<p>I'm currently a junior in high school and I'm really thinking about applying to Yale. I am fairly accomplished in cello playing and I'm very involved in Track and Field. For my cello playing, I was planning to fly over to Yale and audition for a spot in the orchestra. For track, my hurdle coach said that he's friends with the hurdle coach at Yale, and if I reached a certain time he would mention my name to him. </p>
<p>Although I'm not bad, academically, I'm not going to get accepted based on my grades and test scores. I'm on the high side but it's nothing outstanding. My question is, is there a way to combine all of these assets? Trying to get in by track alone, or by my cello, or my acdemics, I probably would not be able to make it, but if I combined all of these I may have a chance.
If I completely lost you, thats perfectly understandable I got lost a little myself, but thanks for any of your input</p>
<p>GPA: 4.61 weighted<br>
Rank: 29/920 which is about 3%
SAT scores: I get them back this saturday eheh <em>nervous</em>
Cello: Won 1st place local duet competition, 3rd chair in San Diego Youth Symphony (the most advanced youth orchestra around), I have the title "Assistant Principal"
Track: JV Hurdle Sophomore year, I'm hoping to get varsity this year</p>
<p>your Rank and GPA look fine to get accepted. If you combine them, you have a decent shot. Recruiting obviously is a fast track to acceptance (moreso than music).</p>
<p>Can you audition in person before you're accepted? They would only take a recording from me. Plus they don't let undergraduates officially get a degree at the music school.</p>
<p>you don't audition for any of the music groups until after you're on campus. You can, however, send "supplemental materials" (tapes, cds, etc.) like tkm and I did. There is no official undergrad music performance major, but if you're an exceptional musician and really want the performance training, you can apply for the BA/MM program. check out this link for more info. <a href="http://www.yale.edu/music/degrees.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.yale.edu/music/degrees.html</a></p>
<p>but Yale doesn't allow for auditions before being accepted? I'm not planning on majoring in music, but doesn't Yale have some sort of orchestra?</p>
<p>there are tons of orchestras and other performance ensembles on campus, including ones that are officially affiliated with the school as a whole and ones that are run by the different colleges. There's also a professional orchestra in town that occasionally needs students to fill some spots. There are also jazz bands, pit orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber groups, the YPMB (yale precision marching band, a bit of a misnomer)... pretty much any musical group you'd be interested in doing. But you don't audition until after you've been admitted and you're actually on campus in the fall. The reason why is that there is no performance major, so there's no need to be accepted individually by the music department. The supplemental cd is the same as someone who submits a research abstract or a selection of poetry. You're showing the committee what you will bring to the school.</p>