How to Apply
We welcome applicants from any musical style background to apply. Students engaged in instrumental or vocal study, music technology, music creation, and/or music scholarship, should all consider applying to this scholarship. Finalists will be invited to give either a Performance Audition or a Creative Audition, depending on the applicant’s area of experience and preference.
Students interested in auditioning must:
- Apply to the college by February 1.
- Complete the online application by February 3. To apply students will login with the username and password sent to them upon application submission to Ursinus. Please check the email address associated with your application.
- Auditions will be held on campus in March.
On the Day of Auditions, Applicants are Required to:
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Be prepared for a 5-8 minute interview. A panel of music faculty will engage you with questions about your interest in music, your interest in Ursinus, and your other areas of interest.
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Performance Audition: Present 6-8 minutes of prepared material, consisting of two contrasting styles. Those auditioning may be asked to play scales, but sight-reading will not be required. Instrumentalists will perform unaccompanied. For vocalists, please bring piano accompaniments as an accompanist will be available.
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Creative Audition: Students preferring to apply through their experience in music production and technology, songwriting, or composition should submit .mp3 files of two contrasting original works one week before the audition date. If either of the two works were created through music notation, please include those scores with the submission. MIDI mockups of compositional works are acceptable. Links (GoogleDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Soundcloud, etc.) to these files can be emailed to musictech@ursinus.edu. Please attach .pdfs of any accompanying scores if applicable. These works may be in any style (Pop, Rock, Hip-hop, Country, Classical, Jazz, etc.) but must be original compositions written/produced primarily by the applicant. For collaborative works, applicants must disclose their particular contributions to the project.
Students presenting works in this way will not be required to perform on the day of the auditions but will instead speak about the production and creative processes for one of the pieces submitted. Alternatively, students may perform their original creative works on the day of the auditions instead of submitting recordings if preferred.
Terms of the Scholarship
In addition to the monetary award, the annual winner of the Music Scholarship will receive:
- One semester of private lessons
- Leadership standing in the Ursinus Performing Arts community
All scholarship award recipients will be required to participate in at least one Music Department ensemble each semester. Preference will be given to students intending to major in music.
What are the Criteria for Selection?
The two most important criteria are a demonstrated record of achievement in the performing arts and the strength of the Ursinus audition. Candidates must comfortably achieve admission to Ursinus with a minimum “B” average in a rigorous college prep academic program. Standardized test scores are not required for most Ursinus applicants. Please note that the Performing Arts Scholarship in Music replaces any Ursinus College Scholarship previously offered by Ursinus College
Additional information on the Music Program can be found on their website. If you would like to connect with a faculty member please contact Dr. Rosa Abrahams.
Please note that the Music Scholarship replaces any Ursinus College Scholarship previously offered by Ursinus College.