Anonymous
11/14/2025 19:45
Subject: If your kid applied to a major requiring an audition or portfolio . . . .
My DD applied to schools for music and separately applied to schools for academics.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 18:10
Subject: If your kid applied to a major requiring an audition or portfolio . . . .
With this major, at least there isn’t as much fear of an injury ending dreams. My daughter wanted to be a double major with dance being one of the 2. So, we definitely took into consideration if she would want to be at the schools if dance didn’t work out. There was even one option where dance was just a minor.
I have definitely seen other parents have to go through transfers because the school with the amazing dance program wasn’t what the student wanted once they decided a dance degree wasn’t right for them (or an injury happened)
It sounds like there are schools that DON’T require a portfolio? That would be like the non-audition dance programs. If he has one of those that he is also fairly certain would accept him and be a school he likes, I think you’re good
I have definitely seen other parents have to go through transfers because the school with the amazing dance program wasn’t what the student wanted once they decided a dance degree wasn’t right for them (or an injury happened)
It sounds like there are schools that DON’T require a portfolio? That would be like the non-audition dance programs. If he has one of those that he is also fairly certain would accept him and be a school he likes, I think you’re good
Anonymous
11/14/2025 18:05
Subject: If your kid applied to a major requiring an audition or portfolio . . . .
My DC is applying to schools specifically based on their theater/film programs/majors. Kid is not looking for a back up Liberal Arts Dept. BA if they dont get into their major.
Already been accepted to two rolling safeties with great Theater/Film programs but eye is on the ED prize. Has a great list of schools offering BFA’s or BA’s with concentration if ED doesn’t happen.
Already been accepted to two rolling safeties with great Theater/Film programs but eye is on the ED prize. Has a great list of schools offering BFA’s or BA’s with concentration if ED doesn’t happen.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 17:55
Subject: If your kid applied to a major requiring an audition or portfolio . . . .
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:PP here - U Miami has an Audio Technology major that does not require a portfolio.
Not sure U Miami with its 18% acceptance rate is realistic for B student.
OP here--DS is actually planning to apply to U Miami but RD. I read that the vast majority of EA applicants to Frost School of Music are deferred to RD, so he just decided to apply RD. His High School's acceptance rate to U Miami is close to 40%, so it's definitely a reach but possible if his musical talent is considered strong enough to make up for the mediocre grades.
Oh good! And I was mistaken saying it didn't require a portfolio. That major does require a portfolio, but does not require and audition. The Music Engineering degree they offer requires both a portfolio and an audition.
You are correct that most of the Frost applicants are deferred to RD. Good luck to your son!
I can't remember what specific major he chose there, they are all a bit different, App is probably sitting in the Common App right now waiting to send off. I'll encourage submitting to the major that *ONLY* requires Portfolio. The Portfolio is done at least . . .
Anonymous
11/14/2025 17:49
Subject: If your kid applied to a major requiring an audition or portfolio . . . .
Anonymous wrote:So my son is applying for music technology programs. The schools he has applied to with that major are U Miami, Ga Tech, NCSU, and U Alabama. He was going to apply to Michigan, but decided their portfolio requirements were too cumbersome.
He's going to apply to Carnegie Mellon and U Rochester (this one doesn't require a portfolio, but is an actual engineering degree from the engineering school). He's also applying to Tufts (they have a music tech minor).
He applied to Virginia Tech because they have a Music Production, Technology, and Composition minor.
He is applying to William and Mary because they have a Experimental Music & Technology Ensemble.
I hope my sharing this helps OP, but also others in the future as we had to do a lot of digging to find schools with this major. He's specifically interested in schools that have the interdisciplinary major combining music, math, and electrical engineering.
This is OP, thanks for the list--yes it does take a lot of digging. DS does not have the grades/scores for GT, CMU, or U Rochester (I know the exact major you are talking about at UR, the fact that it's in the Engineering School actually makes it a tougher admit for DS) and we are not in VA so he's not targeting VA schools except JMU for their "Music Industry" major which has a Production focus.
Some schools that have music technology also were not "musical" enough for him--like Stevens institute of Tech has it, but otherwise it's an Engineering School. But yes, it's been a process trying to find the right programs!