<p>I think I'm conservatory quality...my private teacher is a graduate of Manhattan School Of Music and suggested that I apply to Juilliard, New England Conservatory and other music schools including MSM.
Instead, I took the Ivy League route and submitted a 10 minute CD to all my schools. I'm wondering how much leverage the music departments have in the admissions process IF they like the candidate. I play a pretty rare instrument. </p>
<p>(In terms of academics, I'm pretty sure I'm "qualified" for these schools)</p>
<p>There have been numerous threads on this topic. If you use the search function and “music” and/or “hook”, you’ll get plenty.</p>
<p>There are numerous high level players of conservatory quality at most if not all of the Ivys, many studying disciplines other than music. Many of these students will go on to study performance at the grad level and beyond. A number will achieve performance careers.</p>
<p>You would not be alone. Unless you have won or placed in a prestigious competition I would not see it as a major factor as you would be one of many conservatory ability applicants within the pool.</p>
<p>You state you play a rare instrument. If you define “rare”, I’d be able to qualify the instrument as being potentially a plus.</p>
<p>Purely anecdotally, it seems that highly qualified students who are also highly talented musicians (e.g., were on From the Top, won prizes, went to Aspen and other top festivals while in high school), have success at Yale, Harvard, Princeton. There are lots of highly qualified students, and musical talent can make the difference if you are one of them. The students I know who were admitted to these schools played piano, violin, cello – nothing unusual in that respect.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how much help it is. My music rec was mediocre at best, but my songs were relatively good. I had only 3 songs from Bach, Debussy, and Beethoven.</p>
<p>Last year, one of the music adjuncts at Harvard mentioned that he had reviewed 50 submissions (CD’s) and recommended one of them for special consideration to admissions. So the CD should be at the level (or close) of a screening CD for a conservatory – that usually involves hours of work, recording, rerecording, etc.</p>
<p>From experience with someone I know well, it can be significant - especially if you are a good student and you have national level recognition. In other words, I don’t think something like All -States is particularly significant or obviously at all rare.</p>