How To Apply

Applicants are required to apply online using the Common Application. You must complete all required fields and upload materials prior to submission. Most materials can be submitted electronically via the Common Application. Required audition materials must be submitted through The New School’s Online Application Center. We welcome applications from artists pursuing the following courses of study:

• Bass
• Drum
• Electronics
• Guitar
• Piano and Keyboard Instruments
• Saxophone
• Singer-Songwriter
• Strings
• Trumpet, Trombone, and Horn
• Vocal Performance

Any additional supporting documents that need to be sent electronically or by mail must include an Application Materials Cover Sheet. All supporting materials must be received before your application can be reviewed.

If you're planning to apply using a school email address, please confirm that you can receive our email first. Some schools block email from outside their domains.

The application fee for U.S. domestic applicants and international transfer applicants is $50. The application fee for first-year international applicants is $75.

Application fees are paid through the online application and are non-refundable.

If the application fee is a hardship to your or your family, you can request a fee waiver through the Common Application. Additionally, The New School waives application fees for those who meet the eligibility guidelines listed in the Application Fee Waivers section of our university-wide How to Apply page.

Essay 1: Why The New School?

The New School’s innovative programs and engaged community are inspired by the future. Tell us about your future self. Where are you? What are you doing? What are you innovating? How are you affecting change? How does The New School fit into your journey towards this future? Be as specific as possible. (500-650 words)

Essay 2: Personal Essay

Transfer applicants are also required to submit the Common Application’s personal essay.  This is optional for Freshman applicants.

We expect to host auditions for spring 2022 by recording only and for fall 2022 both by recording and in person.

Applicants will be invited to schedule their live audition once their applications have been received.

In-person auditions are conducted with a live rhythm section of current student musicians (piano, bass, drums), so make sure to bring copies of sheet music or charts. We ask that you perform at least one tune with the live musicians when auditioning in person.

Prepare and perform three songs, no longer than 15 minutes total:

• Song 1: A Standard. This tune should highlight your improvisational skills where applicable. Refer to the Traditional American Songbook, blues tune, jazz tune, and Bossa Nova descriptions in the Typical Repertoire information below. 
• Song 2: A piece of your choosing, in any style (jazz, blues, pop, soul, rock R&B, an original work, etc.), which you can perform solo, with pre-recorded backing tracks (for recorded auditions only), or with a live rhythm section.
• Song 3: Another piece of your choosing, in any style (jazz, blues, pop, soul, rock, R&B, an original work, etc.), which you can perform solo, with pre-recorded backing tracks (for recorded auditions only), or with a live rhythm section.

We want to see diversity in your three audition pieces. Aim to play three different tempos and styles, and show us works you love to perform. We want to see you at your best!

Typical Repertoire

The Traditional American Songbook includes songs taken from American musical theater that can be performed in a variety of contexts. George Gershwin ("Summertime"), Irving Berlin ("Blue Skies"), Cole Porter ("What Is This Thing Called Love"), and Rodgers & Hart ("My Funny Valentine") are some of the best-known composers of these pieces.

Blues tunes include songs from the long tradition of American blues, from W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" to Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" to more swing-oriented songs like "Alright, Okay, You Win" and "Got My Mojo Working" and more jazz-oriented songs like "Now's the Time," "Route 66," and "Blue Monk."

Jazz tunes come primarily from the instrumental jazz world and include works by Duke Ellington ("Take the A Train"), Charlie Parker ("Ornithology"), Miles Davis ("Tune Up"), Thelonious Monk ("'Round Midnight"), Charles Mingus ("Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), John Coltrane ("Moment's Notice"), and hundreds more.

Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim is the most commonly played composer of Bossa Nova tunes, including the commonly performed works "Girl from Ipanema" and "Desafinado." 

Singer-songwriter repertoire from the 1960s to the present, including the work of Lennon and McCartney, Ashford & Simpson, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Elton John, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Prince, Tom Waits, Radiohead, Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Alicia Keyes, and more, is welcome.

Backing Track Resource
Applicants who are unable to come to campus or to record with a live rhythm section are strongly encouraged to use a digital accompaniment resource such as:

• iRealPro
• Aebersold Play-A-Longs
• Hal Leonard Jazz Playalongs
• Jazzbacks

Video Auditions
Applicants submitting video auditions will upload recordings through The New School’s Online Application Center. Please upload each tune individually and label the files with your last name and the name of the song. Total time should not exceed 15 minutes.

We prefer recorded video auditions with live accompaniment if possible. If not possible, pre-recorded accompaniment tracks are okay. While the audio of audition recordings should be high quality, we don’t require applicants to record their auditions in a professional studio. All video audition files must be clearly labeled with the applicant's name, the instrument, and the title of each track.

In order to receive the highest level of consideration, video auditions must be received at the Office of Admission by the application deadline.

Once your application and audition upload is complete, you’ll be invited to schedule a video conference interview. Interviews are ten minutes and are intended to help us to get to know one another better. There’s nothing specific you need to prepare.

Audition Evaluation
All auditions are primarily judged on the following criteria:

• Individual expression
• Technique
• Musical maturity
• Originality
• Ability to phrase a melody, perform with a committed rhythmic feel, and improvise in contexts that commonly employ improvisation 

The audition is the primary evaluation tool for both acceptance to the BFA program and scholarship consideration. All merit-based scholarships are awarded at the time of admission and included in your decision letter.

Music Interview

Applicants will be required to participate in a ten-minute remote music interview conducted via Zoom. Spring entry interviews will be held in early November, and fall entry interviews will be held in January and February. Applicants will be invited to schedule an appointment time once they have submitted their applications. 

Recommendations may be submitted online through the Common Application. If preferred, the recommendation form may be downloaded and emailed to [email protected].

First Year Applicants
Applicants applying directly from high school must submit one counselor recommendation and one recommendation from a teacher. The Common Application School Report is also required.

Transfer Applicants
Students transferring from other colleges or universities must submit one recommendation from a professor with whom they have studied.

Once your application and audition recording are submitted, you’ll be invited to schedule a virtual interview. The meeting takes approximately ten minutes and is intended to help us to get to know you better. There’s nothing specific you need to prepare.

All applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts from all institutions attended. Undergraduate applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school’s official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript.

First Year Applicants

First-year applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts. If you are currently in school, submit transcripts for all coursework taken to date. Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Applicants who have attended multiple high schools may submit only the transcript from the school from which they are graduating as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript. All academic credentials for homeschool students must be submitted as indicated in the Additional Information for Specific Applicant Populations section below.

Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants must submit an official high school/secondary school transcript with graduation date or General Education Diploma (GED). Official transcripts are also required for each college or university you have previously attended.

All Applicants

All applicants who attended postsecondary institutions outside of the United States are required to have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES), by Education Credential Evaluators (ECE), or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation must be prepared for each transcript.

Follow all document requirements as outlined on the evaluation service providers’ websites. Evaluations completed by WES or ECE will be sent directly to us electronically by the vendor.

All other NACES provider evaluations should be mailed directly by the vendor to the address for Supplemental Materials. A copy of the transcript that was evaluated should accompany the evaluation in the same sealed envelope, or the official transcript should be sent directly to The New School by the issuing college/university.

Applicants with High School Equivalency Tests

Students may submit one of the following in lieu of official high school transcripts: General Education Development (GED), Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) exam results. Final results must be sent directly from the testing agency.

How to Submit Electronic Transcripts

Transcripts can be submitted through an approved electronic vendor (see below), submitted via email by a school official, from an official school email address, to [email protected], or through postal mail. Transcripts will be considered unofficial if forwarded in an email.

Approved electronic vendors: BridgeU, Common Application, Cialfo, Credentials eScrip-Safe, Kuder, MaiaLearning, MEFA Pathway, National Student Clearinghouse, Naviance, OverGrad, Parchment Exchange, UniFrog, SCOIR, SchooLinks, Xello).

If your school does not use any of these vendors and your school official is not able to email them from an official school email address, transcripts must be sent directly via postal mail by a school official in a sealed envelope.

Whenever possible, please send all official communication electronically, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and tuition deposits.

In rare circumstances where items must be mailed, please send to:

The New School
Office of Admission
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

All admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarship awards determined by the strength of their applications. International students are eligible only for merit scholarships. There is no additional application to be considered for a merit scholarship.

If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. The FAFSA is available each year on October 1. The New School’s federal school code is 002780. You don’t need to wait for an admission decision to apply for federal aid. Our Financial Aid staff are available to guide you through the process of applying for financial aid.

Students who wish to further supplement their financial resources should consider applying for an external scholarship.

The New School does not require submission of SAT or ACT scores. Should you feel your SAT or ACT test scores are beneficial to your application, feel free to submit them for consideration. The SAT institution code is 2521. The ACT code is 2828. 

All applicants whose first language is not English must submit valid English language proficiency test results taken within the past two years.

We permit applicants to submit one of the following tests: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duloingo English Test, or Cambridge English C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

Minimum required scores are:

• TOEFL iBT- 79
• IELTS - 6.5
• PTE - 53
• Duolingo English Test - 105
• Cambridge English - 176

Our TOEFL institution code is 2521. IELTS test takers should electronically submit their test results to The New School.

The New School does not require TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo English Test or Cambridge English scores for applicants who have:

• Studied in English, as the primary language of instruction, for all four consecutive years of high school/secondary school. However, students who have taken any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses while in high school, regardless of how long they have been in high school, must submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Test results.
  
• Successfully completed two full semesters of college-level coursework while taking non-ESL college-level expository writing or equivalent courses (transfer students only).
• Earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction, with a minimum of three years attendance (transfer students only).

After reviewing your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English language proficiency test score to evaluate your candidacy.

Applications become complete and ready for review once all required items have been received by the Office of Admission. You can check your application status in the Admission Hub.

Allow at least 14 days from the date you submitted your application for items to be matched and shown as received. Applicants are responsible for following up with schools and recommenders to confirm that transcripts and recommendations have been sent.

The Office of Admission will periodically notify applicants by email if their file is missing any documents and again when their file is complete for review. These notifications are sent to the email address provided in the online application.

If you need to change your email address, mailing address, or other contact information, email the Office of Admission.

Spring admission decisions are released on a rolling basis starting in November.

Fall early action first-year admission decisions will be released in mid-December.

Fall regular decision first-year admission decisions will be released in mid-March.

Fall transfer admission decisions will be released on a rolling basis starting in April.

The New School welcomes applicants from all over the world. To be competitive for admission, applicants must be on track to complete required coursework to earn a high school diploma within their home country that qualifies them for university entry. Below are some of the most common international secondary school curriculums that we see students applying from and helpful guidance for each one.

• Advanced Levels (A-Levels): Students who are most competitive for admission will have completed or be in the process of completing A Levels from three subjects at the time of application.
• Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): Submission of both Standard X (SSC) and completed or predicted Standard XII (HSC) exam marks is required.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Students can pursue either the IB Diploma Program (DP) or IB Career-related Program (CP). Applicants who are taking individual IB courses as a supplement to a national curriculum are permitted to pursue individual IB courses rather than the DP or CP. 

For more information about submission requirements see the Submitting Transcripts section above. Applicants with questions about their secondary school transcripts as it relates to admission can email [email protected].

Some international secondary school coursework will qualify for pre-matriculation credit, awarded by the Registrar upon enrollment.

You can apply to the BA/BFA dual-degree program with your initial application for admission to The New School. All applicants are required to apply online using the Common Application. In the field that asks "What school are you applying to?" you will be able to choose either "Lang and Jazz, BA/BFA" or "Lang and Parsons, BA/BFA".

Upon completion of the homeschool curriculum students must provide proof of high school graduation or an equivalent. We will accept an official transcript from a state homeschool association or sponsoring public high school; GED, TASC, or HiSET exam results; individual homeschool transcripts with date of completion; and certificates of completion recognized by local homeschool associations.

Homeschool applicants must provide the equivalent of a high school transcript with course or subject titles, duration of study for each title, content of study for each title, and an assessment of performance or “grade” at the time of application. Preferably, the courses completed at home are part of a curriculum developed and evaluated by a nationally recognized diploma-granting organization or agency. 

Upon review, applicants may be required to submit additional application materials.

The Internal Transfer Application is required for all current New School students who wish to transfer from one New School college to another. If you would like to apply as an internal applicant, review the deadlines and requirements in the Undergraduate Internal Transfer Policy section of our University Admission How to Apply page. Students who wish to change departments or majors within the same college should speak with their academic advisor. Internal transfer applicants should connect with a Financial Aid Counselor. Financial aid packages, including scholarships, will change as a result of changing programs.

Transfer students are students who have graduated from high school or earned a high school equivalent and are in the process of completing or have completed college or university coursework after high school graduation. If you are unsure whether to apply as a first-year applicant or a transfer applicant, please email [email protected].

Students may transfer up to 64 credits toward their BFA degree pending the evaluation of these credits by the university registrar and academic leadership. Selected transfer credits for skills-based major coursework are accepted contingent upon the results of placement testing. We invite you to learn more about how transfer credits are evaluated by contacting the Registrar's Office.

Students currently enrolled at another college who wish to take classes at The New School for one semester should apply as a visiting student.

The Application for Readmission should be completed by students who wish to return after an absence of four semesters (fall and spring). If you would like to apply for readmission, review the readmission deadlines and requirements in the Readmission section of our university How to Apply page. If you have enrolled at another institution since you were enrolled at The New School, you should apply for admission as a transfer student according to the instructions outlined above.

The New School welcomes undocumented students and students who hold DACA status to apply—such status does not affect the admissions process. When completing the Common Application related to Citizenship status, you may select “DACA, undocumented, Deferred Enforced Departure, or Temporary Protected Status.”

For questions about financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at [email protected].

Additional information about how we support undocumented students can be found on our website.