<p>Title says it all folks. If you want a real education. Do not go to Berklee. Just read through all the stories on this site. It used to be a good school,... not anymore. Its all smoke and mirrors. Money Money Money.</p>
<p>Do you have any details?</p>
<p>You sound mad.</p>
<p>Berklee is like any other big school. There are amazing opportunities if you are willing to take advantage of them but it is also not the most nurturing environment and if you need a lot of guidance and hand holding it might not be the right school for you. I could probably fill many posts with Berklee success stories. These are kids who went to Berklee knowing they were going to have to work hard and put in the time and make use of the connections Berklee provides if they were going to pursue their dreams. Here are just three recent stories of current (2012-2013) Berklee grads that I know.</p>
<p>A friend’s son transferred from Northeastern to Berklee and did performance and sound engineering. In his time at Berklee he learned enough programming to support himself by being a tech person. And at night he gigs around Boston with the band he formed while at Berklee. </p>
<p>I recently saw a post from one my kids about a boy that my oldest two knew who graduated from Berklee. The boy was an OK musician but not a great musician when he entered. He now is out in the bay area with his band and according to both my kids their band is making amazing music that is getting noticed. This kid is on his way to becoming a successful musician. </p>
<p>My kids know another boy who transferred from MSM to Berklee who is now working as a music educator and also performing in local groups. He too is what one might call a successful musician.</p>
<p>as for Money…when my son attended the Berklee 5 week a group performed the song “Paycheck”. It was the best version of that song I have ever heard and my DH still talks about how much he enjoyed it.</p>
<p>I find this section of the comment the most interesting:
</p>
<p>From an acceptance standpoint, I believe the opposite is true 
Used to be easy to get into…now not so much.</p>
<p>OP, if you’d like to participate in this discussion group, perhaps you could share specifics about what made you unhappy with your Berklee experience. That might be helpful for other prospective students and serve as a caveat. This discussion board is all about learning through the experiences of others – with of course, a grain of salt. But categorical condemnations without data are pretty much just plain slander ;)</p>
<p>My guess is that the OP just got a rejection letter from Berklee.</p>
<p>Seriously…at one point or another I have heard this about school, music or otherwise. Oh well.</p>
<p>I have heard stories like what the OP posted from time to time, and I think it’s a good item for discussion on CC. After all, the schools themselves are not going to put negative information on their websites.</p>
<p>A clarinet player who goes to my daughter’s school applied to all the Boston schools, Eastman and several more schools of that caliber. My daughter was surprised because she doesn’t think he is very good–although one never knows, he could suddenly develop in the future. He was rejected everywhere but Berklee, and one in-state school. He told my daughter he doesn’t plan to go to Berklee, since he doesn’t want to risk paying so much money and perhaps getting cut from the school.</p>
<p>I don’t have a dog in this race–my daughter did not apply to Berklee and has no plans to do so in the future. But I find it interesting that I only hear stories like this from this one school, not others. Certainly there are players who take advantage of the amazing opportunities this school must offer and succeed. But what happens to the other students?</p>
<p>I think that the problem with the post of Musicteacher10 is that it is not a story. It is a statement without context. Such a statement has little probative value. It’s possible the OP is a music teacher that is tired of the teacher’s students not getting the best from the school. But witout context, it is a mere rant, perhaps a warning. Of what, however, we do not know.</p>
<p>Musicteacher … can you share more details? Did you attend Berklee, apply to Berklee or teach at Berklee? Any background will help us understand where you are coming from to post a negative comment. If you applied, did you get in? Please tell us more.</p>
<p>Berklee can attract some people that think the audition process is like American Idol or similar … unfortunately, the audition process requires not just talent, but education and experience that comes from many years of practice and training. If you went into the audition process or the application process expecting to get discovered, then it can be a very disappointing experience if you didn’t put in the practice and training ahead of time. If you went in and were prepared, but didn’t get a full ride, then that is an expectation that can only be disappointing as well.</p>
<p>I hope you post again and tell us why you concluded what you did.</p>
<p>p.s. I just realized that MusicTeacher has only made one post exactly … must have been feeling strongly to make a login ID just to slam Berklee.</p>
<p>My son attended Berklee this school year. He is a cello/composition student. He made a few good connections and had some good outside-of-classroom performance experiences. He was disappointed with the quality of the classes – not so much because of the teachers but because of the attitude of the students. He is transferring this year, primarily because of the cost – Berklee provides basically no financial aid. He loves being in Boston, but the last couple of years have been eye-opening for him about the cost of college for people who are not in the 1 percent (of income or talent) or not from overseas. He recognizes now (as do I) that great debt is not worth it if you have other less expensive options.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with the “Berklee is bunk” message. It’s a balance of cost and experience and luck – which is true regarding most private schools if you are a middle income family.</p>