How To Get Admitted In A Conservatory In Composition (Bachelor Level)?

I am talking about getting accepted at the bachelor level (university level, higher education), not the teenage level or the kid's level. This question is very general, and I hope you can give general answers, I know every school is different, but, most seem to request certain prerequisites, usually tested with an admission exam.

So, if someone wants to have a good chance of passing the admission exam, what should he know? What abilities and knowledges do they usually expect you to have to pass that test?

What I am trying to find is some list of topics or subjects, along with abilities goals, so I can form a programme of autodidact study, to prepare to be accepted in a conservatory in, example, 3 or 4 years from now.

Again, this is a general question, but if you only know about your local conservatory, that would be welcomed as an answer too.

The more specific the better, when talking about abilities levels and topics, in example: you should be able to play this hard piece in the piano, you should know these topics of harmony, you should know these things about solfege, etcetera.

Thank you very much.

Well, I believe it depends on the conservatory. I was accepted last month (in composition), and the classes have just started. It's a four-years long university-level course in a local conservatoire here, north of Brazil, in a city called Belém.

I recommend you to go there and search for the past exams requirements. They usually inform in some kind of publication all the contents you should study in order to have a good exam. I my case (composition), we had a theoretical test, which included rhythm, harmonic analysis (rudiments), voice leading in 4-part harmony, western classical music history (mainly the eras, some composers and characteristics), enharmonic spelling, intervals, chord progressions and rhythmic-melodic dictation, among other similar things. The following day we had a practical test, in which I had to sight-read a solfege (and it has terrible), play a piece on my instrument (any piece; I played a Chopin's mazurka in C#m), present two compositions of mine, with at least one of them being played live (I played a nocturne of mine on the piano), whlie the other could be played on a CD player (I brought a trio for piano, flute and clarinet, which is BTW posted here).

I got accepted! 1st place!

Here's the description of the AP music theory curriculum and exam.  

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-music-theory-course-description.pdf

If you aren't from the United States and aren't familiar with them, AP courses are taken at the high school level by very advanced students and are supposed to be as difficult as a first year university course.  At the end of the year, you take the official AP exam in the subject and a high grade will often count towards your college courses when you get to university.  Often, passing the exam in high school exempts you from an introductory course at the university level.  Familiarizing yourself with all the subjects and skills here is definitely a good start!  Finding the teachers edition (so you have the answers to all the exercises) of a textbook used for such a course might be helpful.  There are also commercial study guides and practice tests available that you can buy.  There may be an ear test, as well as a paper test, where you will need to identify relationships between notes or types of chords by hearing them, rather than seeing them.  

Other than music theory, music programs generally want you to audition on your primary instrument.  If you are interested in being a composer or to study music history, rather than becoming a performer, the audition is less critically important, but it still matters.  How much would you believe someone who says they want to become a composer, if they never learned to play an instrument?  If you take music lessons, be sure to tell your teacher you are planning on music school, so they can push you to practice.  You'll need a piece or two that you play VERY well to audition with.  There may also be a sight reading test.  

Learning a little bit of music history is a good idea too.  Listen to the works of famous composers so that you can recognize the most famous ones when you hear them and learn a little bit about when they were written.  You don't need to know every detail about everything, but the most interesting ones are good to be at least a little familiar.  Mozart died in the middle of writing which piece?  That sort of thing.  

It all depends on the university. Make sure you triple check what is required of you to apply at ever university and conservatory you want to enter. Some might require you to take a placement exam in music theory and history. They are mostly just for placement but some do require that you pass by a certain percent to gain entrance. Luckily many of these exams are easy and just test if you can read music and chords to a certain extent. Most schools do not require you to know a ton of music theory before coming in because they will teach you that your very first semester. But some schools want you to know a little bit so they can get a running start with you. 

Another thing to check for is if the conservatory in question requires you to play a principle  instrument. Many schools are phasing this out for composers but many still require composition majors to audition on an instrument or voice and even take lessons on said instrument. You need to double check this because it is audition season and for many schools that will be your only chance to get in for the coming fall semester. If they don't require an audition, they might require an interview and/or a submission of a portfolio with a cover letter or letter of recommendation. 

If you haven't already, you might need to take the SAT or ACT exam. Check each schools website on admission requirements to see what the minimum score you have to make on these exams. If their is any exam that you might be require to take, its going to be one of these two as it is a requirement for most if not all universities and conservatories. Exemptions can be made for students from over seas or older students who might have taken it years ago. 

The best thing you can do is email the schools you want to apply to. Ask them what they expect from you. Then build your portfolio with publish ready scores. You really don't need to over study for entrance exams, but you might need to practice if the school you want requires you to audition on an instrument or voice. If their is a music theory or music history entrance exam then study some of the basic info in both. Identify chords, know your scales, be able to read in Treble, Bass, and Alto clefs, and some general music history stuff (style periods, main composers in each, and the different genres like symphony verses cantata).

In most major American conservatories, theory tests play little or no role in acceptance decisions. Acceptance is based mostly on the portfolio you send in of your compositions and on your interview with the faculty.