# Help for Prospective Grad Students The steps below are a suggested order for applying. **You may officially apply before ever reaching out and navigating the steps below.** They exist so grad applicants get a feel for our program *before* spending money on applications and transcripts. We know ours is likely one of many programs you're considering. The Percussion Area does not financially benefit from your application, so we have no interest in gatekeeping your exploration behind an application fee. ## First Steps Before Applying Questions before starting? Email [email protected]. - **STEP 1:** Fill out our [Interest Form](https://airtable.com/appV2UFEOZdQxBIMH/pagqI37v3buD3u4hS/form) so you're on our radar. - **STEP 2:** Email the [[1.3 Faculty and Staff|Percussion Area Coordinator]] to meet (virtually or in-person). - Interactions should feel genuine and a good fit on both sides! - **STEP 3:** Read our [[2.1 Audition Requirements (all levels)|Audition Requirements]] to plan what you might play for us. - **STEP 4:** Come to [[1.1 Program Information#Location|campus]] and audition. - Grad auditions have no fixed dates — they are **scheduled individually** with the Coordinator around your travel, since most applicants come from out of state. - We accept video submissions, but Grad School is worth the visit — we prefer in-person! - Plan at least a full day in Las Vegas (how lame) to get a feel for things. When time permits, we take our guests to a meal to hang out with our current grads as part of the "audition." You'll be working, studying, and practicing in a high-pressure, demanding environment. You need to feel comfortable — and so do we. ## Apply to Grad School at UNLV If things feel right after meeting and auditioning, start the application process immediately. **Application Deadline is March 1** for the subsequent Fall Semester. - **STEP 1:** [Apply to UNLV](https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate) (International? [Apply Here](https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/international)) - See: [UNLV's Graduate Application Deadlines Page](https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate/application-deadlines) - **STEP 2:** Navigate Grad Rebel Gateway and **apply for a graduate assistantship**. - Apply regardless of what was discussed with the Coordinator about GA opportunities. There is no fee, and it puts you in the candidate pool — if an opportunity arises that wasn't there before, you'll have a shot! - **STEP 3:** Wait it out and think positive before your Decision Letter arrives. - The graduate evaluation process is long and moves slowly. Keep in touch with the Coordinator while you wait. **Some graduate acceptance and/or GA decisions are not made until as late as May.** Our goal is that you know *something* by April. ## Decision Letter Your decision letter and follow-up emails from the Percussion Area Coordinator and School of Music Graduate Coordinator will clearly enumerate next steps. **Be advised: your decision letter is *purely* the decision on your admission to graduate school. It is *not* a decision on a Graduate Assistantship or other funding.** These are two separate decisions. ### If Denied A denial letter will state it clearly and offer feedback from our Graduate Coordinator. A denial is not a permanent death knell — the most common reason is simply the competitiveness of the applicant pool. We can only take so many graduate students at one time (funded or not), and competition can be fierce. Nothing prevents you from applying again the next year. ### If Accepted Our Graduate Coordinator and Percussion Coordinator will begin direct correspondence on getting "plugged in" and ready for your upcoming studies. ### GA and Other Funding Decisions If awarded a [[2.3.2 Assistantships and Funding|Graduate Assistantship]], a similar acceptance letter arrives by mail and email for you to accept or decline. The offer will clearly explain stipends, duties, and other details. **You have a set period before the offer expires — monitor your email regularly.** > [!Important] Applying for a GA vs Grad School > First you must apply to grad school and then apply for assistantships. Note that being accepted into Grad School does not automatically result in a GA. They are separate decisions/acceptance tiers.