After the Audition

Acceptance into the Colburn Conservatory of Music is highly selective. Our decision is based on many factors, starting with the quality of an applicant’s audition.

Our faculty and staff also review the supplemental materials and letters of recommendation you submit.

  • Academic record: All academic transcripts, high school and college, are reviewed.
  • Interview: As part of the audition process, applicants may be interviewed by Colburn staff and/or faculty. This is an opportunity to have a conversation and let us know more about you. Keep in mind, it’s also your chance to have the experts answer your questions about Colburn. Staff and faculty will discuss an applicant’s interview prior to making a final admissions decision.
  • English proficiency: As noted on the Application Materials page, non-native English speakers are required to submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. You’ll also be asked to conduct an interview. In fact, you may be asked to interview with our English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and academic faculty member. Non-native English speaking applicants seeking admittance into a degree program should be prepared to take a writing assessment, too. All of this will be reviewed during the admissions decision process.

After a complete review of each application step, the Admissions Committee’s final recommendation could be to admit a student to a program different than what he/she initially applied to because the Committee believes it would offer a better opportunity for the student to succeed. Such recommendations will be discussed with the applicant prior to issuing a letter of acceptance.

Finally, students are officially accepted to the Colburn Conservatory of Music when they receive a letter acceptance signed by the Dean.

Applicants who have not been accepted will receive notification in as timely a process as possible after the audition. It’s Colburn policy not to provide audition comments. That said, we welcome any applicant to reapply in future years; however, you must undergo the same application process.

After the Audition

To make an applicant’s acceptance into the Colburn Conservatory of Music official, you will receive a letter signed by the Dean. You’ll also receive various documents for your review and signature, including:

  • Enrollment Agreement
  • School Performance Fact Sheet (when available)

Before you sign the Enrollment Agreement, we encourage all prospective Colburn students to review our Conservatory Student Catalog and Handbook.

Response Deadline

We require all accepted applicants to respond with your decision to accept or decline of our offer of admission. This is a critical requirement, because an applicant’s decision may affect the status of another applicant on the wait list. In keeping with the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), students are allowed “…to choose without penalty among offers of admission and financial aid until May 1” or April 15 for post-baccalaureate students (AD, PSC, MM). After that date, enrollment commitments are considered binding.

Accepted applicants are encouraged to read the Enrollment Agreement carefully, which provides specific information about cancelling enrollment, as required by state law.

Enrolling

An applicant is considered enrolled when he or she signs and returns the Enrollment Agreement, the School Performance Fact Sheet, and submits the $500 enrollment deposit.

Final Transcript

All students who are admitted and who enroll in the Colburn Conservatory of Music are required to submit a final transcript by July 1 of the summer prior to the start of classes. This transcript must document the completion of previous study.

Orientation and Registration

Orientation occurs just prior to the beginning of the academic term and is required of all new students. Any exception to attendance at orientation requires the approval of the Dean of the Conservatory. Registration is scheduled as part of orientation for new students, and prior to the start of the new term for continuing students.

Canceling Enrollment

We hope this doesn’t happen, but if you have to cancel enrollment and withdraw from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, according to California state law, you have a right to obtain a refund of charges paid through attendance of the first class session or seventh day after enrollment., whichever is later. However, the Colburn Conservatory of Music provides full-tuition scholarships, and doesn’t sponsor any negotiable instruments or disburse financial aid. Also our application fee and enrollment deposit are nonrefundable, so there are no refunds due upon cancellation or withdrawal.

To cancel your enrollment in the Colburn Conservatory of Music, mail, email, fax, or deliver a signed and dated copy of your written notice to:

Colburn Conservatory of Music
Office of Admissions
200 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Email: admissions@colburnschool.edu

Remember, you must cancel in writing. It will not be official by telephoning the school or not going to class.

Wait Lists

The Colburn Conservatory of Music maintains wait lists in most areas for applicants who are qualified for admission but cannot be admitted immediately due to a limited number of openings. In accordance with the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice, wait lists are closed by August 1.

If you are on the Colburn wait list and receive an offer of admission from us after the May 1 deadline for undergraduates and April 15 for graduate programs, we must first verify whether you’ve accepted an offer of admission to another school. Colburn will then contact that institution to inform them of our pending offer of admission to you. In such cases, you must obtain permission from the other school before we can extend an official offer of admission. To signify permission, the music executive of the other school must sign Colburn’s Transfer Release Form.

Discrimination Policy

The Colburn School strives to maintain and develop a diverse, inclusive, and supportive educational environment centered on both access and excellence. The Colburn School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, ethnic origin, religious belief, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other generally accepted “protected class” in its admission, retention, student aid, scholarship, or other educational policies. There is no age limit for applying. Students must have completed secondary education in order to enroll in the Conservatory. Preference is generally given to students in the formative stages of their careers, with consideration of quality and potential as determined by the Admission Committees of the Conservatory.

If you have further questions, please contact the Colburn Conservatory of Music Admissions office at admissions@colburnschool.edu or 213-621-4534.