<p>Hi, I'm a cellist who needs to cover a lot of material in a very short amount of time in order to be really prepared for upcoming auditions. I was just on the Peabody Conservatory website (peabody is my top choice) and it says that there are auditions in may in addition to the usual February auditions. Does anyone know anything about this? Are you less likely to be accepted if you audition in May? I'm pretty sure you're auditioning for acceptance to begin classes in Fall of 2010 with everyone else but I'm not sure. Basically, I'm wondering what the downside to taking a few more months to prepare would be.</p>
<p>Many schools have late audtions. Often you are not eligible for scholarships in the late auditions but that varies by school. Do not know Peabodies policy on that. But not unusual to have a late audition and yes it would be for fall semester start with the other audition dates unless Peabody is different from others I have looked at.</p>
<p>Cellochik19,</p>
<p>Some potential problems with waiting. The openings in your instrument may already be filled from the February auditions. Most or all of the merit scholarship money might already be used up for the students admitted from the February auditions. And I think that for undergraduate admission, other schools will expect you to commit that you are accepting an admission offer before whatever time in May these late auditions are held. (In fact, the number of openings left in May is likely related to the “yield” the school would get from the offers of admission that were made on the basis of the Feburary auditions.) You should email or call the school because it is likely that the May audition option might not even apply to all performance areas and degrees. </p>
<p>I think that waiting for an audition that late would be risky in a school with competitive admissions.</p>
<p>cellochik,</p>
<p>This is a very appropriate question to ask the Admissions Dept at Peabody directly. Now is a good time to e-mail or call. (The Dept will be busier later!) </p>
<p>Admissions Depts are there to help prospective students with questions/concerns like yours - as well as to process all those applications! </p>
<p>Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Note that the Peabody web site says (as others have indicated the case might be):</p>
<p>“May Audition Week scholarships and financial aid will be dependent on funds remaining from February Audition Week.”</p>
<p>The common wisdom is to schedule an early audition November-December for a school or two if at all possible. Waiting till May may not be in your best interest for the reasons others have listed. I haven’t checked the Peabody site, and I don’t know if the May date was used in prior cycles. Is it across all instruments, or it is instrument specific?</p>
<p>This May audition date well could be a new tact. Possibly they under enrolled or had lower yields due to the economy, and this might be a way of making sure they have potential candidates. And this may not be the case. I’m just thinking out loud.</p>
<p>Our experience with Peabody personnel was that they were VERY cordial and happy to answer questions. Call and ask for clarification, and I’m sure you’ll get your answers.</p>
<p>Peabody’s May audition dates are not a new offering - been an option for a number of audition cycles. </p>
<p>A May audition gives a student who was disappointed with the results from earlier auditions a “second chance” at a fine school, but each student will have to decide individually if May is a good or poor option for them.</p>
<p>Agree with SJTH that Peabody Admissions is very approachable. Again, Cellochik, don’t hesitate to call and ask questions about the school’s experience with their May vs. February audition outcomes.</p>
<p>You may want to check on when they send acceptances. Some schools may give them out as they find candidates they want. Some claim they bunch all candidates from all audition dates and then pick the best.</p>
<p>So there very well could still be spots left open. But many of the schools I have read about have some statement about scholarship and financial aid only for the first audition(s) as cellopop quoted in his comments.</p>
<p>I have read debates on whether to audition early when you expect to improve and be more ready later. I am guessing they are looking for talent more than perfection and talent will be the same in December as May.</p>
<p>Nice thing about early auditions like Nov-Dec is if you get an acceptance, you can eliminate some schools or go for it at a reach school because you already have an acceptance.</p>
<p>“I am guessing they are looking for talent more than perfection and talent will be the same in December as May.”</p>
<p>Be careful!! The level of competition is going to vary depending on where the student is auditioning. If auditioning at top conservatories/schools or for “name” teachers who are sought after by many, perfection may well be necessary! “Talent” shouldn’t be thought of as separate from superior accomplishment as demonstrated by a fine audition performance.</p>
<p>Maybe I worded it poorly as I often do. But I did read an article about not thinking “I will audition later because I will be better by then” or something to that general philosophy. </p>
<p>As far as the entire debate over talent vs work or however you want to say it, I am not sure that can be settled here. Needless to say I accept the concept that some people are more talented than others. </p>
<p>What I am saying that if you are looking at audition dates in September and thinking I will audition in May because I will be a month better than in April, your thinking is probably flawed. Check with your private teacher, do not go by our opinion here.</p>
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<p>At least from the prior “waiting for” and acceptances thread on this board, Peabody tends to be among the later schools to notify of decisions. Again, I’m making assumptions and thinking out loud, but the perceived delay in notification may well be an effect of this May audition date. It may in fact “not be over till the fat lady sings”.</p>
<p>The advice to ask the source directly is the most sound.</p>
<p>Peabody was the last school DS heard from back in 2003…but it was NOT after May 1…it was more like April 15. I would guess that May auditions are used to fill slots that are not taken as a result of admissions offers by May 1.</p>
<p>This year, we heard from Peabody by email on March 31.</p>
<p>Aren’t you suppose to select a school by May 1? If so, then Peabody should not be auditioning students in May who have selected another school.</p>
<p>In theory this is true. However, I’ve recently been thinking much more about acceptance vs. attendance. For example, at Oberlin this year there are NO first year jazz bass players. I think (heresay) they accepted three, but all went elsewhere. In this case, a May audition may have yielded some more bass players to round out the freshman class. Maybe THAT is the method to Peabody’s madness…</p>