Music

Application

Complete the online application.

Application Fee

A nonrefundable $50 application fee is paid as part of the online application.

Official Transcripts

Recommendation Letter

Letters of recommendation related to academic experience are required for all applicants—one for undergraduate applicants, two for graduate applicants. Recommenders can submit recommendations online; instructions are included with the online application. If preferred, the recommendation form can instead be sent by mail in a signed, sealed envelope. To send the form by mail, download the PDF recommendation form found in the online application, complete your personal information, save the form, and forward it to the recommender for completion and submission. Applicants can also send signed and sealed recommendations to the Office of Admission using an Application Materials Cover Sheet.

Essay

Please submit your Essay with your online application.

Prescreening (if applicable)

In order to be considered for a live audition, applicants for piano, violin, cello, flute, and voice concentrations must submit a prescreening recording. Applicants for the composition concentration must submit scores for review. You must submit prescreening materials electronically using Acceptd when you apply online. Prescreening recordings must be submitted with the application by the November 1 application deadline for the spring term or the December 1 application deadline for the fall term (April 1 for late auditions). Mannes College Division and Mannes Preparatory Honors program students are exempt from the prescreening requirement.

Live Audition

Live auditions (on campus and regional) in Cello, Composition, Flute, Piano, Violin, and Voice require submission of prescreening recordings at Acceptd. Auditions in these areas will be confirmed after review of the submitted prescreening recordings. Prescreening recordings must be received by the application deadline of December 1 (April 1 for Late Review). Prescreening recordings received after this deadline will be reviewed at the discretion of the Admissions Office.

Mannes accepts auditions in three different formats. Personal auditions are encouraged for all applicants.

• On-Campus Audition: Main auditions are held at Mannes from February 26 through March 6.
• Regional Audition: Regional auditions are offered at sites in Asia, Europe, and other locations during the months of December and January. The auditions are audio- and video-recorded, then brought back to campus for the faculty to evaluate. Please note that regional auditions are not available for orchestral conducting or spring enrollment. Regional audition dates will be listed on the Auditions website.
• Recorded Audition: If an on-campus audition or a regional audition is not possible, applicants can submit a video recording electronically at Acceptd.
• Late Round Audition: Because of the limited number of openings each year in the Mannes School of Music, transfer applicants are encouraged to audition in March, on our published audition dates. If you wish to audition for Mannes School of Music in March, you must follow the application and prescreening deadlines for Regular Decision. Transfer applicants who do not apply for an audition by December 1 will have to wait until March 15 to schedule a live audition.

Test Scores

SAT and ACT (For Undergraduates): The New School does not require submission of SAT or ACT scores for applications to be considered complete. Should you feel your SAT or ACT test scores are beneficial to your application, you may submit them for our consideration. Note: Homeschool applicants must submit standardized test scores from either the SAT or the ACT. Homeschool applicants may submit two standardized subject test results in lieu of the SAT. The institution code for the SAT is 2398.

TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE: All applicants whose first language is not English must submit valid TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. The recommended minimum score for TOEFL (IB) is 79, for IELTS is 6.5, and for PTE is 53. Our TOEFL institution code is 2398.

A TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score is not required for applicants

• Whose primary language is English
• Who have earned a secondary school diploma from a school where English is the primary language of instruction (undergraduate applicants only)
• Who have earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction

Upon review of your application, the Office of Admission reserves the right to request a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Arrange for the testing service to send your test scores directly to The New School using the institution codes listed above. We accept scores for tests taken within the past two years. If your scores are older, you must retake the test. For more information and/or to locate testing centers, visit the TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE websites. Allow 10 to 12 weeks for official test scores to arrive at Mannes; schedule your test accordingly.

Current Mannes students whose first language is not English; who are enrolled in the Mannes NEXT Diploma program or the Professional Studies Diploma program; and who are applying for admission to the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Undergraduate Diploma, or Master of Music degree program are required to submit TOEFL scores and take the Mannes English Placement Exam.

English Placement Exam

All applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Mannes English Placement Test, which assesses reading comprehension, writing ability, and listening and speaking skills.

The Mannes English Placement Test is taken at Mannes during audition week. It consists of a grammar test, an essay on a topic chosen by Mannes, and an oral (face-to-face) interview. Mannes has found this test to be a better method than standardized tests for assessing students\' English language level and ability to succeed in their classes. Mannes uses the results of these tests and the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE in deciding whether students\' English language skills qualify them to attend Mannes.

Musicianship Exam and Interviews

Applicants to certain programs and majors are required to take a musicianship placement examination and sit for a personal interview during the audition period. The Office of Admission will notify you if you are required to take the musicianship exam.