Music Supplement

<p>I'm a rising senior and will be applying to colleges next year. As of now I do not intend to apply as a music major (maybe as a double major...will at least minor though). I play Horn and I would consider myself to be a good player. I'm not exceptional but I would still say I am strong. If I submit a music supplement, is there a chance that it could hurt my application (ie devalue my involvement in music), or will it just be discarded if it isn't good enough to help me? I think there's a chance it could help my application, but I'm aware that the applicant pool of musicians is very competitive. Any insights that could be provided would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Assuming that you either currently or in the recent past have received advanced music lessons, and that you perform either as a soloist or as part of a school or regional orchestra, will your teacher and conductor write a letter of recommendation regarding your musical talent/dedication and passion? If so submit a formal music supplement. Include a music resume and music letters of recommendations. Colleges often have submission rules which are specific to their admissions process. So you may have to package your supplement differently for each college.</p>

<p>And yes, if you’re talented, your submission can definitely help.</p>

<p>It depends on the schools you are applying. For top schools like Stanford, if you are not exceptional or awarded in at least state level, you probably should not send in the music supplement. Just think about how many students would be at a similar level like you with any instrument applying to that school. If you do not really stand out from the crowd, why bother.</p>

<p>@Matt846. agree with @billcsho. A good rule of thumb for those thinking about SUBMITTING a music supplement (as oppose to just listing it as an extracurricular activity or writing about it in one of your essays) to top schools (Stanford, Harvard et al) is the following…Ask yourself…is your musical talent at the same level of highly recruited athletes to the schools you are applying to…and most students in each high school throughout the country KNOW who the top athletes are as well as those who have top musical talent…</p>

<p>…remember, the MAJORITY of the student bodies around the country are active participants in some type of athletics or some type of musical instrument/involvement (or both) and that’s a lot of people…</p>

<p>…the reality is very few from each high school (unless we are talking about the rare powerhouse high schools known for producing future Div1 athletes or conservatory pre-college professional schools located in major cities) have the talent in athletics or music to be recruited (athletes) or sought after (talented musicians)…</p>

<p>…bottom line…definitely submit supplements if you are or have achieved international>national>state awards/prizes/recognition…and maybe even regional awards…if not, your recorded music unfortunately will be COMPARED to those who have which may DIMINISH your application’s status…</p>

<p>…the higher the level of achievement…the better your odds are of STANDING OUT and possessing the TIP you need to get accepted!</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Thanks all for the advice.</p>

<p>Another question- does the size of the school matter (ie less competitive with smaller schools), or does it not matter since the orchestras should still be in proportion?</p>

<p>I had the same question and to me this doesn’t seem quite right. If you’re not looking to major in music, then schools will not expect you to be performing at the international level. It would be foolish if someone of that caliber was going to study something other than music. I think the music majors are in a league of their own, and those who pursue music as more of an interest are not expected to be quite that talented. If you are, that’s great but you’re an exception. Schools see that music isn’t your whole life because it’s not your designated major so they won’t expect you to be a pro. I would say even if you’re excelling at the regional level a recording could be a helpful bonus to your application, and there’s no way it would hurt you. They may just discard it if it’s not that good.</p>

<p>@jmp618. I don’t think you understand…the majority of extremely talented musicians (especially the ones from this country…and not talking about those international applicants from China or Korea) DO NOT WANT to become professional musicians…most want to pursue careers in medicine, CS, engineering, law, business, etc (I have seen this firsthand on numerous occasions)…and most will continue their involvement in music as an extracurricular activity in college and in life…</p>

<p>…those who do want to pursue careers as professional musicians usually will be applying to Juilliard, Curtis, Eastman, NEC, European conservatories, etc…</p>

<p>…and it seems nowadays…fewer and fewer want to pursue a “career” in music due to financial concerns (return on investment)…</p>

<p>@Matt846. You are welcome. The size of your school or orchestra does not really matter…you will be evaluated in the context of what was AVAILABLE to you in your area and surrounding communities/region…</p>