Manhattan School of Music: Piano Admissions & Acceptance Rate

What the acceptance rate tells you

The official sources linked below do not provide a verified piano-specific acceptance rate. An institution-wide undergraduate rate describes a particular applicant group and year; it cannot be converted into your personal chance of admission or used as a graduate-program rate.

Piano audition requirements

For BM prescreening, MSM asks for two or more contrasting works from memory, totaling approximately 15–20 minutes. Individual movements may be included. The subsequent BM audition covers a Baroque work, a complete Classical sonata, 19th-century repertoire, and 20th- or 21st-century repertoire.

Videos should show the right side of the face, hands at the keyboard, and feet at the pedals. MSM distinguishes BM, MM, and advanced diploma or doctoral repertoire. Final-audition formats also differ by program; consult the current policy rather than assuming every applicant may submit a recording.

This is a planning summary, not the complete application checklist. Use the official page for your degree and entry year to confirm every permitted work, exception, recording rule, and deadline.

Tuition and financial aid

Use the school’s current cost-of-attendance page for your entry year and degree. Add tuition, mandatory fees, housing, meals, insurance, travel, and personal expenses, then subtract grants and scholarships. Loans remain repayable, and work-study is income you must earn. Check scholarship renewal conditions before accepting an offer.

Build your audition plan

Make a separate checklist for your degree and instrument: prescreening pieces, final-audition pieces, memorization rules, permitted substitutions, and deadlines. Record complete takes, check the sound for distortion, and follow the school’s framing and file instructions. Ask admissions about any ambiguity before recording.

Choose a teacher and program for their fit with your musical goals. A trial lesson, where available, can help you assess teaching style; it does not guarantee admission or a studio place. Discuss a balanced school list with your current teacher, including affordable options you would be happy to attend.

Official sources

• MSM: piano prescreening and auditions
• MSM: audition formats and dates
• MSM: tuition overview