Carnegie Mellon University
School of Music

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School of Music  ›  Preparatory School and Summer Pre-College  ›  Preparatory School  ›  Prep School FAQ-s

Prep School FAQs

Below are answers to questions frequently asked by our students and their families. If you have any additional questions please contact us at 412-268-3667.

 

  • Fall 2025  Classes every Saturday, August 23, 2025, through Saturday, December 13, 2025.
  • Spring 2026 Classes every Saturday, January 10, 2026, through Saturday, May 2, 2026.
  • Summer 2026 Classes every Saturday, May 9, 2026, through Saturday, July 25, 2025. 

 

An important note for the Spring semester: The Prep School rarely cancels classes due to snow. In general, we only cancel in cases of EXTREME winter storms. It is possible that your private teacher will cancel lessons even if the Prep School remains open. If that happens, they will contact you directly and will inform you of any make-up lessons. 

In the event of an extreme storm that warrants closing the Prep School, we will email all families of the closure as soon as we are able, will post the information on our home page: https://www.cmu.edu/cfa/music/preparatory-summer-programs/preparatory-school/index.html and will post on local news station WTAE (and their website).

For any questions regarding classes or lessons, feel free to contact the Prep School office at 412-268-3667.

Admission is determined by an audition or interview. To schedule an audition or interview, submit your information on the Contact Us section of our website.
After admission, students must register at the start of each semester. Students may register for classes or private lessons after a semester begins only with the teacher’s permission. To pay online with a credit card, go to our online registration page.  To pay with check, please contact the office directly for instructions.
Tuition is due in full before the first week of each semester. (Contact the office for exact tuition deadlines) A late fee of $25 will be added to registrations received after the deadline. We accept cash, checks, Master Card/Visa/American Express. See registration forms for lesson and class fees.
Extra lessons may be arranged between the teacher and student. Fees will be pro-rated based on current tuition, payable to the Preparatory School Office.

Double Majors
Double Major students will receive a 20% discount off their second instrument.

Family Discount
All families with 2 or more students may receive a 5% discount off their total semester fees.
The Family Discount is applied to your family’s total tuition.

CMU Faculty & Staff Discount
Students with parents who are current CMU faculty & staff may receive a 10% discount off their total semester fees.

Early Bird Discount
Register before August 11th to receive a $15 Early Bird Discount.

We expect students to attend all scheduled sessions. If a student misses a private lesson, the instructor is under no obligation to reschedule. The instructor will reschedule lessons missed due to instructor illness or professional engagements. Please inform instructors of any travel plans or other conflicts as early as you can to facilitate rescheduling, if necessary.

Beginning Piano: Students who are unable to continue their participation in the Beginning Piano Program due to illness, relocation or other extenuating circumstances (at the discretion of the Preparatory School), will receive a pro-rated refund of their tuition less a $50 cancellation fee.

Private lessons: Students who discontinue their private lessons during the semester will receive a refund on a pro-rated basis from the point at which they notify the Preparatory School office that they will no longer take lessons.

We conduct lessons and classes on the Carnegie Mellon University campus:
• Private lessons and elective classes in the College of Fine Arts (CFA) and Hall of the Arts (HOA)
• Eurhythmics classes are held in Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall (MM)

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