How to Apply - Undergraduate

You must apply online using the Common Application. You must complete all required fields and upload materials before submission. Most materials can be submitted electronically through the Common Application. Submission of required audition materials and/or audition scheduling must be done through The New School’s Online Application Center. You will be given access to the Online Application Center after a complete Common Application has been received. Mannes School of Music accepts applications from artists pursuing the following courses of study:

• Bassoon
• Cello
• Clarinet
• Composition
• Double Bass
• Flute
• Guitar
• Harp
• Harpsichord
• Horn
• Oboe
• Percussion
• Piano
• Theory
• Trombone
• Trumpet
• Tuba
• Viola
• Violin
• Voice

Any additional supporting documents that need to be sent by mail must include an Application Materials Cover Sheet. Documents can also be emailed to [email protected]. All supporting materials must be received before your application can be reviewed.

If you are 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 for you 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.

Applicants must submit two essays. The Common Application essay is not required. 

Essay 1

In your study or work at The New School, what social issue or system would you make the focus of your efforts to effect change? (200-400 words)

Essay 2

What specific aspects of The New School's academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention to the college and program that you have applied to in your essay. (200-400 words)

Applicants to the Composition, Piano, and Voice programs must submit prescreen materials via The New School Online Application Center. You will be given access to the Online Application Center after a complete Common Application has been received.

After review, those who pass will be invited to submit any additional final audition recordings or portfolio materials or schedule their live audition. All final interviews for Composition are conducted virtually.

Recommendations may be submitted online through the Common Application. If necessary, 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. Recommendation letters may also be written by someone who can speak highly of you as an artist, scholar, or student, like an employer or mentor. They may not be written by family members.

Transfer Applicants
Students transferring from other colleges or universities must submit one recommendation from a professor with whom they have studied. Recommendation letters may also be written by someone who can speak highly of you as an artist, scholar, or student, like an employer or mentor. They may not be written by family members.

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). Transfer applicants who have completed 24 U.S. college credits in a degree-granting program, or the equivalent, are not required to submit their high school transcripts. Official transcripts are also required for each college or university you have previously attended.

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 materials and documents submitted in association with a New School application become the property of the New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

All admitted students are automatically considered for scholarship awards. No separate application is required. International students are typically eligible only for merit scholarships. 

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 typically available each year on October 1, but will be delayed in 2025. 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 external scholarships.

Instructions for Early Decision Applicants

Domestic students, permanent residents, and other students eligible to submit the FAFSA who are applying Early Decision must submit the Net Price Calculator by November 10 in order to receive a need-based aid package with their Early Decision admission offer. Additional information about the Net Price Calculator will be shared with Early Decision applicants after they submit the application.

The New School does not require submission of SAT or ACT scores, and they do not play a part in our review process. If you choose to share your scores, our SAT institution code is 2521, and our 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 - 115
• 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 accept English language proficiency test results from IELTS Indicator, IELTS for UKVI, iTEP, TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL ITP Plus for China, TOEFL My Best Score, or the University College London preparatory certificate program.

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.

The College of Performing Arts will hold on-campus auditions for fall entry only. Auditions for spring must be submitted as recordings.

Final interviews for Composition and Theory will be held virtually.

All applicants who prefer to submit audition recordings may do so. Recordings are evaluated with the same criteria and level of scrutiny as a live audition. Recordings must be submitted through the Online Application Center no later than November 1 for spring admission and February 1 for fall admission. You will receive access to the Online Application Center after a complete Common Application has been received. 

It is not necessary to submit a professionally produced video, but the sound quality should be at a high level. We strongly recommend the use of an external microphone. Applicants should also ensure that proper lighting is used and that the camera shows the full range of movement and use of instrument (if applicable).

Live audition schedules and specific program audition repertoire requirements are listed on our Undergraduate Audition Requirements page.

Mannes emphasizes the performance of music of our time. One of the required major solo works for the graduate audition is a contemporary work, composed after 1970. Alternatively, an additional solo work may be performed that meets this requirement. This may be a standard contemporary work, a lesser-known work, or an original composition or arrangement by the applicant.

If you're unfamiliar with contemporary repertoire, please email us at [email protected] to discuss how you can have a successful audition at Mannes.

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 marked as received in your Admission Hub. 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 admission decisions are released on a rolling basis starting in late March.

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

In any given academic year, a student can apply to only one department or program within The New School. Applicants who file more than one application in an academic year will be required to withdraw one of the applications, and application fees will not be refunded.

All materials and documents submitted in association with The New School application become the property of The New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

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 New School attracts students from all over the world. The university is authorized by the United States government to enroll international students in the full-time degree and diploma programs.

The decision to admit an applicant always relies on successful completion of current studies and the receipt of a final transcript. All admitted students must have their official final transcripts on file before they begin classes. Please review our transcript requirements above for more information.

Please do not submit bank statements with your application for admission. Submission of bank statements is part of the visa process.

Visiting the United States
Upon request, the Office of Admission will provide a letter for international applicants to present at a U.S. consulate or embassy when applying for a tourist visa to attend the on-campus audition. Although consular practices vary from country to country, applicants should request a "Prospective Student" annotation on the B-1/B-2 visa. For more information about entering as a tourist, contact International Student and Scholar Services.

International Student and Scholar Services
When notified of admission, applicants will receive complete instructions for additional procedures regarding financial aid, housing, tuition and fees, I-20 visas (for nonresidents of the United States), and other matters. International students who need to file the I-20 or DS-2019 form to obtain a student visa will find a link to the online International Student Application Packet in their decision letters. They can also access the link using the Accepted Student tab in MyNewSchool. The packet includes information about applying for the I-20 or DS-2019, guidelines for providing the required financial documents, instructions and procedures for F-1 transfer students, and other important forms and information. Learn more on the International Student and Scholar Services website.

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 as a degree seeking student since you were last enrolled at The New School, you should apply for admission as a transfer student according to the instructions outlined above.

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 60 credits toward their BM 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.

All current degree-seeking New School students who apply to a new program are required to submit a final audition for that program. A letter of recommendation is not required.

All current degree-seeking New School students who apply to a Mannes program are exempt from any pre-audition screening requirements if applying to the same major as at the previous degree level.

Current degree-seeking New School students applying to a new or different program for the next school year will have the application fee waived if they contact the Office of Admission before the December 1 application deadline.

Current Bachelor of Music and undergraduate diploma students are not required to take musicianship placement exams or be interviewed when applying for admission to the Master of Music degree program. However, Mannes Professional Studies Diploma students must take the musicianship placement examination if they are applying to any degree program or major that normally requires placement examinations.

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.

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

Interviews are not required for admission, but are encouraged and, in some cases, can help with merit scholarship consideration. If you'd like to schedule an interview, email [email protected].