The New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, MA · private nonprofit
Official site ↗Admissions
| Admit rate | 42.8% |
| Applicants | — |
| Middle-50% SAT | —–— |
| Middle-50% ACT | —–— |
| Avg GPA | — |
| Test policy | — |
| Avg net price / yr | $42,556 |
| Grad rate | 78% |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $34,483 |
| Source | scorecard_bulk · 2025 |
Application requirements
- •Personal profile: Name, address, demographics, citizenship.
- •Family: Parent/guardian education and occupation (used for first-gen context).
- •Education: Current school, GPA/rank if reported, courses & grades, planned senior courses.
- •Testing: SAT/ACT scores (self-reported); many schools are test-optional or test-blind — check per school.
- •Activities: Up to 10 activities with role, hours/week, weeks/year.
- •Personal essay: One 250–650 word essay from the Common App prompts.
- •Recommendations: Counselor recommendation + typically 1–2 teacher recommendations.
- •School supplements: Per-school essays and questions (the 'Why us', short-answer, etc.).
Supplemental essays
~300 words each.
- NEC is a community comprised of many different cultures and backgrounds, and exploring this cross-cultural environment is an important part of the NEC experience. Tell us your story about a time you joined a new community and how you got to know the people within it.
- At NEC, your conservatory education will go beyond music instruction. Instead, you will be part of a learning eco-system that will teach you how to think and learn in new ways. In your words, what does it mean to you to be educated? Aside from musical development, what do you hope to gain from your NEC experience that will put you on the path to achieving your definition of education?
- Contemporary Musical Arts (CMA) applicants only: Please explain your reasons for choosing to pursue the CMA major, including a description of the influences on and motivations for your personal style.
Copied verbatim from the school's official admissions page (2025-26 cycle).