Music Transfer Agreements

The SUNY Schenectady School of Music has articulation agreements with a number of schools to help ensure seamless transfer for students wishing to earn a bachelors degree. Details of each agreement are listed below as a PDF document.

Nazareth College of Rochester
Piano, Instrumental or Vocal Performance

Nazareth College of Rochester
Music Education - Choral, Band or String Emphasis

SUNY Buffalo State College

The University of Hartford (Hartt School)

Timeline for Auditioning for Transfer Programs

Summer/Early Fall
(before your last year of the program)

Visit schools and get lessons with professors to see which ones you feel you’d learn the most from
Meet with students there or talk to alumni if possible to get a sense of the culture in the department and on campus
Try the food on campus and tour housing options
Meet with the Dean or department chair to discuss what a transfer process would look like there. Get a list of courses that would remain upon transfer to their school
Attend a concert and/or rehearsal if possible
Visit the closest town and walk around to make sure you feel safe
Make a pros and cons chart comparing all your findings from the various schools
Give yourself 4-5 options to compare, including one you think may be out of reach, and one that may be a fallback option
Consider the weather and driving conditions and your transportation if needed

Early-Mid Fall
(by Thanksgiving weekend at the latest)

Do research of what’s required for auditions at the various schools and make a chart to minimize how much music you need to prepare for the various programs
Choose repertoire that makes you sound your best and feel your most confident and ask your private instructor to work on it with you
Apply for all your schools
Apply to all the programs (there may be a separate application for the music department)
Apply for transfer scholarships (some schools may require you to apply for these)
Write cover letters and have someone check them for consistency, spelling, grammar, etc.
Ask for letters of recommendation from your professors by October or early November and send them an updated resume, due dates, locations, and the programs which you plan to apply for
- Do this a minimum of 2 weeks before they are due.
Sign up for auditions at the schools (they are usually in December-March)
Remember to sign-up for late February or early March to be eligible for scholarships
Note that many programs accept transfer students past their latest audition dates since you are not incoming freshman. It never hurts to ask if you are having second thoughts about your options

Late Fall/Early Spring

Practice running through all your audition materials and sight-reading in front of various peers, family, and professors
Practice interview questions as they may require an interview as part of the audition
- Know what your goals are in your program, where you see yourself in 5-10 years, your strengths and weaknesses
- Research the programs and schools so you come with questions for them too (you are also trying to find out if this a good fit for you!)
Reach back out to the private instructors with whom you’ve met to update them on how much you learned from them and how excited you are to see them again
- This helps them remember you when it comes time to offering scholarships

Audition Time

Dress professionally, but comfortably so you can feel your best while performing
Stay hydrated, sleep well, eat well, and show them how hard you’ve worked so far
Leave extra time for travel in case of bad weather, traffic, or just getting lost on the campus, and finding parking
Research the parking in advance and a campus map to get a better sense of where you need to be
Arrive at least an hour early so you have time to use the bathroom, warm up, relax, catch your breath, and give yourself a good pep talk
Go with the flow - sometimes they run behind, or early, so try to be flexible
Be friendly and polite

Post-Audition

It can often take a few months to find out an answer from some places, while others will tell you right away
It can also take a while to know what your financial aid package will look like including scholarships, grants, etc.
Relax. It’s out of your hands now. Enjoy working on some new music to get your mind off the unknown
Once you hear from the schools, weigh your pros and cons, talk to your colleagues, professors, and the Dean to help ask the tough questions you may not have thought of yet
If something does not sound right, advocate for yourself and ask questions until you find the answers you’re looking for
- Ex: If they tell you you’re in, but will enter as a sophomore-email their dean and CC our Dean to get a better understanding of why in writing
- Document everything in writing just in case there is a change in personnel and things get lost in translation