<p>I am very confused about how Yale works for undergraduates. I've read a few posts, but I'm not clear on audition requirements, etc. Do candidates first need to apply to Yale college and be admitted academically ? I anyone any willing to share academic stats for those admitted Yale undergraduates in the BA program with a Music major ? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your help!</p>
<p>Yale</a> Department of Music > Undergraduate Program > Frequently Asked Questions</p>
<p>"3. Are auditions required for admission?<br>
Answer: Yale College is an academic institution, so there are no auditions for admission. Students are welcome to include composition works or recordings of performances with their application as supplementary materials. Recordings should be short, no more than 10 minutes, and feature two pieces of contrasting style or period. All application materials should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Please be sure to mark your application materials with your name, address, high school and instrument."</p>
<p>Yale offers a BA program in music for undergrads. Yale does not offer a BM (bachelor of music...usually for performance majors) for undergrads. The only way to be admitted to the Yale BA program is to apply to Yale...and hope you get accepted. Then you can declare your major as music (for a BA). You should also know that Yale's applied music faculty do not normally give private lessons to undergraduate students. Undergrads study their instruments with grad students as their teachers. There are TONS (and I mean tons) of musically talented kids applying to Yale (and other Ivies as well). This is unlikely to tip admissions in your favor unless you've done solo appearances with the New York Phil..or something similar.</p>
<p>Now, having said that...Yale has some of the most diverse and fabulous undergraduate vocal and instrumental ensembles available to undergrads. Because of all the talent that comes in their accepted students, these ensembles are terrific. AND my understanding is that Yale will also support ensembles that students want to create.</p>
<p>We know a number of Yale music (BA) students. All were very tippy top students at very competitive high schools. All had outstanding SAT/ACT scores. All were talented musicians and brilliant students. It is my opinion that their academic stats, essays and such got them into Yale...not their music.</p>
<p>Yale does not have an undergraduate school of music. Yale undergraduates who want to pursue a performance program MIGHT be able to study with a Yale School of Music professor, but usually the school will offer no guarantees before September of freshman year. Some students may receive assurances in advance from the professors, but this is actually quite rare. Others (like our DD) might find out from a teacher in advance that there will be NO possibility of lessons while a Yale undergrad,, but that graduate student instructors are available. This is generally because even at the Yale School of Music the professors are all part time and usually only on campus one or two days per week.</p>
<p>Yale undergrads who successfully pursue performance can apply (in their junior year) to the 5-year Yale BA-MM program, so that they become part of the school of music their senior year.</p>
<p>We were also quite confused about this, and visited the school several times, consulting with Yale School of Music administrators and with the instrumental teacher. We were never able to get beyond the secretary of the music department to speak with the head of the department about majoring in music as an undergrad. (Even AFTER D. was admitted, they were completely unresponsive!)</p>
<p>I know several cellists who have attended or considered Yale. One is a current undergrad, happily studying with the teacher of her dreams. Another opted for another school where she can pursue a double degree, another spent 4 miserable years at Yale commuting to a teacher at Mannes, where she is now a grad student.</p>
<p>Like NYCM and thumper1, I know several violin students who have persued music at Yale. They were national competition winners and finalists as well as brilliant students. They all studied with Yale profs - not grad students. They choose Yale over Juilliard because of their broad academic interests and desire for a "real" college experience. These students were stand outs on a number of levels - much more than just "very good".</p>
<p>Yale also has a 3-year Certificate in Performance program through the School of Music. I believe this is a "non-degree" like an Artist's Diploma available at some conservatories and schools. It would be available to undergraduate age students - but wouldn't lead to a BM. Don't know anything else about it other than that admission is extremely select. Maybe that route is of interest to someone out there. If anyone knows anything about the program, please post.</p>
<p>I found the link to Yale School of Music for the Certificate in Performance. Scroll down the page - info follows other graduate degrees.</p>
<p>The Yale undergrad music disciplines are academic (history, theory, composition), not performance, and are all BA's, hence a strong liberal arts curriculum in addition to the required music courses.</p>
<p>The certificate is not an academic diploma. It is a professional course of study for the performing musician, and is not to be equated with an undergraduate academic degree.</p>
<p>For an undergrad to expect to have lessons with Levine, Parisot or comparable SOM faculty, they would have to be at the top of the game. It happens, but it is extremely rare. A prior relationship with the intended faculty can improve the chances, and it is at the discretion of the instructor.</p>
<p>There are many extremely good undergrad players at Yale and the quality and quantity of the performing organizations is at a very high level.</p>
<p>Personally, I've known numerous Yale undergrads who could have gone the conservatory route, but have gotten degrees in academic areas (not necessarily music related) and have gone on to masters or grad pro diplomas, DMA's in performance. A number are performing professionally.</p>
<p>These were all extremely accomplished players when they entered undergrad, had won some competitons, and a few had performed professionally prior to matriculating.</p>
<p>My daughter is still very young, but a mother can dream . . . right ?</p>
<p>She is just finishing 6th grade. She is a very good cellist, but not a prodigy. She is a very good student (straight As) but not a genius. We'll see how she develops over the next few years.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for your help!</p>
<p>Not to be a wet blanket, but I would not spend much time dreaming about Yale and I wouldn't start talking about it to your daughter. There are many kids/parents on this forum who are hugely disappointed come senior year when the school they targeted since junior high is out of reach or they are rejected despite 2400 SAT scores. With admission rates in the single digits, it is not wise to even think about a school like Yale except as a lottery ticket. Just a cautionary note here from someone who has been around here awhile.</p>
<p>Since your daughter is a sixth grade, I would say that you have a few years before you need to consider ANY college discussions or ideas. Many (even talented) musicians do not continue their music studies once they are in MS/HS when faced with multiple choices of activities to pursue. For now, I would nurture your child's enjoyments without thinking that they will help somehow with college admissions. She's a 12 year old (or thereabouts)....still lots of time to make activity choices (and changes) and decisions about colleges.</p>
<p>Yes, you can dream...but as the parent of a senior the one thing I think I did ok was to let my son develop his own dreams....and he's still dreaming...he did not end up going the route I (or his music teachers) once predicted but that doesn't mean the end result won't be the same. Or maybe not. He's figuring it out for himself. Keeping your kid academically and musically happy will led her to the right path...for her...</p>
<p>Yale's music program is for masters only, you can go through the school being a music major for undergrad, but the program is only strong as a grad student, not to mention its free.</p>
<p>Yale has free TUITION fro grad school music majors. Students still have to pay room and board while attending grad school in music at Yale.</p>
<p>Cello-Mom </p>
<p>I think its OK to dream. My D worked hard in school and developed her passions at the same time. She knew Yale was a reach even though she had been dreaming of an Ivy school from a very young age. She will attend Yale in the fall. When she applied for schools we included academic safeties, matches and reaches as well as music/conservatory. I think it is too early for you to be researching schools and CC could be damaging to you and your D if you use it too soon. That said, the financial information here is very valuable and it is never to early for that. Best wishes!</p>
<p>I actually know a violinist who is leaving Yale after her sophomore year to go to IU Jacobs in order to get a performance degree and study with a great teacher. I haven't heard too much detail except that she will be studying with a top teacher at IU and decided she couldn't pursue music at the level she wanted to at Yale. She came out of one of our area's top high schools with the best grades and was also a terrific violinist winning major competitions.</p>