Undergraduate Admissions
What we look for in our applicants
Just like UW–Madison’s general admissions process, the School of Music has a holistic application review. While individual specialties may apply their own criteria, broadly speaking we are looking for qualities such as leadership, community engagement, and success in other areas, in addition to academic excellence and potential for growth and achievement in music.
Pre-college musical opportunities and interests vary widely between individual applicants. Musical engagement and drive to excel may be evidenced by a wide range of qualifying experiences. We also consider personal background and potential to contribute to the School of Music community.
On this page
Application Process
Students interested in admission to the School of Music apply both to the university and to the School of Music. Admission to the School of Music is contingent upon admission to UW–Madison, as well as passing an audition.
The School of Music evaluates prospective music majors on the basis of their application and audition, but UW–Madison Admissions has its own requirements and deadlines.
The UW-Madison application is available starting August 1 (freshmen applicants may also apply to the university via the Common App; there is no preference for which application you choose to complete). Apply early and make sure all requested materials are received by their deadline. The School of Music is accepting applications from September 2 until January 15.
Please note that you do not have to wait until you have been formally admitted to UW-Madison to apply to the School of Music. A campus ID number will be sent to you via email 1-2 days after submitting the online UW-Madison application. During times of heavy application volume, it can take up to five business days to receive your campus ID number. Please be mindful of the Office of Admissions’ application deadlines. Once you have received this number, and have received your UW-Madison NetID, you can move on to step 2.
Please submit the following materials:
1. School of Music Application
Apply to the School of Music after completing your UW-Madison application and after you have activated your net id and password. (You can apply to the School of Music prior to being admitted to UW-Madison.) Log in to the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub known as WiSH. Complete the General Application and answer question number 8, “Are you a current or incoming undergraduate student interested in majoring in Music?” with “Yes” and you will be matched to the application. Please review the School of Music links and application questions before completing your answers.
We recommend saving your work using the “Save and Keep Editing” button at the bottom of your application as you go to ensure that you don’t get timed out before your answers can be saved.
In addition, after submitting your music application, we recommend logging out of WiSH and then logging back in to check that your music application was properly submitted.
Note: It is possible to edit your music application after you submit it. If you edit your music application after receiving your confirmation email from the School of Music, please email admissions@music.wisc.edu to make note of any changes.
2. Two recommendation letters
Applicants to the Mead Witter School of Music are asked to provide two letters of recommendation (to be written by current/former music teachers/educators/conductors). Please input a name and email address for both of your recommenders in the School of Music WiSH application. Note: music recommendation letters do not need to be received by your application deadline date, but you must submit the name and email address for two recommenders when you submit your music application. Music recommendation letters must be received before your audition date. (If your recommender would prefer to submit a physical letter of recommendation via mail, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator, Jared Jellison, at admissions@music.wisc.edu for additional instructions.)
3. A music resume
Applicants to the Mead Witter School of Music are asked to submit a music resume when they apply. A music resume is a document created in the format of your choosing that lists all of your important musical accomplishments. You will be asked to upload your music resume when you complete the School of Music application. Please attach your music resume in .doc or .pdf format.
4. Additional notes
Voice: Vocal applicants requesting a live audition may use our accompanist on their audition date. To use an on-campus accompanist, please send clear, clean scans of your sheet music as a PDF to admissions@music.wisc.edu no later than one week before your audition date.
Composition: Composition applicants are required to submit a composition portfolio for review. Please be sure to view all portfolio requirements on the Composition Area page.
Jazz: Please submit PDFs of the sheet music for all of your audition pieces to admissions@music.wisc.edu
Pre-screening: None of the instrument areas, with the exception of Jazz, require pre-screening materials.
Music supplement: You do not need to attach a music supplement to your general UW–Madison application. All requested music materials are encompassed within the music application.
Once your application is received, you will receive an email confirmation within 1-2 weeks. Once your audition has been scheduled, you will receive another email with audition day details.
You will indicate your desired audition date in your School of Music application (see above).
The School of Music will notify you of your specific audition/interview time at least one week preceding the date you have chosen on your application. Until that time, please plan to be available all day.
Students interested in admission to the School of Music need to apply to both the university and to the School of Music. Admission to the School of Music is contingent upon admission to UW-Madison. That is to say, applicants need to complete and pass an audition for their instrument area and they need to be admitted to the university by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment to enroll as a music student at UW-Madison. New music students have one more optional task to complete prior to starting their musical studies:
Audition for piano proficiency
Piano proficiency auditions take place at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Note: Not applicable to piano majors.
Some level of piano proficiency is expected in every music degree program. If you have had previous piano instruction, you are encouraged to sign up for a piano placement test. Students who can may play a piece of their choice. Music does not need to be memorized. We recommend that students practice piano over the summer in preparation for piano placement in the fall. Students who have never taken piano lessons are encouraged to begin lessons over the summer if at all possible. Please review the two documents below to learn more about the piano proficiency tests.
Please note that your performance on the piano proficiency exam has no bearing on whether or not you are admitted to the School of Music. This test is used for placement purposes upon enrollment.
Audition dates
Audition dates for the 2026-27 school year are as follows:
Saturday, November 21, 2026
Saturday, January 30, 2027
Saturday, February 27, 2027
Important note: Auditions for entry in Spring 2027/Fall 2027 will be HYBRID (your choice of remote or in-person) for all audition areas. You must choose one audition modality: either a remote audition or a live audition. You cannot do both. We ask that applicants please keep their schedule clear all day on their audition day.
Before you apply
Before you apply, review the application steps above. Auditions will be scheduled and admissions decisions will be made only when your application file is complete. We do not offer minors or certificates in Music.
You are applying to both UW–Madison and the School of Music. Admission to the School of Music is contingent upon admission to the university. You will need to apply to general admissions before submitting your School of Music application. Please be mindful of the university’s application deadlines.
Transfer applicants: We recommend that transfer applicants apply within the university’s Fall Priority Decision deadline (applying between December 1 and February 1), rather than applying within the university’s Fall Regular Decision deadline. Please click here for additional information.
Schedule a tour and connect with faculty
Our regular in-person tours visit the buildings and performance spaces you’ll study in to give you a better idea of what a day-to-day student experience is like. You can also connect with a faculty member, attend a studio class, or observe an ensemble rehearsal. Tours are reserved for prospective undergraduate music majors only.
Questions?
If you have questions about the application and audition process, contact our undergraduate admissions coordinator Jared Jellison at admissions@music.wisc.edu or at 608-263-5986.
Double Majors
Student-centered programs are a hallmark of a School of Music education. Double majors a way for students to combine and build upon their interests in music and anything else a large research university has to offer.
A third of our majors combine their music major with another major—and sometimes even two other majors. The combinations are as individual as the students themselves. We encourage this kind of expansive thinking, and our undergraduate adviser works closely with students to make their interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary training a reality.
Our unique position within the College of Letters & Science (L&S) makes it easier for a student to achieve a double major. Because of the many schools and departments within L&S, students have a wide array of choices and options within the degree programs. With multiple majors, a student can pursue individual interests and follow a course of study leading to many options for graduate work and career opportunities. To view a complete list of the departments, majors, and programs in L&S, click here.
A Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree with two majors can be a four-year program totaling 120 degree credits. Courses in each major would usually consist of 40 credits, while breadth requirements and electives outside the majors comprise the remaining credits.
In music, the BA/BS and the Bachelor of Music differ in the number of total credits required. The BM, a professional degree in music, consists of 130 credits of which 90 are music courses. The BA/BS liberal arts degree with a major in music consists of 120 credits of which 40 or more credits are music. It does not include some of the more advanced music courses or the music elective credits available in the BM curriculum. However, many of our BS/BA music majors have continued in graduate music studies after completing their undergraduate degree.
With the appropriate second major, a student may do the requirements necessary for Pre-Med and Pre-Law. Any student wishing to take a double major should seek advice from each department as early as possible.
If a student wishes to attain a degree in Engineering, Business, Nursing or Agriculture with a music major, it is necessary first to be accepted by the School of Music, then to obtain permission from the appropriate College to complete a second major in the College of Letters & Science. Students will work toward the degree in their professional area while fulfilling the 40-credit requirement for a Letters & Science Music major (BA/BS). Courses in the second major will be reflected on the transcript not the diploma.
To shorten the time working toward a degree, students have several options:
a) with sufficient high school work in math or foreign language, one can gain retroactive credits that will count toward one’s degree.
b) upon evaluation, UW-Madison will accept up to 90 transfer credits counting toward the degree.
c) students may take course work during the summers at the UW-Madison campus.
Consult the College of Letters & Science for specific information about degree programs. You may also contact the School of Music for information on combining a music major with a second major in the College of Letters in Science. For questions on combining L&S majors outside of music, contact L&S at 608.262.2644.
Admissions FAQ
A music resume is a document created in the format of your choosing that lists all of your pertinent musical accomplishments. You can arrange this information however you like; it can be as simple as a list.
We will take whatever you give us. Simply submitting the recommendation form will suffice for the recommendation letter requirement. Ideally all recommendation forms are accompanied by a separate letter of recommendation, but simply submitting the recommendation form will be sufficient.
All applicants who have auditioned for the School of Music, who have been admitted to the university by general admissions, and for whom we have a complete School of Music application file, will be considered for a scholarship. No additional application is needed. Most scholarships are offered for a full four-year period and may range on a yearly basis from $500-$10,000. Music scholarships are only offered to prospective music majors. Students completing music alongside an additional major still qualify for music scholarships.
All academic scholarships are handled outside the School of Music. To view all the academic scholarships, please click here. For information on financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid@finaid.wisc.edu/608-262-3060. Please note that since academic scholarships and financial aid are handled outside the School of Music, the School of Music will not be able to assist you when applying for those programs.
Application fee waivers are available for applicants with financial hardship. Eligible students can request a fee waiver as part of their application. If you did not request an application fee waiver at the time of application, but are eligible to have your fee waived, you may print the Application Fee Waiver Request Form and have your counselor/advisor submit it to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. If the College Board or ACT grant you a fee waiver, we will also accept it.
For assistance in requesting an application fee waiver, please contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu or at 608.262.3961.
As you’re thinking of housing, tuition, and other costs associated with attending UW–Madison, also keep in mind that the School of Music charges facilities related fees. A full list of School of Music fees is available here.
A student-centered education in the heart of UW–Madison
We are a community of musicians, scholars, and teachers. Since our beginning in 1895, the School of Music has lived out a commitment to a practical and enriching student-centered musical education.