<p>I’ll just chime in with my D’s experiece. She auditioned at 2 schools live and 2 via recording. Her first response was a rejection from her top choice at the school where she auditioned live, felt the most comfortable, and thought she performed about as well as she possible could. The rejection pretty much threw her into a tailspin – she figured <em>nobody</em> would accept her and she started considering various Plan Bs. She was later accepted at her 2nd choice. </p>
<p>Ithaca has a sort of “welcome to audition day” presentation where they mention that they will provide feedback to anyone declined and tell you how/when to go about it. I can’t recall what the other school said…</p>
<p>(And just for the record, she also received one accept and one reject at the 2 schools where she sent in a recorded audition – one even offered her a scholarship.)</p>
<p>Hi SJSMOM. I received your PM thanks. I couldn’t reply as I’ve not posted enough yet to be allowed!!! We are actually canceling this weekend’s trip as he’s decided he doesn’t want to go to that school and the auditions he’s done already have been successful enough to drop it. I’m happy as we fly to Miami next week. Yes it’s nuts fitting them all in. And we also live in a town that begins with S, same county, south shore. Hopefully if I keep posting I’ll reach the 15 posts I need to PM :)</p>
<p>So if my son aces the Oberlin audition, but fails the theory, it affects the outcome. I think the instrument’s teacher has the power to override the theory results if I reccall the incredible clarinetist that got in Oberlin 2010.</p>
<p>I suspect if you ask for comments on the audition you would get the blanket reply - do to the enormous amount of auditions we are unable to comment on them.</p>
<p>I recommend entering music competitions that ensure you get the judges comments. Here the Rotary club competition gives you the judges comments. It can be a crap shoot because last year there was one judge who gave half marks on sound, and another gave top marks. The LA Spotlight competition gave the most helpful, precise comments making it like a music lesson. We know now (yes too bad it just arrived after auditions) what he needed to improve on his audition music. Some college professors might say - no problem, that is what I can teach him. Others might say - he needed to know that before entering our program.</p>
<p>I figure the shaky auditions don’t send an immediate rejection in case they want to even out the gender (male flutist), or US location of the person (west coast person at east coast school), or race, economic level etc if the college is interested in diversity.</p>
<p>Shymom - At Oberlin, theory is a consideration. That does not mean that it would override an audition or portfolio in the case of a composition major. The quote was included simply to demonstrate that at least one school does consider theory in the admission process as opposed to the theory test merely being for placement purposes.</p>
<p>From Oberlin Admissions: Theory Test Requirements</p>
<p>“As part of the application and audition evaluation process, the admissions committee considers your music theory knowledge. Once you have submitted the Unified Application for Music and Performing Arts Schools, you will receive an email with a link to take the theory test online. The test will run approximately 60 minutes and you are only allowed to take it once. This test will also serve as a basic placement test for the Department of Music Theory should you be admitted to Oberlin and choose to enroll. Students who achieve a high score will be invited to take additional tests in theory during the summer for possible placement in a more advanced class.”</p>
<p>So this test is also used for placement purposes. Oberlin also asks a lot of questions about an applicant’s general music knowledge and interests, including new music, to get to know the applicant better. Their admissions seem to be “holistic” in that way. While the audition or portfolio is the most important element, they use the theory test, interviews, and a very thorough application process to make sure the student will find a good fit at Oberlin Conservatory and vice-versa. That was our impression.</p>
<p>I imagine for someone going into composition, the theory test might carry a little more weight. All of the places we auditioned had theory tests that, though not make it or break it affairs, were pretty seriously given - including proctors ! The understanding was that they would fix whatever you didn’t know once they had you in their grips. At one conservatory they told the students that the test was as much about whether the prospectives could follow directions, written and oral as it was about music. I hear that at the grad level these tests are given much more weight, for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>But determining admission, I don’t think so. My favorite comment about audition day was the woman at this big conservatory who , at the end of her orientation speech told everyone that the practice rooms would be open till midnight but that she suggested everyone go out to dinner and back to their hotel rooms because “You aren’t going to get better by tomorrow morning”. Every kid comes in with huge holes in their technique and theory knowledge because that’s what music school is for.</p>