As a popular country for studying music abroad, the United States is the place with the most developed music education in the world, and it is also the place that all students with music dreams yearn for. So, let’s take a look at how to apply for a music conservatory in the United States!
1. Academic requirements for applying to the American Conservatory of Music
TOEFL
The minimum TOEFL test score requirement for graduate students at the Juilliard School is 89, and the writing sub-score is 21. No GRE is required test scores.
The minimum TOEFL requirement for graduate students at the Curtis Institute of Music is 79-80; the minimum requirement for graduate students at the Manhattan School of Music is 79. If your score does not meet the minimum requirements, but your professional ability is outstanding and your score is 49-78 after being admitted to the school, you can Participate in summer language learning; if your grades meet the standards, you may apply for a partial scholarship or even a full scholarship. For example, students from some majors at the Central Conservatory of Music in China have received full scholarships in some majors every year when applying to the United States.
GRE
Professional music schools rarely require GRE scores, but comprehensive university music schools do.
Academic transcripts and scholarship certificates
Go to the school to issue officially certified academic transcripts and enrollment certificates/graduation certificates and degree certificates. GPA is also an important condition for applying to good schools, and the general requirement is above 3.0. A relatively high GPA is a competitive advantage for applying to comprehensive universities.
2. Other requirements for studying in music conservatories in the United States
Recommendation letters
When applying for music majors, most schools will require three letters of recommendation. It is best to have three letters of recommendation. It reflects your professional ability and cultural level from one side, and another aspect is to show your personal characteristics. From a cultural perspective, the United States and China have different directions, so the concepts are also different. If you can find the signature of an artist who can prove your professional ability, it will of course be very useful for our application.
Personal statement
When applying for a major, you should try your best to combine your own advantages and clearly demonstrate your professional abilities and professional plans. Prove to the school that you are capable and meet the school's admission requirements.
Portfolio
This is an important part that determines whether we can successfully apply. It will also involve the award of scholarships and grants. Therefore, we must do our best in the portfolio. The more complete the preparation, the better. Most schools submit online, but some schools require a DVD to be mailed.
Interview
Performance time is different for each school and depends on the school’s specific requirements. You can send an email to the school to confirm in advance, ask for specific details, and then prepare well. Pay attention to your attire and mental state during the interview. The interview is very critical to the application. If the interview is successful, it will generally directly affect the admission result. For international students, qualified and capable students are recommended to fly to the United States to participate in the school interview as much as possible.
Generally speaking, the application deadline for music conservatories in the United States is relatively early, and applications usually start in November. Therefore, friends who plan to apply for music majors should start preparations early.
3. How to choose a music school to study in the United States?
Choosing a school is always the most difficult point for music students. There are various professional conservatories, conservatories of music under comprehensive universities, music departments of comprehensive universities, etc., which one is your favorite?
Professional music academies
This type of academies is suitable for students with strong professional ability, insufficient time to take the TOEFL exam, or weak English proficiency. For example: New England and Manhattan, the deadlines for these two conservatories are December 1, and the TOEFL requirements are both 79+. If students do not score 79 on the TOEFL before the deadline, they can apply for the audition or interview normally. If the music major passes the review of the college, you can negotiate with the school to submit the TOEFL score that meets the standard later.
Comprehensive university liberal arts college
Music major in comprehensive university liberal arts college (focusing on theory). Comprehensive universities in the United States have higher standardization requirements than professional music schools. For example, Boston University requires a score of 20 or more in the four TOEFL listening, speaking, writing, and reading components. Therefore, for those who are inclined to choose the music major in the liberal arts college of a comprehensive university, it is very important to prepare for standardization as early as possible.
Comprehensive universities
Independent music colleges in comprehensive universities are most suitable for students who want the university to have a high reputation and obtain more professional music education. But that's all. For example, the Eastman School of Music, an independent music school affiliated with the University of Rochester, and the Peabody Conservatory of Music affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. These two affiliated conservatories are optional for SAT, which means that international students can apply for these conservatories by submitting only TOEFL and not SAT scores.