<p>I am fully aware of how the athletic edge can get you recruited and accepted into the highly competitive schools. What about the artistic or musical student? Are they ever offered any "tips"?</p>
<p>For music majors, it’s all about the audition. But, that being said, my S was approached by professors from several school who saw him at a competition and offer him spots in their studio (if he was accepted to the school). My S also did “sample” lessons with a couple teachers that he admired during his junior year and they gave him a pretty good indication of whether he would be accepted or not come audition time. But he still had to audition with everyone else! </p>
<p>For non-performance majors who don’t audition, not really. Not unless the kid is a an actual professional or has won some really significant competition or something. All-State/Regional Youth Symphony et al is just part of a nicely developed EC if the kid plays an instrument or sings. At least that’s the way it seems to be most of the time. If you look at what the most selective schools say about sending arts supplements, you can see that they practically discourage it, unless you are really, really good. (What constitutes good enough for it to make any difference is unknown.)</p>
<p>On the other hand, being an accomplished a capella tenor --there are never enough good tenors 
--might help at a school like Yale, with its Glee Club, and extremely strong a capella tradition with multiple touring groups.</p>
<p>Agree that it can be a nicely developed EC and if it’s a small college and they need that instrument even better.</p>
<p>I have one D at a selective engineering school who is minoring in general music. She had solid ECs, very heavy on music, and received merit aid offers everywhere she was accepted - but likely due more to her academic record than her music. D2 is looking to double degree in music and engineering and is in the midst of audition season now. </p>
<p>From what we’ve seen musical students who gets “recruited” are pretty rare, especially if they are not seeking to major in music. That said, I know of a few kids with rarer instruments who were offered a stipend at mid-tier schools if they agreed to play in the orchestra or band. There are also some schools that have unique scholarships for arts that are stackable on top of merit aid (I recall Hope College does this). </p>
<p>So definitely list the arts/music experience and honors on the resume as others have mentioned. Also, highlight leadership roles, volunteering, etc. done through the arts just like you would with anything else. A mostly arts/music resume can be quite impressive if it shows demonstrated passion, commitment, leadership, etc. </p>
<p>You might try posting on the Music Majors forum as well if that’s of interest. Even if you are more interested in music as a minor or side activity, the folks there are extremely knowledgable about everything music. </p>
<p>I should add that the University of Rochester has at least one merit scholarship specifically for musicians (my S was awarded it). But I think it is awarded for an academically outstanding student who is <em>also</em> a musician, as opposed to for musicianship itself, since there is no audition or music supplement required.</p>
<p>Every so often we have one of those “it is unfair that athletes are favored” discussions here, and in addition to claiming that recruited athletes work harder than lesser mortals (obviously not true, since less talented athletes can work just as hard but achieve less stellar results) or are more disciplined (obviously not true, since less talented athletes attend the same practices and games and so forth, not to mention the hours of practice and lessons and rehearsals over many years demanded from musicians), they always claim that the orchestra conductor also gets to recruit people. Give me a break: show me a conductor who has a budget for travelling around the country and recruiting. Show me the conductor who has a specific number of tips who get early reads and likely letters.</p>
<p>Look, I’ve more or less come to peace with the concept of the recruited athlete, but let’s not pretend that the situation is anything other than what it is. Bread and circuses. </p>
<p>I think it depends entirely on the school. At big public universities where admissions is numbers driven, arts related ECs may be less influential, but at medium and small privates, a participation in music, visual art, theater can be a definite plus, even if the student intends to major in something totally different. </p>
<p>Among selective privates, there’s a subset of those that are more arts aware, that have a strong music, art, theater departments and also a strong performing and visual arts presence on campus. It’s not the same as an athletic tip, but it’s a factor in admissions. Basically schools that have an arts culture, need to fill their arts departments and support their extracurricular groups.</p>
<p>The applicant should plan on submitting a music or art supplement and make sure that his/her focus and intensity is supported by other parts of the application: resume, recommendation, essays etc. This material is passed to the relevant department, and while it’s difficult to judge the degree of influence, the department’s opinion is considered in admissions.</p>
<p>If a student has done things in art or music that would make a supplement appropriate, and has a CD or artwork to send that is excellent, resume in the art form, and has recommendations from music or art teachers that say things like “the most talented student I have had…” etc. etc. then these talents can be very influential in admissions to top schools like the Ivies.</p>
<p>There are no auditions for admission to many top colleges. Auditions happen at conservatories and music schools, and some colleges, but for the most part, Ivies and other top schools do not have auditions as part of the admissions process, but, once on campus, there are auditions for the various ensembles and orchestra and glee club and so on.</p>
<p>I know that Harvard has been making efforts to increase focus on applied arts as well, including performance.</p>
<p>So it sounds like we all pretty much agree that it MIGHT be a tip in some cases, but it is not a hook unless you are a Yo Yo Ma. :)</p>
<p>And I don’t think visual artists ever get recognized as an asset to a regular university. Even if they are the equivalent of Yo Yo Ma. It’s a plus in an application, better than just being an academic, but not a big plus.</p>
<p>My older daughter got an extra bit of financial aid for playing the cello at WPI - it was because they had a shortage of cellos in the orchestra, she’s a good cellist but certainly not in the class of Yo Yo Ma! And she dropped orchestra her sophomore year, so she lost the scholarship. </p>
<p>The most selective schools look for people who are highly accomplished in activities outside of high school academics, and the arts are an area where such accomplishments are possible. So I think it does help to have awards, competition wins, interesting performances, etc. It’s different from athletic recruiting, of course, but it certainly does help.</p>
<p>My D had great success with her arts supplement. She is no Yo Yo Ma but plays a more obscure instrument very well. She would never have gotten the offers she did without this “hook”, but from what I have read here on CC her case is an exception.</p>