The application for Fall 2013 is now closed.
Current applicants log in here for updates
Access the Eastman Dropbox to submit recordings here
Freshman and Transfer applicants
Welcome to the Eastman undergraduate application. If you are applying for the Bachelor of Music degree, this is the only application you need to complete. If you are applying for a dual degree (BM plus a BA or BS), you will also need to submit an application to the College at the University of Rochester.
- Application Deadlines
- Completing Your Application
- Specifications for Recordings
- Prescreen Requirements
- Audition Options
- After the Audition
- Statement of Diversity
- Forms & Special Instructions
Application Deadlines:
November 1: Priority deadline. $75 application fee.
Applicants who submit the online application, transcripts, and any required prescreening materials by this deadline will receive priority handling, and are more likely to be scheduled for their first choice audition/interview date.
Voice applicants and applicants requesting a regional audition date are strongly urged to complete their applications by November 1.
December 1: Final deadline. $125 application fee.
All application materials must be submitted by December 1.
We strongly encourage early submission of your application and materials!
Completing your Application:
Your application, and most supporting materials, will be submitted online. If you need to mail in materials, be sure to mark them with your name and intended degree/major/instrument. Do not send any materials to faculty.
Mailing address:
Office of Admissions
Eastman School of Music
26 Gibbs St.
Rochester NY 14604, USA
Applicants are responsible for complete applications. Applications that are incomplete cannot be processed. Application fees are non-refundable, and application materials will not be returned.
Required for all undergraduate applicants:
| Online Application and Application Fee | All applicants must complete and submit the online application by the deadline. |
| High School Completion | Completion of high school is required for enrollment at Eastman. Admitted applicants will be required to demonstrate successful completion of high school with an official final high school transcript including date of graduation. The Eastman School of Music reserves the right to rescind admission to any applicant whose file documentation is deemed insufficient or incomplete. |
| Academic Transcripts |
Applicants are required to submit academic transcripts from each secondary school and college/university attended. You may submit your transcript using one of the following methods:
Please note that the Eastman School of Music reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts, and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process. Offers of admission are contingent on receipt of final official transcripts. International students must demonstrate that their high school/secondary education is equivalent to a US high school, and must submit copies of official school transcripts with certified English translations (if applicable). In addition, we strongly recommend that you have your transcripts evaluated by an organization specializing in foreign credential evaluation, such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.ece.org). In many cases we will require this evaluation before you can be admitted, so it is in your best interest to seek out an evaluation at the time that you apply. Students in the British educational system should submit a transcript showing coursework for grades 9-12 and an official copy of the certificate for having passed secondary school exams. Home-schooled applicants: please upload a detailed description of the curriculum you have studied, including texts, coursework, methods of examination, and experiential learning. |
| Test Scores |
Eastman does not require SAT or ACT test scores, but we will accept and review them if submitted. However, home-schooled applicants are required to submit either SAT or ACT scores. Eastman’s College Board code is 2224. Our ACT code is 2734. |
| Personal Statement | All applicants must submit a personal statement of two to three pages in length. You may select any one (1) of the three topics provided. Please include your chosen topic at the top of your personal statement, save the document on your computer, and upload it within the online application. The Admissions Committee reviews these essays to evaluate your writing ability, and to get to know you better.
|
| Résumé | See Resume Guidelines for instructions. Save your résumé on your computer and upload it within the online application. |
| Recommendations | Undergraduate applicants provide three letters of (3) recommendation. Two must be from music professionals (which includes music teachers); the third may either be from a music professional or an academic teacher. Recommenders must be listed in the online application. Recommenders are notified via email with instructions to submit their recommendation online (preferred method). You will receive an electronic notification when each recommendation has been submitted. If a recommender prefers to submit a hard copy form, download the Recommendation Form and give it to your recommender after completing the top portion. |
| Audition | See details below. Bring a completed Audition Repertoire Form & complete repertoire list to your audition. |
↑ Back to Top
Additional requirements for some applicants:
| Prescreening |
|
| International Applicants |
|
| Transfer Applicants |
|
| Composition Applicants |
|
| Jazz Applicants |
|
| Music Education Applicants |
|
| Music Theory Applicants |
|
| Organ Applicants |
|
| Voice Applicants |
|
(Prescreening and Audition recordings):
- Recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Dropbox by the application deadline. CDs and DVDs are not accepted.
- Recordings must have been made within the past 9 months and must meet the repertoire requirements set by each department.
- Pre-screening recordings: A video recording is required for Clarinet, Saxophone, Percussion, and Cello prescreening; all other prescreened applicants may submit either a video or audio recording
- Self-Recorded Auditions: a video recording is required for all applicants submitting a self-recorded audition.
- Be sure to review your entire recording for quality before submitting!
- We recommend that you record each selection on a separate track to make your upload process go more quickly. It is not necessary to record everything in a single file.
- Accepted file formats
- Audio formats = .mp3, .ogg, .m4a, .aiff, .wma, .wav, .aac
- Video formats= .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .ogg, .mov, .avi, .wmv, .m4v, .vob
↑ Back to Top
Applicants to majors in Composition, Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media, Theory, Piano Performance, Cello, Clarinet, Flute, Percussion, Saxophone, Violin or Voice are prescreened. These applicants must submit preliminary materials for review by the faculty. Prescreen recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Dropbox. CDs and DVDs are not accepted, and recordings should not be sent to the faculty.
Prescreening review begins after December 1. Following faculty and committee review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to an audition.
Prescreening information for specific majors:
- Composition applicants must submit scores to arrive by December 1 for review by the composition faculty as noted above.
- Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media applicants (performance and/or writing concentrations) must submit a preliminary audio recording, and scores if applying for the writing concentration.
- Music Education, Theory, and Composition applicants must submit a prescreen recording if their primary instrument is Cello, Clarinet, Flute, Percussion, Saxophone, Violin, or Voice. (Prescreening is not required for applicants to these majors whose primary instrument is Piano.)
- Applicants requesting either an on-campus in Rochester or a regional audition must submit a prescreening recording if required for their instrument/voice.
- Pre-screen recordings are not required for applicants who are using a self-prepared recording as their final audition.
On-campus Auditions at the Eastman School of Music
On-campus audition dates vary, depending on instrument and major. See the Audition Dates page for dates. At the on-campus auditions, applicants are required to be available on campus for the entire day of their audition, generally from 9am until 6pm (sometimes later). Applicants who have a prescreening requirement will be assigned an audition date upon passing the prescreening requirement.Do not make travel arrangements until your audition date has been confirmed by the Office of Admissions.With the exception of vocal auditions, all auditions are performed unaccompanied.
- Composition, Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media, and Theory applicants are required to audition/interview on-campus.
- Harp applicants do not need to bring their own instruments; contact Professor Kathleen Bride for more information.
- Percussionists shouldbring their own sticks, mallets, cymbals, etc.; other equipment is provided.
- Voice applicants may either bring their own accompanist or request that one be assigned. To request an accompanist, applicants must submit the Vocal Accompanist Request Form, $25 accompanist fee and copies of the selected music to the Admissions Office. The selected music must be legible and able to stay open and flat for the accompanist.
Regional Auditions
- This option is NOT permitted for applicants whose instrument is Guitar, Harp, Organ, or Percussion, or whose major is Composition, Jazz, or Theory.
- Faculty members do not attend regional auditions in-person; an admissions staff member will record your performance. However, all recordings made at regional auditions are subsequently evaluated by the faculty.
- All auditions are performed unaccompanied, with the exception of vocal auditions. Voice applicants must provide their own accompanist at regional audition sites.
- Applicants requesting a regional audition are STRONGLY URGED to complete their application, including any required pre-screening materials, by November 1.
Audition by Self-prepared Recording
- This option is NOT permitted for applicants whose major is Composition, Jazz or Theory.
- All applicants who audition by self-prepared recordingmust submit a video recording. Audio-only files are not acceptable.
- Video recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Dropbox. We do not accept CDs or DVDs, and recordings should not be sent to the faculty.
- The final deadline for uploading recorded auditions is December 1.
- Applicants admitted on the basis of a recorded audition may be asked to perform for the faculty at the beginning of the first semester of enrollment to confirm the audition assessment.
- Admission decision and financial aid: The Eastman application process includes a thorough review of each applicant’s file following his or her audition/interview. The Admissions Committee makes decisions after all applications in each department have been evaluated. Undergraduate admissions decisions will be sent via email between March 1 and April 15.There is no early admission program at Eastman, and applying by Nov. will not necessarily result in an earlier admissions decision. Undergraduate applicants normally receive notification of financial aid and scholarships concurrent with their notification of admission.
- May 1 response date: The Eastman School of Music subscribes to and upholds admission practices outlined in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), which state that undergraduate applicants have until May 1 to respond to both admission and financial aid offers. We provide notification of our decision as soon as possible after the review process is complete. In return, we ask for the courtesy of a response as soon as the student has made a decision, or by May 1 at the absolute latest. The Eastman School of Music maintains a wait list in most departments. A prompt response from accepted applicants allows us to proceed with final decisions for candidates on our wait list.
The Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester value diversity (see www.esm.rochester.edu/about/diversity/ and www.rochester.edu/diversity), and are committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University complies with all applicable nondiscrimination laws in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities. Questions on compliance should be directed to the school or department and/or to the University’s Equal Opportunity Coordinator, University of Rochester, PO Box 270039, Rochester, New York 14627-0039. Phone 585.275.9125.
Forms & Special Instructions:
Required supplement forms:
Special Instructions:
- Jazz Studies
- Music Education (see also the Music Education Skills Assessment)
- Organ
- TOEFL and Information for Non-Native English Speakers
Other forms:
- Recommendation Form
- Teacher Preference Form (to update your preferences after the online application is submitted)
- NASM Release Form (transfer applicants)
