, do they give you a sense?
My impression (based on knowledge of five music students of classical instruments) is that if the student is very good at their instrument (Youngarts, NYO, national competition title, etc.) and well known to the professor (via summer programs and trial lessons), it is possible that the professor might actively recruit the students. I know for sure two of these five were being recruited before their applications were submitted. In both cases the students’ academics were strong, SAT 1550+, multiple AP 5s, top 10% GPA, etc. However, the admission office never participated in the recruitment, no likely letter or anything alike.
At several auditions, the students filled out questionnaires (not sure if it’s for the audition judges or the admission people) ahead of their scheduled time. Bienen was the only place I heard to ask the students’ SAT/ACT score on their questionnaires. It’s an optional question but still interesting.
I don’t know what a pre-read is, can anyone clarify?
Re admittance to university/college and grades, I think all schools have their own policies and cut-offs. For example, a presenter from UMich school of music said that after the application and pre-screen, the university would not offer a live audition if academics weren’t strong enough.
On the other hand, a kid we know who applied to Northwestern/Bienen with a lower gpa (somewhere between 3 and 3.5 maybe?) who got invited back to an audition but was rejected after that. Luckily he was accepted at a great conservatory.
I think for sports a pre read is for recruited athletes so that they get a verbal commitment and apply ED? And it’s a recognised process? Not heard of this for music?
2 Likes
That is exactly it. I have heard rumors of it happening at LACs for music so I was asking g
1 Like