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 one written essay question and one video essay question.
• A list of composers and works, including technical studies, that you have studied intensively and consider a part of your repertoire. (excluding composition applicants)
• 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, organ, and oboe) 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 asked to respond to one written essay question and one video essay question of your choosing.

Written Essay Questions (choose one)

1.) If you could design your own performance project, unrestricted by resources or logistics, what would it be and why?
2.) How do you balance respecting tradition with discovering and expressing your own artistic voice as a performer or composer?
3.) Where do you see your artistic life 10 years after graduation, and how will Curtis prepare you to achieve that vision?

Video Essay Questions (choose one)

1.) If you were accepted, what unique perspective or contribution would you bring to the Curtis community? Is there something you would like the admissions committee to know about that may not come across in your application?
2.) As a young artist, tell us about a time you questioned or challenged a commonly held belief. What prompted it and what was the outcome?
3.) What is one of the most memorable musical experiences you have had and why?

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. The following documents are required and must be submitted by July 15 for entry to the bachelor’s degree program.

• A complete official high school transcript or, if applicable, college transcript, in English, with grades and graduation date.
• Homeschooled students should be prepared to submit a transcript of coursework and evidence of completion of high school.
• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below).
• Official scores for the SAT (optional).
• Note: Curtis’s College Board Code is 2100

Curtis values evidence of strong academic performance in the context of an in-person, non-virtual, high school education. For students transferring into Curtis from another academic institution, evidence of strong academic performance will also be required.
All students will take the oral and written literature placement exam during New Student Orientation week; the results will contribute to program placement decisions.

The Master of Music is open to all departments, except for flute and bass trombone. The following is required for entry into the program.

• Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent.
• Official college transcript(s) in English, with grades and graduation date.
• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below).

The Diploma is open to all departments. The following is required for entry into the program.

• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below).

The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma is open to all departments except for flute. The following is required for entry into the program.

• Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent.
• Official college transcript(s) in English, with grades and graduation date.
• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below).

The following is required for entry into the program.

• For non-native English speakers: Official scores on English-language tests (please see below).

Curtis requires one of the following test scores for entry into the Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree programs.

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

We do not accept home versions of any of these tests or any test that is not listed here. Curtis’s College Board Code is 2100.

Non-native English-speaking students whose Curtis placement exams, and/ or their official TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge scores, indicate that they will need additional work in acquiring English will be placed in the Diploma or Post-Baccalaureate Diploma program. They will be required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes until they achieve the minimum official test scores required for entry into the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs.

In order to graduate from Curtis with a Diploma, a student will need to provide an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge score, and complete the coursework outlined in the Diploma Program description.

*A TOEFL is needed at enrollment for all programs for placement purposes … achieving the required score and taking all the classes is necessary for graduation.

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.