Recommendations..

Beautiful fall leaves in front of the School of Music and Dance

If you haven't already, NOW is the time to start asking your teachers about recommendation letters. Teachers only get busier from now on and it's always better to have things done before the New Year. There's nothing worse than a student coming up with a last minute recommendation request in January. Think about how that might be reflected in the content of the letter! I think it's best to approach your teachers in person, with the printed out form and ready envelope (addressed and stamped). The less hassle they have, the more assurance you have that it will get to us in time. It might also save you and them a headache if you give your teacher all the recommendation forms from all the different schools at once, instead in a of a slow trickle over the next month or two.

Who should write your recommendations? People who know you and your musical development. 

Great people to ask: private teacher, band/orchestra/choir director, music theory/composition teacher, music coach, music mentor, summer music camp teacher

People who should not write your music recommendations: guidance counselor, math/english/science teacher, family member, church leader, art instructor, your neighbor (even though they've heard you practice for the past 10 years! :)

Here are the official guidelines from our website:

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: You must have TWO written recommendations submitted on your behalf. They should be from music teacher or other instructor familiar with your growth as a musician. Click here to find the undergraduate recommendation form. 

GRADUATE STUDENTS: You must have THREE written recommendations submitted on your behalf. They should be from persons who know your professional and personal qualifications, at least one of which should be from a professor in your proposed area of study. Recom­mendations must be signed, sealed, and sent by the recommender directly to the School of Music and Dance. If you have attained or will attain a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Oregon, you need only two letters. Click here to find the graduate recommendation form.

Better start addressing and stamping those envelopes!