<p>I am currently a junior at an extremely competitive public school in Long Island, New York. As far as academics go, my grades are average, and although I'm in the top 10%, it is clear that my record is nothing special. </p>
<p>Even though well-known, critically-acclaimed schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale would instantaneously reject me based on grades alone, I remain hopeful, as I believe my hook will draw a torrent of positive attention. </p>
<p>For about six years now I have been extremely active with playing the bassoon, an exotic instrument which I hear can make admissions officers wet themselves. Over the years, I have become quite talented and I'm always going off to play in local college orchestras and unrelated music festivals. Even in school, it has become quite easy to squeeze out an unfamiliar A+ from honors level band and orchestra. </p>
<p>When the time comes for me to pick a few schools and navigate my way through the arduous application bureaucracy, I will use this talent as my ultimate tool. </p>
<p>My question for all who are knowledgeable in the ways of college admissions is: Will playing a rare instrument such as the bassoon bolster my chance of getting into an Ivy League school even with mediocre grades?
Is it really as valuable as my peers say it is?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any constructive responses =)</p>
<p>Unless you've won some awards, or something to prove that YOU"RE REALLY GOOD AT IT than, its not much of a hook i'm afraid. and the basssoon is rare?? Hope you've got some true safeties!! don't blanket apply to all the ivies n hope you'll get into at least one.</p>
<p>I think your peers have really exaggerated your situation. HPY see some absolutely amazing applicants - much much more amazing than buffoon players - and they certainly won't "wet themselves" with excitement. Playing the instrument will not attract a "torrent of positive attention."</p>
<p>If those schools happen to need a buffoon player for their orchestra/band, that will certainly give you a big leg-up. However, you seem to have a strong sense of entitlement in your post, as if you are guaranteed admission and the schools will roll out the red carpet for you. That's certainly not the case.</p>
<p>My best advice to you at this point is to call the music department and ask if they are in need of buffoon players. If they are, request an audition.</p>
<p>B407 - Not many students play the bassoon where I live, so I was just under the impression that it was reasonably rare.</p>
<p>sfgiants - I figured that everyone was over exaggerating...
I definitely don't think I'm guaranteed admission to anywhere; I just wanted to know if it was a good focus in an application, as this is the only thing I really excel in.</p>
<p>Also, I apologize if my post seems inflated. The last thing I want is to come across as pretentious when I'm just trying to be positive and find out if emphasizing this talent is a strategic move. :/</p>
<p>Well I got into Johns Hopkins ED playing Bass Clarinet, which is probably even rarer than the bassoon. I did county/region/all-state/all-eastern, and I was top 8%/2200 SAT blah blah blah...</p>
<p>In short, you have a chance if you're that amazing. BTW, my UW gpa was only 3.6, so if you're around 3.7~8, and your SAT/SAT II's hold up, you have a good chance.</p>
<p>Your post was honest and appropriate...however, I think you will have turned people off by your comment that adcoms would "wet themselves"...over your bassoon playing and might therefore get some comments putting you down a peg or two.</p>
<p>natmicstef: This proves that people are misreading my post. In no way am I patting myself on the back or bragging about my playing. If you read closely, I was referring to the instrument itself, not my talent. </p>
<p>Now I'm beginning to wish that there was a "delete post" button, as there has been only one truly constructive reply. T_T</p>
<p>Depends on how good you are. If you're really really talented at bassoon, and the music department sees your talent, it will help a lot in the process.</p>
<p>There actually is, but it only appears there for 20 minutes after you post. If you really want, you can ask a moderator and they can delete it for you.</p>
<p>Anywhoo, I just realized I wrote "buffoon" instead of bassoon throughout my post. Whoops!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Will playing a rare instrument such as the bassoon bolster my chance of getting into an Ivy League school even with mediocre grades?
[/quote]
In a word, no. </p>
<p>I have known plenty of outstanding musicians, including an unbelievably talented opera singer who had performed solos at Yale, who got rejected from HYP. Sending in a music supplement will help, but your transcript remains the most important aspect of your application. With all due respect to jovenes and AdmissionsDaniel, JHU isn't quite as selective as HYP- the analogy doesn't hold.</p>
<p>It is great that you have pride in your accomplishments, but you probably need to temper your college selection process with a dose of reality. First, about half of the school districts on LI have convinced themselves that they are great and very competitive. In fact, they are about average compared with other districts in similar suburban areas. Second, music talent is close to worthless when it comes to admissions for the Ivies or other very selective colleges. Nationwide, about 20% of males and 25% of females participate in music performance during high school. That works out to about one million high school seniors who go on to college. Of these, tens of thousands have considerable skill with years of private lessons, attendance at summer music camps or youth orchestras and awards including all county or all state. The Ivies and other elite schools do not concern themselves with filling the orchestra with good musicians. They have no undergrad music programs to feed. Nor do they care about a supposedly rare instrument. You would be better off being one of the 40000 valedictorians who apply to college.</p>
<p>In case you think I am exaggerating, I can cite my D's experience from a couple of years ago: top 10% with lots of AP's, 1 year private HS, 3 years LI "competitive" HS, very strong recommendations, several hundred hours of community service including 2 weeks as a volunteer at a camp for chronically ill kids, 2 JV letters, 2 years flute, 6 years bassoon including very high NYSMA scores, all-county principal several years, 2 years MYO, 2 years during HS in the Stony Brook undergrad orchestra, 2 years Saturday pre-college at MSM, and summer music camps at NESM, Hartwick, NYU, and Eastman. Like countless thousands of other seniors, she appied to 3 of the lesser Ivies, largely due to the prestige factor. She was rejected by all three. She was also rejected by 2 highly selective schools with music departments: Vassar and Northwestern.</p>
<p>If you expect to leverage your music skill, those skills will only be valuable for college admissions if you want to go on to a conservatory or equivalent program. Then you will find out if your skills are really unique because you will be one of 30 bassonists auditioning for one of 2-4 positions. You may also want to consider double degree programs. Aside from the frivolous Ivy applications, that is the route my D took and it has worked out really, really well. </p>
<p>I congratulate you for your accomplishments and wish you the best of luck. I do recommend that you do not rely on your music to get you into Ivy or other elite schools. Spend time considering your goals and options and apply to the schools that really fit your needs, not just those with lots of name recognition and prestige.</p>
<p>I'll second what edad said: the number of schools that recruit musicians at particular "postitions," in the way that many will "tip" a good quarterback is vanishingly small and restricted mostly to music schools and conservatory type departments. If you've received state- or national-level recognition in music, that will be a nice hook to differentiate you from candidates whose academic qualifications are similar to yours, but it won't leapfrog you over much stronger candidates at selective colleges.</p>
<p>It generally works like this for the very competitive and selective ivy league schools in terms of having exceptional talent ect. First you have to have the grades, rigor of curricululm and competitive test scores to even be considered for admission. Once you have that, the admissions office looks at your entire package. They have thousands of applicants with perfect or near perfect SAT scores and grades and many of those appicants get rejected in the absence of anything else. There are students who have competitively high SAT scores and grades with the rigour of the curriculum but not perfect, but have something that tips the scale in their favor. One thing that could tip the scale is exceptional artistic talent. Usually the appicant has international/national individual recognition in this area (ie. not just going with their school to a national competion, ect, but winnning having individual achievement on the national or international level in that area). Usually the artistic talent that a school is interested in is one that will enhance or bring something to the school community. When you hear of admission officers taking for example a tuba player because they need a tuba player in the band, they are talking about something else. They are not necessariy talking about exceptional artistic talent. Rather, they are talking about a void that needs to be filled at the school. Still the applicant would have to be an outstanding player, show in his or her application that he or she was interested in pursing that at their school. But the most important thing is that the applicant has to have the requisite competitive grades and SAT scores.
There are some applicants who will have exceptional artistic talent who will get accepted with lower grades or SAT scores and their appications are flagged because of things they have done that are extraordinary, but still they have to be competitive candidates.
HYP is not going to accept a student who is not competitive enough academically just because they play an instrument that may or may not be rare. It is something that can help the applicant if they are competitive and that instrument is needed. It is more likely to help a candidate if they are nationally recognized and if they are applying as a music major ect, have sent a professional tape in of their playing the instrument and where the head of the music department is so impressed that he or she writes an amazing recommendation to the admissions office upon hearing the performance</p>
<p>A college with a smallish Music Department (not a School of Music or Conservatory) in need of a bassoonist for their orchestra may very well be interested in you and might help you with admission if you are an excellent player and your grades and SAT scores show that you are capable of doing the academic work that the school demands.</p>
<p>You need to call the Music Department and make contact with whomever teaches winds or conducts the orchestra. If possible, arrange to take a lesson and sit in on an orchestra rehearsal or attend a concert. Let them know how committed you are to playing in the orchestra in college. Then when you send in your application, also send in the arts supplement in the form of a CD of your solo playing. Get yourself a good accompanist and have your bassoon teacher help you make the recording. </p>
<p>Your original post is a turn-off. Get rid of the flowery language and tone of arrogance and instead be direct and humble, show your eagerness to participate and your dedication to your work as a musician. </p>
<p>When deciding what colleges to apply to, compare your grades/SAT scores to the school's averages. Choose wisely with the assumption that your bassoon playing will NOT get you in. If you develop a list with a few reach schools that are within reason considering your scores and grades, THEN play your music hand. Your bassoon playing may help you if you are a borderline case.</p>
<p>To follow up on my previous post, I'd like to refer to an example of my friend...</p>
<p>My friend played English Horn -- another relative of the oboe, and got into All-Eastern/State blah blah. However, she was not a very competitive student. However, she sent in a recording to Columbia, then contacted the music director afterwards, went to Columbia to exhibit her skills, and attained a letter of recommendation from the director. This recommendation was probably her golden ticket to Columbia, as she got in.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, it should be noted that she is suffering majorly in Columbia, because she cannot follow the tough curriculum. Apparently she does not even have the time for English Horn playing.</p>
<p>an instrument should complement your personality and style, unless you're a music major or incredibly good; it shouldn't be the focus point. In terms of Michigan, myself for the violin, I'm probably in the top 5% violinist, and I've earned a lot of awards and have been to Europe w/ my violin. </p>
<p>That being said, my essay's had only 1 paragraph that talked about my violin and how it complemented my learning style. </p>
<p>If you're a non music major, you go to school to learn. Not to play music. It's not that much of a hook imo</p>