4 Common Pitfalls in the Music Admissions Process (and how to watch out for them)
You’re getting ready to start your college search for the perfect music program! You’ve got dreams to be a fantastic performer, or maybe you want to double major with something else, or maybe you can’t wait to move across the country for a brand new adventure in a new city. This is super exciting stuff! Your friends are starting their college search process too. How hard could it be? (Famous last words for anyone starting a big DIY project.)
When you’re looking for a music program (or any performing arts program) in college, the path to get there is just more complicated. Between preparing for auditions, submitting supplemental applications, finding the right-fit private teacher, and keeping on top of deadlines, here are some common music admissions pitfalls I see students come across, and how to navigate through them.
You’ve got 12-15 schools on your final list.
Now this might not seem like a pitfall at first. After all, 12-15 schools is now the average amount of schools students apply to during their senior year of high school. However, for music students, there’s a few things to keep in mind:
You will likely have to audition at all of these schools. Do you or your family have the budget to potentially travel to all of those schools for auditions? How many schools accept video auditions? And how many of these schools require pre-screening audition videos before you’re invited to audition in person?
Unfortunately, almost every school does their music admissions process a little differently. Application deadlines, audition requirements, additional application materials, and even audition dates may not be the same across the board. This can be a lot to keep track of.
What kinds of schools are on your list? Are they all “name brand” schools that you’ve heard of? Highly competitive? Large state schools or small liberal arts schools? Having a good mix of schools on your list will help you identify which schools you are more likely to gain admission and are a great fit as well as which schools you’ll have to work extra hard for to be competitive in their pool of applicants.
With all of these points, the best way to navigate a large list of schools is to STAY ORGANIZED. A spreadsheet with different tabs for each school you’re considering is a great way to keep the important information readily available. Or, you could use physical file folders or a notebook–whatever works best for you! The idea is to be able to pull out the basic information about each school quickly, and also be able to check off the application or audition items required while keeping on top of deadlines.
2. You’re not in touch with individual faculty at your schools.
For a musician, one of the biggest factors in deciding on a college music program is who your private teacher will be. This is the person who you’ll see the most out of any other professor: you’ll see them for private lessons every week for your entire college career, they might be coaching your chamber ensemble, they also might be your academic advisor, and they’ll help you navigate the professional music world. You must be sure that you’ll get along with this person and that you “click” with their teaching style (otherwise, it could be a miserable four years!).
The best way to figure that out before making your college decision is to ask for a sample private lesson from that person. The lesson might only be 20-30 minutes, but it is an invaluable opportunity to see what it would be like to study with this person. Remember, the faculty are “auditioning” for you just as much as you will be auditioning for them. Come to the lesson prepared with a piece you’re working on (likely your own audition materials) and a list of questions for them! Some questions you could ask include:
Describe what your other students are like. Are they highly competitive? Supportive? Creative? Quirky? (You’re trying to get a sense of how you might fit with the rest of the studio.)
What kinds of careers or performances have your students had after they graduate? (What kind of track record does this teacher have as they send their graduates into the world?)
How do your students decide what music to work on? Do you choose for them, or do they get to pick?
Will I always study with you, or will I study with a grad student at any point? (For some large schools with significant graduate programs, you may be studying with a TA for your first year, and then you would get to work with the actual faculty member. This is not always the case, but good to know.)
What kinds of projects do your students work on with other departments? How are student recitals structured? (I love this question because it gets at the collaboration opportunities within a music department. Collaboration and cross-disciplinary work is especially important to be prepared for our modern music world.)
(Note: many schools will offer a sample private lesson for no charge. However, not every school does that, so it’s a good idea to check ahead of time with the professor if they charge and how much. Nobody wants to be surprised at the end of a lesson!)
Finally, be sure to send a thank you note or email to that faculty member after your lesson. Start building a relationship with them, especially if you really liked working with them. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them with any questions you have! Oftentimes, these faculty members will help to advocate for you in the admissions process. If they know you and remember you positively, they can help to swing a decision in your favor if there’s any doubt in your audition or application.
3. You don’t know what music to prepare for your auditions.
This is an easy problem to solve, as long as you solve it well in advance! Typically, students usually choose their audition music towards the end of their junior year in high school, or the summer between junior and senior year. College audition season is usually from November-February of your senior year. Don’t leave choosing your music until the last second! Give yourself plenty of time to prepare, sound your best, and feel super confident.
Fortunately, many schools will post their audition requirements on their website months in advance of audition season. While each school may differ a little bit on the specific requirements, here’s a few things that will pretty much be constant among every school:
Know all your major and minor scales and arpeggios (ALL of them! During an audition, a faculty member will often just tell you to play a few scales of their choice. Don’t expect an easy scale!)
Learn at least the first and second movement of a standard concerto for your instrument, or a standard art song for your voice. The idea is that you’ll perform two pieces that are contrasting in style. If you’re a piano player, you might be asked to perform several pieces from different musical eras (i.e. a romantic piece, a classical or baroque piece, and a 20th century modern piece).
For jazz auditions, you may be asked to perform a few jazz standards from particular jazz books, and perform with backing tracks.
Your private music teacher or school music teacher can help you pick repertoire that’s appropriate for your level and for college auditions. You’ll have to do the research to know EXACTLY what each school requires for auditions, so make a note of any audition requirements that are different than the norm.
4. In high school, all you do is music and nothing else!
If you’re applying to college to be a music major, of course having a ton of music and ensemble experience is essential. You need that musical knowledge in order to be competitive for strong music programs in college. However, many students make that their entire identity without ever exploring other areas that could intersect with music.
Think about how musicians in today’s world need to be more well-rounded and versatile. You can become more versatile by performing different kinds of music, but be sure to include some activities outside of simply performing and practicing. Being able to demonstrate that you are indeed a functioning human outside of playing your instrument will go a long way in your college applications as well as help you develop critical skills that prepare you for the music industry in college and beyond.
Some examples of activities to do in high school outside of performing:
Host a music drive to help support younger students who are financially challenged get access to music and instruments.
Volunteer to teach music (on your instrument) at a local community music organization.
Use music and the arts as a fundraiser! You can auction off a private performance, private lessons, visual art pieces, recordings, etc. to help raise money for a cause that’s important to you.
Get a part-time job at a local music store.
Shadow an instrument repair technician and learn how to fix or build instruments.
Manage your school’s music or art department’s social media pages.
Design concert posters and marketing materials for upcoming school performances
Coordinate with other school organizations on an event. For example, the Spanish National Honor Society puts together a presentation about the history of Spanish language while you perform historical Spanish music.
Get an internship with a music organization to learn more about arts administration.
By trying out some of these ideas that are tangential to performing, but not strictly limited to performing, you’ll gain valuable experience within the real world of music, collaboration among different groups, and learn more about what it takes behind-the-scenes to run an arts organization.
What other pitfalls in music admissions have you found while applying for college? Let’s chat - let me know how I can help you solve some of the more unique problems that arise during your college search journey!
