I ended Part 1 of this article with narrowing down your prospective graduate school list to about ten schools, so I will start there.
At this point, you should have about ten schools, all thoroughly researched, to which you will apply. Deadlines vary by school, but most deadlines fall between December 1st and January 15th. For good measure, you should apply by mid-November. Assuming that you start thinking about the application process at the beginning of your senior year, you should have plenty of time.
The first thing you should do is to write out the admission procedures for every school at which you are looking. Applying to graduate school is generally a two step process. Step one is to apply to the graduate school or graduate college of the university, and step two is to apply to the actual school of music. Every school is different in exactly how they split up the application procedure, so do make sure that you pay close attention to how they want it done. Generally, you will apply to and send your transcript to the graduate school, which will then ask the school of music for their recommendation. The school of music will base their recommendation on various items, discussed later.
Some graduate schools will require scores from the GRE General test. Some won’t. Make sure you have in your notes whether or not each school requires this, and plan accordingly.
And then there are transcripts. Some schools require that transcripts be sent directly from the school, some are fine with you including them in your portfolio. The same goes for letters of reference. Actually, letters of reference are being done online more and more.
So applying to graduate school is pretty easy. Have your GRE scores sent to the school (if needed), send your transcripts, and fill out the application online. Applying to the school of music is more involved. For a composition program, schools generally want to see the following items:
1. An application to the school of music.
2. A portfolio of compositions (usually 3, sometimes as little as 1. The University of Denver requires one score be notated by hand.)
3. A CD of compositions
4. Letters of recommendation/reference (usually between 2 and 4, three is pretty common).
5. A resume/performances list
6. An application for graduate assistantships.
7. A letter of intent
8. (sometimes) Transcripts
And remember, this has to be done for each school. Some schools also require a sample of scholarly writing, some schools don’t require a letter of intent. The way I handled the paperwork was to print two copies of a checklist for what each school wanted. One copy went in the envelope I was preparing, the other copy stayed in a folder of graduate application paperwork. When something went in the envelope, it was checked off.
This packet of stuff is your first impression to the school of music so plan accordingly. Some schools ask for an interview, some schools will not, so this may be all they see of you until you are accepted. I used the same letterhead/font choice/logo for everything from the resume to the mailing label. I would look at getting scores bound at a local copy shop (I used Office Depot and was quite happy). Have someone look over an early copy of your resume and your letter of intent.
Reference letters can be interesting, as they are perhaps the only aspect of your application packet over which you have no control. I would advise you to ask early–and check often. In my case I knew most of the music faculty well, and had no problem asking any of them for a reference. I sent them a short email asking if they’d be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me, and they all responded positively (do this early, professors’ schedules are insane at the beginning of the semester, and then it gets worse!). Make their lives easier by putting together a list of schools, their requirements and addresses, and the general date when they are due.
Most schools will require a CD of performances of your works. In my case, I planned my senior recital in mid-fall so I would have recordings of everything to send to the various schools of music. CDs should be properly labeled (I used LightScribe discs to set myself apart).
Some schools, once you speak with them, will want you to meet them, or will require an interview (which we’ll get to). Travel to as many schools as you can. I visited about half of the ones to which I applied, and it didn’t seem to make that big of a difference. But visits and such, that’s getting into Part 3.
For the record, I submitted all of my applications on November 1st. Happy applying!