<p>guitarkid, my jazz guitarist son auditioned at quite a few schools across a broad spectrum from conservatories to university-based programs. Surprisingly, the only one that required a sight-reading component as part of the audition was USC Thornton (which he will attend). The other schools would, however, have made him undergo some sort of sight-reading evaluation upon the start of the program, for placement purposes.</p>
<p>I can’t answer the jazz proficiency part of your question, though, as my son has studied and played jazz (along with rock) since the age of 11. But I do remember a student we saw perform at Stanford Jazz Camp a few years ago (about 17 or so) who had been playing jazz for only a year or two at most. He was probably the best there.</p>