Curtis Institute of Music - Admission

Admission

The institute has served as a training ground for orchestral players to fill the ranks of the Philadelphia Orchestra, although composers, organists, pianists, and singers are offered courses of study as well.

All pupils attend on full scholarship, and admission is extremely competitive. Besides composers, conductors, organists, and pianists, only enough students are admitted to fill a single orchestra and an opera company. Accordingly, enrollment is in the range of 150 to 170 students. According to statistics compiled by U.S. News & World Report, it has the lowest acceptance rate of any college or university, making it the most selective institution of higher education in the United States.

Curtis accepts students of all races, although there is some evidence that suggests that this policy wasn't very strictly enforced several decades ago: Nina Simone claims that she was rejected in the early 1950s because of her race despite excellent credentials and audition performance.

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