Music School Central - College CounselingReviews of musicschoolcentral.com

Though our daughter attended an arts magnet high school, our familiarity with music programs at the university level was rudimentary. We began the search for college and university music programs on our own, knowing that she wanted to focus primarily on Classical Voice and Opera, and that she did not want a traditional conservatory environment. We did our preliminary research on top music schools for voice on the internet (much of what we found came from Bill's site anyway) and toured 7 target schools in April of her junior year. By the end of summer we'd decided we needed assistance for two main reasons; one, to provide a neutral (non-parent) third party to help keep our daughter on track with the multiple deadlines, essays and required audition materials; and two, to "validate" or give outsider, expert feedback on the schools we were aiming for and how to classify them in terms of competitiveness. Bill did both in an expert, approachable and professional manner. He is an excellent communicator and was able to crystallize what our daughter was seeking and provided a clear roadmap for how to proceed. He involved a university faculty member in our daughter's area of interest to help assess and evaluate her voice and get a clear sense of where she should target her applications. Having an experienced and adept consultant put us at ease since it was our first go-round with college applications and also in such a specific area. The entire process went smoothly and Bill was incredibly encouraging to her throughout. While we believe our daughter would have been happy at any of the schools she applied to, she was admitted early decision to her top choice (Northwestern University/Bienen School of Music), and we all are thrilled with the outcome.

Our son has been a musician his entire life, but he did not follow the traditional track for classical music. As he entered the winter of his Junior year in high school, we felt overwhelmed trying to understand the process of applying to the right school. - even the correct major. We knew he wanted to stay on the East Coast (or at least not the West Coast), but understanding where he would fit in and thrive - as well as the portfolio requirements for each school—seemed daunting. Finding Bill was an immediate relief. Bill's calm demeanor immediately put us at ease with his knowledge and professionalism. He listened, allowing our son to feel more comfortable and confident by truly processing what he was saying before offering opinions. This immediately included setting up meetings with folks who work in some of the Conservatories our son was considering. The advice and feedback consistently boosted his confidence throughout the process, reducing stress and allowing our son to focus on his portfolio. Our son applied to Oberlin, Bard, Manhattan School of Music, Peabody, Eastman, Vanderbilt, Boston Conservatory and New England Conservatory. He received audition invitations from all but one school. In the end, he released some audition spots because he had offers from his top choices, including significant scholarships from all of them. Bill was integral in bringing out the best in our son, making the tasks seem doable, focusing on priority items, and being available whenever needed throughout the process. There is no doubt we would be in a much different situation if we had not found Bill. In the end, our son chose Bard Conservatory of Music with a major in Music Composition. Hands down this is the best investment we have made prior to college.

Thoroughly recommend! Bill helped every step of the way - building a strong list, navigating auditions and interviews, building a portfolio, essays. He made the process as pain free as possible. Our son was accepted to many schools on his list. Thank you BIll!

We came to Bill looking for assistance with our daughter's application process. As Canadians, the US system was overwhelming to say the least. Our daughter, a songwriter, was looking for assistance in selecting the best schools and help navigating the process, and the portfolio submissions. Working with Bill, we found much more than that. Bill was intimately familiar with the various programs out there, and how they differed from one another including differences that one might not glean from reviewing online materials and reviews. He helped our daughter prioritize the things important to her and match those with the various schools. Bill's assistance and expertise however did not end there. He helped finetune her songwriting skills, helped her understand what the adjudicators would be looking for, and helped guide her choices for her portfolio submissions. Bill also made us aware of a contest that he felt our daughter should enter based on the strength of the material she had provided to Bill. She entered the contest, the largest such contest in the world, and WON! In the end, our daughter was admitted to the school we felt was undoubtedly the best choice for her. We would not hesitate to recommend Music School Central, and Bill, to guide your family's most important choice of where to spend the next four years. Bill was always professional, prompt, responsive and personable. His depth of knowledge of the various programs and offerings out there is unmatched. We were thrilled with the process, and are thrilled with the results having worked with him.

Without hesitation, I can say that finding and hiring Bill was the single BEST decision we made as a family before starting the college application process! If you are parents of a musician student, look NO further and trust that Bill is worth every penny. He not only knows the process inside and out, but he helps relieve an enormous amount of stress and pressure from the student and from the parents. He sets proper expectations, and I love that he gives honest and straight-forward feedback. He may not tell you what you want to hear; rather, he tells you what you NEED to hear. I honestly cannot imagine going through an intense college application process without Bill. With BOTH our daughter's hard work and Bill's step-by-step guidance over 9 months...Our daughter received a scholarship to her top choice school!

Our family is so grateful to have found Bill! The outcome was that our son was accepted to his dream school, the University of Michigan, to study Audio Engineering. This simply would not have happened for us without Bill. Our son is a strong student and a multi-instrumentalist musician. However, he found his interest in production and audio tech late, in spring of his junior year of high school. Though he’s in a great private school, their in house college counseling simply did not have the expertise to help with admissions in such a specialized area. And we were getting a late start. After considering several private music admissions consultants, we selected Bill. And I am so happy we did! Bill worked closely with us and our son to create a list of target schools, he guided our son in creating his required music admissions portfolio and gave expert feedback on the portfolio, essays and more. Bill provided a mock interview and mock auction for our son with actual professors at U Michigan and the Berkelee School of Music. As a result, our son’s application was as strong as it could be, and he felt confident going into the auditions/interviews. Not only was our son accepted to his top choice college, U Michigan, but he was also accepted to his second and third choice schools, U Miami and Georgia Tech. None of this would have been possible without Bill. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

We are so lucky to have found Bill. Our son found his passion for classical piano late and had little formal training, but Bill never saw that as a limitation. He patiently connected us with the right instructors, set up practice auditions, and even personally trained our son in music theory so he could stand shoulder to shoulder against more experienced peers. What stood out most was how thoughtfully Bill tailored everything to our son’s unique needs—for example, our son wanted strong music programs AND the freedom to study biology or engineering alongside it. Bill pivoted with us, crafting a thoughtful school list that matched perfectly. The result? Our son is not just better prepared for applications, he is a stronger and more confident musician because of Bill. His dedication, insight, and personal investment in every student set him apart - a mile higher than the others.

It was August, and we were running against time. College applications were due November 1, and we were overconfident parents of a son who dreamed of becoming a professional singer/songwriter. He had the talent, motivation, and drive, but what he needed was a steady hand to guide him step by step, someone who could push him to work hard while still giving him the freedom to make his own choices. He wanted a mentor who was professional, methodical, and driven, someone who could get things done on time. That person was Bill. Our family had never ventured into the world of music education before, as he is the first in our family to study music, so we had a steep learning curve ahead of us. Bill not only knew the process inside and out but also genuinely cared. Early on, he created a shared document that served as a detailed roadmap of all the schools we were targeting, complete with important deadlines, requirements, and next steps. Each week, he would assign “homework” so that we could chip away at the process in a structured, step-by-step manner. This kept us on track, made the overwhelming process manageable, and gave our son a clear sense of progress. Bill was responsive, willing to spend extra time answering questions, and patient in clearing up the inevitable doubts that arise (and trust me, you will have lots). We loved his outlook, organization, follow-ups, and sense of ownership. He provided the right balance of encouragement and accountability, making sure deadlines were met without ever losing sight of our son’s artistic vision. Thanks to Bill’s guidance, he was accepted into his dream school, Berklee College of Music, with a generous scholarship. We could not have asked for a better partner in this journey. Bill is the best person you can entrust your child with for music college consultation, and we wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking the very best guidance in this field.