How to Apply

Prospective students can apply to Curtis here.

You will be asked to create a username and password, which will allow you to save your application before submission. After completing and submitting your application, you will be able to download and view it. The application, all required documents, and fees must be submitted within the application platform.

As you complete the application, you will see it is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure the required documents are submitted in English. The official seal and signature of the translator must appear on any translated document.

There will be a section on the application to upload the following information.

• Applicants should upload an unofficial copy of their transcript. Official transcripts should be mailed after admissions decisions are made.
• Addresses for your parents or guardians and their employers.
• Addresses and dates of study with private teachers.
• Addresses and dates of study at high school and/or previous college.
• A list of scholarships, awards, etc., received and their amounts.
• A response to four short essay questions.
• A list of composers and works, including technical studies, that you have studied intensively and consider a part of your repertoire.
• At least one uploadable copy of a concert or recital program in which you have participated (featuring your name).
• Three recommendations: One from your current private teacher, and two from musicians or mentors who are qualified to judge your personal and musical talents (excluding relatives). Be sure to include your recommenders’ email addresses as they will receive a link to complete the recommendation on your behalf.
• For voice and opera applicants: A description of professional experience, if any, including roles and dates performed, names of performing organizations, non-operatic musical activities, and dramatic training and experience.
• Bachelor of Music applicants: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) scores (optional).
• Non-native speakers of English
  • Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, Professional Studies Certificate, and Diploma applicants who are not native speakers of English: TOEFL, or Cambridge, or IELTS, and Optional SAT I scores.

All applicants (with the exception of applicants in guitar and organ) are required to submit pre-screening materials with their application in order to be considered for an invitation to audition in person. Applicants will be notified of their application status by mid-January including decisions regarding auditions.

Please see Audition page for prescreening and live audition requirements.

In the process of completing your application you will be presented with a section in which to respond to essay questions. These questions will be listed below by early September.

Application Fees

• Online application fee: $150
• Screening fee: $100 (required for all applicants except guitar and organ). If the applicant is invited for a live audition, the screening fee will apply as credit towards the $150 audition fee due by the department’s audition date.
• Audition fee: $150
• Materials submitted after deadlines incur an additional $75 late fee.

All fees are payable via the application platform. This fee must be paid before the applicant is permitted to audition. Fees are payable in U.S. dollars.

Applicants who complete a live audition should be prepared to pay a total of $300 in fees.

Fee Waivers

Applicants of any nationality who demonstrate significant financial need are eligible for a fee waiver request. After starting your application, please fill out this form to submit your request.

The Bachelor of Music is open to all departments. Applicants who submit standardized test scores and English proficiency scores with their application materials are eligible to be admitted into the Bachelor of Music program upon matriculation. Applicants who do not submit scores with their application materials are automatically placed into the non-degree undergraduate Diploma program until they provide evidence of academic achievement in their first year of coursework at Curtis and entrance to the Bachelor of Music program is determined by the Committee on Academic Standing.

The following documents are required for admission to the Bachelor of Music upon matriculation.

• A complete official high school or, if applicable, college transcript in English, with grades and graduation date. Bachelor of Music applicants must upload an unofficial transcript directly to the admissions application as specified.
• Admitted students who wish to enter the Bachelor of Music program upon matriculation must submit an official transcript to the Registrar in advance of matriculation.
• Official scores for the SAT (optional)
• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below)

Note: Curtis’s College Board Code is 2100

These documents will be reviewed as the Committee considers individual applicants. Strong academic performance in high school is highly valued. For students transferring into Curtis from another academic institution, evidence of strong academic performance will also be required.

Additional Information

Application for the Bachelor of Music degree requires a recognized high school diploma. Homeschooled students should be prepared to submit a transcript of coursework and evidence of completion of high school.

Optional SAT Scores

Note: Math scores or other SAT advanced tests are not required.

Requirements for Non-native English Speakers

• For non-native English speakers, Curtis requires one of the following test scores.
• TOEFL ITP written, score minimum of 550
• Computer-based TOEFL test, score minimum of 213
• Internet TOEFL iBT, score minimum of 79-80
• IELTS, score minimum of 6.5-7.0
• Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169

The Master of Music is open to all departments with the exception of flute, bass trombone, and piano.

• Prerequisite: Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent

For native speakers of English, standardized tests are not required.

For non-native English speakers, Curtis requires one of the following test scores.

• TOEFL ITP written, score minimum of 550
• Computer-based TOEFL test, score minimum of 213
• Internet TOEFL iBT, score minimum of 79-80
• IELTS, score minimum of 6.5-7.0
• Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169

Non-native speakers of English who have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university where English is the language of instruction will be exempted from taking an English proficiency exam.

For native speakers of English, standardized tests are not required.

For non-native speakers of English, the following tests are not required for admission but will be used for placement purposes.

• TOEFL ITP written, score minimum of 550
• Computer-based TOEFL test, score minimum of 213
• Internet TOEFL iBT, score minimum of 79-80
• IELTS, score minimum of 6.5-7.0
• Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169

The post-baccalaureate program is open to all departments with the exception of flute.

• Prerequisite: Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent

For native speakers of English, standardized tests are not required.

For non-native English speakers, Curtis requires one of the following test scores.

• TOEFL ITP written, score minimum of 550
• Computer-based TOEFL test, score minimum of 213
• Internet TOEFL iBT, score minimum of 79-80
• IELTS, score minimum of 6.5-7.0
• Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169

Non-native speakers of English who have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university where English is the language of instruction will be exempted from taking an English proficiency exam.

For native speakers of English, standardized tests are not required.

For non-native English speakers, Curtis requires one of the following test scores.

• TOEFL ITP written, score minimum of 550
• Computer-based TOEFL test, score minimum of 213
• Internet TOEFL iBT, score minimum of 79-80
• IELTS, score minimum of 6.5-7.0
• Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 169

Non-native speakers of English who have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university where English is the language of instruction will be exempted from taking an English proficiency exam.

For non-native speakers of English, official standardized test scores may be requested for placement purposes.

Curtis Institute of Music is a tuition-free school, providing merit-based, full-tuition scholarships to all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their financial situation. No application for financial assistance is required for the full-tuition scholarship. Students can be considered for financial aid for living expenses.
Find more about financial assistance at Curtis.

Applicants can upload unofficial transcripts along with application materials in the application portal.

There is a $150 nonrefundable application fee for all applicants. For major departments that require prescreening, there is an additional $100 screening fee.

Applicants invited to a live audition will pay an additional $150 audition fee (the screening fee will apply as credit towards this audition fee).

Applicants who complete a live audition should be prepared to pay $300 in fees.

All fees are payable via the application platform. Please review the Curtis website to learn more about which major departments require prescreening.

Yes. Students who want to double-major must audition and gain admission separately for each major instrument department.

Curtis sets no minimum or maximum age for the admission of exceptional students to most of its programs. Students younger than college age are considered candidates for the Curtis Diploma. These students pursue their musical studies at Curtis and their college-preparatory academic studies at an accredited public or private middle or high school of their choosing. They may opt to transition to the Bachelor of Music program when they reach college age.

Students who already have a bachelor’s degree when they enter Curtis may pursue graduate-level work toward a post-baccalaureate Diploma, or, if accepted into the program, a Master of Music degree or a Professional Studies Certificate.

The acceptance rate at Curtis varies from year to year and across programs as the number of openings available depends on the needs of the departments and ensembles. Overall, it has remained steady at about 4 percent.

The most important factor is artistic promise. Though showing technical proficiency in the audition is a requirement, the strongest candidates for admission demonstrate the potential to develop into exceptional artists.

Curtis offers a warm welcome to musicians who arrive from other continents, from across North America, and from Philadelphia.

We have found that students who have the most success in their growth as musicians, artist-citizens, and human beings are those who are curious; have a desire to learn and apply their learning; are able to manage their time and well-being within an intense schedule of classes, lessons, chamber music coachings, rehearsals, and performances; and have a deep and abiding love of music and music-making. Rigorous study, self-discipline, and an openness to new musical ideas and experiences will serve students well in an exciting environment where amazing colleagues share musical discoveries with one another in classes, practice rooms, and on stage.

Campus visits are by appointment only. Tours last approximately one hour, and appointments must be made in advance. If you are interested in visiting our campus in Philadelphia, you can check availability here.

Interested in visiting Curtis but not local to Philadelphia? Our Virtual Tour page provides an inside look at the main buildings comprising the Curtis Institute of Music campus, located on Locust Street in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.

In some cases, applicants to Curtis can take lessons with Curtis faculty (i.e., trial lessons) for instructional purposes or to get a sense for a teacher’s style. The availability of informational lessons varies by faculty and major department. Such lessons will have no bearing on an applicant’s chances for admission and are not required to be seriously considered for admission.

Candidates are encouraged to learn more about Curtis through all avenues, including tours, conversations with current students, the Curtis website, Curtis YouTube channel, and Instagram page. In some cases candidates may be able to take an informational lesson with a Curtis alumnus. Please email admissions@curtis.edu for more information.

Yes, transfer students’ applications and audition process are the same as first-year students. You can apply online and submit your materials in the application portal. Please refer to the Audition page for specific program and repertoire requirements.

The graduation scroll will reflect the successful completion of whichever specific accredited program the student completes. Students earn one of the following: a Diploma; a Bachelor of Music degree; a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma; a Master of Music degree; or a Professional Studies Certificate in Opera.

Learn more about degrees and diplomas available at Curtis.

Preparation for outstanding achievement in the highly competitive world of classical music begins with focused internal growth that leads to extraordinary external expression.

The process of learning, whether in a practice room or a library, or in interactions with performance teachers, coaches, classroom teachers, peers, alumni, or guest artists, does not end when the semester ends. At Curtis, students have the opportunity to apply their learning immediately when they create programs and perform in varied venues and engage with new audiences across Philadelphia and the world. But Curtis also provides students with a learning and growth mind-set, so that they have the resilience, contextual understanding, and practical knowledge to design and build a future that reflects their values and allows them to explore their fullest potential as performing artists.

AP credit will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

If students would like to transfer college credits to Curtis, the Petition to Transfer Credits form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office after admission but before the first semester begins.

Curtis Institute of Music is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all in every aspect of its operations, including admission, employment, service, and educational programs. Curtis complies with all laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, or gender identity. Curtis is an equal-opportunity employer.

The safety, security and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors at the Curtis Institute of Music are of paramount importance.

Read our most recent Annual Security and Fire Safety Report to see safety statistics.