| Application deadline | March 31, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Limited travel and food aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to some students who demonstrated financial need; award amounts and counts were not published.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application fee: $30. Nonrefundable; applicants with financial need could request a waiver.; 2026 triple-occupancy hotel housing: $0. Included for full-time participants; not provided to local piano or percussion participants in the limited track.; Food during the institute: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Not included; students prepared food in the hotel kitchenette or purchased meals. Limited need-based aid could help.; Round-trip transportation to Washington, D.C.: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Not included; limited need-based aid could help. Local program transportation was covered.; Limited travel and food aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to some students who demonstrated financial need; award amounts and counts were not published.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: For the July program, reside in the United States; Residency: Physically attend high school in the United States; Residency: Remain in the United States for the duration of BWSI; Requirement: Register for the relevant BWSI online prerequisite course before summer consideration; Requirement: Complete the course-specific minimum online work; Requirement: Submit the separate summer enrollment application; Requirement: Meet the selected course's technical prerequisites; Requirement: Accepted students are generally finishing grade 11 and entering grade 12; Exclusion: Current high-school seniors, college students, and students below grade 9 were not eligible for the 2026 July program; Exclusion: Students living or attending school outside the United States could take online prerequisites but were not eligible for the centrally administered July program; Exclusion: Summer course modality and prerequisites vary by course | Ages 15–20; Requirement: Be at least 15 by June 7, 2026 and no older than 20 on June 29, 2026 for the completed cycle; Requirement: Be seriously considering music as a career and able to commit to the full program; Requirement: Audition on an eligible orchestral instrument with the required excerpts and solo; Requirement: Participate in all scheduled institute activities if accepted; Exclusion: Full-time fellowships were not listed for percussion or piano in 2026; locally based percussionists and pianists could apply for specified limited, non-residential components; Exclusion: Housing was not provided for the local piano and percussion tracks; Exclusion: The 2027 age cutoff and instrument roster are not yet verified |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 7, 2026; Ends June 29, 2026; 3.1 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | Online / In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, Remote online prerequisite access | Washington, District of Columbia; Kennedy Center and the D.C. metropolitan area |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Competitive summer selection based partly on prerequisite-course performance, technical preparation, essays, school-supporting information, and recommendation; online prerequisite access is broader. Application materials: Three essays of no more than 500 words each; One teacher or adult-mentor recommendation | Selection: Competitive recorded audition with musical proficiency as the primary standard; essays and one recommendation inform the review, and instrument balance affects selection. No current acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Two essay responses; One recommendation letter |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-10-09Source 5 · checked 2026-10-09Source 6 · checked 2026-10-09Source 7 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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