Looking for some others who are now done with interviews and are waiting for conservatories and University conservatories to weigh in with decisions. Lets share the experience and help get through the decisions ahead. My student is a well rounded composition major who went to a very good high school aged composition program and has been to a # of interviews these past few months. First question…did anyone’s student send thank you notes to the panels and individuals who interviewed them? Second question…did anyone find out the numbers game in composition? How many applied to different schools, how many of those made it through pre-screening and then how many are different schools accepting? Third question…how does merit aid work for composition if any parents students/parents from years past can weigh in? That should get us rolling, lets talk and by the time we all get our answers from the schools maybe we can have a thread that can help our students all make good choices.
No need to send thank you notes. Numbers vary: a school like Juilliard may have one spot for undergrad composition. There is definitely merit aid for composition. At universities in particular, the music/composition folks may say they will try to get more if they really want a student. Congrats to you and your kid for being done!
Thanks for the response. So glad to be done with interviews and traveling even though it was a lot of fun! My student is definitely happy to be done!
Also thanks for the info on thank you notes we thought that might be overkill considering how many interviews faculty actually do. The only reason we thought maybe on that was to remind a panel or individual that you care. After being through the interviews we both thought it would not help much and my student thanked all of them at end of interviews.
I’d love the same insights sought by compguide. My son is a couple years out from applications, but as I send him off to a music camp this summer to focus on composition, I realize that everything I know about college admissions in general is pretty useless. How competitive is composition? Should he apply broadly to see what prescreens he gets through or should he apply passionately where at his most favorite places? How high is the standard? Are faculties looking for evidence of potential and interest? Or do they seek complete orchestral works? How much do faculties’ aesthetic preferences really matter for undergrad admission? Is it best to be one of perhaps a handful of composers at a liberal arts college or should he set out in the big ocean of a large program teeming with grad students and others?
I realize these are too many issues to take on at once, but there is a lot to learn here!
Composition is competitive at programs with prescreens and interviews/auditions, which are generally BM programs at conservatories and schools of music. Conservatories may be freestanding or part of a larger academic institution.
He should apply to places he really wants to go. This can be all BM programs (2/3-3/4 music classes), BA programs (1/4-1/3 music classes), major/minor within a BA, double major or 5 year double degree BA/BM (or BA/MM in Harvard/NEC’s case). Certainly having his top choices balanced by a one or two that he is pretty sure of getting into is prudent, but he should want to go to every school he applies to. It is okay to apply to a wide range of options, meaning, even at the end of senior year, he can still decide between college and conservatory.
Raw talent and potential are important. It is not always necessary to have a long background of accomplishment. For admission to a BM program, it is all about the portfolio. For admission to a BA program, which often does not have any prescreen or audition/interview, he can submit a music supplement to the common application containing a recording of some pieces (not too long, or cued to the best 3 minutes), a music resume and letters of recommendation from teachers and directors.
A place like Curtis may want an orchestral piece. But other schools, even at the doctoral level, do not. The composition world is not all about orchestral works these days.
I think at the undergrad level that diversity in student and faculty works is most important, but it is true that each school may have a sort of dominant aesthetic. I do think this is less of an important factor at the undergrad level. Certainly listen to faculty and student works.
Grad students present can be helpful in some ways but at some universities they will be the focus for the faculty and undergrads may study with grad students versus professors.
You mention liberal arts college versus large program, so I am wondering if a BM/conservatory/school of music program is off the table. I think for composers the main thing to decide is whether to do a BA (college) or BM (conservatory/school of music) or both. An argument can be made that a broader education helps with composition over the long term- knowing about art, literature, social science, history, technology. And that composers do not need the full immersion that instrumentalists do. Then again, there are kids who want to do music all day long and then a BM is a good fit. Or double degree.
There are successful young composers who did not major in music at all as an undergrad. And it is also possible at some schools to major in something else but take lessons, some theory classes, and have works performed, as well as do summer programs- and progress sufficiently to get into grad school. You need 3-4 good pieces to get into a good grad program and once again, it will be about your music.
Good luck!
Well written and very good advice compmom. In the end its all about the music and a students ability to show their passion to the faculty at the schools they apply to. If those two parts are complete then the rest is just common sense at interviews and providing a solid application. When you are done and have acceptances then they can choose the best fit for them. At that point it comes down to teacher compatibility, conservatory or university, city or suburb, large school or small. Soon we will be making those decisions and any guidance from those who have done this will be gratefully accepted. Hope more people can share on this thread for people like philmusic so that they can have some guidance for the next group of young composers looking to join the ranks.
@compguide - there are more comparisons to make asides from the ones above.
You’ll want to compare curriculums and required courses for graduation.
You’ll want to put together sample course lists to see what kind of electives your student will have, and how full a day.
You’ll want to look at actual courses offered, and learn, perhaps, about the professors who teach classes other than composition.
You’ll want to think about the peers at the college both in and out of composition, as the majority of the students’ time will be spent with fellow students, inside and outside of class, and into their future.
You might want to look at financial support for summer programs and travel to premieres, for opportunities raised outside of the college with other institutions.
To get an orchestra piece performed - is it by way of an internal competition, or is it guaranteed? Once in the four years, or more often?
Do private one on one lessons start in the first semester, and how is the professor assigned?
How often will the students works be performed and by what kind of ensembles? Who will be the audience for those works?
Are there student ensembles, or are they easy to form? Will the other performance students be interested in performing New Music, or will their focus be on traditional repertoire in anticipation of an orchestra job?
If something happens to the preferred teacher, or if the relationship doesn’t work out as planned, who are the alternative professors?
How connected are the professors and the program to the local New Music scene, and to the biggest New Music scene within a reasonable distance - and what is that scene like?
The networking and connections the student will make in undergrad could end up being very important (or not - that can wait until grad school - but that’s something to consider.)
Which graduate programs have the students gone to?
Did we think of all those things above? No. But they all ended up being important.
Thanks SpiritManager those are excellent questions to have and thanks so much for sharing them. We have to wait until all decisions are in but will be asking all these questions once my student has narrowed their acceptance list down to 2 or 3. Who do you suggest is best to ask those questions too? The composition faculty or an administrative person? Thanks again for posting such valuable information.
Different questions for different people. I would ask some of the structural questions of the Head of the Composition program - or if there isn’t one, the head of the Music department. I would ask to have your student be put in contact with current students with whom he could correspond and ask questions. I would have your student correspond directly with the composition professor they’re most interested in studying with. And I would do research into the course list and curriculum on the college websites, digging deep into the weeds.
More questions not on that list:
How many concerts are there at the school per week - and what kind of music is it? What visiting professors/guest artists have they had in the past, and do they know who will be coming next year?
Is there a composition seminar where all the student composers get together on a regular basis?
How many student are there in the composition program? How many undergrad, how many graduate?
If there are graduate students, what is the procedure/protocol for having one’s pieces played? Do the grad students get precedence?
I think you may be getting the gist of the questions. You’ve got an idea of the schools, and hopefully of the aesthetic bent of the composition department - now you need to get into the day to day details.
I think that research on websites is often enough, but everyone is different. As I said, BM versus BA is the most important decision and a student can apply to both options and decide in late April.
Look at curricula, course descriptions, listen to faculty and grad student works… and visit. Even if the visit is just during auditions.
And just be aware that young composers get into top grad schools from all kinds of undergrad schools and experiences.
I don’t think it has to be complicated or burdensome.
And it can be 4-6 schools, whether all conservatory or some conservatory, some college, or double degree, or whatever.
I would also suggest Alex Ross" “The Rest is Noise” for an overview of 20th and 21st century classical composition- maybe your kids have read it already 
@compmom my further questions were for @compguide now the acceptances are in and they need criteria for differentiating between the programs and making the final choice.
Different than the first pass deciding where to apply …,
Right, sorry 'bout that! I was rereading the post of philmusic and kind of mixed up answers for both a future applicant and someone who has already been accepted.
I just wanted to make the point that some of us weren’t that knowledgeable at either stage of the game and didn’t have as thorough an idea about how to proceed, but things tended to work out
My son is a high school rising senior planning to apply for BM in composition (plus jazz on the side if possible) in the coming fall. He’s looking into the possibility of arranging some private lessons with collegiate composition faculty while taking summer courses (not composition) in two institutes. I contacted the admissions staff but was told that we need to reach out for the individual teachers by ourselves. Does anyone have experience establishing contact with the collegiate faculty? S has sent an email to a teacher for a week but got no reply so far. Are there more effective ways to get connected?
Sometimes emailing teachers doesn’t bring a response, as you are finding, perhaps because they are busy. We actually waited until after acceptance to arrange private lessons or meetings, but others do things differently.
What kind of institutes is he doing this summer? Has he done composition programs in the past? Does he have a portfolio of 3-4 pieces, with any recordings of performed works? Are his compositions classical or more in the realm of jazz.?
Often rising seniors do summer programs in order to get a recording. It sounds like he is already busy. (Walden School is still taking applications I believe!)
Of course he may be applying to a school that does not require a portfolio. Composers can certainly apply to BA programs that do not have prescreens or auditions,
@compmom Thanks for your input. My son will be participating in 2 jazz institutes this summer (and is still waiting for the admission decision of a third program - composition). Last year he joined one jazz program and one composition program (yes, he did get a piece professionally recorded) as an alternative way of paying visits to music schools. He’s going to compile his application list with reference to these experiences. I think if he’s able to work one-on-one with a few teachers during his stay, it will make his summer tour even more valuable.