Advice for Music Minor or Double Major as part of a traditional college experience?

Just want to repeat what I wrote above :slight_smile:

People will recommend schools known for music but I would caution you that you need to check whether non-BM students losee out with the presence of a BM program. Often the best teachers and resources will go to the BM students. Not always though. Check with the schools (like U Michigan, St. Olaf, Northwestern).

We were in a similar position, when my kid decided in summer 2020 against conservatory, and so we were left with schools with great academics and schools of music. Kid had similar high stats, and very strong music achievement.

Kid’s first criteria was the specific teacher with whom they would study, then academics, location, and some Jewish presence on campus. That really narrowed the list for my kid. They threw in Harvard as an ED because they knew that the conductor and the symphony was amazing, and figured that they could possibly do NEC dual degree if they wanted it, could study with someone in Boston not at Harvard (which doesn’t have performance music majors). Got in, didn’t complete the rest of the pending apps, went there. Extraordinarily happy there, plays music all the time, doesn’t have time to study with anyone but still practices, plays, even went to and placed very high in a competition.

If your daughter wants to continue studying violin, but not be a full on music major in the school of music, she needs to look very carefully at the specific teacher with whom she would study, and her playing opportunities, because as compmom said, she could lose out compared to the “serious” music students.

Harvard is possible for her, depending upon how good she is, with a great music supplement submitted. Their symphony is fantastic.