I applied and got into Bienen, Eastman, Mannes, NYU Steinhardt, Thornton, and UC Santa Barbara College of Creative Studies for classical composition (class of 2023). Cost aside, where should I go?
It depends. I am PM’ing you.
You’ll get a good education at all of them. Remind yourself why you chose to apply to them in the first place. And some of these might be better for grad school than undergrad. Thornton, NYU & Mannes have the highest profile composition professors. But will you be studying with them? What will your performance opportunities be? Will you be competing with grad students, or not - such as at UCSB’s CCS. You want a large program such as USC and NYU - or a small one such as Bienen and UCSB? The aesthetic is different at Bienen/Eastman than at NYU/USC. Which suits you? Do you want you want to be in a city with an active New Music scene such as NY, LA or Chicago? Also, do you want a stand alone conservatory or the chance to take courses in a wider university?
We can’t tell you where to go. These are all questions you’ll need to answer for yourself.
Congratulations! All great choices. Quick question: when did you hear from NYU Steinhardt? We are waiting for news from them and were told that decisions are being released on 3/28. Did you receive your financial offer as well?
Bienen has an active program in new music, and undergrad comp student’s works are often featured in both departmental and student ensembles (orchestral and vocal). Look up Bienen’s Institute for New Music if you are interested! And congratulations!
Many great choices so congrats. A few thoughts:
Firstly, there is no such thing as “cost aside” unless your parents are happy to cover the cost regardless. If debt is involved then the amount of debt is a serious consideration.
Secondly, how familiar are you with the faculty of all these places? The composition departments at these programs are sometimes very, very different. While you shouldn’t decide based only on how much you like the faculty’s music, the aesthetics should play a role. You could be surrounded by very different kinds of music for years, so think about it.