What a friend would tell you
What Curtis is looking for
Your audition is 95% of the decision. Academics and test scores are secondary to what happens when you play. Repertoire selection matters: pick pieces that show range and musical maturity, not just technical fireworks. Faculty on the audition panel are often the people you'd study with, so research who teaches your instrument.
What students wish they'd known
With 160 students, your social world is extremely small and almost entirely musicians. There is no traditional college experience: no dorms for most students, no dining hall, no campus life to speak of. If you have any doubt about pursuing music as a career, this is the wrong place to figure it out.
Curtis might be a fit if...
- You are already performing at a pre-professional level and want to train with Philadelphia Orchestra principals
- You want a full-tuition scholarship and are willing to sacrifice a traditional college experience for it
- You thrive in a tiny, intense cohort where everyone in the room is world-class at their instrument
Curtis Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: RD only (audition-based)
Deadlines: RD December 10
Deadlines: RD December 10
Test Policy
Test-optional
About 55% of admitted students submitted test scores. A strong score still helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Audition-Only
Yield Rate
92%
92% of admitted students enroll. Almost nobody turns this school down, so waitlist movement is rare.
Want to boost your odds at Curtis and every reach on your list, so admissions stops feeling like a coin flip?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Curtis
Tuition is covered for every admitted student. Need-blind admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 100% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Curtis spends about $120,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, roughly 8x the $15K national average. You see it in class sizes, faculty access, and research budgets.
What Curtis Graduates Get
$72,000
Avg Starting Salary
99%
Employed or in Grad School
67%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (93%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Curtis Campus & Culture
The Campus
Curtis occupies a cluster of converted mansions along Locust Street in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. The main building is a 1909 Beaux-Arts limestone townhouse; Lenfest Hall, added in 2011, provides a 240-seat recital hall with floor-to-ceiling glass. The entire footprint is barely a city block, more salon than campus.
The Social Scene
Exclusive peer group, Philadelphia Orchestra access, world-class musicians
Curtis Traditions & Trivia
Wednesday Tea
Every Wednesday at 3 p.m. all year, students, faculty, and guests gather in the Graffman Common Room for tea and light refreshments, a tradition that goes back to the school's founder Mary Louise Curtis Bok.
Holiday Party
Each December before exam week, students perform skits and videos for the whole community, then dance to live music in Field Concert Hall.
Academics at Curtis
What Curtis is known for
Full scholarship for all, audition-based only, Philadelphia Orchestra partnership, tiny class sizes
Most popular majors at Curtis
Standout programs
Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Composition, Conducting
How the curriculum works
Private lessons, small ensemble work, minimal academics
Recommended high school courses
Audition required, no test scores needed, previous training essential
Notable Curtis Alumni
Leonard Bernstein
Conducted the NY Philharmonic, composed West Side Story, Curtis class of 1939
Samuel Barber
Composed Adagio for Strings, entered Curtis at age 14
Lang Lang
Chinese concert pianist who became a global superstar, studied at Curtis in the late 1990s
Hilary Hahn
Grammy-winning violinist, enrolled at Curtis at age 10
Nino Rota
Scored The Godfather, studied at Curtis in the 1930s
If you like Curtis, also consider
Juilliard School
Bigger conservatory, NYC location, similarly elite audition process
New England Conservatory
Broader curriculum with jazz and contemporary music options
Colburn School
Full scholarship, LA location, even smaller cohort
Oberlin Conservatory
Conservatory plus liberal arts college in one, more academic breadth
Eastman School of Music
Strong orchestral training in Rochester, more traditional university setting