QUESTION: I have been playing for the last six years and have passed a high level test for performance and music theory. My piano teacher and I are unsure if I should send an audio sample of my playing to my prospective colleges, which include Harvard and Yale. I am a good player but I am by no means extremely good. Will my piano playing be a significant factor in my admission? I am ranked first in a class of over 800, am on a JV team, scored over 1500 on the SATs, have volunteered over 200 hours, am vice president of a club, and am taking post-calculus courses at NYU. Signed, New York Junior
Dear New York Junior: As you can imagine when you are applying to a very selective college the definition of talent is high. If you want to impress the college with your piano ability then you need to be extremely gifted. There will be students who have played in Carnegie Hall and won state and national awards for their performances.
If you do not feel that you are at this level, then it would not do you much good to send a tape. When students send in tapes, the admissions office typically has a professor or grad student in the music department review them. So again the level of quality has to be very high. And even if you are an extraordinary pianist that alone will not guarantee admission.
This is not to say that your interest in piano won't help. In fact, be sure to list it and other recognitions that you have received in your application. It may even be the subject of your essay. The admissions officers will take this accomplishment into consideration.
So by all means highlight your achievement in piano, but keep it in perspective. Continue your commitment to your piano playing and volunteer work, but where we really see you standing out is in your academic achievement. To be ranked first in such a large class and to have scored so well on the SAT will make a difference for you. Keep your focus on academics, and spend the time to craft an application that tells the colleges who you really are.
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