How does music factor into college admission?

My son is a serious musician, but not sure that he wants to pursue music professionally. He’s been playing since he was 7 and it’s been his biggest, most significant activity though he is well-rounded and plays sports, gets good grades, etc. Are musicians recruited at non-music schools? Will his music help him in the admissions process overall?

For the most part, no. At least not in the sense of how athletes are recruited.

Short answer - it depends. It depends on the school. For those schools that place an importance on it, it depends upon the instrument and the school’s projected needs. In general, though, the balance of the application will still need to stand on its own.

If nothing else, it’s a great EC.

That said my daughter was invited to apply to a number of music scholarships at some schools (for non majors). Definitely depends on the school.

Some schools really value accomplished and devoted musicians in their applicant pool, both because they can contribute to the artistic life of the school, and also because of the other qualities that come as part of dedication to music (hard work, determination, talent, grace under pressure). I will note, though, that the academic record still needs to be at top level of the applicant pool (rigor, grades, standardized scores), and often musical involvement is just one of several outstanding extracurriculars of the student for the super selective schools.