Jobs, volunteering important to music school apps?

College Majors Music Major
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<p>My D will be applying to university-based music programs next fall. I think her playing skills, test scores and grades are pretty good. Here’s my question: Would having an after-school job and long-term community service experience help her application significantly? </p>

<p>From what I read on CC, acceptance at a conservatory is pretty much 100% about the audition. What about at university programs? Do their admissions offices care about extracurriculars and the other activities that non-music kids put on applications? </p>

<p>Certainly, my D would realize other benefits from holding down a job, but it will be hard for her to fit work hours in around practicing and ensemble rehearsals—and that’s assuming she can find a job with a bit of scheduling flexibility. </p>

<p>She has been getting paid to play as a horn soloist at various churches, etc. for a couple of years, but thinks she wants a regular (e.g. fast food or retail) job. Some "real world" work experience would be good for her. But can she do it all, and even if she can, should she try to?</p>

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<p>Significantly? No. But, this is going to vary according to particular universities. There are usually separate applications and the general admissions folk take it into consideration that the applicant is also applying to the SOM. The music school or music department admissions folk will probably best be able to answer that specific question.I know as an undergrad applicant D had already had just a bit of community service and a part time job ---- to be honest with you I can not remember it being an issue at all. What I do remember is trying to convince the admissions counselors at her high school that music admissions are DIFFERENT and to stop “advising” D.</p>

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<p>Things like jobs and EC’s have become, whether by reality or myth, an important part of college admissions, kids run around trying to find the ‘right’ ec’s to impress admissions people and so forth (which personally find abhorrent, the idea was supposed to be kids showing passion about something).</p>

<p>If you are planning to apply to a music school within a university, like Rice, IU, etc, then I would recommend not working and putting that time into practice. From what I know and have seen (and weigh this with what others tell you, since this just my opinion) the admissions people at the university side know that getting into the music school takes a lot of commitment and passion, and quite frankly that shows a lot more passion then working at Mickey D’s or doing EC’s that may or not reflect passion. If you D has been playing the horn and getting paid for it, had ensemble experience, my take is that shows what they would want to see, someone passionate about music. While I am not exactly telling you or your D that volunteering is a bad idea (it obviously isn’t), I wouldn’t do it simply to show you care…heck, even better, combine music and volunteering, put together ensembles and volunteer to play at nursing homes, retirement centers and so forth, kind of a natural progression:). I know that admissions people even at a top ranked academic school like Rice or U Michigan take into consideration what it takes to get into the music school, so they judge by very different standards then a kid going the academic route IME.</p>

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<p>As others have stated for the competitive music programs, it’s all about the audition. However, for music programs within universities, strong ec’s can help with academic and leadership scholarships. If your child is applying for music ed, the schools do like to see evidence that you have worked with children. I wouldn’t worry about holding a fast food job just to enhance a college application. Son didn’t have any fast food jobs but did have a very strong volunteering resume and still was offered leadership scholarships at several schools.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your insight! I’ll encourage my D to focus on continuing her volunteering and not worry about finding the part-time job. She is not (at this point anyway) interested in music ed, but her volunteering has included quite a bit of work with kids–instrument petting zoos, arts camps, etc. So that might help her a bit, anyway. </p>

<p>I feel so lucky that we found CC for questions like these. This process is WAY more complex than we expected. Thank you all for taking the time to answer!</p>

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<p>As far as scholarships and work…I would not count out the value of holding down a part time job (and not every job is a fast-food job). The the university that awarded D the most merit money by far(for undergrad) specifically said in the interview “we like to see that kids asking for money are actually trying to earn money”. Whether her job actually helped in general admissions, I have no idea.
That being said,at this point, I think it is a mistake to change her schedule according to what you assume might look good on her resume. If her grades are good and she has time to practice and focus on music, keep on the path that is working for her. A really good audition and good grades will more than demonstrate her academic focus and passion for her music.</p>

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<p>Any aspiring music major would give up a fast food job in a flash if they could get a paid gig. She’s a [part time] working musician!</p>

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<p>After posting my question, I found a great thread on this topic. (My search might have found it earlier had I known the abbreviation “EC”…I’m learning that CC has a language all its own!) </p>

<p>Anyway, I’m not quite sure how to post a link to another thread, but here goes: </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/947210-weight-ecs-music-kids-application-process.html?highlight=weight+for+music+kids[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/947210-weight-ecs-music-kids-application-process.html?highlight=weight+for+music+kids&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Great info and insights–I hope it will be helpful to others with these questions.</p>

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<p>Horn, just a side note/anecdote on the topic…</p>

<p>My own mother used to insist that my son should have been working a fast-food-style-part-time-job during high school, and that we were somehow “spoiling” him by letting him instead work flex-time for our own company. (We do web and digital design and development. Said kid was actually a natural at design and content generation, and as such, worked with us ad hoc all through high school.)</p>

<p>He actually would have preferred to work for someone else at several points – but that kind of work always seemed to conflict with his rehearsal schedules, music-related ECs, and equally importantly, heavy homework loads at rigorous GT school.</p>

<p>I took great pleasure in announcing to my mother back in 2009 that my “spoiled” child had not only been one of four accepted to his particular music program at UMich with a small talent scholarship, but who had also received a much larger academic scholarship that covered nearly all his tuition!</p>

<p>My point to her then – and would be now – was that while it’s important a kid learns to organize his or her time and have some financial skin in the game, they DO have the rest of their lives to work. Investing one’s time in academic pursuits and one’s vocational passion (eg. music) might turn out to be the better investment ;)</p>

<p>Four years later, in his specific case, I’d also say it was quite fantastic that he learned what he did with us at work – because it was a much better job than the average student has access to, and as a result, he possesses additional skill combinations that widen his net of prospective employment (eg. music technician who can program, design, etc.)</p>

<p>At his interview for his program, however, the panel of departmental instructors did comment on both his work experience and his volunteer work - so as musicamusica suggests, these thing may carry <em>some</em> weight. I think, though, the value is enhanced if the work or volunteer work is meaningful and in some way related to the vocation.</p>

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<p>That’s a job, and it fits in with her most important EC (or in this case, perhaps simply “C”, no “E” :)</p>

<p>I agree with previous posters that volunteering in a way that ties into music is also a good idea. My S, now a conservatory frosh, played at our local senior center with his jazz band, co-headlined a concert with his rock band that raised $1,000 for a family recovering from their son’s chemo, played at some events in our town for free, that kind of thing.</p>

<p>He also worked as a server in a restaurant for his last year in HS, but that’s because he wasn’t getting paid much to play music and he really needed the money.</p>

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<p>My D had an unpaid internship with a local orchestra. This did two things for her…exposed her to the business side of running an orchestra and (perhaps more importantly) because the school let her off two hours earlier every day (the internship was two days a week…for six hours) she had more time to practice for her auditions.</p>

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<p>Since the University of Cincinnati will look at community service as a component of their Cincinnatus academic scholarship consideration, it is helpful to include those experiences, since students can receive those scholarships in addition to any music scholarship CCM offers them. It is just one piece, though, and my son did not have a year-round service commitment, just some projects over the years, especially in the summer.</p>

<p>As for the employment, my son’s gigs were also his only source of income in high school.</p>