The Pros & Cons of AI for Music School Admissions

By Karen Kerr

Over the past year, we’ve noticed a new trend during conversations with parents. They’re no longer just asking about auditions, prescreenings, or how to build a balanced school list. They’re asking about AI.

• “Can AI help us research music schools?”
• “Can it tell us which schools are the best fit?”
• “Should my student use AI to help write essays?”
• “Can AI help us prepare for auditions?”

The truth is, we think AI can be a useful tool during the music school admissions process. In fact, many of the families we work with are already using platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews to gather information before they ever speak with us.

And that’s not a bad thing. Used correctly, and taken with caution, AI can save families time in research and help them become much more informed about the admissions process.

However, after helping hundreds of students navigate music school admissions over the past 15 years, we’ve also learned something AI simply can’t replicate. Information is only part of the process. Good decisions come from experience.  And no one has more experience in this field than Steve Lipman and Karen Kerr.

Where AI Can Be Helpful During the Music School Admissions Process

Ultimately, AI can quickly explain unfamiliar terms, compare degree programs, summarize admissions requirements, organize timelines, and point you toward top schools and programs you may not have considered. If you’re just beginning your music school search, AI is an excellent way to get oriented and start asking better questions.

Many families also use AI to:

• Compare Bachelor of Music programs.
• Learn the differences between conservatories and universities.
• Understand prescreening video requirements.
• Build application timelines.
• Create packing lists for audition trips.
• Generate interview and scholarship questions for admissions representatives.
• Brainstorm essay topics.

Where families sometimes run into trouble is assuming that because AI can answer questions, its answers are always accurate and it can make admissions decisions. However, that’s where things become much more nuanced, and exactly why Inside Music Schools can help through personalized music school admissions consulting.

AI Can Gather Information. It Can’t Evaluate Your Student.

One of the most common questions we hear is:

“Is my student competitive for these schools?”

That’s not something AI can answer, and certainly not with any real confidence or knowledge.

Music school admissions aren’t based solely on GPA, test scores, or a list of accomplishments. Every student’s musicianship, artistic maturity, technical development, career goals, and personality create a unique picture.

The same is true when building a school list. Two students pursuing the same major may end up with completely different recommendations based on their current level, interests, learning style, financial priorities, and the type of studio environment where they’ll thrive. That’s why there is no reliable universal list of “best music schools.” There are only schools that are the best fit for a particular student — and that’s where we come in.

Music School Admissions Require More Than Public Information

AI can be a valuable research tool, but it doesn’t always get it right. It can only work with the information that’s publicly available, and that information isn’t always current, complete, or accurate. School websites and admissions staff are the only truly accurate sources of information about a particular school’s processes, requirements, timelines, and application details.

This is where experience and direct connections with music schools make all the difference. We’ve spent years building relationships and regularly meeting with conservatory and university admissions representatives. Those conversations help us stay current on how programs are evolving, what schools are looking for, and the nuances that often don’t make it onto a website, let alone show up in AI.  It’s the kind of firsthand insight that comes from being actively engaged in the music admissions community—not just researching it online.

That insight, combined with our experience as former Directors of Admissions at competitive music programs (Berklee, Indiana University, University of Michigan, University of Miami/Frost) and years spent reviewing applications, portfolios, and sitting in on thousands of live auditions gives us a unique perspective on what makes a student competitive. We help families look beyond published requirements to make more informed admissions decisions by understanding what schools are really looking for, how programs differ beneath the surface, and which opportunities are the best fit for a student’s goals and aspirations.

That firsthand perspective helps us bring value AI simply can’t:

• We know how programs have evolved.
• We understand the strengths of different faculty members and studios.
• We recognize when a student would benefit from a larger university environment versus a smaller conservatory setting.
• Sometimes we even know that a program which looks perfect online (or in AI’s feedback) may not actually be the strongest choice for that student’s goals.

Those are the kinds of conversations that happen every day with the families we advise. They’re based on years of firsthand experience—not internet searches.

AI Can’t Replace an Experienced Set of Ears

This is especially true when students begin preparing their application materials. AI can certainly suggest repertoire ideas or explain what a prescreening video is. It can summarize essay prompts and even offer feedback on grammar or organization.

What it can’t do is evaluate the artistic choices that often make the biggest difference during music school admissions.

For example:

• Is this repertoire truly showing the student’s strengths?
• Would another piece better demonstrate technical ability or musical maturity?
• Does the prescreening video communicate confidence and professionalism?
• Is the audition repertoire balanced for the schools on the student’s list?
• Is the portfolio presenting the student’s strongest work—or simply the most recent?

These aren’t questions with objective answers. They’re artistic judgments.

Over hundreds of admissions cycles, we’ve learned to recognize the subtle adjustments that can significantly strengthen a student’s application. Sometimes it’s changing one piece of repertoire. Sometimes it’s reordering a portfolio or making simple tweaks to a production. Sometimes it’s helping a student communicate their story more authentically in an essay. And sometimes it’s encouraging a family to rethink their school list and consider other school options before application season even begins.

AI simply doesn’t have that level of intuition or perspective.

Use AI as a Tool—Not as Your Admissions Advisor

We know AI is here to stay, and that may be a good thing. Families should take advantage of the speed and convenience it offers. It’s a convenient way to learn about music school admissions, organize information, and become a more informed applicant.

But when it’s time to make important decisions—where to apply, how competitive a student really is, which repertoire to choose, how to strengthen a portfolio, or how to prepare for auditions — there’s no substitute for experienced, individualized, personal guidance.

That’s where Inside Music Schools excels.

Our expert guidance is based on experience, communication, and collaboration, not a general one-size-fits-all AI summary. Our role is to provide the perspective, judgment, and individualized guidance that technology simply can’t offer.

The goal has never been to submit more applications or check more boxes. It’s to help each student find the right music schools, present themselves at their highest level, and move into auditions with confidence.

If you’re using AI to research music schools, you’re already off to a great start. When you’re ready to turn information into a strategy, we’d love to help. Reach out to us.

In the meantime, download our Music School Admissions Roadmap. We think it’s one of the best planning tools you’ll find for organizing your music school journey from start to finish. Sure, we’re a little partial—but after spending the last 15+ years helping families navigate this process, we figure we’ve learned a thing or two. We hope it helps make your journey a little less overwhelming and a lot more successful.