Best schools to study music?

College Search & Selection
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<p>What are some of the best schools to study music? I dont mean conservatories, but undergraduate programs that offer performance in an orchestra for example, along with majors and minors. For example, I do not want to be a professional musician but want to be in an environment where I can study biology (or some other major area of study) while still being a part of a prestigious college orchestra and possibly minoring or double majoring in music. What are some of these schools? right off the bat i know of northwestern, yale, oberlin, and michigan. </p>

<p>(PS- less important part of this thread: I applied EA to UNC. How is there music program?)</p>

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<p>Search the music major forum on CC for answers, discussions to many of your questions. I’d also suggest reading the post here, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-family-s-experience.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-family-s-experience.html&lt;/a&gt; as it might clarify some points you may be confused about.</p>

<p>You need to know the differences between BA & BM music degrees, audition based admits, and how you would fit in or be competitive in an audition based admit process.</p>

<p>You will be hard pressed to find a performance “minor”. You can have a high quality musical experience at any number of good academic universities. </p>

<p>I would also suggest you read the article from Peabody here about dual degrees [Peabody</a> Institute - Conservatory Admissions: The Double Degree Dilemma](<a href=“http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree]Peabody”>Double Degree | Peabody Institute)</p>

<p>There are many posters on the music major forum happy to answer school and discipline specific quetions regarding music at the collegiate level.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>There are many schools that would meet your criteria – some you didn’t mention: Princeton, Harvard, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, U of Chicago, Brandeis, Columbia,
Stanford, Williams, Smith…indeed, most universities have orchestras; these schools, and others you list, have excellent musicology programs, which include some performance component, though most offer only BA degrees in music.</p>

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<p>I know this isn’t “prestigious,” but FSU is known to have a really good music program.</p>

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<p>i didnt mean to say performance minor. i meant a place with a good performing groups. I want to be in an orchestra at LEAST as good as the youth orchestra i’m currently in. In addition to a good orchestra and/or jazz group Im interesting in a music minor (theory comp etc, i dont know the specifics of my interest yet)</p>

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<p>Two threads that might interest you: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/595293-best-ivy-music.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/595293-best-ivy-music.html&lt;/a&gt; and <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/6280-suggestions-colleges-music-majors.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/6280-suggestions-colleges-music-majors.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I don’t think most of the colleges listed even offer performance majors – their programs for the most part are academic (Northwestern and Michigan are exceptions); all have good performance ensembles, but perhaps none of the all-student orchestras is as good as one of the top youth orchestras.</p>