Hero Image
Clarinet
Application & Audition Requirements
Apply Now
About this Program
Overview
The Juilliard Pre-College is a program for students of elementary through high school age who exhibit the talent, potential, and accomplishment to pursue a career in music. It runs on Saturdays from September through May.
Pre-College offers a complete curriculum of music instruction that requires a considerable amount of time and commitment on the part of the students. Recognizing the importance of early development and discipline in the music field, the School provides an atmosphere where artistic gifts and technical skills can flourish. For more information about Pre-College, including details on tuition, financial aid, faculty, curriculum and the academic calendar, please click here.
Eligibility
There are no minimum age requirements (except for voice), but all applicants must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in their proposed majors to warrant consideration for an audition.
Criteria for Acceptance
Acceptance to the Pre-College is based on the results of a competitive audition process, which all applicants undergo in their major area of study. The division does not accept applications from beginners.
Application Timeline
Application Timeline
| APPLICATION REQUIREMENT | DEADLINE |
|---|---|
| Application deadline with fee | March 1 |
| In-person audition | May 2025; schedule here, subject to change |
| Individual audition schedule available | April 15 at 6pm |
| Duolingo English Test for International applicants due | May 1 |
| Financial aid application due | May 1 |
| Audition results posted | June 12 |
Application Fee & Waivers
Application Fee
The $75 application fee is nonrefundable and must be paid through your application status page upon submission of your application. Your application is not considered complete until the fee has been received. Fee waiver requests will be evaluated after you have submitted a complete application. If you are requesting a fee waiver, please submit your application (including fee waiver documentation) but do not pay the application fee.
Your Application Materials
Your Online Application
The Pre-College Application is available online starting on November 1. Contact [email protected] if you have questions regarding your Pre-College Application.
Scholarship & Financial Aid Forms
Application for financial aid is part of the Pre-College Application for Admission and must be submitted once a prompt is received from the Pre-College Admissions Office, and before May 1. Consideration for financial aid may not be possible for late applicants.
Your Teacher Preferences
A key element of your study at Juilliard is your major teacher assignment. Music students receive 15 one-hour lessons per semester with a Juilliard Pre-College studio faculty member.
How to Indicate Your Preferences
- You are required to submit your teacher preferences through the online application
- If your preferences change, you can update your selections through your application status page
How Your Preferences are Used
- Your teacher preferences are confidential and do not affect admissions decisions. Studio faculty are not advised of teacher preference selections until after admission decisions are finalized by the committee
- Your audition will be scheduled based on the availability of your first choice teacher (if attending), followed by your remaining preferences. It may not be possible for all of your preferred teachers to hear your audition
- Due to the complexities of audition scheduling, a confirmed date and time cannot be changed even if your teacher preferences change
- We aim to confirm studio assignments with notification of admission
- If admitted, your teacher assignment will be based on your preferences to the greatest extent possible. No teacher assignment can be made without a documented request for a specific teacher
Researching Teachers
If you are not familiar with our faculty, we strongly recommend researching the teachers in your major prior to the application deadline, as follows:
- Review the teachers’ online bios in our directory and listen to recordings of each artist
- Ask your current teacher(s) for recommendations
- Consult with friends who may have studied with them
- Optional: Set up a meeting or lesson with the teacher(s). Although not all faculty are available to meet with applicants due to their teaching and performing commitments, you may contact them through their Juilliard email, found in our online directory. Scheduling the meeting and payment of any lesson or meeting fee is your responsibility
Additional Requirements
Out of Town Students
Application
Out-of-town students must come to The Juilliard School in New York City to take a live in-person entrance audition. Cello, viola, violin, and piano applicants are required to submit pre-screening audio-video recordings with the Application for Admission. Composition majors must submit scores with their application. All other majors are not required to submit pre-screening recordings.
Accepted Students
Out-of-town students who relocate to the New York City area must live with a parent or guardian. Pre-College does not provide academic instruction on the elementary, middle, or high school levels. Students are required to enroll in a full-time academic school. Students must provide the name and address of the school they plan to attend.
International Students
Application
International students must come to The Juilliard School in New York City to take a live entrance audition. Cello, violin, viola, and piano applicants are required to submit pre-screening audio-video recordings with the online application. Composition majors are required to submit scores for pre-screening. Pre-screening is not required for all other majors.
International applicants requiring a B-2 visitor's visa to enter the United States for the audition may obtain a letter of invitation from the Pre-College Administration.
Accepted Students
International students must have an I-20 student visa form to stay in the United States and are responsible for obtaining this form from a private academic school before the Pre-College begins in September. The I-20 form is a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status. International Families are strongly advised to research their academic school options and apply to academic schools by December 1, prior to the Pre-College application deadline and audition. International students cannot enroll at Pre-College without proof of an I-20 visa form or another legal visa status. If an international student is under a status different from a Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status, they must check with the Pre-College Administration to verify their visa is legal.
Students who relocate to the New York City area from other parts of the country or from abroad must live with a parent or guardian. Families must notify the Pre-College administration of their local address and the contact information of their legal guardians.
Pre-College does not provide academic instruction on the elementary, middle, or high school levels. Students are required to enroll in a full-time academic school. Students must provide the name and address of the school they plan to attend.
English Language Proficiency
All non-U.S. citizens for whom English is a second language must take a Duolingo English test as part of their Pre-College application, minimum score 100. Students are advised to undertake an intensive English study prior to their Pre-College audition. Students are encouraged to utilize the free Duolingo website and App to improve their English skills in preparation to their studies in the USA. There is an additional cost of $49 associated with the test. We recommend that students take multiple free practice tests with Duolingo before taking the actual test. Test can be taken several times and the test results are due by March 1 for pianists, by May 1 for other majors.
Non-U.S. citizens who have studied in the United States for one year or more, may present their academic school transcript or report card and a letter from their ESL teacher or school official as proof of English proficiency.
Students accepted into the division who fail the English Test with Duolingo, would be asked to improve their English and take the test again before the start of the school year in September.
Auditioning for Juilliard
Audition Repertoire Guidelines and Resources
As part of the online application, you are required to submit your proposed audition repertoire for review and approval. Scroll down to the In-Person Audition Repertoire section to find audition requirements for your major.
The Juilliard School is working with students, faculty, and guest artists to embrace and build a more representative world of classical music. When you have an elective choice, we encourage you to include a work in your audition repertoire by a composer from historically underrepresented gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages. We are happy to recommend the following resources that expand our knowledge of a wider breadth of repertoire:
Should you need to update your repertoire after you submit your online application, you can do so by submitting a form on your application status page.
- Insufficient or incomplete audition repertoire may affect consideration for admission
- Where specific works are required, substitutions are not allowed
- Audition requirements which state a complete piece or work are indicating all movements must be prepared
You should first consult with your private teacher to determine the suitability of your proposed repertoire. If there is any concern regarding the appropriateness of a particular piece, submit your questions through this form.
Audition Repertoire
Students accepted into the clarinet department must own or have access to an A clarinet.
Students through age 13:
- Major and minor scales, and chromatic scale from low E to high C.
- A slow étude.
- One movement from a sonata or concerto comparable in difficulty to the Sonata by Wanhal or the Concerto No. 3 by Stamitz.
- A contrasting movement to No. 3 (above), or another contrasting work.
Sigth-reading may be required.
Students age 14 and older:
- Major, minor and chromatic scales.
- An étude comparable to those by C. Rose
- One movement from a work comparable in difficulty to the Concerto in A Major, K. 622, by Mozart; Concerto in F Minor, Op. 73, by Weber; sonatas by Bernstein, Saint-Sans, or Hindemith; or any of the 16 Grand Solos by Bonade.
- A contrasting movement to No. 3 (above), or another contrasting work.
Sight-reading may be required.
Piano accompaniment is required for clarinet applicants. A list of piano accompanists is provided to applicants along with their individual audition schedule, around April 15. Applicants may elect to use their own accompanist.
Decisions & Enrolling
Decisions
Admission decisions are announced in the middle of June.
Please note that all communication related to the admissions process is conducted through the online application account, including the decision letter. It is vital for applicants to save their user name and password information.