Affordable Music colleges in the city?

Hey, I am a senior looking into college applications and I am probably majoring in music education, although I also want to study performance and/or composition.

For reference I have just below a 3.5 unweighted GPA (around 3.77 weighted), a 33 on the ACT, and I’m a national merit semifinalist. I don’t have the full report yet but apparently for the SAT, I have a 750 in critical reading, a 730 in math, and a 680 in writing. I don’t know if this would effect my amount of scholarship money.

I’ve played the cello with both the Chicago and Elgin youth symphony, I’m in a string quartet, and I’ve done a few summer camps (like Illinois Wesleyan’s composition camp, birch creek and a few others), but I haven’t really won any awards/competitions on the solo cello.

I definitely want to go somewhere in a big city like Chicago (I’m an Illinois resident) or New York with music opportunities. But I can probably only pay a bit more than $11,000 + room and board at most places. I have seen a lot of offers like full rides for national merit finalists, but so far they have only been from colleges in the middle of nowhere. Does anyone know colleges that might be a good fit? Thanks!

I hate to say it, but you are almost too late. Do I read correctly that you are currently a senior and want to apply for fall 2016? Many schools have a December 1 deadline for music applications followed by an audition requirement, better if done live, sometime from late January to March. For some schools, you will need to submit a pre-screen audition before being invited to a live audition. For example, here are links to the University of Illinois Music program and DePaul’s program, neither seems to require a pre-screen:

http://music.illinois.edu/prospective-students/audition-requirements
http://music.depaul.edu/admission/application-process/Pages/first-year-students.aspx

In the Chicago area, there is also Northwestern that offers a music ed degree. Northwestern and DePaul’s cello teachers are highly thought of; I know fine players who have been rejected. You might look into Roosevelt as well.

If Music Ed is your ideal degree, it may not make sense to pay for an expensive private school. My information may be out of date here, but you may find that the University of Illinois Urbana/Champagin is the best all round “deal” as it has historically been a fine school for music ed with a job placement support system. You could check that with your current school orchestra instructor or other school music teachers. Perhaps not a large city, but certainly a large campus with many Chicago area students in attendance.

Have you checked into Wesleyan as well? I know violinists who have been happy there, but don’t know about their music ed offerings or cello instructor. Northern Illinois might also be an option for you, although not meeting your city criteria. I don’t know anything about the cello instructor there.

Do you have a teacher helping you with this process? Perhaps you are much farther into your search than indicated, but the question seems a bit “naive”. Please excuse me, I don’t intend to be offensive, but if you are only now looking, you may be blocked out of many options. Good luck to you.

Check out Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music. It pretty much hits your tuition requirements full pay — and there are some scholarship opportunities. They have a strong faculty and program and could be worth a look.

SUNY Purchase has a later application date, Jan. 15th I think, and is affordable relatively speaking. CUNY’s are a possiblity too.

Any public college or university in Illinois might work financially, though with your stats (well, great scores, if not stellar GP) and music resume you might get some merit aid at a private along with need-based aid. I think you can aim relatively high in terms of selectivity, but as others have said, you don’t have much time.

You might want to consider a BA program rather than a performance BM at this point.

State universities often have music education programs. UMass and UVM for instance. But you would have out of state tuition. You could check Hartt at U. of Hartford. Northeastern. They might have auditions, don’t know if they have prescreens for music ed.

Due to time constraints, a non-audition program might work best for you right now. Check whether schools have prescreens and whether you have missed or are about to miss deadlines.

Check out Colleges that Change Lives online (also a book).

You would qualify for financial aid at many top schools, but try to concentrate on those that don’t have loans.
Every financial aid website should have a net price calculator to see what the cost would be.

One more thought for you. If your ultimate goal is to teach music in a public school, be sure to ask about the placement experience of the graduates before you settle on a college/university.

One of my kids had a good friend from high school - fine pianist and brass player who wanted a small LAC experience. He found what was perfect for him, complete with very nice scholarship. The only problem was when he graduated with a Music Ed degree, none of the Chicago suburban schools where he’d hoped to teach were interested in him at all. After 3 years, he has a teaching job in a Catholic school and with free lancing can just about pay his own rent. I know his experience isn’t unique. School districts often hire from the in-state universities or other well known programs in their areas.

We’ve mentioned this before, but if you’re looking at Music Ed, it makes a lot of sense to attend college in the state in which you are planning to teach. That way, you take the exams there and you’re licensed and ready to go with no worries about reciprocal agreements. When you ask schools about their placement numbers, be sure to inquire about the numbers of students hired to teach in the PUBLIC schools as opposed to those hired for private/Parochial schools (the pay scale for the latter is often quite a bit lower). As Momofadult has pointed out, the Chicago public schools weren’t hiring music teachers and they still aren’t, and it looks very much like that district will be going out on strike soon anyway.
Look at CCPA. Tanya Carey is very well thought of in the “cello world” and you can major in music ed as well.

SUNY Purchase does not have music ed as an option. StringPop’s suggestion for Queen’s College would put you in the city. As of this fall, NYC schools were looking for music teachers (yes, plural!). There was a request for applications in late August that went out through son’s school placement office. As Mezzo’smama recommended, go to school in a state where you want to teach.

I second Tanya Carey at Roosevelt. What about DePauw (small town but unique campus experience imo) and Baldwin Wallace? Both are generous for merit and seemed to have a strong music ed program. I know a little bit about those cello teachers if you want to pan me and there is UNT, which would be a good value with your stats and is known for music ed and I can tell you about the cello teachers.

You probably should just Google potential schools close to where you want to be licensed and email their cello teacher and get a sample lesson and campus tour scheduled. That’s the only way you’d know for sure.

It looks like Potsdam and Fredonia are the SUNY’s with music ed. Sorry "bout that!

Hey, just an update–

So far I’ve applied to DePaul, Roosevelt, University of Cincinnati, Queens College of the CUNY, Brooklyn College of the CUNY, and Adelphi University. It’s not in a great location, but because I’ve heard good things about their program and they might offer a good amount of money for national merit, I’m applying to UCF as well. Does anyone have suggestions for these colleges? Thanks!