This innovative series aims to empower and guide aspiring musicians who are navigating the college and conservatory application process, bridging gaps, providing invaluable resources, and illuminating the intricacies of applications and auditions.
Course Overview
The Collegiate Access for Young Musicians: Application Accelerator Cohort is a national program designed to open doors to collegiate music study for high school students who aspire to pursue professional careers in music. Now entering its third year, the initiative reflects the shared commitment of El Sistema USA® (ESUSA) and Equity Arc to expand access to higher education in music.
Launching in February 2027, the multi-part series will be led by experienced educators, admissions professionals, and musicians. Sessions will cover finding the right college fit, preparing strong applications, planning for successful auditions, and navigating financial aid and scholarships. Alongside building practical skills and resources, students will connect with a supportive network of professionals and hear candid insights about the application experience. The series culminates with a virtual college fair featuring leading conservatories and colleges of music nationwide.
Eligibility
Eligibility & Registration
The Application Accelerator Cohort is open to high school students who intend to pursue professional musical training and who self-identify as experiencing financial, geographical, or cultural barriers to accessing a degree in music. The course is designed primarily for sophomores and juniors.
Parents of students eligible for this course may participate on behalf of their student or together with their student. Program administrators are welcome to observe, though priority will be given to students and parents.
Session Descriptions
Orientation
February 16, 2027
7:00 – 7:30pm ET
Zoom
Meet the facilitator and your cohort, walk through the series schedule and the registration platform, and learn how to get the most from each session.
Session 1: Finding the Best Fit
February 23, 2027
7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Zoom
Discover how to identify and compare college music programs to match your artistic and academic goals. Students and parents will explore what sets each school apart, including degree offerings, faculty, facilities, location, and financial aid, and learn how to build a personalized college list to confidently take the next step in their musical journey.
Session 2: Optimizing Your Application
March 9, 2027
7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Zoom
Gain practical insight and resources for preparing compelling college applications, including writing standout essays and resumes and securing strong recommendation letters. Learn from admissions experts about how to highlight your strengths, manage multiple applications, and present your best self throughout the process.
Session 3: Planning Your Audition
March 23, 2027
7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Zoom
Develop strategies and personalized tools to excel in your college auditions. Explore best practices for repertoire selection, practice planning, and live auditions, with guidance from collegiate faculty and insights from current college students.
Session 4: Financial Planning 1 (Financial Aid)
April 6, 2027
7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Zoom
Understand the essentials of paying for college, from how financial aid is calculated to how to read and compare award letters and make a strong case for support. Hear from a conservatory financial aid administrator who guides students and families through this process every year. The session closes with a short College Fair Prep so you arrive at the culminating event ready with the right questions.
Session 5: Financial Planning II (Scholarships)
April 13, 2027
7:00 – 8:00pm ET
Zoom
Learn how to identify, track, and apply for scholarships, both from your schools of interest and from outside sources, and how to negotiate and appeal when an offer falls short. Hear from a parent who has navigated the process alongside her own musician. The session closes with a Course Recap that brings the series together before the Virtual College Fair.
Session 6: Virtual College Fair
April 27, 2027
7:00 – 9:30pm ET
Zoom
Connect directly with representatives from leading conservatories and schools of music in this culminating event. Learn what makes each participating institution unique and apply what you’ve learned throughout the series while engaging with admissions representatives and faculty from your schools of interest.
Register for the Course
The 2027 Accelerator Cohort is presented in a course format. Participants are expected to attend each session. Please review the session dates below, then follow the link to register for the course.
Registration details will be available in Fall 2027.
Resource Library
The resource library is available to registered cohort members only.
Click here to access the resource library (password required).
“Every talented young musician deserves the chance to pursue their dreams, regardless of the barriers they face. This collaboration with Equity Arc helps ensure that pathways into collegiate music programs are accessible, transparent, and welcoming to students from all backgrounds.” – Elizabeth Moulthrop, Executive Director, El Sistema USA®
Session Speakers
Heather McCowen, Ph.D., Series Facilitator
Heather McCowen, Ph.D., enjoys discovering innovative ways to help individuals understand the college admissions process. Before she became an independent consultant, she served as the Director of Programs at The ChiArts Foundation, where she worked with alumni, developed external partnerships, and ran her own college consulting company. Before her role at the foundation, Heather was the college Counselor, AP coordinator, and testing coordinator at The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts). As ChiArts’s first college counselor, she created the college advising program in 2011 and worked with over 1100 arts students in Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Before this position, Heather was the Assistant. Dean for Enrollment and Student Services for Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where she oversaw all auditions and arts scholarships. She also served as an Associate Dean for Admissions at the Longy School of Music at Bard in Cambridge, MA. Heather has been an adjunct music professor at East Texas A&M Univ., a financial planner for Raymond James, and has admitted students in the arts (all the arts – Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theatre -acting AND musical theatre- Art History and Visual Arts) at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
Zachary Allen
Zachary Allen is a third-year dual-degree student majoring in Oboe Performance and Africana Studies with a minor in Orchestral Conducting at Oberlin College and Conservatory. He is an alumni fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and former Merit Scholar at the Music Institute of Chicago. Zachary was also a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra for four years and served as principal oboe for three years. In 2023 he made his conducting debut at Chicago’s Symphony Center after being named the CYSO Music Director’s Conducting Fellow.
Danielle Arnold
Danielle Arnold has a career in music school admissions which has spanned over 15 years. In her current role as Associate Director of Admissions at the Eastman School of Music she has worked on many student-focused initiatives aimed at improving the experience of applying to music school. She regularly represents Eastman at meetings for professional music admissions organizations including the Music Admissions Roundtable (MAR), and the Independent Consortium for College Admissions in Music (ICCAM). Danielle is currently pursuing a PhD in Education through the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education with a focus on higher education. Her research interests include equity in admissions, meritocracy, systems of oppression in higher education organizations, and the impact of trauma on faculty and student experiences. Prior to this, she earned a Master of Science in Higher Education- Leadership from the Warner School of Education and her Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Stony Brook University.
Alex Powell
Dr. Alex Powell has nearly twenty years of experience in college and conservatory administration. He has recently served as the Dean of Enrollment Management and Aid at the Cleveland Institute of Music, following many years as the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He also led admissions efforts at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and has provided enrollment management consulting to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has given numerous presentations on college admissions in the performing arts and has been a featured panelist at many conferences. He served as an adjudicator for Classical Singer, NEC concerto competitions, Boston Lyric Opera, and VoicesBoston, and has been on panels for hundreds of conservatory auditions. Dr. Powell earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education at Boston University, a Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance at NEC, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Belmont University, and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and Music at the University of Notre Dame.
Elizabeth Perez-Hickman
Venezuelan-American oboist Elizabeth Pérez-Hickman brings a vivid storytelling approach and expressive musicality to her performances across orchestral, chamber, and solo settings. She is a strong advocate for diversity and accessibility in classical music, and she strives to connect audiences of all backgrounds through both performance and community engagement. Elizabeth currently studies at the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship from both MSM and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, under the guidance of Sherry Sylar, Associate Principal Oboe of the New York Philharmonic. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University on the Excellence in Music Leadership Full Scholarship, where she studied with Nicholas Stovall and Melissa Hooper. She graduated and received numerous honors, including the President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts, the Evergreen House Foundation Artist Scholarship, and the Dean’s Grant to record works by minority composers. Her early training began at Interlochen Arts Academy as a full-scholarship student of Dane Philipsen, where she was awarded the Young Artist Award, the school’s highest distinction.
Juliet White-Smith
Juliet White-Smith is an accomplished violist, an engaging and dynamic teacher, and an expert string pedagogue. With a career spanning four decades, she has performed in concert halls as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician throughout the Americas and in Europe, Asia and Africa. She was a featured soloist with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of guest conductor Terje Mikkelsen (Norway). She has been featured as a recitalist and presenter for conferences and congresses of the American Viola Society and International Viola Society at venues in Montreal, South Africa, Thailand and Brazil. White-Smith was a member of the Texas Chamber Orchestra under Sergiu Luca, the Houston Grand Opera under John DeMain, a fellow with the Rochester Philharmonic, and has performed in the viola sections of the Grand Rapids (Michigan) and Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestras. White-Smith’s views on pedagogy, talent, and effective practice have been featured in articles in The Strad, Strings Magazine, Journal of the American Viola Society, and American String Teacher. She has presented master classes throughout the United States and abroad at major music schools including the Eastman School of Music, Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and Mahidol College of Music in Thailand. She has been an invited presenter and master class clinician for the American String Teachers Association, the nonprofit Save the Music Foundation, the 75th anniversary Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa for the International Viola Society Congress in 2009. She has been on the artist-faculty at music festivals in the United States and abroad including most recently the Brevard Music Festival from 2018–2023. In 2025, she joined the artist-faculty at the Cremona International Music Academy and Festival in Italy.
Denise Allen
Denise Allen is the parent of a Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative alumni. She currently serves on the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative Advisory Board and is working to strengthen the sense of community within CMPI with the goal of helping families feel more supported and connected. Denise has also committed to spearheading the Parent Engagement and Education Committee, including a parent book club, social outings, and a mentorship/parent facilitator program where experienced parents provide guidance to families who are just starting their CMPI journey. She is excited to share her experiences navigating the financial aid process. Denise is a former arts administrator having worked with Global Explorer Kids, Art Expo Chicago, and The League of Chicago Theatres. Denise is the parent of a Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative alumni fellow, Zachary Allen who is also a presenter in this series. Zachary is a dual degree student at Oberlin College and Conservatory where he is studying oboe performance and Africana studies.
Denise Gift
Denise Gift is the Associate Director of Financial Aid at the Manhattan School of Music and brings more than twenty years of experience to the field. She began her career as a student worker under the Federal Work Study Program at New York City College of Technology, where she earned an Associate of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences and later graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services. After serving the City of New York as a Child Protective Specialist, she returned to financial aid and discovered that this work is where her passion for helping others truly comes alive. Throughout her career Denise has administered major federal programs including the Pell Grant, FSEOG, Federal Work Study, Federal Loans and Alternative Loans. She has worked in both public and private institutions and is known for her steady guidance, her attention to detail and her genuine commitment to helping students and families navigate the path to higher education.
