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  1. Thanks a lot Timothy! Your nice words really made my day... Just curious though - how did you find my website?... Yeah, I really feel at home in Princeton. I'd say that the main Agenda of the school is that all musical genres are legitimate - classical, rock and jazz, and each one of the faculty - and the students - listens to popular music just as much as he/she listens to classical, plus doing crazy stuff in every cross-disciplinary field imagined. That's definitely the place for me... Re CUNY's good placement - another one for the list: Princeton just got a musicologist to the faculty who recently received her PHD from CUNY. In composition, CUNY offers admission to around 5 students each year, 2-3 of which get full stipend, the rest must pay I believe. I don't know how different it is for musicology. Re having a Master's - although it's not official, in most schools I've been speaking with there's a strong preference to applicants with a Master's. Columbia told me they try to accept one without a Master's and two with a Master's each year (in Comp). In Princeton, out of 4 entering comp students, three of us have a Master's. From what I know the comp program is CUNY is indeed very academic - including full written dissertation of course. Interestingly, they offer both DMA and PhD for composers - difference being a few classes, and a foreign language requirment of one language (DMA) vs two (PhD). i visited three classes last year when applying, and was extremely impressed by the level. comprehensive, interesting, well-prepared, faculty with a very wide knowledge. They do offer performances - usually everyone is offered to write for a specific ensemble which is invited for a semester, and the composers also work with the ensemble on their piece. Pretty good. beyond that, there are performs in the program, which is pretty rare (comparing to most universities). Princeton offers around 8-10 concerts a year, all with hired professional musicians from NYC and Philly. There's a mix between concerts of free-lance musicians (each composer chooses which instrumentation to write for), and concerts which are based solely on one ensemble, and whoever wishes writes for it. based on this year's concerts I can say that the performance level is very, very impressing.
  2. Hi Timothy, From MSM I heard very early (Dec or so) - because of their auditions they must inform the applicants much in advance. Princeton - We started having an email correspondence and one phone call (it wasn't really an interview, more figuring out some details) on February. Official email and letter arrived only at the end of February. NYU GSAS wrote me an accepting email at the beginning of March plus a phone conversation explaining the details of their offer (including life stipend at all). An official letter never arrived, and one month later a letter arrived saying there was a mistake and I was only on the waiting list... Can you imagine?... Gladly I really preferred Princeton anyway... My portfolio: Quintet for Bass Guitar and Strings (20 min), piece for a mixed choir and orchestra, and a piano solo piece. For the Princeton application I also added one rock song, which I know they liked. In general I got the impression based on conversations with the faculty that one innovative, standing-out piece is almost enough to do the trick. And for Princeton, any crazy idea you have would probably be welcomed, they're the most flexible, open-minded faculty I've ever seen. I have one recommendation for portfolio, which is totally my opinion: In the first round, these teachers have a very limited time to go over each portfolio. On the second round (after, let's say, progressing 20 files), they probably give it more time, and also consider the other elements (e.g. statement of purpose). Therefore, I believe it's extremely important for the scores to show things that stand out in a brief overview; A beautiful melody or interesting harmonic progression don't stick out, visually, as much as a creative texture, exceptional concept (for instance, just an idea - a string quartet in which the first 2 pages are only cello solo pizz. and the violist drumming on his instrument - that'd catch someone's eye, wouldn't it?...), weird form, interesting instrumentation and extended techniques. Also, make the scores neat, clear, and that it's obvious you spent some serious time in thinking about every little details (dynamics, slurs, expression comments etc.). But again, that's only my opinion. G
  3. Hi guys, I began my PhD in Composition in Princeton this year, and just came to visit this forum and saw your thread. I'd be happy to answer anything you want to know about Princeton or other programs. I was applying to Princeton, CUNY, NYU GSAS, Columbia, Upenn, Stony Brook and Manhattan School. I was accepted to Princeton, was on waiting list on NYU GSAS, and invited to auditions on MSM but didn't go cause I knew already I was accepted to Princeton and preferred it. I was declined from all others. A few things about the issues you two have raised, if it helps: 1. Princeton faculty told us in the past the GRE doesn't really matter. Like you said, the university might not like low GRE in its statistics, but the faculty said that a strong candidate would never be turned down because of GRE. 2. Portfolio and letter of statement are definitely the most important factors in the application. 3. I didn't have any connections or people that knew people in Princeton - so I'm not sure it matters. One recommendation letter I had though was from a well-known musicologist. 4. NYU GSAS accepts 2-3 composers each year, 8 students all together in all tracks. "Our" track is actually named "composition and theory", and yes, it's VERY academic, and challenging - a lot of reading, many papers, a lot of "new musicology", philosophy and stuff. They pay a nice stipend, although it might be a bit challenging to be based solely on it in NYC's prices. Princeton and Cornell, I believe, pay the most (25-26k / year). Anyway, NYU GSAS is very different than Steinhardt, just as you described. 5. I'm very happy in Princeton, and I have a friend who's very happy in Cornell DMA Composition. 6. Chances wise, I believe Columbia and Cornell are the hardest to get in. Princeton is average (4 out of 80-90 each year). Stony Brook is supposed to be easier, however they accepted only one (!) comp student last year. Good luck, and I'm here for any questions.
  4. Hi adamscottneal, I might have good news for you - I was accepted both to Princeton and to NYU GSAG (PhD in Composition), and for now I'm pretty sure I'm gonna choose Princeton. So I hope you'll get it! G
  5. I was accepted to Princeton (Music Composition), and am eager to hear from Columbia before accepting Princeton's offer... If anyone has any news I'd really appreciate it... Also does anyone have any opinion regarding Columbia vs Princeton in Music Composition?
  6. Thanks for the info nada. And good luck with all of the other places!
  7. Thanks nada! Yes, I did apply to NYU GSAS. I got an email on Friday saying I was accepted. I still didn't get a letter by mail, maybe after the weekend. I'm still waiting to hear from Columbia, Stony Brook and Upenn, but I have a feeling Princeton will be my choice... It's interesting, I didn't realize so many people apply to NYU GSAS. Is it considered to be a great program? And I'm also interested to hear the reasons you believe Princeton is a better choice, if you don't mind sharing... (as I said I have the same hunch). Good luck with the next answers!
  8. Hi everyone, I was accepted (in composition) to NYU's music department and to Princeton, and passed the pre-screening in Manhattan School. Wasn't accepted to CUNY, still waiting to hear from Columbia, Stony Brook and Upenn. Any recommendations which program is the best, Princeton, NYU or MSM? Or the others?
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