In SFCM's audition process, many of the areas needed to enroll feature a "prescreening" round (which consists of essays, video recordings of them playing, transcripts, and for composition majors - portfolio of works), including composition, voice studies, strings, conducting, TAC (technology and applied composition)...etc. A student can be denied or accepted based on the pre-screening results. Once the student is accepted beyond the prescreening round, they are called to San Francisco for a final audition to get to know the faculty, and perform for their chosen major's instructor. Once that is clear, the student is either accepted or denied admission into the conservatory. Some areas of the conservatory are more competitive than others, such as composition [which only admits 8–10 students a year out of hundreds of applicants], and the strings department. The faculty values the applicant's personality and musicianship in the auditions.
Directors • Ada Clement and Lillian Hodghead, 1917–1925 •
Ernest Bloch, 1925–1930 • Ada Clement and Lillian Hodghead, 1930–1951 • Albert Elkus, 1951–1957 • Robin Laufer, 1957–1966 • Milton Salkind, 1966–1990 • Stephen Brown, 1990–1991 • Milton Salkind (Acting President), 1991–1992 • Colin Murdoch, 1992–2013 • David Stull, 2013–present ==Notable faculty (past & present)==