Application Requirements

Apply online

The application form must be submitted online on or before December 1. No paper version of the application is available. Only the School of Music application must be completed to be considered for admission; no additional Yale University application is required. Music applicants to the ISM must complete the School of Music application in addition to the ISM application. Applicants may close and reopen the application at any time if unable to complete it in one sitting.

The application fee is $100 and is due December 1. There are no fee waivers or refunds. Unpaid applications are not reviewed. We prefer application fees to be paid by credit card or electronic check on the online application. Otherwise, please send a check or money order payable to Yale University. Include your name and application reference number on the check. All checks must be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank.

We prefer resumes to be uploaded electronically into the online application. Please do not submit a duplicate paper copy if you have already uploaded one online.

All applicants are required to submit prescreening materials, which must be uploaded or postmarked by December 1. We STRONGLY PREFER that all applicants (except cellists) submit audio and video files ONLINE instead of by mail. These files (or links) should be uploaded directly to the online application. Please email gradmusic.admissions@yale.edu if you are not able to upload your materials online.

(Note for Cello Applicants: All cellists must send recordings by mail. See instructions below).

Prescreening Guidelines

We require transcripts from all universities and conservatories that you are currently attending or have attended in the past. We do not accept photocopies. Transcripts must arrive in official sealed envelopes. All transcripts must be in English or translated into English by a certified translator. Transcripts should be postmarked by December 1 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. Letters should be postmarked by December 1, but we understand that some letters may be late. It is not necessary to notify the Office of Admissions if a letter will be late. Letters should be written by teachers, mentors, or advisors with professional knowledge of your abilities as a musician.

Letters should be submitted either online directly by the recommender (via the online application) or by mail in a sealed envelope with the recommender’s signature across the seal. It is possible to access your recommendation page after you submit your application if you wish to make changes. Letters sometimes encounter unexpected delays, so please follow up with your recommenders to ensure that they are sent in a timely fashion.

Who must submit: All applicants whose first language is not English (see exemption policy below)
Minimum Score Requirement: 86 internet, 227 computer, or 567 paper
ETS Institution Code: 3992
ETS Department Code: none required

TOEFL score reports are due on December 1. The Yale School of Music will not admit any student who has not met our TOEFL score requirement. It is possible for students to participate in the audition process before passing the TOEFL, if necessary; however, we will not extend an offer of admission to any student who has not met our TOEFL requirement before March 1. Students whose first language is English are automatically exempt from this requirement. Students whose first language is not English wishing to be considered for an exemption must follow the exemption instructions below.

www.toefl.org

TOEFL Exemptions

Applicants who will have studied full-time at an English-speaking institution for at least six years prior to beginning studies at Yale may be considered for a TOEFL exemption, with approval from the Office of Admissions. To apply for a TOEFL exemption, submit a short typed letter describing your education history and enclose university and/or high school transcripts evidencing six years of strong grades at English-speaking institutions.

Who must submit: All composition applicants must take the GRE. We no longer require the GRE for any other programs.
Which Test: GRE General Test
Minimum Score Requirement: none
ETS Institution Code: 3992
ETS Department Code: none required

www.gre.org

Doctoral applicants — applying to the Master of Musical Arts (MMA) degree — must submit a Sample of Scholarly Writing.

Submit a significant piece of your academic writing on a musical or non-musical topic. We prefer to see something that you have already written; you should not write something new for this application.  Writing samples should be roughly between 5 and 20 pages in length. Please do not submit a sample longer than 20 pages. Writing samples must be in English. We prefer writing samples to be uploaded electronically into the online application. Please do NOT submit a duplicate paper copy if you have already uploaded an electronic copy.

Doctoral applicants — applying to the Master of Musical Arts (MMA) degree — will be prompted on the online application to answer the following seven questions:

1. Please rate your reading, writing, and speaking abilities in all foreign languages that you know.
2. Please give an indication of your keyboard proficiency.
3. Which do you consider your strongest areas in music?
4. In which areas (both musical and extra-musical) do you feel you need or would like additional work?
5. What are your present plans for a career?
6. State clearly and fully your reasons for wishing admission to the Master of Musical Arts program at Yale.
7. Please list any additional information that you feel is pertinent regarding other dimensions of your musical background about which the Yale faculty may not be aware (e.g. concert appearances, previous scholarships, national or international competitions, etc.).