Q&A with Yibiao: How Command Education Helps Students Develop Their Music Hook

A: To a certain extent, the strategy depends on whether a student is applying to a conservatory or to a music program at a traditional university. The requirements for applying to conservatory differ widely—for instance, while the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music require the Common App (and have test-optional policies for the SAT and ACT), others such as Juilliard do not use the Common App and only require standardized testing in limited circumstances.

Regardless of these variations in requirements, musical and technical skills are paramount. Students should be excellent performers with years of experience. Targeted work with music teachers should be evident in their technical ability and musicianship, as should a solid knowledge of music history and theory.

Students applying to Ivy League or other top universities, on the other hand, should integrate their interest in music into their broader application narrative while honing their skills as performers, composers, or in another music-adjacent field. Additionally, students should note that GPA and test scores remain extremely important for students with music skills when applying to top schools, so maintaining top grades and achieving stellar test scores is as important as honing your craft.

Prestigious programs are not necessarily looking for the same high-level technical proficiency as are conservatories; instead, they want to admit students who will use their musical talents to enrich the campus community and bring an interdisciplinary perspective to their field of interest. For instance, if you plan to study business in the hopes of becoming a producer and running your own label, perhaps you start recording and distributing music on Spotify or at a local record store in your town. Perhaps you plan to study psychology and use your musical proficiency in your therapeutic practice.

Maybe you want to study architecture and feel that your experience with musical performance could enrich your knowledge of acoustics and materiality. These interdisciplinary endeavors will show your versatility and capacity for self-directed learning to admissions officers at top schools.

Keep in mind that many schools with music supplements ask students to describe their plans for performing and using their music skills on campus in addition to recordings of their performances and/or compositions—answering these questions requires students to have a clear and specific idea of how they intend to bring their music background to their program. Thus, students should have a compelling narrative about what music means to them.

A: If a student is exclusively interested in pursuing music as a career and they are talented enough to compete against the most gifted and seasoned performers in the world, then applying to top conservatories might be for them. In that case, we help students devote themselves to their craft and build a network of support to ensure that they have the coaching and guidance necessary to perform at the highest level.

While students pursuing this path should work closely with their private teachers to develop their technical acumen, Senior Mentors help students manage the myriad applications to competitions and summer programs, develop executive functioning and interpersonal skills to excel in the music profession, and guide them through the process of sifting through various schools’ diverging admissions requirements and compiling their application materials.

For students who have multiple interests or who may not have the experience necessary for admission to conservatory, a traditional college with a strong music program will likely be a better fit. These schools also offer more curricular flexibility than conservatories, and are thus better suited for students who want to explore their artistic interests in unconventional ways. Building a portfolio at an institution that allows you to make your experience what you want it to be can be a valuable experience.

It can also allow you to expand your horizons in preparation for an M.M. or M.F.A. degree. In these cases, Senior Mentors work alongside students to build an eyecatching portfolio, prepare for auditions, and articulate their unique candidacy through supplemental essays and other components of their applications.

A: Colleges do appreciate musical talent, but simply playing an instrument won’t earn you an acceptance letter to the most competitive schools in the nation. While showcasing your high-level technical ability and earning music-related awards and accolades can boost your admissions profile, academic skills, leadership experience, and extracurricular activities will be more important in admissions officers’ eyes.

Students should therefore focus on how they can highlight their musical background to demonstrate their alignment with a school’s values. For example, your exceptional technical ability could demonstrate your patience and dedication; your devotion to tutoring local elementary school musicians could reflect your responsibility and selflessness; and composing your original works could highlight your creativity and individuality.

A: Getting involved in the school orchestra or music clubs can enrich a student’s application, but these activities are only the basics of a strong music hook. Applicants should keep in mind that the depth of their involvement is more important than the presence of said activities on their application. They should seek to demonstrate their leadership skills through meaningful activities: leading peers in rehearsals, organizing concerts, and taking charge when helping other students through formal and informal positions in their orchestra, band, or music-related club.

Additionally, students should seek extracurricular opportunities outside of school to deepen their musical proficiencies. All-state orchestra, merit-based pre-college music programs, and semi-professional performance opportunities such as playing at a local jazz club or concert venues can all demonstrate that students have real-world experience in the musical field and are serious about developing their skills. It’s one thing to say that you have played piano at home in your free time, but it’s another to showcase your tangible experiences performing in high-pressure environments and making an impact on others.

A: Unlike conservatories, most colleges don’t require students to come in with extensive formal training. However, taking private lessons and having a strong foundation in music theory will help set students apart. While every college music program will offer fundamental music theory and musicianship courses, those who come in with strong skills in those areas already will have an advantage in the admissions process and find success more easily in college.

If students have access to courses such as AP Music Theory through their school, I typically encourage them to enroll as sophomores or juniors. If not, I work with them to find a suitable online course or local resources to develop their foundational music theory knowledge.

For students who want to study music at a higher level through conservatory, pre-existing knowledge of theory will render them more competitive applicants. When mentoring students toward this goal, I encourage them to pursue academic opportunities to develop specialized knowledge and embrace music more holistically: trained musicians might study music theory alongside participating in their school’s band, practice ear-training and musicianship skills, and brush up on music history to ensure that they have the contextual understanding of the music they perform.

A: I encourage students interested in music business to pursue a combination of economics and business courses or summer programs in addition to demonstrating their interest in music. Entrepreneurial experiences such as self-releasing music can teach students about how royalty splits, the basics of copyright laws, and the financial aspects of a music career. Opportunities to gain actual experience in the music industry—no matter how big or small in scale—can introduce them to the profession and prepare them to dig deeper into music business in college and beyond.

A: Our holistic approach to the admissions process provides music students with support in every aspect of the college admissions process. First and foremost, Senior Mentors help students determine what they’re passionate about and whether they want to study music in the more intensive environment of a conservatory or if they would be a better fit for a music program at a top institution.

We also help them determine whether they intend to be a music professional in the future or if they would prefer to use music as part of their personal development and in support of their other professional goals. We coach students pursuing the latter path to explore adjacent interests through extracurricular involvements and continued learning opportunities, eventually helping them tie their unique interests together in a cohesive and compelling applicant narrative. We assist students in identifying prestigious competitions, scholarships, and summer programs that can strengthen their applications and enrich their skill sets.

Finally, we work with students to bring it all together in an application that puts their best foot forward to their dream school. All in all, our model is not just about getting students admitted into top schools—it’s about helping students uncover their passions and chart their path to the future career they envision for themselves.