Reasons to apply
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is world-renowned as one of the top 10 public universities in the country, and the intimate School of Music is ranked in the top 10% of comprehensive music programs.
- Faculty have a unique combination of friendliness and world-class talent.
- Madison is consistently ranked one of America's best college towns.
- Outside of music, enjoy the excellent academic programs the university has to offer: 70 academic programs at UW-Madison are ranked in the nation's top 10.
- Choose from more than 700 student organizations, 1,500 performing arts events, and the excitement of Big Ten Athletics.
- Ranked as a better value than all other Big 10 schools (Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 2010).
How to apply
Admission to the School of Music is contingent upon admission to the University, so make sure you apply concurrently to both. The School of Music evaluates prospective music majors on the basis of their application and audition. You will receive word about your admission to the School of Music several weeks after your audition.
The UW-Madison Application is available starting in September. Apply
early and make sure all requested material is received by their
deadline.
The School of Music Application is available from September through January. Apply early since audition date and time priority is given to applicants based on the order in which applications are received. Applicants are only considered for scholarships if auditioning by the February date.
A complete School of Music application must include the following items, all of which must be received by the School of Music Undergraduate Admissions Office by the application deadline of your chosen audition date:
- A School of Music application.The application will ask for a short personal statement and musical resume. Please email admissions@music.wisc.edu with any questions.
- An official copy of your transcript(s). This is in addition to the copy you provide when applying to the UW-Madison main admissions office. Transcripts can be sent electronically as long as they’re official. The most common means by which schools send official transcripts electronically is via docufide.
- Two recommendation letters. The letters should come from two different people who can recommend you based on your musical abilities, such as private teachers or ensemble conductors. Your recommender may complete our online form or download the PDF, print, complete, and either send via a scanned email attachment or regular mail.
- Copies of Audition Music (applicable only to vocal auditionees that will use the accompanist provided by the UW-Madison School of Music). The School of Music can provide an accompanist for voice auditions, or you may bring your own. If you plan to use our accompanist, please send a copy of your audition music (include page numbers and your printed name on each page). Music must be received by the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator at least 2 weeks prior to the audition date in order to allow the accompanist sufficient time to prepare.
- Supplementary materials (applicable to composition majors only).
Once your application is received, you will receive an email confirmation within 1-2 weeks. Application file completion status emails are sent to any applicant whose file completion status has changed in the last 5 days. When all required materials are received, you will receive another email to verify completion. Once your audition has been scheduled, you will receive another email with audition day details.
3. Complete an audition.
The School of Music will notify you of your specific audition time at least one week preceding the date you have chosen on your application. Auditions vary in duration from 10 to 30 minutes, performed for the faculty in your chosen area of study. Click on a specialization below for more specific audition information:
4. Take a music theory exam.
On your audition day, the Music Theory Area will give a diagnostic theory exam (see more information and a sample test in PDF) to determine your preparedness for first-year college theory.
Piano Proficiency Auditions August 30, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. and August 31, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., or by
appointment, Room 5418, Humanities Building. Not applicable to
piano majors. If you have had previous piano instruction, and if you
did not audition for piano placement on an audition day, please sign up when
you arrive on campus in the fall, either in-person or via e-mail to Prof.
Jessica Johnson (jgjohnson@wisc.edu), for a 10-minute
audition.An audition sign-up sheet will be posted the week before
at Room 5418 with specific times.If you have not had previous piano
instruction, Ms. Atwood will help you enroll in the beginning piano course at
SOAR.
Some level of piano proficiency is expected in every music degree
program.Students who did not take a piano placement exam on one of
our scheduled audition days should sign up for a placement
exam.Students who can play may play a piece of their choice.Music
does not need to be memorized.More information may be found on our
website at http://music.wisc.edu/admissions/pianoplacement. We
recommend that students practice piano over the summer in preparation for piano
placement in the fall.Students who have never taken piano lessons
are encouraged to begin lessons over the summer if at all possible.
For more details, follow the link: Beginning and Intermediate Piano Placement Auditions.
The process leading up to becoming a music major can seem daunting, especially for families who are unfamiliar with auditioning. Faculty and staff will be on hand to talk with you and your parents and answer any questions you may have.
The National Association of Schools of Music is the national accrediting agency for music schools and music-related disciplines. Their website is helpful in providing prospective music majors and their parents questions to consider when applying to universities and conservatories.
If you have any questions about majoring in music, please contact our Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator.
We look forward to seeing you at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!
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Audition Information for 2014 Admission
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Audition Dates
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Application Deadline
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Nov. 23, 2013
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Oct. 31
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Jan. 25, 2014
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Dec. 31
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Feb. 22, 2014
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Jan. 31
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Tips and Important Information for Applicants All School of Music application material must be sent to the School of Music Undergraduate Admissions address, not to the general University Admissions Office. To ensure arrival of all application material by the deadline, make sure to request transcripts and recommendation letters as early as possible. Auditions will be scheduled and admissions decisions made only when your application file is complete. Please contact Undergraduate Admissions if you would like to submit a recorded audition, since not all areas permit them. If you audition by submitting a recording, be aware that the audition process is only final upon an audition in person for the faculty of the relevant area. In-person auditions are highly preferred for scholarship consideration.
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