<p>Hi all. :)
I'm a piano student in high school and I'm planning on applying and auditioning for conservatories and university music schools.
Do academic AP classes/exams help at all for the acceptance process? I know it doesn't really matter for conservatory auditions (correct me if I'm wrong), but what about universities?
I'm definitely going to take AP Music Theory next semester, but I'm not sure about taking other AP classes since I have to practice and whatnot.
Thanks in advance. :)</p>
<p>My guess is that it is different for each college, but when my D toured/interviewed at Rice she was told to stop taking APs and concentrate on practicing. We didn’t allow her to do that entirely, but she did drop one.</p>
<p>AP classes can help free up the insane schedule a performance major has if they are in a university. If DD had done more and had better scores she could have used those credits for some of the distribution requirements. Not much help for admissions though. AP music theory will only help you get ready. It most likely will do nothing for admissions or credits.</p>
<p>Not every school will take the AP credit and apply it to academic credit, let alone a degree requirement. It’s score contingent, and most will have a breakdown list within their website showing what they will accept, and at what score level. And some will be major specific. </p>
<p>Some older, similar threads
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/505344-academics-vs-talent.html?highlight=academics[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/505344-academics-vs-talent.html?highlight=academics</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/707827-how-did-your-high-school-kids-balance-school-music.html?highlight=high+school[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/707827-how-did-your-high-school-kids-balance-school-music.html?highlight=high+school</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/58045-music-students-high-school-academic-loads.html?highlight=high+school[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/58045-music-students-high-school-academic-loads.html?highlight=high+school</a></p>
<p>When my son attended Eastman he was able to skip a required Humanities class if he scored 4 or 5 on either of the English AP exams.</p>
<p>Do AP classes affect acceptance as a music performance major at universities?</p>
<p>flute1298 is correct in that this will vary from university to university. Admission to music performance at some top universities is similar to conservatories: the audition is all-important. However, at other universities, one must also demonstrate considerable academic potential and AP courses are a means of demonstrating this. You would be wise to contact the music school/department at the universities that you may be interested in to get their take on the value of AP courses. </p>
<p>For the purpose of admission to music performance, I think that the value of AP courses is in most cases small. The value of AP courses for the performance major is twofold: a) good preparation for rigorous academic training thereby making the academic part of university relatively easy; and b) the credits for non-music courses which will create time in your week to practice more and focus more on music (as singersmom07 and shennie both note). </p>
<p>Be aware that very few music schools or conservatories grant credit for AP music theory (but that it is still an excellent course to take if it is well-taught). </p>
<p>Whether or not you choose to take other AP courses will, of course, be an individual decision based on how difficult and more time-intensive you personally find them compared to non-AP courses. </p>
<p>You are a pianist and preparing for a piano audition requires considerably more time than many other musical disciplines (in my experience high school pianists eyeing a music future are spending 2 to 3 times as much time on individual practice as their brass, woodwind, and singing counterparts). My advice for singers would be different from that for a pianist: singers should more strongly consider taking AP courses, particularly in the languages.</p>
<p>My S is a double major music ed/perf at Crane. His AP classes took care of most required core curriculum programs. Also, because he started with 31 credits he is now considered an upperclassman (he just finished his Freshman year with 70 credits) for things like room selection, class registration and some some other stuff. That’s real helpful. He probably won’t finish earlier than 4 years but that’s better than 5 :-))</p>
<p>I agree with most of what was said here – however academic grade point average also helps, at some schools, in getting additional scholarship money. Indiana University is an excellent example of this. My daughter was given $9K in annual academic scholarship money before even being admitted into Jacobs School of Music. Her GPA was raised because of the AP classes. But those AP classes came at great cost timewise and certainly detracted from practice time.</p>
<p>Many schools (like Rice and URochester) will only look at your unweighted GPA, so do be careful. You don’t want to have an AP class bring down your GPA, although hopefully the school will also be looking the rigor of your schedule.</p>
<p>Mine was also performance/ed, and came in with 15 credits. Some were in English and US History, and while the credits were accepted and counted towards “academic electives” within the degree requirements, they were not accepted a part of the actual degree requirements for the music ed.</p>
<p>They would have applied if he was straight performance.</p>
<p>Just a “heads-up” for those interested.</p>
<p>Yup - different schools, different rules. S2 got no AP credit at Juilliard. Zip. Nada. In fact, once he found out he was going to Juilliard, he quit studying, and didn’t even take a couple of the exams.</p>
<p>D is a performance major within a University. Her APs exempted her out of some required general studies (such as language arts and math), and gave her credits for other courses. We have been innundated with “senior” stuff all this past year - calls from the alumni association, registration for commencement, class ring orders, etc, even though she was only a 3rd year student. The real benefit was being moved ahead in the scheduling rotation, getting to register for classes ahead of time, as upper classmen are given a higher priority.</p>
<p>S who is a performance major at Eastman gets no AP credits toward his music degree. However, if pursuing a double major or double degree, the AP credits may be used for classes taken at the U of Rochester toward the second major.</p>
<p>Hi everyone:</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the informative responses! I really appreciate it! And congrats to your kids for getting into such great colleges. 
Thanks violadad for your links (went through each thread) and violindad for your well thought out response, it really got me thinking.</p>
<p>I think I’m just getting caught up with the AP hype since a LOT of my friends (even the ones who want to major in performance!) are taking 3-4 AP courses and it’s making me feel a bit inferior.
I’ll probably take AP Lang (or U.S.) to help bump up my GPA.</p>
<p>Thank you again!</p>
<p>First - Love your name! Chesh has been my nickname for over 30 years!
Secondly - your original question was about acceptance. AP’s don’t really affect your acceptance, but as everyone has said, may affect your course schedule.<br>
D1 took AP lit and AP comp and got 5’s in both exams. New York doesn’t care, and she still had to take English Comp at NYU. So…I didn’t push D2 to take the AP classes. Turns out at Westminster she would have gotten credit for English Comp with a 3! On the other hand - she took AP theory and did well - that saved her at least a semester or theory classes.<br>
My two cents…Take the AP classes in things you are interested in, and not because your classmates are. Getting credit is a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Probably for uni’s since you have to apply to both the uni itself and the music college within, but besides that it’s probably not a huge benefit besides getting college credit and placing out of classes</p>
<p>For admissions purposes, AP courses will not tip the scales at most places for a music performance major. Performance majors are typically accepted due to the strength of their audition. </p>
<p>However, as others have noted, depending on the school…your AP scores (if high enough for your school) might “lessen the load” once you have matriculated. DS went to a university with a strong music performance program. His AP scores allowed him to take a skip 8 required English literature courses and this was great in terms of lightening his course load…as he HAD core core requirements at his university.</p>
<p>DS took AP Music theory in high school but didn’t take the test. I’m not sure there is any music performance program that accepts AP scores in lieu of taking the course. So he passed on taking the test itself. BUT the information contained in the course itself was very helpful on his theory placement exam and boded him well during his college music theory courses (his program required two full years of theory…regardless of your score on an AP test).</p>
<p>BUT to the OP…in terms of admission…not sure this is a help to performance majors. The other thing to remember, if you take AP courses your senior year in high school, you won’t even HAVE the scores until the summer after you graduate…not much help in admissions:)</p>
<p>Just looking at universities-
For admissions purposes, at a university, they WILL see your course schedule when you apply so taking one or two AP courses could help in competitive admissions - and you do send your score when you get it - my student just sent to the university and this resulted in the offer of an honor’s placement in something. Now my student is trying to make this work (perhaps not easy for a music performance major…), however it may result in a double major - at least the door is open.
With our student’s apps to major universities, we noticed some request/require one of two SAT subject tests, EVEN for musicians - yes, these are different from APs but we took it seriously and did those tests (again, took time for a musician, but my student is academic). I feel this indicates that musicians may have to meet certain mainstream university academic standards in these incredibly competitive times, so APs can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Thanks! I am going into my junior year and want to major in music (either clarinet or composition, undecided) but was wondering about AP’s as well. I am going to take one next year (US history) but will keep everything in mind for the year after. I’m new here, but there is so much information!</p>
<p>Although the audition is the most important factor in admission to a music performance program, your course load and grades will be considered. It is an indicator of how you will be able to deal with a very busy schedule in college if you are successful in taking higher level classes in high school. It also may help you get a better financial package. Given two equally talented students on the same instrument, academics may become part of the decision. Saying that, there have been many talented students admitted to conservatory with weak academic records, so it is not a deal breaker, but every little bit helps. I would say, don’t go crazy with the AP’s, but having a few will show your academic ability.</p>
<p>Agree with slovesviola. DD took more of the IB classes in Junior year, cut back some Senior year to allow more time for audition process. Only had 1 maybe 2. Also had good test scores. She still got good scholarships for academics along with the music ones. They see the Junior year grades, etc. So make sure there is time for preparing for the audition process and don’t sign up for so many AP or the really hard ones that practice time squeezed out.</p>