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Conservatoire Application Timeline 2027

Oct 24
8 min read

Updated: Oct 30


Let’s get organised! Here’s the timeline you need for applying for Conservatoires 2027.

This process is so exciting but it can also be confusing and tiring. So grab a cuppa and I'll take you through all the stages you need to know about for the next year.


Side note: If you are a recent student or parent who has recently done this process, please get in touch if you have any feedback about this post - thank you!



Good to know:


  1. The first thing to note is that you can apply for both UCAS Conservatoires and UCAS Universities at the same time. This means that if you haven’t decided which institution you’d like to go to or want to keep your options open, you can. (YAY!)

When you decide whether University or Conservatoire is best for you, you can cancel the other form without it affecting the choices you’ve made (this was a relief when I worked this out!)


e.g. you’ve accepted a place at a conservatoire and you’ve cancelled your University UCAS application, this won’t affect your place at the conservatoire. Make sure to do this carefully and you can phone UCAS to make it easier if necessary (this is what I did a couple of years ago and it made it very easy)


  1. The second thing to know is that the Conservatoire deadline is much earlier than UCAS Universities. As written on the UCAS website: for 2027 entry, applications opened on 9th July 2026 and closed on 1st October 2026. For 2028 entry, this date will be in a similar place – don’t panic though you usually have till late September to submit your application as you can see above.


Deadlines


The deadlines for 2027 entry conservatoires application are:

Music Courses – 1st October 2026 (18:00  UK Time) (Sadly this has now passed but please look below if your plans have changed and you missed this date)

Most Undergraduate drama, dance or musical theatre courses – 13th January 2027 (18:00  UK Time)

Final date for 2027 entry for conservatoire applications – 23rd September 2027 (18:00  UK Time) - this is the complete final deadline for 2027 but most applications should be submitted by October 1st. - https://www.ucas.com/events/final-date-for-2027-entry-applications-477566


For those of you looking to apply this time next year, it’s really important if you are considering to apply to get your entry in before the deadline. However as I said earlier, don’t panic if you miss this date if your original plans have changed.

Some conservatoires continue to accept applications (especially from international students)  so contact the conservatoire admissions team before you apply to check if they’ll consider the application.


Application form


This form is done through UCAS Conservatoires and as UCAS says: “There’s quite a bit to fill in, but you don’t need to do it all at once – you can save your application and sign back in at anytime”. With this in mind, if you can, try to start earlier than necessary and save yourself the stress of doing it last minute.


Someone working on their laptop at a cafe

The form has 9 steps to complete which are:

1.   Register with UCAS

2.  Complete your profile

3.  Add your previous education

4.  Add your previous qualifications

5.  Select up to 6 courses to apply for

6.  Write your personal statement

7.   Nominate your referee (this is someone who writes about and credits your talents in music and as a person which reinforces what you have written about in your application)


8.      Read the declaration

9.      Pay application and assessment fees  


Much of the information I am giving you about the application form is from this great article from UCAS Conservatoires. On this article you’ll find their step-by-step guide for doing the form for applying to conservatoire as well as more detailed information: https://www.ucas.com/conservatoires/applying-through-ucas-conservatoires

 


Costs - Good to know

This is what UCAS Conservatoires say:

There is an application fee of £34.50 for the 2027 entry cycle and usually a fee for each audition. These are mostly paid for when you submit the application form although not always as sometimes you pay the conservatoire directly and sometimes you don’t need to pay instantly. Also, if you are a care leaver or a student who has received free school meals you can also use this link above (near the bottom) to check if you are eligible to have the application fee waived.


Auditions


Some conservatoires prefer to do auditions online and some in person. And sometimes you get the choice of what you’d prefer. But when you are considering applying, find out as soon as you can if any places require a video audition.


This is because you want to make sure you book an accompanist/ band to play with in plenty of time so they can be free to play with you. Plus you might want to book a room to play in for your acoustics and so you are comfortable! If this means your living room then that’s perfect too.


Both audition types sometimes have specific music or specific requirements (e.g. jazz your own arrangements) that you are asked to perform but this will change depending on which conservatoire you are applying for.


Make sure to check your specific requirements and you can use my free Conservatoire Comparison Spreadsheet so you can put all of this information in one place!


For example, when I applied, one of the conservatoires I applied for required me to play a set piece that they had chosen. So I then included this piece at my other auditions as it meant I wasn’t trying to learn more pieces then I needed to at an already busy time.


Audio for auditions

If you have a specialised microphone to record audio with for your audition then you might as well use it if you can. But don’t panic buy one if you don’t have one! Most people don’t have this and conservatoires know this, don’t expect you to have one and don’t expect a studio level recording.

Have a look at this article from RNCM about recorded auditions but make sure to check each conservatoire you are applying for to make sure you reach all their requirements for recorded and live auditions.



I would recommend recording your video sometime between late August to mid September to give yourself enough time to prepare your repertoire and give yourself enough time to upload the video. This also gives you plenty of time to practice for it but doesn’t leave recording it close to the deadline. Feeling stressed often doesn’t help our playing be better so having this video recorded earlier than needed may prevent you a lot of stress.


Top Tip: Try to upload the video a few days before the deadline in case there are any issues in uploading it.


In Person Auditions

These are often between October – December and the Admissions team will get in touch to tell you if you have an audition and when that as date is. You will most likely have an interview on that day too. Soon, I’ll be releasing a post with my tips on how to deal with nerves and some questions that might come up in the interview!


Offers

This completely depends on the institution and department. Some places may give out offers on the day, some the next week and some the next month. This all depends on a number of factors so try to stay calm and remember: You’ve done the best you can!

They offers often happen in the October to December window too but not always.



Make sure to check the link below to the UCAS article which tells you when your deadline for replying to UCAS is with what your decision is. This will be different everyone because this deadline depends on the date in which you received all your decisions.

For example, if you receive all your decisions by 7 January 2027, you need to reply by February 9th.


 

Offer Holder Days

An Offer Holder Day is a day run by many institutions to show you why you should go to their conservatoire. You might have a tour of the institution, a consultation lesson with a teacher that plays your instrument and watch a current class perform at the conservatoire but it all depends on the conservatoire.


Women chatting to other people at an event

These often happen in January as many people have received their decisions by mid January (but not everyone!)


It’s a great time to meet other students and visit the city. Remember, if you are trying to decide where to go or if to go to a conservatoire, think about if it feels right for you!

Have a read of my article: How do you choose the right conservatoire to apply for? Which gives you some options to think about to decide if this is the right thing for you/ the right place.


Offer holder days all often happen in January as the deadline for deciding which place you will accept is around then (see the link above!) As I've mentioned above in the 'Offers' section, this date depends on when you received your offer so check use the UCAS article linked above to check carefully when yours is!

 

Finding Accommodation


Many institutions have specific accommodation for 1st year students. They will most commonly send out a sign up link or more information once you have accepted your offer. But all the admissions teams are there to help you so if you are worried about this, contact them as they are likely to be able to help you.


However, in some cases (particularly London) this may not be possible. So if you accept a place (particularly in London), it may be a good idea to ask around friends to see if anyone is also moving to London at a similar time, just in case you can’t get a place with the designated student accommodation.


Again, if you are worried about this, contact the admissions department and see if they can give you any help. Unfortunately, not everywhere has places for everyone to stay so it can be a good idea to have a back up plan.


Moving in!

This often happens from mid August to mid September depending on your institution and accommodation and it’s one of the most exciting parts of this timeline! Make sure to take some decorations, photos and a snack you like to eat from home to make it feel like yours.


First Day

These are often late August – mid September but take a look at your emails/ the website of the institution you’ll be attending and check this carefully.



Conclusion

There’s so much to think about and organise when looking at the Conservatoire Application Timeline, I understand that it can be overwhelming and very tiring.


Just remember to take a deep breath, remember why you are applying and keep believing in yourself! You can use this post as a checklist for yourself and I hope this post makes this process a bit easier to understand.


Don’t forget, you can always email me at conservatoiresguideuk@gmail.com too and if I can help, I will!


References









This article is based on my research, own views and personal experiences and includes those of my contacts, please use this as part of your own research and make your own judgements for what is best in your as everyone's circumstances are different.

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