Thank you for your interest in The Walden School
Young Musicians Program (YMP) 2024

Everything you need to apply for YMP 2024 is provided below, and complete application instructions can be downloaded here. A copy of this message will also be sent to the parent or guardian email address provided.

Please email us at applicants@waldenschool.org for assistance with the application and admissions process. We look forward to receiving and reviewing your application.

Deadlines
For consideration in the spring admissions round, applications are due by 11:59pm Pacific Time on April 1. For new applicants, the required teacher recommendation can be submitted after the deadline.

Applicants for the Lance Reddick Scholarship should submit a program application and financial aid application (see below) with all required documents by April 1.

The online program application can be found at the link below:

Young Musicians Program 2024 Application

Here is the URL for your convenience: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YMP24

New applicants: In addition to short answer questions about you, your interests, and your musical background, the following items will be requested on the application. We recommend reviewing the requirements, preparing the applicant essay, parent/guardian statements, and supplementary materials in advance, and then completing the application. Returning applicants (student who have already attended YMP) are not required to submit a teacher recommendation, essay, or parent statements.

Please note: The program application must be completed by the student and a parent/guardian together.

  • Teacher Recommendation: The applicant should download a teacher recommendation and give the form to a recommender. The recommender should return the completed form and letter of recommendation to The Walden School.
  • Applicant Essay: Applicants are asked to submit a short essay (approximately 200-500 words) that will help the admissions committee develop a broader picture of your personality, talents and interests. Topics for this brief personal statement could be autobiographical in nature, provide more information about your musical and creative interests, and/or can answer questions such as why you want to attend YMP.
  • Parent/Guardian Statements: The applicant’s parents or guardians are asked to submit two statements addressing the student’s ability to live and thrive in a summer camp community away from their home. The two prompts, and the applicant essay prompt, can also be found here.
  • Supplementary Materials: The Walden School welcomes any additional materials you would like to send with your application. These might include recordings or scores of original music, certificates of merit or awards, samples of non-music related projects (poetry, photography, artwork, other creative work).
  • Application Fee ($55, non-refundable)

Please see the YMP 2024 Program Fees & Deadlines for details about application deadlines, program fee descriptions, and payments. Download a Financial Aid Application if you will be applying for need-based financial aid.

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at applicants@waldenschool.org or at (415) 587-8157. You can also stay in touch with Walden by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and hear music from past Walden programs on our Bandcamp page.