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Bachelor of Music and Diploma Application Requirements

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Applications must be submitted by the stated deadlines. Majors that are not pre-screened are guaranteed an audition. Pre-screened majors are reviewed for audition invitations. All applicants invited to audition must do so live in New York. The Juilliard School does not accept video auditions. Those applicants scheduled for auditions will receive notification approximately one month prior to the audition. Pre-screening results will also be sent at that time. No admissions decisions will be confirmed until all credentials and required documents are on file. All applicants are notified of their acceptance status via the online application or e-mail. Notification will be sent by the Office of Admissions approximately one month after the audition and no later than April 1. You may not apply more than two times to any degree level in the Music Division if you receive unfavorable results.

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Undergraduate Programs

  1. Undergraduate Music applicants are eligible for either the Bachelor of Music degree or the Diploma. Generally, high school seniors and undergraduate transfers should apply to the B.M. degree.
  2. The four-year undergraduate curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree provides extensive training in students’ applied majors, comprehensive instruction in music theory and music history, and an introduction to liberal arts disciplines. Candidates for admission must be high school graduates or possess the equivalent of a high school diploma by the time they enroll.
  3. The three-year Diploma program does not include a Liberal Arts curriculum and is intended for a few very gifted undergraduate musicians who, for personal or professional reasons, must pursue a non-degree course of study concentrating almost exclusively on performance. Applicants who wish to apply to the Diploma must contact the Office of Admissions for permission to apply to that program. Candidates for admission must be high school graduates or possess the equivalent of a high school diploma by the time they enroll. Statistics and other disclosure information for non-degree diploma programs can be found here.
  4. Full-time Barnard or Columbia students have the opportunity to pursue private music lessons at Juilliard through the Barnard-Columbia-Juilliard Exchange Program while pursuing an academic degree. For a detailed explanation on this exchange, please see the “Barnard-Columbia-Juilliard Exchange” section of this Web site.

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Application Fee 

The $110 ($35 for BCJ Only) application fee is nonrefundable. Make check or money order payable to The Juilliard School. All checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and must be received by December 1, 2011. Payment by credit card is only available for applications submitted online.

Fee waivers are available only for eligible high school seniors. Eligible applicants include those who can demonstrate significant financial need by providing one of the following by December 1:

  1. An official College Board fee waiver form (available through high school guidance offices) signed by a high school guidance counselor;
  2. An official SAT fee waiver form signed by a high school guidance counselor;
  3. A letter on school stationery from a college/guidance counselor requesting a fee waiver for the applicant; or
  4. A personal letter describing the applicant’s financial situation accompanied by copies of 2010 tax forms.

Applicants who select the fee waiver option must e-mail or fax one of the above to the Office of Admissions so that it is received by December 1. The fax number is 212-769-6420; documents may be scanned and e-mailed to admissions@juilliard.edu. Fee waiver documentation that is received after the appropriate deadline will cause the application to be considered "late." The Office of Admissions reserves the right to discontinue with any application that does not provide documentation qualifying for a fee waiver by the application deadline.

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Transcripts

Documentation of secondary schooling is an essential component of the application process. Applicants must supply official transcripts demonstrating scholastic competence sufficient to succeed in course work at the college level.

Applicants who have attended a secondary school, conservatory, college, or university prior to filing this application should send the official transcripts of school records by February 15, 2012. Official transcripts must be in a sealed envelope, or be sent directly from the issuing institution. This applies to U.S. and international applicants. Pre-screened majors should wait to receive pre-screening results before sending transcripts.

Graduation From High School:

Candidates for admission must be high school graduates or possess the equivalent of a high school diploma by the time they enroll. Home-schooled applicants, please refer to the Home Schooling Documen­tation information below, and in the Application for Admission.

All applicants who are offered admission must submit an official final transcript indicating their graduation date by July 1, 2012. This applies to both U.S. and international admits. Juilliard reserves the right to rescind admission to any applicant whose file documentation is deemed insufficient and/or incomplete. It is the applicant’s obligation to see that the completed records are filed. Report cards, grade reports, and other student records are not acceptable as final records.

For applicants who are graduates of foreign institutions: those studies must be equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma. Equivalency information and translations may be obtained through World Education Services, (212) 966-6311. Official transcripts with equivalency information and translations, as needed, are due by February 15, 2012.

Home Schooling Documentation:

The Juilliard School recognizes home schooling as a viable educational alternative; however, there are important and explicit regulations governing acceptable documentation. Home-schooled applicants must complete the Home Schooling Information section in the Application for Admission. This information includes the submission of a full outline of the curriculum by subject, including textbooks for each course; assessment procedures and grades; and evidence of official recognition by the school district and/or state department of education. Juilliard reserves the right to rescind admission to any applicant whose file documentation is deemed insufficient and/or incomplete.

General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.):

High school equivalency diplomas are issued by states to eligible applicants who pass the qualifying examinations. Specific age eligibility and proof thereof are required. The Juilliard School adheres to the regulations governing eligibility established by the New York State Education Department and will accept G.E.D.s from qualified applicants. Please note: While there are valid reasons for certain applicants to obtain the G.E.D., Juilliard does not recommend it as a substitute or shortcut for a traditional secondary education. In addition, the School reserves the right to rescind admission to any applicant who does not meet the appropriate state education department regulations as written.

Current Juilliard College Students do not need to request Juilliard transcripts be sent to Admissions.

Formerly enrolled Juilliard College Students do not need to request Juilliard transcripts be sent to Admissions, however, they should provide transcripts for any other institutions attended after their tenure at Juilliard.

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Proof of English Language Proficiency

The ability to speak, read, and understand English fluently is an important factor in admissions decisions. A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or SAT score will be required of all applicants for whom English is not the native language, regardless of citizenship or study at an English language institution.

Minimum score requirements for undergraduate applicants:

TOEFL
IBT Total IBT Writing CBT Total CBT Essay PBT Total
73 11 200 3.0 533
SAT (applicants may submit either section)
Critical Reading OR Writing
550 550
  1. Applicants for whom English is not a native language must submit an official copy of their TOEFL or SAT scores by February 15, 2012. Photocopies, faxes, and student copies are not acceptable.
  2. In addition, you are required to complete an English Language Interview with the Office of International Advisement (Room 245) during the audition period. This interview is an essential component for the Admissions Committee in making admissions decisions. It is important to note that this interview does not replace a TOEFL or SAT score, nor can a member of the International Advisement staff waive the English Language Proficiency requirement.
  3. Applicants will not be admitted without an official score on file which meets the minimum guidelines for admission (see above grid). Applicants should take a TOEFL or SAT by January 2012 in order to have the score submitted to the Admissions Office by February 15.
  4. Juilliard does not grant exemptions to the English Language Proficiency requirement, regardless of an applicant’s citizenship status in the U.S., or study at another university, college, conservatory, or school taught in English.
  5. All admitted undergraduate students must also take the English Language Placement Exam during Orientation at the beginning of the fall semester.
  6. The Juilliard School’s CEEB code is 002340.
  7. Visit the TOEFL Web site for more information.
  8. Current and Former Juilliard College Students do not need to submit another TOEFL.

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Essay

All applicants are required to submit an essay as a component of the online application. Juilliard’s Admissions Committee uses your essay to learn more about you as an individual, and gain a sense of who you are beyond your application, transcript, and audition.  Essays should be 1 - 2 pages, double-spaced, in a 12 point font.

Transfer applicants: The decision to transfer is a significant and often difficult one to make. Please explain when the idea of transferring first occurred to you and how that idea developed.

Current or Formerly enrolled Juilliard college students: Please explain your motivation for resuming your studies or applying to another major at The Juilliard School. Students may choose to address academic, artistic, or professional goals that they believe could be accomplished in the Juilliard community.

All other Bachelor of Music and Diploma applicants: choose one of the following essay topics:

  • Describe the most challenging obstacle you have had to overcome; discuss its impact, and tell us what you have learned from the experience.
  • Dr. Joseph Polisi, Juilliard’s president, has stated: “. . . [talented young people are] responsible for more than getting the notes right or the words right or the steps right. They have to be missionaries for the arts." Write about how, as an artist, you intend to advocate for the relevancy of the arts in the twenty-first century.
  • Using one of these words as the title of your essay, write about what the word means to you: A. Commitment; B. Education; or C. Discipline.

Your essay should be submitted through the online application. Please do not also submit a hard copy of your essay via post.

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Letters of Recommendation

All undergraduate applicants must submit a recommendation letter from a high school academic teacher, preferably in English, history, or other language arts course work. Juilliard continues to renew its efforts to identify and educate leaders in the profession, students who can be outstanding performers and also effective advocates, collaborators, teachers, and community partners. The impetus behind this requirement is to gain insight into the applicant’s abilities in English and should acknowledge the applicant’s speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension abilities.

  • If needed, a college professor recommendation would suffice for transfer applicants.
  • Home schooled applicants should submit a recommendation from someone other than a parent who can address the issues listed above.
  • With the exception of Composition majors, music applicants are not required to submit a recommendation from a musician or music teacher.  Composers, see here.

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Audition

  • Majors that are not pre-screened are guaranteed an audition. Pre-screened majors are reviewed for audition invitations.
  • All applicants invited to audition must do so live in New York; The Juilliard School does not accept video auditions, under any circumstances.
  • It is recommended that applicants avoid scheduling conflicts by planning to be available for the entire audition period.
  • See here for audition dates and specific audition repertoire requirements.

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