<p>Is it true that your best chance for music $$ is to audition at the earliest audition dates? S will not be a performance major, but probably music business. The schools he has applied still require audition since program is in music school. Should auditions be scheduled for fall to improve chances for dept scholarships? Any insight is appreciated.</p>
<p>Depends on the school. If a school has a rolling admissions policy, then you really do want to get in as soon as you can. Other schools make decisions in two waves, one for those auditioning before some cutoff date (usually in Novermber or early December) and another for those auditioning later. In these cases you have to balance the difference between what his audition would be in, for example, November vs February against the likelihood that there will be more money available when the first set of decisions is made. You also have to be very aware of whether or not an acceptance is binding. Finally, there are schools that do not make any decisions until they have heard everyone. In that case, it might be better to go later than earlier if his playing continues to improve over his senior year.</p>
<p>If the school website does not tell you which of these three options that a school uses, it is a good question to ask either of an admissions rep or of someone in the financial aid office.</p>
<p>So far, all schools are RA and all the academic apps are in. Some indicate audition results w/in a couple of weeks, one indicates audition results after all auditions. No mention that I have found of notification of music $$ though. </p>
<p>Understandably, S wants to get the whole thing over, as come November his schedule w/school music, soccer, etc gets very busy. </p>
<p>Thanks for the insight.</p>
<p>Yeah, each school is different. But none of the schools my D applied to had early results for money. Even the schools that accepted her early did not give us info about music scholarships until March or April.</p>
<p>Each school is indeed different. DS did two early priority music applications/auditions. One was at Duquesne the Friday before Thanksgiving, and the other at the Hartt School the first weekend in December. In both cases, notification of acceptance AND music merit money came before Christmas break (and that is what both schools promised would happen). All of DS's other schools were "deadline" schools and he heard nothing until late March/early April.</p>