Son’s applied to music conservatories and music schools, e.g. Oberlin, Berklee, U Mich, Thornton, etc. Majoring in music (jazz studies), mix of BM/BFA. All the application are in. The transcript that was sent with the applications, showing grades through junior year, showed a GPA of 3.75.
Do any of the schools, as a general rule, ask for senior grades prior to making an admissions decision?
Some schools may ask for mid-year grades, due some time in January. If any of those schools use the Common App, the school counselor will be asked to send a mid-year report.
Anyone have experience with this for UMich, Oberlin, Berklee, Thornton (USC), New School?
Never mind… figured it out on the Common App.
A major dip in senior grades has been known to trigger a rescinding of an offer of admission to schools where grades factor in. In other words, avoid “senior-itis”!
When my D got accepted to Oberlin, she had to send in her final senior grades. I assumed they could rescind if her grades had dropped, so ditto to Mezzo’sMama, avoid senior-itis 
Did your son apply dual degree to Oberlin since you mentioned the common app?
Strictly music major on all of his applications. All I can do is remind him that the schools will see his senior grades before sending out admissions and scholarships decisions. Doing my very best to let him navigate his own life. At least he’s practicing even if he’s forgotten the concept of homework…
I didn’t think Oberlin Conservatory used the Common App.
No, they don’t. Half of the schools he applied to use the Common App - UMich, Thornton (USC) and the New School. They rest have their own.
@ScreenName48105 If your son is determined to major in music and only music at a conservatory, then the audition is the most important factor in determining acceptance and merit awards. If he has a great audition, his grades won’t really matter. And if he has a bad audition, good grades won’t make up for it. (The admissions director of a top conservatory (part of a university) told us as much after we pressed him.) After all, does it really matter how you did in AP Chemistry or calculus if you want to be a jazz musician? There are only so many hours in a day, so, IMO, your son is right to spend his time and energy on his music.
@GotThatSwing96, I will disagree with you on this one, and I also guess that it depends upon your definition of “conservatory”. Some schools, notably, Cleveland Institute of Music and Shepherd School of Music, demand that their students take academic classes as well as those on the music side, so yes, the grades are important. And for Vocal Performance majors, grades will always factor in, and they will also be looked at when it comes time to apply to graduate school- those students take a compliment of languages, diction classes with IPA, music theory and music history.In their graduate studies, they will be called upon to write papers and work on collaborative presentations and projects.
So, it’s not a “One Size Fits All” answer.
@Mezzo’sMama , By “conservatory” I mean Oberlin, Eastman, MSM, Berklee, Juilliard, The New School - some of the schools @ScreenName48105 had mentioned her son was interested in applying to for jazz performance, which are the same schools my son and his peers applied to and now attend. Perhaps it’s different for jazz/contemporary music than for classical. ( I’m not familiar with CIM or Shepherd because they don’t have jazz programs.) Also, I was referring to grades in high school, not at the undergraduate level. From what I’ve seen over the years, high school grades are not the determining factor for admission or merit aid.
It could well be different for jazz programs @GotThatSwing96. But I can say with certain knowledge that in classical music, all things being equal, I have known high school grades to be used as one of the determining factors in admission and in awarding merit aid.
While it’s not necessary for every kid to pack their schedules with advanced courses, nor should they be discouraged from taking them on the basis of thinking that they “won’t need them” or that “they won’t matter”. In fact, since kids can and do change their minds, having a more diverse background could help in case they decide to change their major.
@ScreenName48105 Berklee doesn’t require mid year grades only wants transcript once they graduate. I would caution, however, slacking too much senior year as you never know what might happen if your son decides to transfer, etc. Those grades could be important.
@Mezzo’sMama - Shepherd is a school within Rice and not a stand alone conservatory. One needs to take 13 academic classes beyond music - more than almost any university program.
CIM is a stand alone conservatory
@ClarinetDad16 - I’m well aware of that. CIM is an independent conservatory but they are affiliated with Case Western University and sit on a corner of their campus. They have a fairly extensive requirement of academics,more so for the voice majors (because of the languages) and the classes are taken on the Case campus.
@Mezzo’sMama - not for the instrumental majors. CIM takes a ton of Intrrnational students and their academic requirements are minimal.
It all depends on the school, and it could definitely be different for voice majors versus instrumental (since I know little about voice, I won’t talk about it). For true stand alone schools of music/conservatories, grades in general from what i know can only be a negative. For example, a kid who slacks off senior year and is carrying C’s and D’s may not make it into the school even if they have a good audition, in part because despite popular opinion, music performance with classes like music theory, ear training, music history and the like are not ‘crap courses’ (as opposed to many of the gen ed requirement courses they have for academic students, rocks for jocks and the like lol). Grades at a stand alone also can make the difference if they have kids on the edge of making it, the kid with better grades might get the edge on admissions. That said, though, getting a 2200 on the SAT, having a 4.0, EC’s, AP classes, etc, in the end will do very little to get you into a music program, it is better to work on getter rep up to snuff, where there isnt a tie breaker, than killing yourself academically to have all the killer stats, decent grades will be enough IMO. And good grades in high school, in instrumental music at the conservatories, won’t get you extra aid, that I am about 99.9% certain, merit aid will be based on playing ability, tempered with financial need (in other words, top students whose parents are well off likely will get nominal aid in most cases IME.
I remember at an admissions seminar at Juilliard, this one ‘determined’ mother who got up and spouted off about how her ‘talented’ son was so brilliant, and ticked off the SAT scores, the AP scores, SAT II scores, the grades, the other EC’s he did (with an attitude like Juilliard on seeing that should give the kid the keys to the school or something), and when mom asked if that would make her son a shoe in to be admitted, the admissions person smiled and said “not one bit, it all we will be how well he plays and if he is up to the standards Juilliard required”, mom deflated like a balloon in a pressure chamber (side note, the son was in the violin program, so I knew of him, he wasn’t anything that earth shattering as a violinist).
Music schools in universities are different, they do check grades and a student will need to be admitted academically as well as musically, and while music kids are not held to the same standard as academic admits, it still pays to keep the grades up and get good test scores, because as others have pointed out, music students can get academic as well as music merit aid, and academic merit is based on grades and test scores, so there it very well may pay off to be near the top of the heap. Likewise, if the kid is musically talented but wants to go to a top level academic school, having music ability with those grades can help them get admission to the Ivies and the like, and also get them extra merit aid, so if the kid isn’t certain whether he/she wants to major in music performance or may just want to continue playing, might be a good hedge to have high grades and stats as a hedge.