School of Music Undergraduate Admissions

Early Decision:

• Early Decision 1 applicants: schedule your audition by November 1 (through our Online Portal, Acceptd) to audition during the month of November. Prescreening is not required for Early Decision applicants.
• Early Decision 2 applicants and Trustee applicants: schedule your audition no later than January 5 to attend your audition later that month. Prescreening may be required, so be sure to take a look at our Prescreening Information page. Please check your instrument’s audition requirements as well for more information. For instruments which do not require prescreening, you will still open an Acceptd portal so that we can schedule your audition.

Regular Decision:

We highly encourage all of our applicants to audition or interview in Boston if possible, however, most applicants may submit a single-round final video audition by January 9 through Acceptd in lieu of a live audition.

Prescreening may be required, so be sure to take a look at our Prescreening Information page. Please check your instrument’s audition requirements as well for more information. For instruments which do not require prescreening, you will still open an Acceptd portal so that we can schedule your audition.

• Early Decision 1 applicants: schedule your audition by November 1 (through our Online Portal, Acceptd) to audition during the month of November
• Early Decision 2 applicants and Trustee applicants: schedule your audition no later than January 5 to attend your audition later that month

In addition, Music Education applicants are required to meet with Music Education faculty for an interview on the day of their audition.

DID YOU KNOW? BU School of Music also offers a five-year combined Bachelor of Music in Performance/Master of Music in Music Education. The combined 4+1 program offers students the opportunity to complete both a Bachelor of Music in Performance and a Master of Music in Music Education in only five years, allowing students to pursue both their interests. Upon completing the program, students are eligible to apply for licensure to teach music in schools from the Massachusetts Department of Education. For more information about this program, contact the Chair of Music Education, Associate Professor Dr. Diana Dansereau.

The Required Composition Portfolio

Composition applicants will upload three composition scores through our Online Portal, Acceptd. Scores submitted should be in good manuscript form and should demonstrate knowledge of contemporary classical music and technical skills.

Scores are due by:

• November 1 for undergraduate Early Decision and Spring Transfer applicants
• January 9 for undergraduate Regular Decision applicants
• March 1 for fall Transfer applicants

Composition Tracks

All composition undergraduates will be placed into one of four tracks, which will enrich their composition studies:

• Standard Piano Track: This is the most common track and is open to composers of all applied backgrounds, as well as composers who do not declare an applied instrument. Students in this track focus on the development of keyboard skills important as a composer. Standard Piano Track students receive their applied lessons from an experienced, vetted Doctoral Teaching Assistant assigned by the Keyboard Department.
• Applied Piano Track: This track is for composition majors who play classical piano at a highly skilled level. Audition repertoire, performed from memory, must include: one Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach; one movement of a Classical era sonata, and one short piece from the Romantic, 20^th century, or contemporary era. Successfully-auditioning composers will be placed in the studio of a piano faculty member. Students wishing to audition will indicate so on their Acceptd portal, and will be invited to schedule their audition accordingly. Students who do not pass the instrumental audition (or who do not wish to audition) will be placed into the Standard Piano Track (see above).
• Instrumental Track: This track is for composition students whose primary instrument is other than piano or voice (e.g., saxophone, viola, etc.) Students wishing to audition will indicate so on their Acceptd portal, and will be invited to schedule their audition accordingly. Students who do not pass the instrumental audition (or who do not wish to audition) will be placed into the Standard Piano Track (see above).
• Vocal Track: This track is for composition students whose primary instrument is classical voice. Students wishing to audition will indicate so on their Acceptd portal, and will be invited to submit prescreening recordings in advance of scheduling an audition. Students who do not pass the voice prescreening/audition (or who do not wish to audition) will be placed into the Standard Piano Track (see above).