Application Deadlines:

• Fall semester, December 1st
• Spring semester, October 1st, if space is available. Please e-mail admit@sfcm.edu to check for availability in your instrument area.
• Prescreen recordings are due November 15th.  For information about which instruments require a prescreen recording, visit our audition webpage.

Admission to the Conservatory is determined on the basis of

1. your audition
2. openings in the specific department
3. your academic record
4. other application materials submitted

Applicants may not apply more than two times for the same program without permission from the Office of Admission

Application
The Conservatory uses the Unified Application for Music and Performing Arts Schools, found at http://www.unifiedapps.org. Printed applications are not available.

The application deadline for fall enrollment is December 1. We may accept applications after the December 1 deadline on a case by case basis. Admission decisions will be sent on March 15 for graduate and postgraduate applicants and on April 1 for undergraduate applicants. The application deadline for spring enrollment is October 1; please contact the admit@sfcm.edu to inquire about openings in specific departments for the spring semester.

Application Fee
There is a non-refundable application fee required with the application. Applicants must pay this fee by major credit card before electronically submitting the application to the Office of Admission. If you do not have a major credit card, please contact the Office of Admission directly to discuss other payment options. Applications received without the required fee will not be processed.

Application fees are as follows:
Fee for all applications submitted on or before the application deadline:	$100
Fee for all late applications:	$150
Fee for all graduates and/or current students of SFCM	$50

Recommendations
All applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation, due by the application deadline. One must be from the current or most recent private music teacher of the instrument on which they will audition and should speak specifically to the applicant's preparedness to study music within a Conservatory environment. The second should be from a teacher or faculty member who can address the applicant's musical and/or academic preparedness. Please note that we are now accepting online recommendation letters through the Unified Application. Applicants will provide contact information for their recommenders as part of the application process. Recommenders will then receive an email with information on how to submit the letters of recommendation. We strongly suggest that recommenders submit letters of recommendation through the application rather than sending a hard copy. However, if it is not possible, a recommender may complete and mail the Music Teacher Recommendation Form found here. If a hard copy is submitted, it must be signed, sealed and sent directly to the Office of Admission by the recommender.

Transcripts
Applicants to the undergraduate program, including transfer applicants, are required to submit official transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended. Home-schooled applicants must submit either an official transcript issued by an accredited institution or the diploma from the GED or CHSPE. Applicants to the graduate programs are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Transcripts must be sent to SFCM directly from the schools(s). Photocopied transcripts of diplomas are never acceptable.

International students must also provide notarized translations of their transcripts if the originals are not issued in English. The Office of Admission may require that international transcripts be evaluated by an organization specializing in foreign credential evaluation, such as World Education Services http://www.wes.org or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. http://www.ece.org.

ACT/SAT Scores
SAT or ACT scores are not required, although we highly recommend that all undergraduate applicants, including transfer students, submit them. Home-schooled applicants are required to submit official SAT or ACT scores. The Conservatory's school code for the ACT is 0403; the code for the SAT is 4744. We will accept scores as official if they are listed on the student's official school transcript. Photocopies of ACT or SAT scores are never acceptable.

English Requirement, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and English Language Services (ELS)
Students whose first language is not English must submit a TOEFL score sent directly to the Conservatory from the testing service. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: We require applicants to submit their most recent TOEFL test score (even if it is not passing) or proof of registration to take the TOEFL exam by December 1st.  Applicants will be asked to provide their most recent test score or test registration information on the Unified Application.  Offical test scores muts be mailed to SFCM directly from the testing service.  We require a minimum score of 61 on the interactive-based test (ibt) or 500 on the paper-based test.  The Conservatory's school code is 4744.  TOEFL scores received from tests taken more than two years prior to the application deadline are not valid.   Photocopied score reports will not be accepted. International students who have completed at least two years of full-time academic study at an English-speaking college or university at the time of application may request to be exempted from this requirement.

International applicants to the Professional Studies Diploma who wish to take academic courses while at SFCM must receive a minimum score of 45 on the interactive-based test (ibt) or 450 on the paper-based test. Those Professional Studies Diploma candidates who do not wish to register for academic coursework need not submit a TOEFL score.

SFCM has an agreement with English Language Services (ELS), an English school with campuses located throughout the United States (including San Francisco) and abroad, through which any student of English enrolled at any of ELS' campuses and who passes ELS' "Level 109" exam will be exempt from the TOEFL requirement at SFCM. Please contact the Office of Admission BEFORE you decide to enroll in ELS' programs. Please also note that SFCM requires submitting at least one TOEFL score before enrolling at ELS. SFCM also reserves the right to NOT accept a Level 109 graduate if other factors apply.

International applicants who do not have a passing TOEFL score at the time admissions decisions are made, but who have submitted a TOEFL score or are enrolled in ELS, may be eligible to be accepted into their desired program on "TOEFL Probation." Those students accepted with this status are eligible for Conservatory Scholarship and have until July 1 of the summer before enrollment to fulfill the English requirements. Those who do not fulfill the requirement will not be allowed to enroll at SFCM.

Audition
All applicants must perform an audition for admission to the Conservatory. Please see Audition Information for specific requirements.

Freshmen - Graduation from an accredited high school is required for freshmen applying to the Conservatory. This requirement may be waived if other qualifications are extraordinary. The high school transcript should include at least three years of English and preferably three years of a foreign language.

Freshman applicants are strongly recommended to submit scores for either the SAT or the ACT, although this is not required. This recommendation also applies to those who have been away from secondary school one or more years and have not previously undertaken collegiate study. Home-schooled applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores, as well as complete syllabi of their high school curriculum.

Transfer Students – Students wishing to transfer to the Conservatory must show evidence of a satisfactory academic record at all institutions of higher education and secondary schools attended and are required to submit official transcripts from all of them. Transfer students who are attending a member school of the National Association of Schools of Music must submit a form signed by the primary music executive of the school from which they are transferring, indicating their knowledge and approval of this transfer. Transfer applicants cannot be considered for any Conservatory scholarship assistance without this form, available here.

Transfer applicants who wish to enter at a level corresponding to their previous experience should perform repertoire during their audition that mirrors SFCM's jury requirements per level. These requirements may be found in the Collegiate Catalog. For example, those transfer applicants hoping to enter as a sophomore (2nd year) flute major should perform audition pieces that mirror SFCM's freshman (1st year) jury requirements for flute.

Graduate Students – Applicants for the Master of Music degree and Artist Certificate programs are expected to hold a bachelor's degree in music from an accredited college, university or conservatory. In exceptional cases, a student who has a degree in an area other than music and who has had excellent audition results and experience in music theory and history may be considered. Others may be recommended for admission as transfers into the undergraduate program. The Conservatory will not accept any transfer credit at the graduate level, but will if accepted into the undergraduate program.

Undergraduate applicants will be notified by April 1 of the admission decision if the application was completed by the stated deadline. Admitted undergraduate students must submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $500 within four weeks of receiving the offer of admission or by May 1, whichever date is later, in order to hold a place in the class.

Graduate and Postgraduate applicants will be notified of the admission decision by March 15.

After committing to study at SFCM by the deadlines stated above, students may not accept any other offer of admission or merit-based financial aid from another member school of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) without the consent of SFCM's Office of Admission.

Applicants who are not offered admission may only reapply after one academic year.

In some exceptional cases, students may defer their enrollment either a semester or up to one academic year by making a written request to the Office of Admission, including details of why the student wishes to defer enrollment. The $500 enrollment deposit is still required to hold the place in the class and will not be refunded if the student later decides not to enroll. Students who defer admission for one academic year must reapply for financial aid and scholarship as well as re-audition the following spring for studio placement.

New undergraduate and graduate students are required to attend the New Student Orientation Day and to take placement examinations and ensemble auditions, which take place prior to registration. Placement tests will be given to all freshmen and transfer students in music fundamentals, musicianship, and keyboard proficiency. Undergraduates will also be tested for placement into the Academic Basics and Introduction to Western Civilization courses.

Transfer students are required to take any additional examinations needed to establish levels of proficiency in harmony and music history.

Graduate students are required to take placement examinations in musicianship, music history and music theory. Entering graduate voice majors must take a placement exam in basic phonetics and have the option of taking a placement exam to fulfill the intermediate language requirement in German, French and Italian. Entering composition majors will be tested in certain keyboard skills (score reading, figured bass, harmonization of a melody), and will be given a take-home test in orchestration and counterpoint. Please consult the Conservatory Catalog for further information. On the basis of these examinations, students may be required to take certain courses at the Conservatory to correct deficiencies. All international students are required to attend a special International Student Orientation session and will be given an English exam, regardless of the TOEFL score they submitted as part of their application for admission. Based on this English exam additional courses in English and/or Academic Basics may be required.

Schedules of placement exams and ensemble audition requirements will be mailed to new students prior to the Orientation.

The Conservatory welcomes international students. Over 25 percent of our current students come from a country other than the United States. The application procedure for international students is described above. English requirements for international applicants are described above in the section entitled "English Requirement, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and English Language Services (ELS)".

It is very important that international students understand the financial expectations of attending the Conservatory before they begin the admission process. Even if you receive a Conservatory scholarship, you still must have sufficient funds to pay for any tuition not covered by scholarship assistance and to pay for all of your living and travel expenses. You must submit financial certification that shows adequate funds to support your education and living expenses before the Conservatory can issue the I-20 form required to secure a student visa.

All scholarship and financial aid information can be found in the Financial Aid section of our website.

Countries Represented by Current Conservatory Students
Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Mongolia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, People's Republic of China (PRC), Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan (ROC), Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

Conservatory scholarships are awarded based on musical ability as demonstrated at the audition, financial need, and the musical needs of the Conservatory. Complete scholarship and financial aid information can be found in the Financial Aid section of our website.

Need-Based Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards: Applicants who wish to be considered for any form of need-based scholarship or financial aid, whether institutional or federal, MUST complete the Scholarship and the Financial Aid section of the Unified Application, PLUS the additional forms described below for US citizens/permanent residents and international students. Priority will be given to those students who complete the scholarship/financial aid application process by February 15. Questions should be directed to the Financial Aid Officer at 415.503.6214 or finaid@sfcm.edu

Merit-Based Scholarship Awards: Those applicants who are US Citizens or permanent residents who wish only to be considered for merit-based conservatory scholarships need not submit the FAFSA, but MUST submit the SFCM Scholarship and Financial Aid Application found in the Unified Application.

Required materials for US citizens and permanent residents applying for need-based aid

1. The San Francisco Conservatory of Music Scholarship and Financial Aid Application found in our application at www.unifiedapps.org.
2. The 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available on the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Conservatory's school code for filing the FAFSA is 001278. This code must be listed on the FAFSA for the Conservatory to receive the applicant's financial information. Applicants and their families may complete the FAFSA, and should do so as early as possible after January 1, in order to have the results arrive at SFCM prior to the February 15 priority deadline.
3. California residents only: Undergraduate applicants, both freshman and transfer, applying for need-based aid MUST apply for a Cal Grant. Applicants are to complete the California Student Aid Commission's GPA Verification Form, have it signed by the appropriate school official, and submit it by the February 15 SFCM deadline. Students are encouraged to obtain a Certificate of Mailing in case they need to prove they applied by the deadline.

Required materials for international applicants applying for scholarship
International applicants applying for scholarship must submit ALL forms as described here in order to be eligible for merit-based and/or need-based scholarship. International students cannot be considered for any US federal or state grants or loans, but can only be considered for Conservatory scholarships.

Additional required materials for transfer students
In addition to the materials listed above, transfer students who are attending a member school of the National Association of Schools of Music must submit a form signed by the primary music executive of the school from which they are transferring, indicating their knowledge and approval of this transfer. Transfer applicants cannot be considered for any Conservatory scholarship assistance without this form. It is included in our application at www.unifiedapps.org and may also be downloaded here.

Graduate applicants only
Candidates for the Master of Music degree are eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantships, provided they are full-time students. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of musical proficiency and specific skills related to the assistantships available. The assistantships generally require 6 to 20 hours of service per week, for which students are paid $1,000 to $6,000 per year. Although the specific assistantships will vary from year to year, they generally include: Baroque Assistant, Brass Chamber Music Assistant, Chamber Music Assistant, Composition Department Assistant, General Education Assistant, Keyboard Department Assistant, Music History Assistant, Musical Theater Assistant, Musicianship/Music Theory Assistant, New Music Ensemble Librarian and Personnel Assistant, New Music Ensemble Manager, Opera Theatre Assistant, Orchestra Librarian, Percussion Department Assistant, Voice Department Assistant and Woodwind Chamber Music Assistant. Please check with the Financial Aid Office for a complete list.



PLEASE CONTACT US at admit@sfcm.edu if you have any questions about applying to the Conservatory. We look forward to receiving your application.


 

The Conservatory's tuition for the 2011-12 academic year is $36,500. For a complete breakdown of charges on a yearly and per semester basis, visit the Tuition and Fees page.