2.4.0 Help for Prospective Grad Students - UNLV Percussion Area Documentation

# Help for Prospective Grad Students The steps below are a suggested order for applying. > [!Example]- Some things to consider... > **Please do your research.** > You need to be self-sufficient enough to learn about our faculty, our principles, our policies, and [[1.1 Program Information#Our Philosophy & Concepts|what we are all about]]. > > Too many students arrive and are disappointed not because we misled or failed them, but because **they did not do their research.**[^1] > >**We are an exceptional program, but we are not *an exception* to the norm.** >We have a curriculum, processes, traditions, our own culture, and our own philosophies (much like where you likely already study). Thus, your previous knowledge and perspectives will be challenged. You will be told that you are wrong — against our metrics — and you will also fall short and experience failure. It is part of learning, and nothing personal. Realize that we will always have your best interest in mind. > >**You might not like how we do things.** >We do not espouse "a way" but we do focus on "optimal ways" and concepts. When confronting something you don't like, realize that *liking* something is personal, and pedagogy is not personal. It is all just "data" as we like to say. > >**We expect you to embrace our "ways" while you're here.** >This is especially important when they go against what you have already learned or know. This is not because we are "better" but because it is *different* and is precisely the reason students study at different universities. To shun a new perspective is ignorant and a waste of your time and money. > >Do yourself a favor and reflect on what you value, and research (using this site) what *we* value. Contact us, visit campus, watch our videos, get to know us. If we are of interest to you and you're prepared to let your guard down and learn new things, we welcome your application. ## First Steps Questions before starting? Email [email protected]. - **STEP 1:** Fill out our [Interest Form](https://airtable.com/appV2UFEOZdQxBIMH/pagqI37v3buD3u4hS/form) - This gets you on our radar prior to an official application - It's also where you can upload audition material - **STEP 2:** Apply to Grad School at UNLV - See [[#Applying to Grad School at UNLV]] below - Or just go directly to [graduate admissions](https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate) - **STEP 3:** Email the [[1.3 Faculty and Staff|Percussion Area Coordinator]] to meet - Virtually or in-person, we want to meet you - Grad school is a big deal — you need to feel comfortable - **STEP 4:** Read our [[2.1 Audition Requirements (all levels)|Audition Requirements]] - Info on preparing your pre-screening material - Discussing with us your in-person audition material - **STEP 5:** Come to [[1.1 Program Information#Location|campus]] and audition. - Grad auditions have no fixed dates — we work around your travel - We do accept virtual auditions but prefer in person > [!NOTE]- Plan a Visit! (it's mandatory for DMA) > Plan to spend at least one full day in Las Vegas (how lame, right?) to get a feel for things. When time permits, we typically take our guests to a meal and hang out with our current grads as part of the "audition" after you've played and toured the facilities. > > You might be working, studying, and practicing in a high-pressure, demanding environment for up to three years. You need to feel comfortable — and so do we. Coming to campus should be a no-brainer. ## Applying 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) - Know your Deadlines: [Application Deadlines](https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate/application-deadlines) - **STEP 2:** Apply for a [[2.4.1 Assistantships and Funding|Graduate Assistantship]]. - Apply regardless of what was discussed about GA opportunities (or lack thereof). - 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 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 [[2.4.1 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. [^1]: A prime example is when prospective students unintentionally apply a label on our program when there is none. E.g., they want us to be "this school" or "that school" where we prepare students for orchestra auditions or embrace a militaristic marching arts rehearsal style or any of a myriad of other "ways" that *they* want us to be. We are **none of these things** and we're not *a lot* of other things.