Timetable for Music Graduate School Planning
Junior activities to prepare for applying to graduate school:
Spring
- Define your career goals.
- Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
· Check repertoire lists for the schools that interest you. This will give you extra preparation time over the summer.
· Begin saving for application fees and travel expenses.
Senior year activities for enrollment in the fall after graduation:
September
· Write for application materials and make note of application deadlines. *
· Register for graduate/professional school tests. Information is available in the Career Center for the GRE (graduate school).
· Ask faculty members to write letters of recommendation/Check application materials, there may be a specific form to use.
· Decide if you want to manage your letters of recommendation, if you want to utilize the Career Center Credential Service, or if each referral will handle recommendations directly.
· Check application fees and plan accordingly.
· Continue to prepare audition repertoire with studio teacher.
· If you will need recordings, plan studio dates.
· Apply for assistantships, fellowships, scholarships and financial aid programs early; deadlines begin as early as September and continue through the academic year. Pursue both individual school and national programs.
October
· Research audition dates and plan travel and curricular excuses.
· Continue researching graduate/professional school options and funding resources.
· Write your application essays.
· Speak with faculty, advisers and alumni regarding program strengths and reputation.
· Update resume/curriculum vita.
· Submit completed applications before deadline.
· Check with schools, before deadline, to make sure your file is complete.
December
· Conduct information interviews with any alumni who may have attended graduate programs that you are interested in attending.
· Contact the Fellowship Resource Advising Center at 8 1969 or go to their website: http://osf.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/.
Spring
· Check to be sure that the teacher who you wish to study with will be there in the fall.
· Send a deposit to your institution of choice.
· Notify other colleges and universities that accepted you of your decision so that they can admit students on their waiting list.
· Send thank you letters to people who wrote you recommendation letters or helped you in the application process to inform them of your success.
*A few words about deadlines
· Some programs may have a deadline as early as November 1.
· Be sure to keep track of all deadlines and meet them.
Resources for Graduate School Planning
General resources
· Beyond the Ivy Wall: 10 Essential Steps to Graduate School Admission
· Getting Into Graduate School (video)
· Kaplan Education Centers: http://www.kaplan.com
· Princeton Review Online: http://www.review.com
Define your career goals and potential area of specialization
· Faculty/Academic advisors
· Career Center Consultant **
· Journals from professional associations
· Career Resource Center
· Hunt Library
Write an admissions essay/statement of purpose
· How to Write a Winning Personal Statement
Research scholarships, fellowships, grants and financial assistance
· The Scholarship Book
· Grants for Graduate & Postdoctoral Study
· Scholarships and Fellowships for Math and Science Students
· Fellowship Resource Advising Center: http://osf.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/
** Career Consultants are available to meet with students to discuss career goals, the graduate school admissions process, and to review essays and personal statements. To make an appointment to meet with your Career Consultant individually, please call the Career Center at 268-2064.
