<p>It’s so true about the music world being very, very small. Not only did D3 run into many of the same people at different auditions, she was also likely to run into friends from summer programs every time she visited a school. I can only imagine that the connections become even deeper as you get into the field.</p>
<p>The connections thing-
DS is teaching now after undergrad and grad in music. He ran into the same small group during auditions over the years. He saw a few names pop up while interviewing for jobs.
And he now works with or competes for gigs against the same names.
Several of his former teachers in HS and college professors are now peers he is quite connected to. </p>
<p>A very small world.</p>
<p>Going into Sophomore year in highschool, flutist, been doing research on different colleges and conservatories since the 5th grade 
Currently applying for various conservatory prep high schools (boarding) ;)</p>
<p>Hi everyone, I went to CCM for graduate school and stayed to do their Artist Diploma in Opera. It is a great school with excellent voice instruction. I’ve been working professionally for a few years and having a great school on your resume helps a lot. </p>
<p>Drop me a line/PM if you have questions.</p>
<p>Hey guys.</p>
<p>I’m currently an undergrad composition student at Mannes, and am willing to answer any questions parents and students may have about the school, along with life in NYC. Feel free to contact me with any.</p>
<p>Welcome Wyschnegradskyan - great to have a current comp student to answer questions, and as we’ve not had anyone with a thorough knowledge of Mannes’ department - I’m looking forward to your posts!</p>
<p>Bassclef 23, where did you go for your undergrad? Is it more important (and wiser) to save the big name school for the grad degree? </p>
<p>Also, my daughter took a voice masterclass with an opera professor from University of Missouri-Columbia and loved it. Anyone have an info on that school?</p>
<p>I am a rising senior in HS and am aiming for a BM in vocal performance. I also have quite a bit of piano experience. I am hoping since this is a thread for musicians that someone can help me. I, for some reason or another, feel uncomfortable applying to schools I have never visited before. I don’t want to be at a disadvantage when applying because I didn’t apply ASAP(esp. if I visit one and end up REALLY REALLY liking it) and we can’t visit all of the colleges before my school year starts. Is there someway for me to either suck it up and apply or somehow get a feeling for the school before I apply? Currently, my yet-again-revised-college-list includes Hartt School of Music, Westminster Choir College, Boston Conservatory, Ithaca College, Temple U, U of North Carolina, and Shanendoah Conservatory. Thanks!</p>
<p>songbird94,
I just wanted to let you know that we chose not to have our son visit Oberlin or Eastman before applying and submitting his prescreen because we were feeling strapped financially. And also our son did not have the time the summer before he applied. He also never formally visited NYU or MSM, but he has been to New York and spent time around the NYU neighborhood and had been to the MSM campus for the Mingus Festival. He had hoped to go to one of the information sessions Steinhart was offering for potential students, but he ended up being too busy and could not fit it in. He made his decisions about where to apply partly by talking to other musicians he knew and also based on advice from his teachers who he respected.</p>
<p>He ended up visiting NYU, MSM and Eastman for live auditions. He visited Oberlin after he was accepted based on his regional audition. I think it is important to visit the schools before making your final choice. But given how competitive things are and also how expensive it can be to travel I am not sure it is necessary to visit before beginning the application process, especially if you are planning on doing a live audition. I know a lot of people make a big deal about the college visit and the importance of seeing the dorms and the school, but at the end of the day if money and time are tight I am not sure it is necessary to do this before you are accepted.</p>
<p>My daughter did not visit most of her colleges until the audition. And among my four daughters, they applied to many (non-audition) colleges without visiting them first. If the college did seem like a good option, come April, we went to visit. I teach at a college where, it is not uncommon for students from remote (to us) regions such as Hawaii or the west coast, to enroll without first visiting.</p>
<p>Hi, I am a newbie here! Mum to a composer/ organist son, who is entering his senior year. We have visited three colleges so far : USC, UCLA and UCSD. Not sure we will be able to visit Juilliard, Curtis,…, for financial reasons. My son’s Independent Program does not offer APs, so he has none. (As and top GPA otherwise) I was told that for universities, as opposed to conservatories, the admission looks at APs for granting scholarships. I am now wondering if my son should cram two online APs on top of his academic work, college application prep, concerts, audition prep and three composition commissions he accepted. IMO, he will learn much more with his composition commissions than the APS. Plus cramming APS will have to take time out of audition prep and composition commissions. I am very worried and wondering where to look for info. Thanks.</p>
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<p>Universities will generally take into account background and present circumstances when evaluating applicants both for admission and financial aid, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the lack of AP course credits having an adverse affect. In any case, CollegeBoard recommends only the AP exam (and not the course alone) to be evaluated as college credit any student, regardless of whether or not they’re actually taking the AP course for the exam in question, are permitted to take AP exams (though it’s not exactly cheap), which means that your son could take them if both of you so desire to have AP credit in his name.</p>
<p>I agree with you completely regarding your attitude toward your sons commissions, which will ultimately give him much more experience in his field (and backing to his overall application for a composition program) than would AP exam would.</p>
<p>Welcome composer mum! Exciting that your son has so many commissions already!</p>
<p>If he’s applying to the music departments for a BM, I don’t think the lack of AP’s will hurt him. UCSD, however, is solely numbers based in admission - with a rubric that one used to be able to see online. And they don’t offer a BM. (Neither does UCLA but one does apply only to the School of Music and only need the minimum requirements for admission.)</p>
<p>I would think if your son has high standardized test scores - they would probably satisfy the admissions department - if he has taken the most rigorous course load his program allows. I don’t know what kind of independent program he’s in - but they’ll probably want some kind of verification that his GPA is merited.</p>
<p>For admission for composition - his portfolio will be the most significant thing, recommendations next, and AP’s insignificant. However, for academic merit money - at schools like USC, they like to see scores - though not exclusively from AP’s. SAT II’s? Has he taken those? Will he be a National Merit Finalist? If so, he’s guaranteed merit money at USC.</p>
<p>Thanks Wyschnegradskyan, yes, doing the Ap exams is an idea we did not think of. It will still mean that my son will have to make time to prep them… Now I am thinking that the exams are late in the second semester, May? How will they impact the decision to get a scholarship? Aren’t the scholarships decided earlier? Or are they dependent upon the results of the APs and such?</p>
<p>If your son takes the AP exam in the senior year it will be after he’s already received decisions from all his schools - and the results are not posted until the summer. It will not affect either his admission or his merit scholarships, and, at private institutions often there is only a minimal amount of credit given for them (in terms of opting out of general requirements or for a pre-requisite to a higher level class.) I recommend you start a new thread to discuss this, or search for past threads on the subject and add your question to that. Many a time the senior course load for a student applying for music has been discussed. This thread is primarily just to introduce everyone to each other and many folks won’t see your questions.</p>
<p>Thanks SpiritManager. Yes, he will be applying for a BM, organ performance and composition dual majors. He also went to various camps at UI and in Boston, already has composition for string ensembles that are recorded, organ compositions that are played worldwide, and has been doing solo concerts, the last one in Paris. Just to give a more precise idea. THe three coming commissions are returning commissions because the previous ones were very well received and one very interesting project to work with artists and scientists on a social awareness project.
His Independent Program is in a public high school, so I assume the transcript will have all that is needed and offer the verification needed. He also attended classes at the CC with all As. SATs are in the high average, high in English lower in math, he also has a perfect core in his only SAT II.
No National Merit Finalist, although if we could translate music accomplishments he would get National Merit and also many music Aps :-)</p>
<p>He doesn’t need AP’s. Stop worrying about it! He’s got more than enough on his resume. :)</p>
<p>SpiritManager is correct that for the admissions process your son will not need AP scores. But if son has any interest in placing out certain general education requirements that may be applicable depending on where he goes, AP scores could be useful. For example, if he wants to take math courses but wants to place out of a course or two of Calculus, a certain score on the AP Math 2 might help with that.</p>
<p>Thank you all, I got a clearer view about APs. I will indeed transfert the topic to another thread. See you there :-)</p>
<p>Ok so now it’s senior year for D seeking piano performance major. Currently looking at BU, Hartt, Temple and Duquesne with Temple (Boyer) being number one choice. SAT 2100 above 4.0 GPA. What do you suppose chances are? Also what else do we need to be doing to get ready?</p>