Anyone know the application process for the Julliard-Columbia joint program and Harvard-NEC?
Thanks in advance
Apply to both schools and indicate you want to do the double degree program. Feel free to call admissions at all 4 schools with additional questions. For the conservatories, you would obviously do prescreens and auditions (as required). For the universities you could submit a music supplement with recording or video (preferably one piece, possibly cued to the best 3 minutes), a music resume and letters of recommendation from a music teacher or director. Even if you get into both schools that offer the double degree together, you are not assured of entrance into the double degree. You can always apply the next year, in that case, after a year at Harvard or Columbia.
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Thank you Compmom. We will follow up with the schools.
Do we need to indicate a major on the Columbia or Harvard application?
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I think the Common Application has a place for that but it’s been awhile for me 
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Ok. Thank you. I will check. We may have found a student that is currently part of the program, whim we are meeting soon. I will post here what I learned.
On a completely separate note, Have you heard of aRobert Mcduffie center for strings that is part of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia? I was going to start a new thread?
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Sorry I have not heard of that but I have little knowledge of strings programs. Hope others will help.
Many talented students do the double degree programs but many also do one degree, whether the BA or the BM, and then pursue the other path in grad school. Many ways to go!
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I am interested in this topic as well and would like to hear any more information available on this. @tugogi - I would greatly appreciate any information you could share after talking to this student.
I have been reviewing the information for the Juilliard / Columbia / Barnard program available on their websites and wanted to share here to confirm my understanding… and hopefully it helps.
For double degree at Juilliard / Columbia - u will first need to be enrolled in the exchange program in Juilliard/ Columbia and preferably be a part of ensembles in Columbia. You must have completed some coursework ( 94 credits if I remember right) in Columbia by the 3rd year . You submit application in 3rd year and if selected u spend most of the remaining 2 years in Juilliard working on the MM degree while finishing any pending coursework in Columbia. If u had been getting any financial assistance from Columbia that would stop when u get accepted for MM and u need to reach out to Juilliard at that point for assistance. At the end of 5 years The student comes out with a BA from Columbia and an MM from Juilliard. Like what @compmom said it looks like there is a possibility that one might not get selected from MM or joint degree after going through the first 3 years in the exchange program in which case the student will come out with a BA and can pursue graduate studies elsewhere. All that is said about Columbia also applies to Barnard and Juilliard joint program. Barnard however does not appear to have an orchestra like Columbia and it looks like the student might have to enroll in Columbia ensembles. I think that might be a disadvantage.
When u apply for first year undergraduate the student will only be able to apply for the exchange program and will need to be accepted in both Columbia and go through Juilliard exchange admission process
Again all this information is available in the websites. I don’t have any experience and would like to hear from someone with first hand information.
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I’m glad you mentioned the cost factor in doing the double degree, with aid stopping at Columbia and the need to work with Juilliard in the 4th and 5th years. At Harvard/NEC there is also a $5k+ charge each year for double degree students, from NEC. Our kid did not do a double degree due to these costs, frankly, and is glad she didn’t because at the time of graduation, her preference was for a different grad program and funding was provided, so she saved a lot of money by not doing the double degree. And most likely a lot of stress. You can investigate the option of private study with a teacher at Juilliard. Manhattan Next door) or Mannes too.
My impression, which I cannot support with citations, is the the Columbia-Juilliard double degree is not done by that many students. I could be wrong.
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Thank you @compmom . That is very useful to know about NEC joint degrees. When we think about private lesson option - I believe the exchange program is essentially similar - one of the concerns we get is the opportunity or experience with ensembles in a music school. Are we overrating this or can the kid make up for this experience later. In exchange the option we thought about is the ensemble participation in Columbia for example. But not sure how difficult that can be and if the experience is the same as a music school.
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That is a legitimate concern and needs investigating. I would assume some high level ensembles and orchestra at Columbia but have not attended concerts there. I know many students who thrived doing Harvard/NEC, for instance, and also participated in Harvard ensembles. It is hard to make these choices. I would apply and once admitted to both schools, they start paying attention to you. At that point the student can meet with folks at both schools and make a decision then.
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Thanks @compmom . Agree that this is a bridge that can be crossed when the time comes. Also the option of exploring private lessons with teachers from the top schools is a great option to consider for kids. Thanks for mentioning that.
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Once admitted. he can meet with the chair at the dept. at Juilliard and they may even offer private lessons as an option.
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My info is a little dated, as my son graduated a few years ago, but he was involved in the Columbia/Juilliard exchange and applied to the Harvard/NEC program, so I can tell you what I know from that.
In terms of the application process, @compmom is right. You have to apply to each school separately, and they each evaluate you as though you’re just applying to their school, but you indicate your interest in the joint program on the application. If you’re admitted to both schools through their regular process, then you’re considered for the joint program. The year my son applied to the Harvard/NEC program, we were told there were about 24 students admitted to both schools who indicated their interest in the joint program and only six were admitted to the joint program, so about one in four. My son was among the three in four who got into both schools but not the joint program.
He also applied to Columbia, but not Juilliard, and after being rejected from the Harvard/NEC joint program, decided to enroll in Columbia and applied to the Juilliard exchange after he was already a student at Columbia. The application process was the same as for any applicant to Juilliard - prescreen, audition, callback audition and interview. Because he was already a Columbia student, his admission to Juilliard was by definition an admission to the Columbia/Juilliard exchange. I don’t know whether there’s the same further winnowing as there is with the Harvard/NEC program if you’re applying to both Columbia and Juilliard straight out of high school. (There may be, though, as the numbers are similarly daunting - there were only about 25-30 students total in the exchange, so about 6 or 7 per class year.)
The Harvard/NEC program and the Columbia/Juilliard program are similar in that, for the first three years, you’re primarily a Harvard or Columbia student, except that you take lessons at NEC or Juilliard. My son was also able to participate in ensembles at Juilliard (in addition to ensembles at Columbia). I don’t know what NEC’s policy is on that. For the last two years, the student becomes mostly an NEC or Juilliard student, basically doing the two-year MM program, and at the end of the five years graduates with a BA from Harvard or Columbia and an MM from NEC or Juilliard.
As others have noted, there’s a difference between the two programs in that, with the Harvard/NEC program, you automatically go into the MM program for the last two years. With the Columbia/Juilliard program, you have to apply (after you’re in the exchange in your junior year) and be accepted into the MM program. My son chose not to apply to the MM portion of the program, as it would have meant giving up his senior year at Columbia, and he had too many connections/commitments at Columbia for that to be attractive to him. He was also anxious to graduate and start his performance career and didn’t want to spend the extra year in school. He was able, however, to continue in the exchange, taking lessons and participating in ensembles at Juilliard in his senior year at Columbia. One of his best friends from the exchange, who did apply and participate in the MM portion of the program, essentially moved over to Juilliard full time for the last two years after having been at Columbia for the first three.
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@jazzpianodad - This is extremely useful info. Thanks so much for sharing.
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Harvard/NEC is similar in structure, so another thing to think about is whether you want to split your experience between two campuses, essentially being at Juilliard for senior year at Columbia.
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I just wanted to add that the Harvard/NEC program seems to be doing some sort of screening this year between both schools? I know a few people that did not make it to the audition/interview round of the program and they received emails that they’ll still be considered for regular admissions or the Tuft’s admissions if they indicated interest.
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@filmandcomp who emailed them, NEC or Harvard? Either school can tell by the application whether you applied to the double degree program, so I would think it would be automatic for them to make sure you indicate interest in Harvard or Tufts without the double degree program. I am just curious which school emailed.
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They were all emailed by NEC. It was phrased along the lines that after a faculty review they decided to not invite them for an interview but that they’ll still be considered for the tuft’s dual degree(if they indicated they were applying to that) and each school independently.
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Son looked into this at length for this year. He also spoke with young teachers of his who had done Harvard/NEC, and who had done Columbia/Juilliard. He said that, at least for brass, the programs were quite different.
For both programs, you must apply independently to each school, and check the box on the app for joint program. You must get into both, and the joint program, too. But he said that NEC expected full participation, except that you could do music theory and such at Harvard. He said that for Juilliard, however, it was an easier path. There are a limited number of spots in the studio for full Juilliard students, but that for joint program students, they were more liberal on acceptance. Say there were four spots available in the studio - they took the best four. But they would take additional students who were good enough to be there, who were in the joint program. He said that at Juilliard one took one’s lesson, and participated in ensembles as one was able to.
As for options at Harvard if one doesn’t do the joint program with NEC. One can of course study privately with teachers in Boston. There is also an incredible symphony, the Boston Philharmonic Youth Symphony, if you can get in (it’s for 12-22), led by Benjamin Zander. So theoretically, one could take private lessons, play in ensembles at Harvard, take music classes at Harvard, and play in Boston Philharmonic Youth, and you’d still be on track to get into a masters instrumental performance degree after Harvard BA.
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Thank you Tort123, Jazzpianodad, and parentologist.
Your information is correct and resonates with what the student mentioned.
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