My name is Tristan McMichael, and I am currently in my second year at University of the Pacific working toward my Bachelor of Music in Music Education. As someone who has recently applied to music colleges, I’m here to provide you with tips to help you get through the admissions process and ultimately, get into a music conservatory. 

I come from the small town of Quincy, California, where I did not have easy access to private lessons or music colleges, so I understand the struggle of navigating the process of applying for a music college or conservatory. From what to know about admission requirements to how to choose which university to attend, I hope these tips help demystify the application process and give you confidence as you start to apply to music conservatories. 

Tip #1: Know your admission requirements

Applying to college as a music major is like applying to the same college twice because you have your general university application that every student fills out, but then you also have your audition and interviews for the music department separately.

When I applied to school, I applied to three CSUs, the University of Nevada, Reno, and University of the Pacific. The audition requirements for each were completely different, which meant I needed to learn more repertoire and scale patterns for my auditions on saxophone. 

 Tip #2: Have trial lessons with professors

While I was applying to schools, my high school band director recommended that I reach out to the applied professor (the professor who teaches private lessons for a specific instrument) of saxophone at each school and schedule a trial lesson with them. This advice is the best tip I can offer any incoming music major because the applied professor is the one professor a music student will work with closely for their entire collegiate experience. I am incredibly thankful that I knew to do this because it informed my college decision. 

After I had a trial lesson with each professor, I was able to narrow my choices down to three colleges. I ended up choosing Pacific because I really enjoyed the trial lesson I had with Professor Ricardo Martinez, the applied saxophone professor at the Conservatory of Music (and because of the financial aid offer and the amazing music education program led by Professor Ruth Brittin here). Trial lessons are not only a great way to see what professor fits best for you, but they are also a great way to get helpful advice on your audition repertoire and technique to improve before you ultimately audition for your selected universities!

 Tip #3: Practice efficiently for auditions 

Something that I wish I knew when I was preparing for my auditions is how to effectively practice and prepare repertoire. A common misconception is that “practice makes perfect.” This is only true if the repertoire is practiced perfectly. Practice makes permanent, which means that the final product may still contain mistakes. 

In a master class last year, I was told that it takes three repetitions to make something semi-permanent. This stuck with me because if I were to practice something incorrectly several times in a row, it would become a habit, which is hard to break. After this master class, I adjusted how I practice so that I now prioritize accuracy, even if that meant playing passages at very slow tempos. Though this may seem obnoxious at first, it saves time in the long run because I no longer have to go back and try to break bad habits after they are formed. 

A practice journal is a great way to efficiently practice because it helps you to track your progress and plan your practice sessions before they happen. In my experience, going into a practice session without a goal or a specific passage to work on was a waste of time because I always ended up just practicing what I knew already. When I applied to college, I had two pieces of repertoire, two etudes, and 12 different scales to learn between the five schools I applied to. In order to efficiently practice, I would have goals with what I wanted to achieve with the materials and by what date. After each practice session, I would write down a reflection on how I did, along with what I wanted to improve on in the next practice session. This was both a great way to track my progress and to be able to recall what I needed to practice in the following sessions. 

If you would like to learn more about applying to Pacific as a music major, visit our Conservatory of Music admissions page. 

About the author

Tristan McMichael

Tristan McMichael ’25 is a music education major at University of the Pacific. He plays saxophone, flute, clarinet, and various other instruments. McMichael is the co-founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit Plumas Performing Arts and currently serves as the public relations officer. On campus, Tristan serves as public relations officer for the Pacific Pep Band, secretary for Pacific’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education and as the alumni secretary and the conservatory community service committee head for the Mu Eta Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. Additionally, McMichael is a member of the Tiger Team in the admissions office at the University of the Pacific.

You’ve filled out your application. You’ve written, proofread and submitted your personal statement. Now, it’s time to send in your letter of recommendation. If you’re stuck on how to get started, you’ve come to the right place.  

We reached out to Vivian Chan Rendon, Pacific’s director of first-year admission, to learn everything to know about getting a letter of recommendation for college, from what admission counselors are looking for to how to reach out to your teacher or counselor for a letter.  

We also know that sometimes words fail, so we’ve even included an email template that you can send to your potential recommender. Just copy, paste, personalize and send! 

Why are letters of recommendation so important?  

Before we get started, you might be wondering why letters of recommendation are needed in the first place. After all, can’t admission counselors learn everything they need to know from your transcripts, application and essay?  

According to Vivian, letters of recommendation are an important part of evaluating your qualities and potential because they offer additional perspectives and insights.  

“We like letters of recommendation because they offer information from a third-person perspective and from a credible source,” Vivian explains. “For example, if you’re applying as a biology major, a glowing recommendation from your biology teacher will help you stand out. Or a counselor can discuss how they observed your perseverance overcoming challenges in your life.”  

Vivian says this kind of information isn’t usually included in a student’s transcripts or personal essay, so including a letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with your personal qualities can be a crucial addition to your application.  

Who should I ask for a letter of recommendation? How many do I need? 

Guidelines about who to ask for letters of recommendation and how many to send differ from university to university. At Pacific, we require just one letter of recommendation. We prefer letters to come from teachers or counselors, but other people can send in letters under certain circumstances.  

“If students cannot obtain a letter from a counselor or teacher, they can ask their mentor, coach, supervisor, community leader, someone from their faith community or someone they have volunteered with,” Vivian explains. “But not family and friends.”  

When narrowing down whom to ask for a letter of recommendation, think about who is most familiar with you as a person and can attest to your abilities. For example, if you dedicated long hours in high school to a student volunteer club, you might want to ask your teacher or staff supervisor to write about your leadership skills and desire to serve your community.  

You might also consider asking someone who can speak to your ability to succeed in your academic goals. As Vivian explained before, if you’re applying for a science program, for instance, your science teachers could most accurately assess your skills and preparation in that field. 

How should I ask for a letter of recommendation?  

Now that you’ve determined who you want to ask for a letter of recommendation, it’s time to get organized. Here are a few things to do and know before you make your ask.   

1. Make a brag sheet to help your recommender out. You’ll want to give your recommender your resume and/or list of accomplishments/achievements to give them inspiration for what to include in your letter. While you are ideally choosing someone who is familiar with your strengths and accomplishments, it’s always helpful for the recommender to have information to reference as they write.  

2. Make sure your recommender knows deadlines and other relevant information. Along with your brag sheet, make sure to send your recommender the date your letter needs to be submitted. You should also inform them of any special instructions for submitting the letter (you can find more information about Pacific’s process in the “How to submit and final steps” section of this blog post).  

3. Give your recommender plenty of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to request a letter of recommendation. We recommend reaching out at least two weeks before your letter is due—even earlier if you have time. At Pacific, you can submit your letter after you’ve already submitted your application if you need more time, but you should still aim to get your letter in as soon as possible so your decision is not delayed.  

4. Be polite and sincere in your request. It’s always best to ask for a letter of recommendation in person, face-to-face. But if that’s not possible, a polite email is also a great option. You can also ask in person and follow up with details over email. Whichever method you choose, be gracious and considerate of your recommender’s time and energy.

5. Be prepared to write the letter yourself. If your recommender is extremely busy, they might ask you to write the letter of recommendation yourself and let them sign off on it. Or they might ask you to write a draft so they can add to it instead of writing the full letter themselves. Be prepared to go this route, especially if you are asking for a letter with a quick turnaround.  

Letter of recommendation request: email template  

If you’re stuck on what to say, here’s an email template you can use to get started. Just make sure to add your own flair—include why you wanted to ask this specific person and what you hope they can discuss in the letter. If you are close with your recommender, you might also share the impact they have had on your life and why a letter from them would be impactful.  

Dear (Recommender name),  

I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out because I am in the process of applying to colleges, and I wanted to ask if you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf.  

As my (teacher, counselor, etc.) I was hoping you could attest to my (academic, volunteer, personal) skills and abilities. As your (student, mentee, etc.) I have learned so much from you and would be honored to receive a recommendation from you as I take the next step in my academic career.  

I have attached an updated copy of my resume and details on how to submit to this email. I am hoping to submit my application materials by (date). Thank you for considering my request! If you have any questions, please let me know.  

Best regards, 

(Your name) 

How to submit and final steps 

When you’re ready to submit your letter to Pacific, the easiest way to submit is by emailing it as an attachment to admission@pacific.edu, or emailing it to your assigned admission counselor (you can find your admission counselor based on your location on our website). You can have your recommender send the letter back to you to submit, or they can email it to us directly.  

Finally, after you submit, don’t forget to write your recommender a thank you note! Show your recommender that you appreciate the time and effort they put in to help you shine in your application.   

This article is part of the Before You Submit series, where we offer tips to help guide you through the application process. Check out part one to learn more about filling out your application or part two for tips on writing your personal statement.  

If you have any additional questions about applying to Pacific, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 209.946.2211 or admission@pacific.edu. Ready to take the next step? Apply today!