<p>My daughter visited BU Tufts Boston conservatory brown wellsley and Berklee last week and fell in love with Berklee. She plays violin and studied music technology, theory, modern history, gamelan, drumming and ci waslassical/jazz ensembles this summer. It was hoping to talk her out of music but she now is in love with Berklee. We would not qualify for aid. S
he asked about the summer programwhich is about 12K for the summer with no aid at all.<br>
How does anyone aford Berklee unless you are a prodigy?
Where can I get the inside scoop on theschool since it is not listed as a college on college confidential?
How impossible is it to get in to Colburne?</p>
<p>Berklee in Boston is notorious for being a trade school that’s very expensive and offers very minimal financial aid.</p>
<p>Is your daughter interested in attending for college? Or for enrolling for something during a summer term?</p>
<p>There is a five week performance program, which costs more like $6000, including housing, and that is the program for high school students. The 12 week program (which is the $12K one) offers a full semester of credits, and is not geared towards high school students. There is scholarship money available (we know many kids who have gotten half tuition, to two who got full tuition) for the summer program, but it is still very $$.</p>
<p>There is also scholarship money for the degree programs, but it is usually about $10K for a regular award. When the price of the school is $55K, that $10K is a drop in the bucket. Berklee is also huge, and offers the best opportunities to the absolutely most talented kids (who also get the most money–most of the kids in the top jazz ensemble, for example, are past Grammy Band winners on full tuition or full rides). If you talk to Berklee grads, some are thrilled with their experiences there, and many aren’t (probably true from a lot of schools, but is definitely the case with Berklee). </p>
<p>I think they do an amazing job for certain people. We know phenomenally talented grads from Berklee. But it is a “Buyer Beware” situation, and the amount of scholarship money offered gives a great indication of where a student will sit in that very big pool.</p>
<p>A Colburn link is here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/658955-colburn.html?highlight=colburn[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/658955-colburn.html?highlight=colburn</a></p>
<p>As for the typical applicant pool, the best of the pools at the level of Curtis, Juilliard, NEC, other similar institutions.</p>
<p>Here’s some Berklee titled threads from this forum. There are more, and I’m sure there comments within other posts. This were identified by using the search function, and I linked a representative cross section.</p>
<p>There were a number of posters from last year’s Master list that indicated acceptances. The poster PamelaMaeSnap has a d there. You might want to pm her.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/681474-berklee-music.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/681474-berklee-music.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/624646-question-about-double-major-berklee.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/624646-question-about-double-major-berklee.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/568099-berklee-advice.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/568099-berklee-advice.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/457195-berklee-college-music.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/457195-berklee-college-music.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/737-berklee-college-music-pop-vocalist-hopeful.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/737-berklee-college-music-pop-vocalist-hopeful.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/401316-berklee-school-music.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/401316-berklee-school-music.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/294546-berklee-college-music.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/294546-berklee-college-music.html?highlight=Berklee</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/177837-anyone-have-personal-experience-w-berklee.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/177837-anyone-have-personal-experience-w-berklee.html?highlight=Berklee</a></p>
<p>Added: Go to the Berklee page, and look for the videos of their presidential scholars. These are examples of their cream of the crop. I can’t recall how many they give out in a cycle, but I think the Presidential scholar is full ride, but may be just full tuition.</p>
<p>The Presidential Scholarship at Berklee is a full ride, and the criteria for that and other Berklee scholarships are here [BERKLEE</a> | Scholarships at Berklee | Presidential Scholarship](<a href=“http://www.berklee.edu/scholarships/presidential/default.html]BERKLEE”>http://www.berklee.edu/scholarships/presidential/default.html)</p>
<p>Colburn on violin (with Robert Lipsett) is one of the most competitive programs in the US; it is classical performance only. Lipsett is at Aspen in the summers in recent years, but he mostly teaches his own students.</p>
<p>Futureholds - if your daughter fell in love with Berklee, there is a reason. Please do not let the “trade school” or stingy aid rumors dissuade you from taking a second look. It is an amazing music school, is most definitely not all about jazz, and has strong curricula in all the areas you mention your daughter is interested in. </p>
<p>Allmusic is correct about the 5-week summer program, which we highly recommend for a good taste of Berklee pre-college, and he is also correct about Berklee letting musicians know where they stand based on what kind of merit scholarship they receive after auditioning for admission. The better players get the most merit aid, period. Contrasted to a couple of other schools my son considered that frowned on merit aid in the interest of “promoting cohesion among the musicians” and “not fostering competition.” Berklee lets you know where you stand, and strong musicians are surrounded by plenty of other strong musicians and instructors. There IS competition and lots of it (just like the real world).</p>
<p>I’d also like to take this opportunity (as my son, and also jazzguitarmom’s son, prepare to get started as freshman at Berklee in just a few days), to say that smart, well-educated, exceptional academic students attend Berklee. Students who are in the top 5-10% of their high school classes, take numerous AP classes, and score highly on SATs; students who are class presidents and assume other leadership roles in their schools and communities, who are well-read and interested in world affairs, knowledgeable about things outside of school and even music. Students who were admitted to many high quality colleges, but chose Berklee instead. </p>
<p>It is a little frustrating sometimes (and granted I am in defensive mode as my son prepares to embark on his college career) to see/read, even on this forum sometimes, about the lack of intellectual stimulation at and the trade school description of Berklee. Smart kids who are passionate about non-classical (and maybe non-jazz) music, who do not fit into the conservatory arena, are going to find a real home at Berklee, and they are not necessarily going to be surrounded by a bunch of dunces who know nothing about the world outside of playing their music! My son is looking forward to taking some of his liberal arts requirement classes (those he did not place out of with APs) at some of the surrounding Boston colleges with reciprocation agreements with Berklee (okay, maybe some of the idea is to meet pretty Emerson girls, but nevertheless…) </p>
<p>As an aside (because if I read through the lines it looks like you are at a place I was a few years ago), it’s hard to get to that place as a parent where you are willing to concede the higher academic standards of places where your kid was admitted (and really struggled with in the decision process, by the way) for a place with exceptional music programs but not the best academics, but you do (we did) because that is what my son is all about. He is very, very smart but also very talented. When you spend your parenting life telling your child that if he follows his passion, he will be successful no matter what, it would just be … well, wrong to then put the red light in his way. (Anyway, he got a lot more merit aid from Berklee than the other school, so that helped).</p>
<p>Okay, so now that I’ve said my peace, I do hope you are not dissuaded from exploring all the wonderful music opportunities at Berklee. Merit aid is real and handed out generously for the musicians who earn it. If you don’t qualify for financial aid at Berklee, then you aren’t going to qualify at any other school either. And in that case, then you need to do the same weights & balances exercise that you will do with any college. Do see if you can swing the 5-week summer program, it will be great insight to what the school is like (and can’t help but be great for your daughter musically).</p>
<p>My son will find a place in the music world whether he makes it as a performer or not, because he is motivated, driven, bright and passionate about this life. Same as any scientist who chooses MIT!</p>
<p>I can’t agree more with Guitarist’s Mom about Berklee. Our son had excellent opportunities at some of the top jazz schools in the country. Eyes wide open and with much thought and serious discussion he decided on Berklee.
The fact that it is called a “trade school” by some strikes me as somewhat humorous.
After all- should it not be the mission of the school to turn out successful, working musicians who are well prepared to make a living in the business as it exists today? Isn’t that what a conservatory’s mission is? Guess that makes Julliard a trade school too 
Like Guitarist’s Mom’s son ours was a leader- class officer, numerous AP classes, top 10% of his class, excellent SAT’s and he had many choices.
Berklee was the one that really spoke to him. They offered him a very generous scholarship which was much appreciated but that was not the clincher. What made him decide to attend was the quality of the interraction with the college. From the day of his acceptance (January, which is also a plus) he was touched at least once a week by the school He had professors call, calls from adminstrators, received emails weekly. He was invited to prospective student get togethers and given access to concerts at Berklee. We have 2 other sons who very successfully pursued degrees in the arts and have never seen this kind of attention from another institution.
S is starting Berklee this week- feeling very much valued and a part of the community.
One of the things that we have heard over and over about Berklee is that no one will hold your hand. Its a college for students who are very independent, self motivated and self directed. In the get togethers this summer with Livingston Taylor they stressed that the students are expected to take advantage of the opportunities there. They will not be forced to The guitar studio was cut in half for this incoming class and the admissions folks told us they will be doing that again. Competition will be very tough going forward.
Berklee is expanding their studio space on Mass Avenue. If your D is really interested in Berklee come back and spend some time on campus this fall. Its not for everyone but for some it is the perfect fit.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC ever gets the “trade school” treatment. Or maybe any music-only school, no matter how prestigious, is vulnerable to such a label.</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking that my son would best be suited for an LAC that offers a BM degree – based on discussions with him, and his interest in things beyond music [plus, that would be my own bias] – but he came home from a music camp talking about the New School.</p>
<p>Of course, I also want to maximize his chances for success.</p>
<p>I guess we should visit and see how he reacts, as others have suggested. It’s just an hour from where we live, and there are no LACs that offer a BM that close.</p>
<p>I would not get too wrapped up in the nomenclature, nor worry about a “trade school” label.</p>
<p>One could peg Curtis, Juilliard, Colburn, NEC, or any number of the stand alone conservatories as “trade” schools, with a concentrated focus, and limited “academic” requirements. Their purpose is to provide an environment to allow skilled students to hone, develop, fine tune and display the skills to succeed in a highly specialized area. Being surrounded by peers of comparable ability and of “like mind”, and with access to input from acknowledged “masters of the craft” is a part of it.</p>
<p>Perhaps a more accurate description is a pre-professional/professional program, akin to specialized training in education, law, medicine, technical and scientific fields.</p>
<p>Labels matter not. But that’s just my $.02.</p>
<p>My point exactly. The label doesn’t matter.
Our oldest attended Boston University- trumpet performance major.
We were very anxious for him to have the “conservatory” experience but wanted a good solid academic environment as well. We really thought that BU was the perfect fit for him.
Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way and he ended up miserable and by spring of his sophomore year he decided to transfer. I can’t stress enough ,from our point of view at least, the fit with the teacher is absolutely key to success in a performance situation.
S really admired his prof as a performer and as a person but didn’t “click” with him as an educator.
He has since gone on to finish his performance degree and went on for a masters elsewhere. He is now working as a professional musician and educator.</p>
<p>With our other 2 boys were were very careful to do a lot more hard listening to the tone of the place (the way the admissions folks and profs treat you matters!!) and to feedback from the current students. We spent a lot of time looking at and listening to ensembles etc. If you are one of 12 freshman in the entering trumpet studio your shot at ensemble playing (especially if there are grad school students competing against you) is very limited :)</p>
<p>Its all about fit and you may also find that as you go through the process your student’s preferences will change. By the time they finish this very challenging process they will have worked harder and considerably longer at this than any of their peers in high school, have faced good and bad auditions with humor and grace and shown enormous intestinal fortitude in going on in what can only be considered a grueling marathon of auditions in the very worst of the winter months (of course!) Bet, like me, you will look at your son/daughter with new respect for their love and dedication to this life.
Whatever academic environment they choose its such a thrill to see them follow their passion. Wishing you all the best of luck in the future.</p>
<p>Colburn sees itself as a performance school:
We are a performance school, said Robert Lipsett, who teaches violin and helped map the conservatorys evolution. If you want to be a musicologist, Colburn is not the place. Its for musicians who are going to make their livelihood as performers, at one level or another.</p>
<p>I find that label very interesting – what beyond “performance” does the school emphasize? Can a great performer know zip about theory, composition, etc? I guess it differs for each musician, but my son wouldn’t have considered a school that did not offer a huge array of indepth instruction in all areas of Music (as broadly as that can be interpreted). </p>
<p>Sort of like an athlete choosing a school for his/her sport over the academics – what if the knee gets blown out in preseason training before freshman year, and student can never play again? Will this school offer all the necessary academics for the student to find another path and be successful in chosen career? </p>
<p>Same with a performer who might never get to play his music again – are there enough other areas of music that you are passionate about so that you could find a place in the music world if you couldn’t play? What other skills do you possess that could translate to some involvement in a music career, and does your college offer instruction that lends itself to those other skills?</p>
<p>Here’s a link to the full article quoted by mamenyu:</p>
<p>[Colburn</a> Conservatory of Music prepares the orchestras of tomorrow - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/04/entertainment/ca-colburn4]Colburn”>A melodic playing field)</p>
<p>Apologies if this link is in other Colburn threads - I checked but missed any previous reference, if one exists.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is so true…and so student specific. It is probable that Jazzguitarmom’s son and my son had the same teacher at the same school. This teacher and school worked very well for my son, and not for hers. The private teacher relationship is such a personal one. What works well for one student may not work well for another.</p>
<p>Now back to the topic…we know a number of former Berklee students…some grads and some professional musicians who did not graduate but got great connections through Berklee for music careers. It is an excellent school for the right student.</p>
<p>Colburn admissions, from what I understand, are VERY competitive as noted by others.</p>