FAQ

Mannes requires applicants in piano, voice, and composition to submit prescreening materials as part of their application for admission. Please follow the instructions in the application to complete your video and/or portfolio upload. 

The New School waives application fees for those who meet the eligibility guidelines outlined in the online application.

Letters of recommendation are required for all applicants - one for undergraduate applicants, two for graduate applicants. Please review the Application Instructions for more information.

You will receive a confirmation email, which will be sent to the email address included in the online application.

An Individual application checklist will be posted on the Admission Hub soon after we receive your application. Please allow up to two weeks from the date you submit any supporting materials for these to be noted on the Admission Hub.

It is essential that we receive your application, as complete as possible, as well as the $50 application fee by the deadlines listed on the Application Instructions website. If you anticipate that other required materials, such as the letters of recommendation or the official transcripts, will be late, please ensure that they arrive shortly after the deadline.

If you are interested in applying after the deadline, keep in mind that we consider applications on a rolling basis. 

Deferral guidelines can be found on the Accepted Students website.

Yes; we encourage you to apply again, but you must wait one full year from the time of your application to be considered for admission. 

Please see the Auditions section of this website for details of audition requirements.

We prefer live, on-campus auditions for applicants to Orchestral Conducting, Theory, Composition, and Collaborative Piano. All other applicants are strongly encouraged to audition live in New York City or at one of our regional audition sites. However, video auditions will be accepted if this is not possible. Please see the Audition Requirements for more detailed information regarding video audition repertoire.

Applicants for the Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma programs should refer to Audition Requirements  for repertoire guidelines.

If you have auditions at other schools that conflict with your appointment at Mannes, please email [email protected]  as soon as possible. We will do our best to work with you to accommodate your schedule.

Audition dates

Applicants who pass the pre-screen or do not have a pre-screen requirement will be contacted and asked to use our online audition scheduling software to select their own audition date and time from all available spots.

Mannes is a highly competitive conservatory. The admission process is designed to provide us with a complete picture of each applicant. The Admission Committee weighs a variety of criteria, including performance ability, musicianship skills, and potential as well as English language aptitude (for applicants whose first language is not English), musical and academic background, and letters of recommendation.

We are concerned most about your artistry and therefore do not require SAT I/II or ACT scores.

The number of applications varies each year; therefore, it is hard to provide a specific percentage. We generally admit about one third of applicants.

See the Programs of Study page on this site for information about our degree and diploma programs.

Mannes does not have a jazz major, but The New School's College of Performing Arts does include the School of Jazz. If you would like to contact the School of Jazz's Office of Admission, email [email protected].

At this time, Mannes does not offer any part-time programs. Applicants interested in part-time options should look into The New School's Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students or Open Campus for some excellent part-time and non-degree options.

Yes. Mannes awards merit-based scholarships to applicants based on the review of their applications and auditions. Scholarship awards are determined by a committee of faculty members, administrators, and financial aid advisors after the auditions. Federal financial aid is also available to U.S. citizens through the FAFSA .

New School Student Financial Services strives to ensure that all qualified students attending Mannes benefit from the broad array of financial aid programs available, including scholarships, grants, and loans. 

Need-based scholarships, loans, and federal grants are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA code: 002780). This application can be obtained online at www.fafsa.ed.gov .

Mannes offers its students accommodation through New School Housing. New School Housing provides modern and affordable accommodations to undergraduate and graduate students.

While students are free to choose to live in any residence hall offered by The New School (according to degree program), Mannes first-year students are assigned placement in the apartment-style suites whenever possible. Housing is guaranteed for first-year students.

Many Mannes students prefer to find accommodations independent of The New School. We do not require students to live in on-campus housing. For information about nonuniversity housing, we recommend consulting the New York Times and Village Voice websites.

The Admission Office encourages you to meet with a member of our faculty with whom you are interested in studying. If you would like to schedule a lesson or meeting, email the faculty member directly or call our office at 212.229.5150 or 800.292.3040. Please remember that you are auditioning us, too!

Tours of Mannes, scheduled through the Welcome Center, are available Monday through Friday. We think there is no better way for you to learn about our community of artists. To schedule a visit, email Denise Rodriguez at [email protected], or call our office at 212.229.5150 or 800.292.3040.

Students interested in transferring from other colleges may enter at the start of the second semester in January, subject to the approval of the Admission Committee. The application deadline for mid-year enrollment is October 15. Auditions take place in early November. Please contact the Admission Office for information regarding the number of openings. Not all fields will have openings for mid-year entrance.

The minimum score required for the Duolingo English Test is 105, for the TOEFL (IB) is 79, for the IELTS is 6.5, for the Cambridge English Test is 176, and for the PTE is 53. Our TOEFL institution code is 2398.

The New School does not require a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score for applicants:

1. Who have attended a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction for a minimum of three years (undergraduate applicants only)
2. Who have successfully completed two full semesters of non-ESL college-level expository writing (undergraduate transfer applicants only)
3. Who have earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college or university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (minimum of three years' attendance)

Upon review of your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English Language Proficiency test score to further evaluate your candidacy.

The New School does not require a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score for applicants:

1. Who have attended a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction for a minimum of three years (undergraduate applicants only)
2. Who have successfully completed two full semesters of non-ESL college-level expository writing (undergraduate transfer applicants only)
3. Who have earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college or university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (minimum of three years' attendance).

Upon review of your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English Language Proficiency test score to further evaluate your candidacy.

Yes. Scores more than one year old at the time of submission will not be accepted.

Mannes will not accept photocopies of TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. All scores must be sent directly to Mannes by the testing service.

We strongly encourage you to take the test by December 15 to ensure that the score arrives in time for you to receive an audition.

For applicants auditioning in March, Mannes requires that all TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores be submitted by February 1; applicants must therefore take the Duolingo, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge or PTE exam by January 1.

Mannes will not be able to determine the results of applications submitted without all the required materials.

"First language" is defined as the language of the country in which a student has completed his or her primary (elementary school) education or the main language he or she grew up speaking at home. If this applies to you, you are not required to take the test.