<p>Hi all ... and thanks in advance for your help!
I'm looking for some advice on the best Grad schools for me, based on the following: Finances, teacher, school reputation and location.
I've just graduated (with First Class Honours) from London's Royal Academy of Music (piano performance degree program) where I studied with Kathryn Stott. As part of my degree, I did an exchange year at IU Jacobs School of Music where I studied with Andre Watts. Through this, I learnt a little about music programs and schools in the USA, but as an international student there seems to be a wealth of choice!
The three schools I have been looking at (and excited about) are Yale, Colburn (both obvious choices because of their free tuition) and Northwestern (who have a very impressive piano faculty - does anyone know what their scholarship opportunities are like?).
I'm not too bothered about the name of a program (Masters/Performance Certificate etc.) as I just want to continue being in a musically nurturing environment where I can improve my playing with sights on a performing career.
I can afford to cover room and board, but wouldn't be able to pay much in the way of tuition fees (especially being an international student which would limit how much I could work).
I look forward to any advice anyone could give me regarding schools, scholarships, locations etc.
Thanks!
Ed</p>
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<p>The amount of aid that you get for graduate school will depend on the school and how well you do on your audition. My son is currently doing his MM in cello performance at Mannes in New York City. He gets about 75% of his tuition covered from a grant. His friend, an international student who just finished his MM in piano at Mannes had 100% of his tuition covered. Of course, living in NYC is quite expensive. Son was also offered about 80% of the tuition at Juilliard. </p>
<p>Other schools exceptionally strong in piano are New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston and the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) in Cleveland, OH. NEC is notoriously poor with financial aid for undergrads but they may be much better for grad students. I don't know what the financial aid picture looks like for them. Eastman School of Music is also excellent for piano. My son says they are hit and miss with FA for grad students, but one of the strongest piano schools around. Indiana would likely give you a good package.</p>
<p>Something to remember for piano is that you can earn money as an accompanist at most schools and many schools such as Eastman, Indiana and CIM have the opportunity for you to earn money teaching undergrad students. You should inquire about teaching and accompanying opportunities at any school you are interested in.</p>
<p>Of the schools you mentioned, Colburn has an undergraduate focus; it's sole piano professor is John Perry, who also teaches at USC. You might look into USC (Thornton) -- which is a fairly wealthy school and might be more generous than some of the conservatories (I'm just guessing at this); reports on this site are that Northwestern is not particularly generous.
Also take a look at Canadian schools -- McGill and the Toronto conservatories, which may be more affordable than US programs.</p>
<p>You might want to check out the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. They have a strong piano faculty that includes Sally Pinkas and Victor Rosenbaum. Their financial aid is all merit-based, so if you are very good, you may be able to get a full scholarship.</p>