The application for fall 2012 is closed. 

The following forms are still available:

TEACHER PREFERENCE FORM (use this form to update the preferences you entered in the application)

AUDITION REPERTOIRE FORM (to be presented to the faculty at your audition)

(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 & Dates
• After the Audition
• Forms & Special Instructions
• Statement of Diversity

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 will likely 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 5: Final deadline. $125 application fee.

All application materials must be submitted by December 5.

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.

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.

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Required for all undergraduate applicants:

Online Application and Application Fee	All applicants must complete and submit the online application by the deadline. The application will be available starting September 1st.
Personal Statement	Essay (3 pages maximum) outlining your specific interest in Eastman, how you will add to the Eastman community, your educational goals, musical path to date and intended career path. Save your personal statement on your computer and upload it within the online application.
Résumé	See Resume Guidelines for instructions. Save your résumé on your computer and upload it within the online application.
Official transcripts	Send to the Eastman Admissions Office by postal mail. Transcripts not originally in English must be submitted with a certified translation. Home-schooled applicants must also submit either SAT or ACT scores, along with detailed documentation of texts, coursework, experiential learning, and transcripts of any college coursework. For applicants who are not home-schooled SAT and/or ACT scores are optional, but encouraged.Mailing address: Office of Admissions Eastman School of Music 26 Gibbs St. Rochester NY 14604, USA
Recommendations	Undergraduate applicants must arrange for three letters of (3) recommendation. Two must be from music professionals; the third may be from a music professional or an academic teacher. Recommenders must be listed in the online application. After the application is submitted, recommenders will be notified via email and given instructions to submit their recommendation online. 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.

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Additional requirements for some applicants:

Prescreening	Required for many programs – see details below under Prescreening Requirements. If prescreening materials are required for your degree program, these must be received by the application deadline. Applications that are incomplete at the time of prescreening will be terminated.
International applicants	Please see International Applicants for additional application requirements (TOEFL scores and Non-Native English essay).
Transfer applicants	Transfer applicants (students currently matriculated in a degree program at an accredited college) must submit both high school and college transcripts. Transfer applicants must also submit a completed NASM release Form before an offer of financial aid can be made.
Composition applicants	Composition supplemental form required 3-4 Scores required (recordings optional; see details on Composition supplemental form) Interviews with Composition faculty will also be scheduled for those invited to audition
Jazz applicants	See Jazz Studies special instructions for additional details. Jazz writing applicants must also submit scores of their work by postal mail.
Music Education applicants	Music Education Essay required.  This essay should describe your reasons for pursuing a degree in music education, including your sources of inspiration.  Describe your long-term goals and the personal qualities that make you a promising music educator.  At the top of the first page of this document, list your name, e-mail contact information, and instrument or voice.  Save this essay on your computer and upload it within the application along with your personal statement and résumé. BM applicants who audition in Rochester will also be scheduled for an interview and a Skills Assessment.  Those who audition at a regional audition site or by self-prepared audition recording may be contacted for a phone interview & assessment after the audition has been evaluated. See Music Education Skills Assessment Sample for more information.
Music Theory applicants	Research paper required. This paper is reviewed for the purpose of evaluating the applicant’s writing and research skills; it need not necessarily be on a musical subject. Save this research paper on your computer and upload it within the application along with your personal statement and résumé. Faculty interviews will be scheduled on the applicant’s audition day, and will include testing of the applicants aural skills, keyboard proficiency, and analytical skills.
Organ applicants	See Organ supplement for special instructions
Voice applicants	Vocal Accompanist Request Form is required for all applicants who wish to audition in Rochester (including those who plan to bring their own accompanist). Submit by December 1.

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Specifications for Recordings

(Prescreening and Audition recordings):

• Recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Dropbox by the application deadline.
• Recordings must have been made within the past 9 months and must meet the repertoire requirements set by each department.
• A video recording is required for Clarinet and Saxophone.
• A video or audio recording is required for all other prescreened applicants or applicants submitting a self-recorded audition.
• Treat your prescreening like an audition and review your recordings for quality before submitting!

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Prescreen Requirements:

Applicants to majors in Composition, Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media, Piano Performance, Cello, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Violin or Voice are prescreened.  These applicants must submit preliminary materials for review by the faculty. Prescreening review begins after December 1. Following faculty and committee review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to an audition.

• Composition applicants must submit scores with their application for review by composition faculty.
• Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media applicants (performance and/or writing concentrations) must submit a preliminary audio recording, and scores if applying for the writing concentration.
• 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.
• Prescreen recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Recording Dropbox. Do not send recordings to the faculty.

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Audition Options & Dates:

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, but be sure to refer back here for important details about your audition requirements. At the on-campus auditions, applicants are required to attend for the entire day of their audition, generally from 9am until 6pm, and 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 Admissions Office. 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 should bring their own sticks, mallets, cymbals, etc.; other equipment is provided.
• Voice applicants 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, by Dec. 1^st. 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.
• There are generally no faculty members at regional sites; 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 centers.
• Applicants requesting a regional audition are STRONGLY URGED to complete their application, including any required pre-screening materials, by November 1.

For information on auditions in China,visit: http://www.usaschoolsofmusic.org

Audition by Self-prepared Recording

• This option is NOT permitted for applicants whose major is Composition, Jazz or Theory.
• Recordings must be uploaded to the Eastman Recording Dropbox. Do not send recordings to the faculty.
• Applicants in Clarinet, Flute, Guitar, Harp, Organ, Percussion, Saxophone or Trumpet must submit a video recording.
• 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.

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After the Audition:
Notification of 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.  Notification of decision for most undergraduate applicants occurs between March 1 and April 15. There is no early admission program at Eastman.  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 completed.  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 does maintain 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.

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Forms & Special Instructions:

Required supplement forms:

• Composition
• Vocal Accompanist Request Form
• Audition Repertoire Form

Special Instructions:

• Jazz Studies
• Music Education (see also the Music Education Skills Assessment)
• Organ
• TOEFL Requirements

Other forms:

• Recommendation Form
• Credit Card Authorization Form (submit only if instructed by Admissions)
• Teacher Preference Form (to update your preferences after the online application is submitted)
• NASM release Form (transfer applicants)

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Statement of Diversity:

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.

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