<p>binx,</p>
<p>thanks. So perhaps he will send send extra recommendations from music teachers to all colleges, whether BMus or BA. That adage about "thicker the file, the thicker the kid" is a little worrisome but perhaps doesn't pertain here!</p>
<p>For what it's worth, here is some advice I got from a professional. My son coached over the summer for one week with a professor from S.F. Conservatory. She loved him and offered to write recommendations. I wasn't sure we would need them, so we've been holding that on the back burner. </p>
<p>I spoke to her today. She says that the recommendations are not read by the teachers, but that they influence the order of auditions on the day you go in because the top teachers (where there are a lot of teachers) do not sit in on all the auditions. If a kid looks mediocre, they go in one slot, tiptop in another, in the middle is probably most. So....you don't want to go in the mediocre pile. For this reason, she recommends against sending the "fair" recommendation from Teacher 1 and substituting hers. She opines that Teacher 1 was probably frustrated teaching son who needed to make a breakthrough (which she hasn't heard) with another teacher.</p>
<p>Some of the letters from Teacher 1 have already gone directly from Teacher 1 to the schools. The "sealed" ones meant to be sent by us came back with one not signed over the flap. I think she meant for us to see it, but I'm not sure. It was too much temptation not to have a look - since I would have to send it back for her signature on the flap, a new envelope is no problem. This is how I got to see it and I was disappointed and a little surprised since she had indicated a more positive attitude when I spoke to her about writing them. </p>
<p>Teacher 2 read his to us and asked for input.</p>
<p>Teacher 3 (the coach) will probably not share hers, but I know it will glow because she is very enthusiastic about my son. </p>
<p>Nobody is going to say he is more advanced than he is, but 2 of them clearly have much more enthusiasm about his future.</p>
<p>We're thinking: maybe all 3.</p>
<p>Again, just for reference and to clarify a bit so to avoid confusion, all of the schools my son applied to required university/college acceptance AND conservatory acceptance as well.</p>
<p>He used the high school music reference letters for the general college apps, and the teacher/chamber coach/ys director letters for the conservatory apps.</p>
<p>He only applied to three. I recall the distribution of letters as being 1 school 2 general app/2 conservatory and the other two schools as 2 general/three conservatory. He never sent more than what was asked for by the apps.</p>
<p>The audition procedure at SF Conservatory may not be the usual approach -- from our experience, although the panel at the auditions did not include all of the faculty for the instrument (although it always included at least the teachers listed on the application as preferred by the student), there was nothing to suggest that there was some kind of prescreening to sort students into groups by talent level based on recommendations.</p>
<p>where did you apply?</p>
<p>It may also be different on different instruments. For violin, where there are a lot of teachers and several dozen applicants, it would be pretty hard for every teacher to hear every audition. For instruments like double bass, where there are usually only one or two teachers and perhaps 20-30 auditions to be heard, it is much more possible.</p>
<p>yes - that's very true. he's on violin - dozens!</p>
<p>stringfollies- if your post #25 was addressed to me, my son applied to UHartford/Hartt, UDenver/Lamont and Oberlin College/conservatory for undergrad.</p>
<p>thanks. we only overlap on one - oberlin. where did he go? and what instrument does he play? just interested.</p>
<p>He got his BM summa cum laude from Hartt in viola performance in May '07. He's applying to grad schools for viola performance/chamber music for fall '08 entrance.</p>
<p>nice - he must be great!</p>
<p>Just as a little side note here from someone less experienced in such thing than most of the parents here--In my son's case, the letters of recommendation had a huge influence on his acceptance. He sent a tape for the audition, since we didn't have the money to send him to auditions. Upon listening to the tape, one teacher was ready to chuck it. However, another was unsure. He read the letters of recommendation and found enough there that he decided to call the private teachers and talk about S. The verbal recommendations they gave following the written ones were ultimately what made the school decide to accept him. I think this is probably quite unusual--at least according to what I have heard here--but it does happen.</p>
<p>In our case, we sent letters from two teachers. One he had been with since his freshman year in high school. The other he started with around the end of the junior year, at the recommendation of the first teacher, and he actually had lessons with both during the year, as each was able to help him in different ways.</p>
<p>Just reading this thread and wondering why you would send teacher 1 recommendation if you found it disappointing? Also if that teacher is frustrated and perhaps unhappy with your decision to make a change, I can't imagine that any school will really want that letter. Sounds as though you have plenty of positive comments, and in fact, I don't think any admissions office wants too many letters. Just adding my 2 cents.</p>
<p>Isn't it generally requested by schools that the letters be sealed and sent by the teacher or person recommending the student directly to the school? (Of course that doesn't stop the teacher from providing a copy of the letter to the student for his or her info). </p>
<p>My son provided three letters of recommendation: one from his private violin teacher, one from his symphony conductor, and one from his youth symphony conductor. Once my son had auditioned for his present college teacher in February of his senior year, she called his teacher numerous times and they discussed his talents and weaknesses. </p>
<p>Letters are important, obviously, but the audition is the most important thing. We also found auditioning in person at every school a financial burden. But I can't stress enough how, if at all possible, audition in person and meet face-to-face with the faculty and have a lesson with any faculty member your kid is interested in. This is a huge decision and 4 or more years of their lives. It's politically difficult and stressful to switch teachers once you have been accepted into someone's studio.</p>
<p>Like violinmom says, the standard procedure is that letters of rec arrive at colleges sealed, and in some cases stamped or signed across the flap to make opening/resealing/tampering easier to spot.</p>
<p>In both my s & d's instances, the writers offered file copies for reference. Both kids had longstanding relationships with those they asked to write their recs.</p>
<p>Multiple auditions over large geographic distances can indeed be a burden financially. Agreed that on-site auditions and face to face meetings are normally the best way to go, but if it's not possible for all your prospective schools/teachers it might make sense to shorten the list. If a student IS accepted via a taped submission, I would strongly urge a visit and lesson PRIOR to accepting that school as the number 1 choice.</p>