Undergraduate Program
Supplementary Materials for Admission
Although Yale College does not conduct musical auditions for applicants, the Admissions Office accepts CDs, tapes or scores from advanced musicians, whether or not they wish to major in music as undergraduates.
Please consider sending musical materials with your application only if your accomplishments are truly outstanding for a high school musician, and if your playing or composing is a strong and important part of your application. Elementary or merely competent submissions will not help your application, and are discouraged.
All materials must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the appropriate application deadline. For Early Action this is November 1: for Regular Decision, December 31. Please do not send originals as the materials will not be returned.
The following guidelines must be observed:
1. Tapes/CDs and scores are reviewed by Yale Faculty and should demonstrate a very high level of accomplishment attained through serious and continuous study over an extended period.
2. Submission of tapes/CDs or scores of popular music or jazz are welcome, as are those of classical music.
3. Although the tape/CD need not be of professional quality it should be clear enough to enable the evaluator to arrive at a judgment without distracting interference. Scores must be neat and legible.
4. Those submitting a tape/CD should concentrate on a short work or a portion of a longer work. Solo performances that demonstrate the full range of the applicant's capabilities are preferable; selections from method books are to be avoided.
5. Recordings should be short, no more than 10 minutes and feature two pieces of contrasting style or period.
6. All tapes must be analog (i.e., standard) cassettes. Tapes, CDs and scores must include the following information typed and visible on the outside of the material:
Full name and address of the applicant
Name of high school
Instrument or voice on the tape
Composer and title of composition.
