Juilliard Admissions?

Question

I'm going into 9th grade in the fall and am 100% sure that I will go to Juilliard. That is my biggest goal, as of now. I want to become a professional violist and play with the best orchestras and chamber ensembles in the world. I've been playing the viola for a year, and will be two years in September 2012, but have had 7 years of musical experience and have played 7 instruments, including vocal, so it was very easy to learn the viola and am playing at a very advanced level. My biggest fear is that Juilliard will not except me when they see my high school transcript, (I have excellent grades and a 3.7+ average every year)but since at my school, the freshman class can only take Visual Arts. Will Juilliard still consider me if they see that I've taken 7 years of music, (since the first grade) and all of a sudden I'm basically forced to take Visual Arts?
I know this was long but I'll accept all answers!
Thanks a ton!

Answer 1

The fact that you took visual arts won't matter a bit. School music classes don't train anyone for top music schools anyway; they're mostly geared toward casual players. However, if you're not already the best violist in your state and regularly winning solo competitions I don't think you have a 100% chance of getting in. Being the best in your school is pretty much meaningless. They only take a handful of violists every year, choosing from all over the US and many foreign countries. Most of the students they take have been playing their major instrument since they were in early elementary school and have been studying with top teachers for many years.



What "very advanced level" do you play at? If you made it to ASTA Grade 3 level in two years that's fairly good. If you made it to Grade 4 that improves your chances. You probably need to play Grade 5 pieces pretty much perfectly to have a chance of getting past the first round of auditions. (ASTA is the system that has six grades)

Answer 2

Nobody is 100% sure that they will go to Juilliard. There are so few spots and it isn't a lock for anyone. Many prodiges are turned away because of so few places. It has about a 6% acceptance rate. Grades matter little as all you need is a C average and no SAT or ACT scores. It is 100% about your audition.

Most of the musicians accepted to Juilliard have won national and international music competitions. Playing 7 instruments is not a plus as it most likely takes time away from the one you need to be best in to get in. Playing one extraordinarily well well is a must. Students that get accepted study with the very top teachers in the profession and practice 6-8 hours daily. That is what you will be up against.

Answer 3

your transcript is not a problem... but... you may still have a problem.



juilliard will not care about what you are doing in your school music classes. those are general classes for everyone. you should be involved in extracurricular music specialization activities.



you should be in a youth orchestra. and see if you can find a precollege program for theory, eartraining, history, chamber music, etc...



at juilliard:



they will not care much about your GPA.



they will not care that you played 7 other instruments.



they will only care how well you play the instrument you audition on.



no one gets to be 100% sure of getting in to juilliard.

there are more talented students than there are spaces in the school. so every year, many kids that are good enough dont get in.

there really are no guarantees.



at your age, to be on track for juilliard, you should be playing major concertos and the harder bach cello suites, possibly some of the violin sonatas/partitas.



if you are playing stuff like telemann and 1st suite minuets, you are probably not on that track.



if you are playing stamitz and have played a few complete suites, you *might* be on track.



if you are playing walton and fugues from bach's violin repertoire, you are heading in the right direction.



(if you have no idea what i was talking about in the last 3 sentences, you arent at all on track)



but please realize juilliard is not the only good school out there.

when inexperienced students show up here asking about juilliard... we usually assume its because it is the only famous school they have heard of.

if you were really thinking about this properly, you wouldnt be talking about "juilliard". you would be mentioning specific viola faculty there that you want to study with. that is what advanced students consider when choosing schools.



high level viola students who audition for juilliard often audition for colburn or curtis as well. (great faculty AND they are free).

do you even know who teaches there? you should.



now, if you are playing at a level where you might just barely make it into juillard, but on the bottom rung of that school... probably better not to go. you would get more opportunities being on a higher rung at another conservatory. not everyone who goes to juilliard gets a fancy career afterwards. apparently, some become accountants.



even the "best" school is not the best fit for every student.

you need to learn more about whats out there.

Answer 4

A few things:

1. Getting in is extremely tricky to predict. 95% of getting in is the audition. It doesn't matter if you've been playing for 16 years if your audition is bad, you won't get in.

2. Academics do actually matter. For example, if the faculty recommends 20 people for admission after the auditions, but the admissions committee can only accept, say, 7, they will use academics and other factors besides the audition to narrow down the field.

3. Juilliard is not the only music school, and in my opinion not the best. Other ones to consider: Curtis, Colburn, Peabody, NEC, MSM, Jacobs, Michigan, Northwestern, Eastman.

4. Don't get your hopes up about getting in, or invest your life into getting in. The school's overall acceptance rate is about 6%, so getting in is a crapshoot. Practice, and hope for the best.

Answer 5

specific. Their admission technique is quite very like that of the different college, different than that the audition performs an exceedingly substantial place. in case you have undesirable grades you likely won't get the prospect to audition. in case you have super grades yet bomb the audition,you will no longer get in.