Fall General Timeline

• September 1 - Audition opens
• December 1 - Application deadline
• December 16 - Pre-screening decision release starts
• December 20 - All pre-screen decisions are released
• December 20 - Audition scheduling module opens
• February - Auditions
• Two Weeks Prior to Audition - Time confirmation email sent
• Mid-March - Admission decisions released
• April 1 - Financial aid statements released
• April 15 - Graduate and postgraduate admission response deadline
• May 1 - Undergraduate admission response deadline

Spring Application

• September 1 - Application opens 
• October 15 - Application deadline
• October 25 - Audition invitation and denies released
• November 12-15 - Auditions
• Date TBA, Before November 26 - Admission decisions released
• December 6 - Applicant response deadline

Please note: The following areas are not accepting applications for Spring 2025: Conducting, Opera Studies, Piano Artist Diploma, String and Piano Chamber Music, and all Voice degree programs. Please contact the Office of Admissions with any questions.

A $100 (non-refundable) application fee must be paid by credit/debit card to submit the application.

Waiver Exemptions

• Full Fee Automatically Waived: Current students and alumni of the SFCM collegiate, continuing education, pre-college divisions.
• Reduced Fee: $50 reduced fee for applicants who attend an in-person campus tour, or meet admissions/faculty at a college fair, or off-campus recruitment event. A QR code or link will be available to submit our short fee waiver form.

Waiver Requests

Applicants who do not automatically qualify for a fee waiver listed above may submit the Application Fee Waiver Request form linked on the first page of the application. This can be submitted at any time after starting the application and is due by December 1, 2024. 

School counselors may also submit the NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver form on your behalf. Note that this completed form must come directly from the high school counselor to SFCM via email at apply@sfcm.edu.

All applicants must complete an audition and/or submit a portfolio to be considered for admission at SFCM. A portfolio of works is required for the Composition and TAC (Technology and Applied Composition) degree programs. Please note, many areas require a pre-screening round with materials uploaded into the application. See Auditions section of this page for full details.

Applicants are encouraged to connect with their area faculty  to discuss the program and/or potentially take a sample lesson. 

All applicants must have two letters of recommendation to apply to SFCM.  Fall semester applications must have recommendation letters in by January 1 each year.

Recommenders

1. One recommendation letter must be from the applicant's current private music teacher, or ensemble director. If you are not currently in lessons or in an ensemble, please include at least one recommender who can speak about your musical abilities. TAC and Composition applicants who have not studied privately, please include at least one recommender who can speak about your musical abilities. 
2. The second recommendation letter may include anyone who can address your work ethic and character; they do not need to be from a music field.

How to Submit

Letters of recommendation must come directly from the recommender. Recommenders will receive an automatic invitation to submit their letter once their contact information is entered in the "Recommendations" section of the SFCM application. Letters can be submitted before the student completes their application. Please remind your recommenders that letters are due by November 1st for Spring applicants and January 1st for Fall applicants.

Written Essay

Applicants must choose two of the four essay prompts to include in their application. Essays should be a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 500 words. Applicants for Technology and Applied Composition and the String and Piano Chamber Music program have additional writing prompts. Please visit the audition repertoire pages for more details.

1. Describe your career goals and how you envision attending SFCM will enable you to achieve these ambitions. 
2. At SFCM, we bring people together to better the lives of others through music. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. 
3. At SFCM, we value diversity in all forms. Please describe what diversity means to you and how your lived experience has shaped your path.
4. Our core mission is to transform our students: artistically, intellectually, professionally, and individually. Reflect on an experience that has shaped you in one or more of these areas. 

Video Essay

Upload a 3 minute or less video essay for the faculty to get to know you. Please introduce yourself, why you chose SFCM and include anything else you want us to know about you! Past students have talked about where they are from, other musical interests, music they are currently working on, other hobbies, etc. Note that this video submission does not have an affect on admission. 

Dates and Deadlines

Unofficial transcripts are due with your application. Final transcripts are due by July 1st for Fall applicants, and by January 15 for Spring applicants. We do not require additional "mid-year" transcripts after the application is submitted, only final transcripts. See more details below.

Requirements 

Bachelor of Music/Undergraduate (BM).

How to Submit Transcripts

Unofficial Transcripts - Application

Upload an unofficial transcript under the "Academic History" section of your application. We accept PDFs or screenshots from a student-accessible record or school portal, as long as your name, GPA, and academic records are visible. Please note that official documents uploaded by the student in the application are considered "unofficial" as they are not submitted by the institution.

Final Official Transcripts - Via your School

Final official transcripts must be sent directly from your institution through one of the following methods:

1. Mail: Sent to our office address.
2. Institutional Email: Sent directly from the institution to apply@sfcm.edu.
3. Secure Portal: Uploaded through services like Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse.

To be considered "final," transcripts must:

• Include all completed coursework with final grades.
• Show a cumulative GPA on a US 4.0 scale.
• Have an official seal, stamp, or signature.
• Indicate the degree awarded and graduation date.**
• Translated to English (if international).

**The only exception is for transfer students or those attending college without seeking a degree; for these cases, a degree and graduation date are not required.

Mailing Address

Office of Admissions
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
50 Oak Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Degree Prerequisites

GPA Requirements

SFCM does not have an overall GPA minimum for acceptance. However, applicants with a GPA lower than our minimum listed below at their previous institution are offered admission to the Conservatory with Academic Probation status. In order to have the probation status removed, these students will need to maintain the minimum GPA requirements during their first year and receive additional advising/tutoring. 

Test Scores

• Undergraduate, Home School Applicants: Applicants must submit official SAT or ACT scores to support transcripts. The Conservatory's school code for SAT is 4744; the code for the ACT is 0403. SFCM will accept scores as official if they are listed on the student's official school transcript.
• AP/IB Scores: SFCM grants credit for certain AP and IB (International Baccalaureate) exams. These test scores must be uploaded in the application or sent to SFCM. Please visit the Transfer Information page for more details.
• English Proficiency Scores: International students should see the International Student drop down and visit the International Applicants page. 

General International Applicant Overview

International applicants should carefully review the International Applicant page to understand the full English Proficiency and Transcript requirements.

Transcripts

• English Translation: International students must provide notarized course-by-course translations of their final official transcripts if the originals are not in English.
• Evaluation: An evaluation will be required for one of the following reasons: the final transcript is not in English, your GPA is not on a US 4.0 scale, your degree is not listed, and/or the graduation date is not listed. If the degree and graduation date are not included on the transcript, schools may send a copy of the diploma or certificate. If neither is provided, an evaluation will be required. We accept evaluations from Spantran, WES - World Education Services (wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ece.org).
• See full details regarding transcripts here

English Language Proficiency (ELP)

• ELP Requirement: International students whose first language is not English are required to submit either a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score to apply.  In addition to submitting official English Language Proficiency scores, applicants whose official TOEFL/IELTS scores are below our minimum thresholds will undergo an internal interview/diagnostics test with English Language faculty in January/February.
• Waiver Request: Those that have attended an institution where the primary language of instruction is English for 4 years are eligible to request an ELP waiver. More details will be posted on the International Applicants page by September 15, 2024.
• See full ELP details here

Undergraduate 

Transfer applicants should review the full transfer credit and transfer applicant policies here to understand how credits transfer to SFCM. 

Please note, the class level of an undergraduate transfer student is determined by the Office of Academic Affairs at the time of acceptance into SFCM. The musical level of a transfer student is determined by the faculty at the time of the student's audition (e.g., sophomore, junior, etc.). The academic level is determined by the Office of Academic Affairs based on transfer credits and placement exam results. The student’s expected graduation date is determined by the lower of the two class levels.

Graduate/Postgraduate

SFCM does not accept transfer credit for, or from, post-baccalaureate programs (e.g., M.M., etc.). Credit from completed Bachelor's degrees cannot be applied towards the SFCM undergraduate credit load. Transcripts from all colleges attended are still required to determine academic standing and for accreditation purposes. 
 

Auditions for Spring 2025 will be held from November 12-15, 2024. Audition sign-ups will be available starting October 25, 2024. For those unable to attend an on-campus audition, some areas may require a live Zoom audition.

Audition Dates

Auditions take place in February each year on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. Saturdays may be available depending on scheduling needs and availability. 

Specific audition dates for Fall 2025 will be posted here by the end of the day on November 15. Do not book travel until audition sign-ups are completed in December. Please note that not all areas will hold auditions on each date, and students are not guaranteed a slot on their preferred date. 

Audition Sign Up

• Prescreen Results: Applicants from pre-screened areas will receive their pre-screening decisions by the end of the day on December 20, 2024.
• Audition Sign-Up: During the week of December 16, applicants will select an audition day and tentative time slot through their Application Status Portal scheduling module. The scheduling module will be accessible to all areas by the end of the day on December 20, 2024. Students should not book travel until they have secured an audition slot through their Application Status Portal scheduling module.
• Confirmation: Times will be confirmed within two weeks of the audition date (see next section).

Audition Confirmation and Check In

• Confirmation Email: Within two weeks of the audition date, the Office of Admissions will send each student a confirmation email with their audition time. For live auditions, the email will also include required check-in details, such as arrival time and warm-up assignments.
• Time Changes: Please be aware that audition times may be adjusted up to two hours before or after the selected tentative time slot. 

Booking Travel

• When not to book: Students should not book travel until they have secured an audition slot through their Application Status Portal scheduling module.
• Arrival Time: Live on-campus students should be prepared to arrive a minimum of 1.25 hours before their confirmed audition time to check in and access a practice room. More details regarding check-in and requirements will be included in the audition confirmation email. 
• Departure Time Warning: Due to potential scheduling changes, audition day delays, and navigating San Francisco, students are strongly discouraged from booking travel within five hours after their original tentative time slot.

Full live audition details and procedures will be posted here in December 2024.

Important Details

• The following applicants must attend live on-campus auditions: All Artist Diploma programs, Piano Chamber Music and Strings Chamber Music.
• All live auditions are recorded by SFCM for review purposes, as needed. Recordings are not shared with applicants or any office outside Admissions and the area. 
• Students will perform for a panel of faculty from their area of study. Students are not guaranteed to be heard by their "faculty preference" selected in the application. However, your preferred faculty will review a recording if unable to attend. 

Spring 2025 Applicants

For entry in the Spring semester, audition options are arranged individually via email. 

Fall 2024 Applicants

Virtual or recorded auditions are available upon request when audition sign-up is open, following the pre-screening decision deadline. The following applicants must attend live on-campus auditions: All Artist Diploma programs, Piano Chamber Music and Strings Chamber Music. 

Please note, some areas may require a live Zoom audition or interview rather than a video recording.

For entry in the Spring semester, audition options are arranged individually via email. For entry in the Fall semester, a request form will be provided alongside the release of audition slots in mid-December.

Practice rooms are available to applicants only on their audition day and during the assigned warm up time according to their audition time slot and area. Applicants cannot use practice rooms prior to their audition day or earlier than their assigned warm up time.  

All applicants will receive a minimum of 45 minutes of warm up time, with transition time built into their audition day schedule between check in and movement to the audition holding space/green room. 

The Admissions Office suggests looking into the following companies in San Francisco that may offer practice room rentals: Union Music, SF Community Music Center, Music City Rehearsal, Lennon Studios, Little Mission Studio, and Secret Studios.