More information on submitting a portfolio of your work

A strong portfolio should typically include:

• Scores of two-to-four compositions for varied performance forces. PDFs, via our application upload site, are the preferred method for submitting scores (please do not submit notation software files); any scores submitted should demonstrate a student's level of knowledge of musical notation. You should endeavor to make your scores look as close to commercially published materials as possible (in addition to the manuscript, try to include a cover/title page that gives the duration, instrumentation, any relevant performance directions, and a program note). Again, pdfs via our upload site are strongly preferred, but if you are sending hard copies of scores and you wish to have your materials returned, please provide a self-addressed, stamped padded mailing envelope. 
• Recordings of your pieces, if available, should be uploaded along with your scores via our portfolio submission form. It is expected that applicants to our undergrad program will have fewer recordings than a graduate applicant; in addition, not every piece in the portfolio needs to be represented by a recording. Graduate applicants should note that the committee expects you to have had multiple experiences presenting your music in live performance at the time of application. Please note that MIDI or other electronic realizations of pieces should not be submitted in lieu of recordings of live performances unless the realization is of particularly high quality. A poor MIDI realization may create an inaccurately poor impression of your work: a good general rule in this regard is: if in doubt, don't send. The faculty are generally able to assess the quality of your music quite well by reviewing your scores.
• Electronic works or those involving digital media submitted as part of a portfolio are not required to be accompanied by scores. In lieu of a score, a student might upload a brief description of how the work was created, citing specific software used and/or techniques employed.
• Graduate students might find it useful to also submit excerpts of longer pieces: if you are submitting a recording and have editing software which allows you to provide short samples of the most interesting parts (i.e., the "highlights") of your music, you could choose to present your work in this way (choosing 1 or 2 excerpts at most). If including excerpts from longer pieces, make sure you also submit the entire performance recording as well, and be sure to tell the committee what pages in the corresponding score they should look at for the excerpts. 
• Optional: Performance history. This would consist of a list of the pieces you have composed (title, instrumentation, and duration), if and when they were performed (date, venue, city), and by whom. It is usually organized chronologically, and if it includes many works, by genre/instrumentation.
• Optional: CV or resume. This can be a helpful supplement to your compositions and recordings, especially if it highlights additional areas of interest or accomplishment (your experiences as a ballet accompanist, perhaps, or your time spent in a rock band). Focus, if you do choose to provide a CV, on providing information not available elsewhere. CV's should be 2 pages maximum and should give a brief summary of your education and any additional musical activities to date (i.e., compositions premiered, any summer camps or institutes such as Interlochen, Aspen, Tanglewood, Brevard, etc., which you might have attended), and any competitions or prizes which you may have won.
• Optional: composer biography. A good bio gives details of your previous education and your experiences in composition (performances, etc.). If you are a newcomer to composition, more or less, chances are that your bio may not be particularly helpful just yet. If you have won a competition or have participated in summer institutes such as Tanglewood, Aspen, Interlochen, Brevard, etc., this would be important information to include, either in a bio or the CV (see above for CV or resume). The best bios are limited to around 200 words.