Three Steps to Apply

Master of Music

Use this Check-list to keep track of all the required items. Starting with "Step 1," click on each item (or scroll down) for details. Please consider printing this page—so you can keep track of your progress.

Step 1 – These are the items that we need to receive in order for your application to be complete

Step 2 – Upload selected materials to DecisionDesk

Step 3 – What happens next?

Step 1 – These are the items that we need to receive in order for your application to be complete

Complete and Submit the Online Application by December 1, 2012 (February Auditions) or April 15, 2013 (May Auditions)

This application works with Internet Explorer (version 8 or below) or Firefox. Firefox can be downloaded for free at: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/.

Once started, the application must be completed and submitted. It cannot be saved. Please allow 20 minutes for this process. It will probably take less time if you do a little preparation before starting. Please have the following information at your side:

  • US Social Security Number (If US citizen)
  • If you wish to state a teacher preference you can name two choices. Biographies are listed alphabetically here. You can also find their information on the specific page under Area of Study. A general discussion of how we match teachers and students can be found on our FAQ page. Note: You can change your teacher choice as the year progresses. You must notify us in writing or by email at: admissions@peabody.jhu.edu.
  • You will need the CEEB Code for all colleges you have attended. Go to the College Board web site: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-code-search. Use the drop-down (where it says "Countries") to search by "Colleges & Scholarships". If your school is not listed, you may leave this item blank.
  • List of Audition Pieces. Include composer and title. Refer to your major's specific page under Area of Study for more information.
  • You will be asked if you want to apply for Graduate Assistantships and, if so, which ones. For information on graduate assistantships please go here.
  • If you are interested in applying for the Performance/Pedagogy Track, it is only available for the following majors: Cello, Double Bass, Guitar, Harp, Piano, Viola, Violin, and Voice.
  • Once you click submit, you will be taken to a page that gives you the option to print your application ("print") or continue to our website ("next"). You also will receive an email confirming that we have received your application.
  • Please submit your payment as soon as possible. Your application will not be considered until the application fee is processed. You will know your fee has been processed when you receive an email containing your ISIS ID. This is the ID you will use in Step 2 (DecisionDesk).

 

***Click this link to start your application.***

Download and Submit the Credit Card Payment Form


Download the form here. Please provide the information for a valid credit card to pay the $115 application fee. We do not accept personal checks. Your application will not be considered until the application fee is processed, so please submit this form immediately after completing the Online Application. You may mail it to us, email it to us at admissions@peabody.jhu.edu, or fax it to us at 410-234-0161.  You will know that your payment has been processed when you receive an email containing your ISIS ID.

College Transcripts

Send College transcripts after your fall term grades are posted (we would like to receive them by February 1st). International applicants are required to submit all transcripts in English.

TOEFL

International students: If English is not the native language in your country you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). You will find further discussion of Peabody’s policy on English Language requirements on the FAQ page. If we do not have an official TOEFL score for you by February 1st, your application will be considered “incomplete” and we will be unable to make an admission decision. Our TOEFL code number is 5532.

Recommendation Letters

Submit email addresses for three people who know your musical ability to DecisionDesk. These people will automatically be contacted via email with instructions on how to electronically submit their recommendation. Please be sure you have submitted their email addresses in time for them to meet these deadlines. You will enter these during Step 2 of the instructions.

There are three deadlines for receipt of the submitted recommendations:

December 5, 2012: For all Orchestral and Wind Conducting applicants.

February 1, 2013: For all February applicants except Conducting.

April 15, 2013: For all May applicants.

Repertoire List

Upload a “representative list” of the repertoire you have studied in your major instrument or area to DecisionDesk. If your major is composition, list your own works and their instrumentation. Please star (*) repertoire performed in public. Piano or Voice applicants – upload a “complete” repertoire list. You will upload this during Step 2 of the instructions.

Essays for Computer Music and Musicology programs

Computer Music: Upload an essay to DecisionDesk on your reasons for pursuing the Computer Music program. Three tracks are available in Computer Music, each with slightly differing application requirements. The following instructions are for specific tracks.

Composition Track: Upload to DecisionDesk a portfolio and recording of mature works for various media. The portfolio should include some works involving computer music.

Performance Track: Your performance skills will be auditioned by the Computer Music faculty. Please prepare material to perform a full solo recital, including some works involving computer music.

Research/Technology Track: Upload to DecisionDesk a project report or research paper demonstrating knowledge and experience in the area of music-related research or technology you intend to pursue.

Musicology: In lieu of an audition you will have an interview with the appropriate faculty. You will need to submit six copies of an essay of 1,500 words or more on a musical subject of your choice. It must be typed, and footnotes or appropriate scholarly apparatus must support it. A previously written document is acceptable. This material must be mailed to the Admissions Office by December 1st.

Pre-Screening

PRE-SCREENING VIDEO RECORDINGS are required in the majors listed below for those wishing to audition in person at Peabody: Those auditioning during the USA Schools of Music Tour in Asia are NOT required to submit a pre-screening video recording.

Selections must be performed without editing. The faculty will make its decisions in December or in early January. We should have results to you roughly one month before Audition Week.

Pre-screening video recordings must be uploaded to DecisionDesk (Step 2) no later than December 1st for February Auditions and April 15th for May Auditions.

  • Cello – Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire. Current Peabody students are exempt from pre-screening.
  • Composition – (February Interviews Only) Go here for pre-screening portfolio discussion.

Pre-screening is based on your portfolio, so upload your portfolio to DecisionDesk by the December 1 deadline. Current Peabody students are exempt from pre-screening.

  • Conducting (February Auditions Only) - Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire. Submit a video recording to DecisionDesk (Step 2) no later than December 1, 2012.

Applicants for Peabody’s Orchestral Conducting Program may not apply for a second major until the pre-screening process is complete. After pre-screening, conducting applicants wishing to be considered for another major are free to contact Betsy Nelson in the Admissions Office.

  • Early Music Voice – Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire.
  • Ensemble Arts-Instrumental Concentration - Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire.
  • Flute – (February Auditions Only) Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire. The flute faculty strongly urges using an accompanist for the video recording, but it is not technically required. Be advised that occasionally the flute faculty will initiate additional contact with an applicant before making an acceptance decision from a video recording. Pre-screening is not required for those auditioning at a regional location or by video recording.
  • Percussion – Go here for pre-screening repertoire. Current Peabody students are exempt from pre-screening.
  • Piano – Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire. Selections on the video recording do not have to be the same ones you will perform for your audition. Piano majors passing the recorded pre-screening must audition in person at Peabody. Please note that we tend to run short of on-campus audition slots. If we have too many applicants after the pre-screening is complete we will schedule auditions in the order the applications were received, so it pays to get your application to us as early as possible. Current Peabody students are exempt from pre-screening.
  • Voice – Go here for pre-screening and audition repertoire. Current Peabody students are exempt from pre-screening.
  • Wind Conducting – Go here for complete pre-screening information.

Permanent Resident/Alien Resident Visa for International Students

Upload a copy of your Permanent Resident/Alien Resident Visa to DecisionDesk. You will upload this during Step 2 of the instructions.

Resume

Upload a copy of your Resume to DecisionDesk. You will upload this during Step 2 of the instructions.

Step 2 – Upload selected materials to DecisionDesk

Go to http://www.decisiondesk.com/clients/peabody/apply/welcome/ to establish your account at DecisionDesk. Be sure to enter your ISIS ID where requested. A reminder: You should have received an ISIS ID in the confirmation email you received when you completed the Online Application. You must have the ISIS ID in order to use DecisionDesk.

DecisionDesk requires all material to be uploaded in one session.  You cannot re-open your account once you have clicked submit. 

Applicants are required to upload the following material:

  • Resume
  • Names and email addresses for your Recommenders.
  • Video Pre-screening recordings (if required). These must be in place no later than December 1st for February Auditions and April 15th for May Auditions.
  • Repertoire List
  • Permanent Resident/Alien Resident Visa for International Students

DescisionDesk accepts uploads in the following formats:

Audio - mp3, m4a, aiff, wma, wav, aac
Video - mpeg, mpg, mp4, ogg, mov, avi, wmv, m4v, vob
Document - PDF strongly preferred. Also accepted: txt, rtf, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, sib, mus, ppt, pptx
Image - jpeg, png, gif, jpg

Recorded Auditions

All piano applicants passing pre-screening must audition in person on campus. All graduate applicants living in the US must audition/interview in person in Baltimore.

International applicants who live outside of the USA and are NOT piano majors may audition by video recording. The video recording must be uploaded to DecisionDesk no later than February 1, 2013 for February Auditions and April 15, 2013 for May Auditions.

Step 3 – What happens next?

Once your application is complete, it is time to prepare for your audition. The following items will help you understand what to expect from us.

Financial Aid Application (deadline is March 1, 2013 for February Auditions and April 1 for May Auditions)

Please go here for information.

Auditions/Interviews

  • About a month before your audition, those auditioning in person at Peabody will receive an invitation from us stating the day and time you are scheduled to perform. Please refer to your major's Area of Study page for audition requirements. The audition is 15 minutes in length. There is also a music theory placement test (75 minutes) and a thirty-minute ear training test.

  • Accompanists are provided for voice auditions held at Peabody. Accompanists are not required for other majors, but you may bring one if you wish.

  • On the day of your audition, plan to arrive early and check in at the reception area. A warm-up room will be made available approximately 30 minutes before your audition time. If you change your audition repertoire, make 10 copies of the new list of titles to bring with you to your audition.

COMPOSITION, COMPUTER MUSIC, MUSIC EDUCATION, MUSICOLOGY, MUSIC THEORY PEDAGOGY and the PERFORMANCE/PEDAGOGY TRACK- An interview with the appropriate faculty will be scheduled along with, or in lieu of, your audition.

When will you learn the results?

Information from your audition, along with the rest of your credentials, will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. On April 1 (June 14 for May auditions), we will send you an email containing audition results and access to other information related to your application. Should your folder be incomplete, the decision will be delayed until we have the missing information (e.g. missing transcripts).

NOTE: Documents and recordings submitted cannot be returned. Please make copies of all documents for your records.

Mailing address:

Peabody Conservatory Admissions
1 East Mount Vernon Place
Baltimore, MD 21202

 

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