Admissions
Students interested in applying as undergraduate music majors should contact the Conservatory of Music early in their senior year of high school (or two semesters prior to the semester of entrance for transfer students). Make yourself aware of the opportunities afforded by New York State's new Excelsior Scholarship Program.
Admission into one of the conservatory's undergraduate programs is a two-part process: an application to CUNY with Brooklyn College as the student's designated choice, and notification of the Conservatory of Music of the student's application with arrangement made for an audition. (Submit an Undergraduate Audition Request Form online or contact the conservatory to schedule an audition.)
The application to Brooklyn College is through CUNY's centralized application procedure. The application form may be completed online through the Brooklyn College Undergraduate Admissions website. Select Brooklyn College as your first college choice and music as your intended major.
Depending on the intended degree program, the conservatory requires an audition, a portfolio review, and/or an interview. Details are listed with the individual programs. All incoming music students also need to arrange to take the conservatory's placement examinations and keyboard proficiency test prior to registration. Details about the placement exam may be found below.
International students for whom English is a second language must submit their TOEFL score. The minimum score for undergraduate applicants is 500.
(Students accepted into one of the Conservatory's music programs but not assigned to Brooklyn College by CUNY may appeal by calling the Brooklyn College Office of Admissions at 718.951.5001, and also by contacting the undergraduate deputy at the conservatory.)
Theory Placement Examination
The placement examination for the theory course sequence requires knowledge of pitch notation in treble and bass clefs, rhythmic notation in simple and compound meters, and identification and construction of key signatures, intervals, and triads.
Ear-training Placement Examination
The placement examination for the ear-training course sequence requires the theoretical knowledge described above, and the ability to match single pitches and the pitches of intervals and triads; sight-sing a stepwise melody; perform a simple rhythm; and notate simple dictated melodies and rhythms.
Minimum Keyboard Facility
Music majors must possess a minimum keyboard facility as evidenced by the ability to play the following:
- Scales (major and minor), chords and chord progressions (IV-I64-V-I and I6-II6-V-I) in all keys
- One work on the level of the pieces in the Anna Magdalena Notebook by J. S. Bach and Mikrokosmos, Book 2 by Bartók
- At sight, melodies in the treble and bass clefs with simple chordal accompaniments
Students who do not possess this facility at the time of entrance will be assigned to Keyboard Workshop classes.
