Yale for Music? (EA)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>I'm applying to Yale for Early Action, and my declared major is Music. Do you think I stand a chance for getting in by EA?</p>

<p>Here is my academic record:</p>

<p>SAT II Math I: 780
SAT II U.S. History: 780
SAT I Mathematics: 780
SAT I Reading: 800
SAT I Writing: 790</p>

<p>GPA on Transcript (Weighted): 4.4625</p>

<p>Classes I took in Junior year:</p>

<p>Pre-AP Physics
AP Calculus
AP English III
Pre-AP Spanish III
AP U.S. History
AP Music Theory</p>

<p>Classes I am currently enrolled in:</p>

<p>AP Physics
AP Government/Economics
AP English Literature IV
AP Spanish IV
Modern Music and Composition
Principles of Information Technology (AP Computer Science not offered at my high school)</p>

<p>AP Scores:</p>

<p>AP Music Theory: 5
AP World History: 4
AP US History: 5
AP English: 5 </p>

<p>Extracurricular Record:</p>

<p>Studied composition for two years (as a 13 and 14 year old amongst graduate and post-grad students) at Ecole Normale de Musique with Dr. Phillip Lasser of Juilliard and Dr. Narcis Bonet.
Diploma of Harmony from Ecole Normale de Musique
Member of ASCAP composers' association
3rd place nationally in the MTNA Composition Competition</p>

<p>Studied piano performance for 10 years</p>

<p>1st place winner of Baylor/Waco piano competition
1st place winner of San Marcus piano competition
1st place winner of The Slavic Music competition of the Moniuszko Foundation
1st place winner of Schmitbauer International Piano Competition
3rd place winner of Julia Crane International Piano Competition
2nd place winner of The Seattle International Piano Competition
2nd place winner of The Thousand Islands International Piano Competition
1st place winner of American Protege Competition
Grand Prize winner of the Fidelity Future Stage Young Artists competition
John Guida Music Scholarship
Houston Young Artist alumni (2005,2007,2009)
Aspen Music Festival and School alumni (2012)</p>

<p>Solo recital at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, New York
Solo recital at Clayton Opera House, New York
Solo recital at Polish Cultural Center, Lithuania
Premiere of compositions at Cortot Hall, Paris
Live performance for KUHF Radio 88.7
Masterclasses with Stephen Kovacevich, Stephen Hough, Seymour Lipkin, Lydia Artymiw, Christopher Theofanidis
Tutored juniors and seniors for the SAT exam for two years.
National Honor Society
National Merit Semifinalist (Probable finalist)
Currently a neighborhood piano teacher</p>

<p>I am very avid about studying music, so I was curious whether this sort of extracurricular record would help my admission to Yale. I have a few concerns about my academic record, however: in every single year of high school I have taken the highest offered courses (and was a year early in mathematics) but I have recieved one B in one semester in one course of each year. In addition, I am almost positive that I will only be able to manage a B in AP Spanish IV this year.</p>

2

<p>Did you submit a music supplement?</p>

3

<p>I have sent in a supplement.</p>

4

<p>^^ Admissions will send your supplement to the Music Department for review. If your supplement is as impressive as your awards and list of performances, the music department will most likely give you a thumbs up. However, Yale does not admit undergraduate students by major, so you will have to be accepted based upon your transcript and academic potential as a scholar. Admissions will look closely at your essays and teacher recommendations for clues to your “character.” Your chances really depend on the accolades of your teachers. I know of one other music student from two years year ago in your situation. He was waitlisted at both Yale and Harvard, but accepted to Juilliard and Curtis. For him, music was not the issue, but it was how all the other little pieces of his application fell into place, and how they compared to all other applicants. So, honestly, it could go either way. Best of luck to you.</p>

5

<p>I think your qualifications are very much competitive with other musicians/composers Yale has admitted in the last few years. You’ll certainly get into multiple very good schools–hard to say about any particular one, because who knows how many other excellent musician/composers are applying this year?</p>

6

<p>holy crap i think you have a great shot. admissions is always a bit random, but good luck</p>

7

<p>I am assuming you are aware that there is no undergraduate performance degree at Yale. The music major is theory/history based, although there are performance opportunities that you can seek out.</p>