Carnegie Mellon University
School of Music

Where artistry and innovation share center stage

School of Music  ›  Admission  ›  Pre-screen, Audition & Portfolio Information  ›  Pre-screen, Audition & Portfolio Requirements

Pre-screen, Audition & Portfolio Requirements

Please read the information below to learn about our pre-screens and audition requirements. At the bottom of this page, select your desired area of study and carefully review its audition or portfolio requirements. 

Important Dates

  • December 1: CMU Common App (undergraduates only) and Acceptd applications close for School of Music applicants. All music application materials, including pre-screen recordings/portfolios, are due via Acceptd. You will select your audition day and location when you submit your application.

  • January 5: Letters of Recommendation due. 

    • A link will be sent directly to your recommender(s) upon submission of your Acceptd application. Please follow-up with your recommenders directly to ensure they submit their references by the noted deadline.
  • January 10-15: Pre-screen decisions and interview requests distributed. Audition times will be assigned no later than January 15.

Live auditions will be held in late January and throughout February on our Pittsburgh Campus and in New York City.

View our current audition dates here.
The following studios require submission of pre-screen recordings via the Acceptd application:

*NOTE: Only undergraduate BXA and Music & Technology applicants to performance tracks with the above studios are required to submit pre-screens. All performance applicants are required to perform a live audition in January/February.

EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Applicants are encouraged to use the best recording equipment available to them, and to carefully select the best microphone placement and recording level to reduce distortion.

Devices such as a Zoom Handy Recorder will yield good results, and if using a phone, laptop, or tablet, an external USB microphone or microphone attachment can greatly improve the audio.

If you do not own or have access to a quality recording device, consider checking with a local or school library, ensemble director, or teacher about borrowing one. Experiment with the recording process in advance, so that your recordings represent you as well as possible.

The following studios require submission of pre-screen portfolio via the Acceptd application:

*NOTE: All Music & Technology applicants are required to submit a pre-screen portfolio regardless of degree track.

 

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Audition & Portfolio Requirements by Area