The I-20 (or Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) is a document issued by Berklee to show that you have enrolled in the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive for a full-time course of study, and that you have sufficient financial resources to cover your educational and living expenses. The I-20 gives you permission to ...

We do not authorize or partner with agencies or agents for recruitment purposes. We work directly and exclusively with students (and their immediate adult family members, in the case of minors) and expect any enrollment and other required forms to be completed by these same individuals....

Students in our Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive and Summer Programs offered through the Boston Conservatory at Berklee have the opportunity to participate in a live audition and interview for undergraduate admission and scholarship consideration during their Summer Program, depending on their anticipated high school graduation year. De...

ay International students enrolled in Berklee Summer Programs are not required to have a US phone number. However, you may wish to maintain your international phone service or obtain US phone service for your program. While you will ultimately need to research options and evaluate which is the best for you based on your budget and program length, an...

If you are an international student, you are eligible to enroll in or apply to any of our online and/or in-person summer programs, provided you meet the minimum eligibility requirements outlined for that program. English Language Proficiency We do not require proof of English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) as part of the enrollm...

Most of our international Aspire: Five-Week students apply for their F-1 student visa in their home country, as this is where they can display strongest ties; however, some apply in another country (this is called applying as a 'third country national'). It is generally possible to apply as a third country national, although embassies and consulates...

Students who are having trouble securing a visa appointment prior to the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive may be eligible for an emergency visa appointment. The process for requesting an emergency visa appointment varies by location and some consulates will not grant an emergency appointment more than 30-45 days prior to the program sta...

Prerequisites In order to apply for your F-1 visa, you must first have an I-20 issued by Berklee for the upcoming Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive. Timing Your F-1 Visa Application Once you have your I-20 in hand, we encourage you to begin the F-1 visa application process as soon as possible. Visa appointment wait times vary by city and...

To withdraw from a Summer Program, students must email a written withdrawal notice to summer@berklee.edu (for in-person programs) or registrar@online.berklee.edu (for online programs) with the following: Your full legal name The name of the program from which you'd like to withdraw Your student ID number, if available Requests to withdraw will not b...

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of the education records of students. Given that Berklee College of Music is a higher education institution and our summer programs are academic in nature, summer programs students, regardless of age, are protected under this policy. For this reason, we ...

Documents to Have on Arrival in the US When entering the United States, please have the following documentation readily available in your carry-on luggage (do not pack them in your checked luggage): Passport Berklee I-20 form Financial documentation, including proof of program payment and scholarship awards (if applicable) At the port of entry, pres...

The easiest way to confirm that a payment was successful is by referencing the email receipt that should have arrived to you from ACI Payments, Inc. (customerservice@acipayonline.com). The receipt should indicate the date of payment, amount charged, and confirmation number, in addition to other details. Additional Information for Aspire: Five-Week S...

Visa requirements vary by program. Check the requirements for your program below. Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive The US Department of Homeland Security requires that any student who is not a US citizen apply for an F-1 student visa. You may not attend Aspire: Five-Week with a B-1 visa, B-2 visa, or ESTA visa waiver.     All Other Summ...

Be sure to visit the US Department of State website for valuable information to guide you through the process: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html In addition, we have prepared a few tips for you below: Be prepared to speak in English. Keep your answers short and concise, and answer all questions truthfully. O...

Berklee offers opportunities for learning throughout the year. Explore the options below and discover what may be the next step of your journey. Pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Boston, MA Apply to earn your undergraduate degree at Berklee College of Music or Boston Conservatory at Berklee. After you start your application, email admissions@berklee.edu...

In the event you receive a scholarship from Berklee after you have already made payment for your program and this results in overpayment of your bill, we will issue a refund for any excess balance on your account. Refunds in these cases are processed once you begin your program and your scholarship funds are officially disbursed....

Summer Program scholarships awarded by Berklee are only valid for the program and term indicated in your written scholarship award notification. Scholarships may not be transferred or deferred. Additionally, scholarship awards from Berklee cannot be combined; there is a maximum of one award per person, per program....

Many of our Summer Programs do not have a maximum age requirement and while 70-80 percent of students in any given program fall into the 15-18 age range, we also welcome those interested in investing in their performing arts skills as an adult.  Read below for information that may be of interest to adult students. Class Placement Our programs are de...

Institutional scholarships for our summer programs are merit-based and are only available for students in the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive.  If you need funding, we have seen some students find success securing funding from sources such as their school, town, or a local organization or affinity group, including those focused on the ...

Citizens of Canada and Bermuda participating in the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive are not required to apply for an F-1 visa at a US embassy or consulate in advance. However, you must still enter the US in F-1 status to participate in the program (see visa requirements) and will need an I-20 from Berklee and to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee...

The preferred method of payment for your program is via your apply.berklee.edu account.  Payment methods available through your account include credit card, debit card, and e-check. All major credit cards are accepted for payment (e.g., Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express). Note that credit and debit card payments are subject to a 2.95 perc...

Each summer program has a limited capacity and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can secure your spot by paying in full for your intended program via the apply.berklee.edu portal. Registrations/applications open annually by early November and remain open until the corresponding payment deadline or until the program fills,...

If you would like to stay connected with Berklee, we encourage you to consider the following: Learn about upcoming events and stay connected with the Berklee Summer Programs community via Instagram and Facebook. Write to us if your contact information changes to continue receiving future promotions available exclusively to Berklee Summer Programs al...

No matter what your age or level of experience is, if you're passionate about music, theater, dance, entrepreneurship, production, or composition, there is a Berklee Summer Program for you. We regularly host more than 2,500 students each summer who join us from more than 70 countries and all 50 states of the US. The common thread among all of our st...

Some students and families have reported that our emails get filtered to their spam or promotions folder, and/or they would like multiple email addresses to receive communications. See below for tips on ensuring that you and anyone else you would like copied receive email communications from our team. Note that the instructions provided above are fo...

Students who are currently studying in the United States in F-1 status may or may not need an I-20 issued by Berklee, depending on whether they will return to their current school following the Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive. I will return to my current school after Aspire: Five-Week If you are currently studying in the US in F-1 stat...

If you attended the current year's Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive and have now been admitted to a new US school, it may be possible to transfer your F-1 SEVIS record from Berklee to your new school. There are a few benefits to a SEVIS record transfer, including: You do not pay the I-901 SEVIS fee again You can remain in the US between...

In the event that you are denied an F-1 student visa, you are entitled to receive the reason you were denied in writing. Remain calm and politely ask for this documentation from the consular officer, along with a list of documents that you could present at a future interview to help you overcome the denial. You should email this information to summe...

If you believe that you enrolled in a program and wish to confirm your enrollment, there are a few ways you can tell whether your space is secured, depending on the program. Note: The information below applies specifically to tuition payments. On-campus housing reservations are done separately. A message of Full Program Balance received or You have ...

If you are considering purchasing health insurance specifically for your Summer Program, be sure that it will cover you in the US and in the specific state where your program will take place. While we cannot recommend a specific provider or plan, some previous students have used the following: Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk IMG Seven Corn...

Visa appointments are limited and visa processing times can vary widely, even within a particular country. The US Department of State maintains a website where you can view estimated wait times by visa type and city: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html Note that wait times may change as your...

No fee waivers are available institutionally for the non-refundable $50 registration or application fee, and Summer Programs do not qualify for NACAC application fee waiver requests. Interested students should plan to cover this $50 cost per enrollment....