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Application & Audition Requirements

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About this Program

Overview

The Music Advancement Program (MAP) offers a comprehensive curriculum of music instruction to intermediate and advanced level students ages 8-17. Classes take place 8:30am-6:00pm on Saturdays, September through May. The program is tuition-free.

The Music Advancement Program selects students based on a competitive application, audition, and interview process. The online application for the upcoming academic year is made available in the late fall and must be completed by the posted deadline. Auditions are held at The Juilliard School in May. Accepted students begin their studies in September. MAP does not accept students mid-year.

Admitted students may participate in MAP for up to four years or through their senior year of high school, whichever occurs first. The Music Advancement Program accepts approximately 30 new students each year for a total of 80-95 enrolled students.

For more information about MAP, including details on MAP's mission, faculty, curriculum, and additional financial assistance programs, please click here.

Admission policies and audition requirements are subject to change by program administration at any time. Please check this website for the most up-to-date information before submitting your application and preparing for your audition.

Special Announcements

COVID-19 Information (effective October 24, 2022)

Effective Monday, October 24, 2022, unless otherwise directed, masks are strongly encouraged but not required within the Juilliard Diamond Building. This change applies to campus visitors, including prospective students coming for consultation lessons, and prospective students and families taking campus tours.

While Juilliard continues to strongly urge full COVID-19 vaccination and boosters, we are no longer checking vaccine status for visitors or audience members.

NOTE: If you have been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 10 days, a face covering is required at all times. If you feel sick or have been ordered by a public health authority to quarantine or isolate, please do not enter any Juilliard facility until medically cleared. We also ask that you refrain from visiting campus if you, or anyone in your household, has had a fever, flu-like symptoms, or any COVID-19 symptoms within the previous 14 days. 

For information on proper mask usage, please refer to CDC guidelines

These policies and guidelines will continue to evolve and are subject to change. Bookmark this page for the latest guidelines. 

Eligibility

Applicants must be 8-17 years old at the time of the audition (entering 3rd through 12th grade in fall 2024) and reside within the tristate area (NY, NJ, CT). They must have reached an intermediate to advanced level on their instrument—at least two years experience is recommended—exhibit a high level of musical potential and motivation, and demonstrate strong parental support.

The Juilliard School has an ongoing commitment to the principles and practices of inclusiveness and strongly encourages applications from students of diverse backgrounds.

Criteria for Acceptance

The Music Advancement Program selects students based on a competitive application, audition, and interview process. The most important factors are the results of the student's audition and their commitment to serious musical study.

Application Timeline

Application Timeline

Online application available December 1, 2023
Application deadline April 1, 2024
Applicants notified of audition times First week of May 2024
In-person auditions May 18, 2024
Callback interviews Late May / Early June 2024
Admission decisions announced Mid-to-late June 2024

Application Fee & Waivers

Application Fee

There is no application fee for MAP.

Your Application Materials

Your Online Application

To start or return to your application for admission to MAP for 2024-25, click here (we recommend bookmarking https://apply.juilliard.edu/apply/ for easy access to your application). The application is due by the deadline listed under Application Timeline above. For questions, please email [email protected].

Important: Each applicant must create a separate application account. DO NOT create applications for multiple individuals, such as siblings, under the same account. It is most helpful if each sibling's account is created using a separate email address. 

TIP: When creating an account for a second or third applicant, it is recommended that you open a "Private" or "Incognito" window in your browser. This will prevent the browser from automatically logging you into the account you've already created. For help setting your browser to Private or Incognito mode, click here.

 

Your Introduction Video

When submitting your online application, you will be asked to upload an introduction video. In your video, please tell us the following:

  1. Name, age, and instrument (or composition)
  2. Why you selected your instrument (or began composing) and why you love it
  3. Why you want to study at MAP

Video Guidelines

  • Professionally-produced videos are not required. A smartphone, tablet, or similar device can make an acceptable video.
  • The file name of the video should include the applicant's first and last names.
  • Complete your upload well in advance of the appropriate deadline, as upload times vary depending on file size and internet signal strength.
  • Insufficient or incomplete videos may affect consideration for admission.
  • Remember to watch your introduction video after recording it to be sure the sound and video are clear.

Video Format

  • Accepted file formats: .avi, .flv, .m1v, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .webm, .wmv
  • Please note that some .mov files use a codec which is not supported by the application. To avoid uploading difficulties, we recommend that .mov files be converted to another accepted format (.avi, .flv, .m1v, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .webm, .wmv).

Questions & Help

  • Don't have a smartphone or other recording device? Consider asking a teacher, friend, family member, or your school if they have one you can borrow.
  • If you have any other questions or concerns regarding the MAP application process, please email the MAP office at [email protected].

Scholarship & Financial Aid Forms

MAP is a tuition-free program. Additionally, the program offers financial assistance to students who qualify, including:

  • Free-of-charge instrument rentals
  • Free lunch on Saturdays
  • Transportation stipends for travel to and from Juilliard
  • Support for college admissions for high school seniors
  • Free or discounted tickets to concerts and performances at Lincoln Center and beyond
  • Exclusive scholarships and discounts to summer music camps through MAP's summer partnership program and the Weston Sprott & Anthony McGill MAP Summer Scholarship Fund

All applicants who are invited to a callback are required to provide detailed information about their family's finances, including tax documents. This allows MAP to determine admitted students' eligibility for the financial assistance programs above.

Auditioning for Juilliard

Audition Scheduling

​​​​​​Auditions for the 2024-25 school year will take place at The Juilliard School on Saturday, May 18, 2024. All applicants should reserve this entire day for their MAP audition and prepare the audition requirements for their specific major (see below). Individual audition times will be emailed to applicants the first week of May.

At the audition, applicants will perform before members of the MAP faculty (see below for audition requirements). Applicants will be evaluated on the following:

  • Tone / sound quality
  • Pitch (intonation)
  • Technique
  • Rhythmic accuracy
  • Phrasing and expression

Applicants must bring their instrument to the audition. If you do not have access to an instrument for the audition, please contact the MAP office at [email protected] at least one week prior to the audition and special accommodations may be made. However, the office cannot guarantee that an instrument will be available to you for the audition.

Audition Guidelines

  • The difficulty of an applicant’s solo repertoire should match that of the sample repertoire listed below. If no sample repertoire is listed, the applicant should prepare a piece which demonstrates their technical and artistic abilities on the instrument.
  • Applicants may be asked to sight-read and/or demonstrate their ability to match pitch and rhythm.
  • Applicants are not permitted to use an accompanist for their audition.
  • Though not required, applicants may perform their audition from memory if desired.

Audition Repertoire

1. The following scales, three octaves each*:

  • Major scales at a moderately fast tempo
  • Melodic minor scales at a tempo of your choice

*If you do not have 3 octaves, please play scales the way you have prepared them with your private instructor or teacher.

2. Two contrasting solos or etudes of your choice at or above the level of Suzuki Book 3.

  • Sample repertoire: J.S. Bach Prelude in G Major (from Cello Suite No. 1); R. Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves; Vivaldi Concerto in D Minor, movements 1 or 3; Telemann Concerto in G Major
  • Sample etudes: Franz Wohlfahrt foundation etudes and above

Callbacks

Following auditions, select applicants will be invited to meet with program administrators in late May or early June for parent and child interviews. An interview does not guarantee admittance to the program.

Decisions & Enrolling

Decisions

All applicants will be notified of their admission status by the end of June.

Please note that all communication related to the admissions process is conducted through the online application account, including the decision letter. It is vital for applicants to save their username and password information.