My daughter is a junior in high school. She has been composing music since she was in 5th grade, having won a few contests (national and 1 international, although I don’t think this seems to matter for college admissions). She works with a private teacher, and has done several thing musically at her high school (choir, Theory classes, some band). She plays piano and composes on piano and on her computer. She has attended a couple of summer programs composition programs, and is likely to be a National Merit Semifinalist. Her test scores are strong and has taken mostly honors classes. Her grades are good, but not perfect. How important are grades for admission to the music composition programs at schools like Oberlin (5 year double major-computer science), CMU (5 year double major), Michigan, Berklee/Rochester, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Yale and Harvard? Any past experiences with and insight into the admission processes at these schools would be so appreciated.
CORRECTION: I meant Eastman/Rochester, not Berklee
It will depend on the school IMO, with music dual degree (and I would assume dual major) they will give more lattitude in academic admissions if someone is a music student as well as opposed to straight academics. So the same credentials that would not be accepted by Umich for an academic only student might very well be accepted by a student planning to study music or dual degree. My experience (and take it for what it is worth) that your D may have more trouble with the Ivy league schools you mention if her grades are not near perfect, if only because those schools get a ton of kids who are both musically accomplished and academically near perfect , so the competition may be greater there. On the other hand, if your D is coming in as a composition student, that may weigh in her favor at the Ivies in terms of wanting some diversity in the student body. In composition, winning those awards might help (and the composition parents can talk about that), it is a bit different than a BM degree where it is about the audition, where those competitions will mean little in terms of getting admitted.
My take? admissions is such a crapshoot in some ways that given your daughter’s stats, I don’t see any reason not to apply to the programs you mention, assuming by the time she applies she still wants to do those things. Given who she is and that her academics and test scores are relatively strong (using your descriptions), there is no magic number for any of those schools IME/IMO, and while it could be if she applied to Brown, Yale or Harvard strictly academically she might not get in, the combination of her background may well get her in there, same with many of the other schools. The admissions game is such that unless she was marginal with grades/ scores (for example, if she had a 3.0 with a relatively easy academic program and had a 1800 SAT hypothetically), she probably stands as good a chance of getting admitted given her background if she had near perfect stats, lot of kids with those perfect scores don’t get admitted to the elite schools, because the stats alone don’t equal admissions. I would say once she figures out where she might want to go, apply and see what happens.
Of those on your list, my D applied dual degree at Michigan, CMU, and Johns Hopkins/Peabody two years ago. At all three, the music school and the other (engr., in her case) made their acceptance decisions completely independently. For the engr side, she needed to meet their stricter academic criteria. For music, the decision was much more dependent on the audition (she was BM) and the grade/test requirements were somewhat relaxed.
For each, you may be accepted to music, the other school, both or neither.
If one gets in for music and not the other, it may be possible to add the second degree later - sometimes requiring certain pre-requisites to be met. All the schools seemed to have a slightly different process here.
At a lot of music schools inside universities, if you get into the music school but not the acacemic school you won’t get in, period, they both have to accept you. Some schools will allow you to get admitted academically and if you don’t pass the audition, apply the next year and re-audition, it depends on the school. From friends of my son going to music schools within universities, the U Mich, USC, Vanderbilt, whether they were doing strictly music or dual degree, the word was that they were more wide range in what they would accept academically than they would with a straight academic admit, so while the academic portion of the university decided seperately, as momof2teengirls said, a student applying to the music school can get in with stats that an academic only admit likely would not get in, they make allowances (it could be with a dual degree person they are a lot tighter with academic stats coming in, as well, that part I am not sure of).
For the OP, if you are really concerned about that, you can always ping the various schools admissions department and ask them if your daughter is within reach, they are there to do such things.
As you know, you are listing different kinds of schools, those with BM and BA (or BS) double degree programs and BA programs such as the Ivies’ , with some performance aspects but mainly an academic music major (which often fits for composers). This is a good essay on different types of degrees which may or may not be useful to you:
http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/tips/doubledegree.html
The options are, basically (and I will use BA but it could perhaps be BS-more on that later):
BA/BM double degree, BA/MM double degree(Harvard/NEC), double major, major/minor, or BS in computer science with composing and other music “on the side” (lessons, performances, classes).
With a BS program, a double major with music can be difficult because both are intensive majors with sequential courses. In fact, a double degree can sometimes pose scheduling problems, but there are students whose parents have been on this forum who will tell you it can be done.
I know of talented composers who have done each of the options above.
Admissions, which is what you asked about (sorry for the tangent), will vary a little with each option.
For the Ivies and other BA or BS programs, your daughter can submit a supplement with a piece she has composed (possibly cued for the best 3 minutes), a music resume (studies, list of compositions and performances, awards, teachers, summer programs, classes, instrumental and vocal experiences, even concert programs. Most important perhaps are teacher or director recommendations.)
Selective schools are assembling an interesting class and in that sense it is less about the individual’s value as one person but the value in terms of what that student can contribute to the mix. Composers are valued, it is true. It would depend on the music and recommendations and experience, and I do wonder what summer programs, who the teacher is, what the awards were- but you are smart to be private!
Perfect scores don’t mean that much for anyone. I mean, chances aren’t better for a 780 versus a 740. I believe it is good to meet a benchmark and beyond that there are other things that get looked at. Your daughter certainly has done well with testing.
As for grades, not sure what you mean when you say they are not perfect. Does her school have AP classes or are “honors” classes the most rigorous?
Surprisingly, some selective schools will value a student taking a less rigorous course in order to do something in music (or art, dance, etc.) At least that is how it seems.
At a school with a BM program, the music department will often advocate with the college or university for a student, for admission and for aid.
I PM’ed you about the particular schools. If she is interested in combining music and technology/computers, many schools have great electronics and computer studios for composers. Brown has a strand in its music major for that, Oberlin has TIMARA, Harvard has HUSEAC, really all the schools have some and it is worthwhile to investigate the details if that is an area of interest.
I keep diverting from the question, sorry. Grades are important, but a composer with some background and talent will be more likely to be admitted with lesser grades than an applicant without the composition and music “hook.”
Looking for any feedback on Brown’s MEME program from people who have had experience with it. Also, thoughts on Harvard’s partnering with Berklee for a dual music degree from people who’ve had experience at Harvard in their electroacoustic music program. From Harvard Crimson '16: Harvard College and Berklee College of Music have formalized a new dual-degree program, marking the beginning of a partnership that promises to marry Harvard’s liberal arts curriculum with a more focused, advanced degree in music from Berklee. By the end of the program’s five-year cycle, students will have earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard and either a Master of Arts or a Master of Music from Berklee.