October 25, 2018

Every Fall our Admissions Team hits the road to meet with prospective students and their families at high schools and college fairs around the world. So far this year, James Encarnación, Assistant Director for Admissions and Recruitment, has visited 12 cities in five states and spoken with hundreds of prospective MSM students. Below are his “Top 5 Questions from the Road”!

Q1: What kinds of performance opportunities does MSM offer?

A: As a traditional music conservatory, performance is at the core of what MSM offers. We have three full symphony orchestras, close to 100 chamber ensembles (instrumental and vocal), three jazz orchestras and over 20 small combos, and we put on 2 fully produced mainstage operas and 2 mainstage musical theatre productions. Check out our performance schedule on our website to see all our various concerts throughout the year (over 600 performances!).

Q2: What is the neighborhood around MSM like?

A: We are located in Morningside Heights, which is a fantastic neighborhood. There are a number of other universities and institutions close to MSM (Columbia University, Barnard College, and Union Theological Seminary), so there are a lot of aspiring young professionals in the area. Located on Broadway Street with many excellent restaurants very close by, MSM is in an ideal location to begin exploring what New York City has to offer!

Q3: Can I double major?

A: Manhattan School of Music does not allow students to double major. Given the intensive performance and academic requirements for each major, we want to ensure students are able to focus all of their energy into their major.

Q4: Does MSM offer scholarships?

A: Yes, we do. All students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarship. Decisions are made first and foremost on the applicant’s audition score, and then are informed by other factors such as previous academic performance and the financial circumstances of the applicant’s family. Institutional awards (scholarship) can range from $5000 to full-tuition.

Q5: Are there any study abroad opportunities?

A: Yes! MSM has partnerships with a variety of conservatories and music schools around the world. Undergraduate students who wish to pursue this usually do so for one or two semesters during their junior year. Not only do students learn about and understand how different countries approach educating musicians, the study abroad program does not tack on any time to a student’s course of study at MSM. They are able to go abroad for one or two semesters and then are able to return to MSM and jump right back into the curriculum where they left off.

Did reading this stir up some new questions about attending Manhattan School of Music? Reach out to our Admissions Team at admissions@msmnyc.edu or by calling 917-493-4436.

Click to like our new Manhattan School of Music Admissions Facebook page here! We’ll be posting information like this regularly along with reminders about our admissions process.