Submit Recordings

Students applying for admission to Cornell for the Fall 2026 semester must submit materials through their Applicant Portal, which becomes available after submission of the Common Application. Please do not contact Cornell about submission prior to completion of the Common Application, or contact faculty directly to request an audition or review of your work. Materials submitted through email or sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office or to any of the individual schools/colleges will not be considered.   

Undergraduate applicants with exceptional talent may submit optional supplemental materials for review by the Department of Music. Although you are not required to major in music, Cornell expects that you will only submit materials if you plan to be significantly engaged in music while at Cornell. 

Please note: 

• Applicants may only submit one instrument for evaluation. 

• Recordings must isolate and highlight the applicant; group performances that obscure the ability to assess an individual’s level of talent will not be reviewed.  

• Performers may submit either audio or video of two or three contrasting selections or portions thereof (ones that show variety in style, character, etc.). The total length of the recording should not exceed 10 minutes. Recordings longer than 10 minutes may not be viewed in their entirety. 

• Composers should submit a PDF file containing one or two scores representative of their recent work, and, whenever possible, include a recording of the work(s) submitted. 

• It is to be understood that any materials submitted represent your own work; please consult Cornell’s Code of Academic Integrity for definitions of what constitutes plagiarism. 

The deadlines to upload supplemental music materials are: 

• Early Decision and Questbridge National College Match: November 7 

• Regular Decision: January 9 

• Transfers: March 20 

Late submissions will not be reviewed.  

To submit supplemental music materials, follow these steps after submitting your application: 

1. After your Common Application has been submitted and received by Cornell’s admissions office, activate your Applicant Portal. 

2. Upload your supplemental music materials using the link that will appear on your portal by the stated deadline. The form accepts URLs to videos hosted online, and PDF (for composers only). 

3. Note that Cornell cannot track or acknowledge receipt of supplemental music materials, nor can it guarantee that all submissions will be reviewed.