Required Materials for Admission

Application

The Conservatory uses the Unified Application for Music and Performing Arts Schools, found at http://www.unifiedapps.org . 

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 Office of Admission 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: $110
  • Fee for all late applications: $150
  • Fee for all graduates and/or current students of SFCM: $50
  • Fee for all graduates and/or current students of the Prep or Adult Extension divisions:  $50

Recommendations

All applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation.  These should be received by the Office of Admission by January 1st. 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. We welcome applications from home-schooled students.  Home-schooled applicants must submit either an official transcript issued by an accredited institution or the diploma from the GED or CHSPE.  In addtion, home-schooled applicants should submit the SAT or ACT.

Applicants to the graduate programs are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Transcripts must be sent to the Conservatory directly from the school(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

Home-schooled applicants are required to submit official SAT or ACT scores to support their transcripts. 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. All other applicants are not required ot submit SAT or ACT scores.  

Audition

All applicants must perform an audition for admission to the Conservatory.