I’m coming here for advice. I’m a junior so I’m really starting the whole college thing now. I recently toured Northwestern and loved it, but didn’t love the price tag or the fact that there’s no merit aid. Basically what I am looking for is a pretty good music program (does not have to be top-notch) with a BA in music with composition as a concentration (or an ad hoc major option). I would love to stay in the midwest (Carnegie Mellon, which is on my list, is about the farthest I’d like to go). I also really want an institution with a good academic reputation because I am considering pre-med or other science options with the music major as well, but I’m not interested in a double degree program. Currently on my list are Northwestern, St. Olaf, Carnegie Mellon, Michigan, Indiana, and Butler. Thank you in advance to anyone who can suggest programs I haven’t thought of yet!
Have you looked at Lawrence University in Wisconsin? They have a conservatory, composition is a major within it, and they give merit aid.
You could also look at DePaul.
Any feelings about big vs small? Michigan and St. Olaf undergraduate enrollments differ by a factor of 10.
I second Lawrence. And check out Oberlin’s BA program in the college. And College of Wooster, Grinnell, Colorado College, Carleton, Beloit, Earlham. Really, the majority of liberal arts colleges will offer a BA in Music, with composition classes. Also some of the larger public universities like Minnesota might work for you. (I don’t know specifically which Midwestern universities offer a BA in music, but it would only require a little research.)
I think LACs are excellent places for pre-meds because, to generalize broadly, they tend to be more supportive and less competitive than the large schools. It’s just harder to be sharp-elbowed in an environment where you will see the same people in most of your classes, in the dorm, around campus and at dinner. S was pre-med at Grinnell - which has palatial facilities, by the way, and generous merit aid. His org chem class went out to dinner together on Thurs nights. Lab crashed? No problem, people share their results with the prof’s blessing. Ditto if you fall sick and miss a class. (Nephew in state U honors program was up past midnight when his lab crashed, redoing it from scratch…and the weeder classes are making him suffer.)
I also think the midwestern LACs are treasures. SpiritManager’s list if great. If you love music, Oberlin’s conservatory means there’s a music performance every night of the schools year and outstanding faculty. Add Lawrence and Hendrix to you list of possibles too.
Take off UofM and CMU if you’re looking for merit aid. I third (fourth?) Lawrence. They have a Neuroscience Major and Minor that interested my daughter. It’s small, though.
There IS merit aid at U of M. We know a number of people that received it, both in-state and out of state. But - these are BM students, not BA.
@lastbird I stand corrected! I thought I’d read that UofM was veeerrrryyy stingy. My D would be a 4th generation Wolverine (we are OOS), but I’m not expecting anything from UofM (not that there’s much money in being a legacy).
Dennison?
My son received both academic and merit aid at Michigan (did apply for a BM.) It was the financial aid which was non-existent. For a top out-of-state student, Michigan can be affordable. But I don’t know if I would recommend it for a BA in music with a composition focus. I suspect that at Michigan, as at most Schools of Music, the composition professors focus almost entirely on the BM and grad students. Of course, there are exceptions, which the OP would need to research him/herself. For instance, the majority of the Bard Conservatory composition faculty also teach in the College. But not a Midwestern college…
You might want to look at Loren Pope’s books “Colleges that Change Lives” and “Looking Beyond the Ivy League” (don’t pay attention to the latter title). Colleges that Change Lives also has a website and national fairs. Some of the schools mentioned above are in CTCL list.
Just to second or fourth or whatever the schools mentioned above: Lawrence, Oberlin, Grinnell, College of Wooster, maybe Kenyon or Macalaster-? I believe U. of Colorado has good composition department. Northwestern and U. of Chicago do too, at least at the grad level.
Spirit Manager’s post cautioning you about doing a BA at a school that offers a BM or has had music school/conservatory is a good warning, but as she said, look into the details at each school. If you are a composer, you want to have opportunities to have your music played by good musicians: at some schools you can also make some of your own opportunities.
A general BA music major is fine for composition and should leave room for other interests as well. Check out the details of major requirements and, especially, distribution requirements. Also, for composition, you might want to listen to faculty (and even student) works because the aesthestic can vary quite a bit. This becomes an essential part of grad school choice but is somewhat relevant at the undergrad level too. The course listings will also give clues.
Are you familiar with “new music” and 20th/21st century composers?
I agree with spiritmanager. A BA at a school with a very competitive BM may not be the best. You may not get the attention you would like. IMO that would be schools like Michigan, Indiana, Northwestern…
U of MN does have a BA and would probably allow for more attention since its BM isn’t quite as competitive. Madison would be similar. Still these are good, solid music programs. Other state schools with good music programs are Iowa state university and univ of Illinois. I’m sure there are others. So don’t overlook your state school. It may be a good fit based on your goals…and affordable.
However if you don’t mind smaller schools I think Lawrence and st Olaf are great choices. Luther or drake or Illinois Wesleyan could be possibilities too. Many of these schools give good merit aid. You may need to confirm they give BAs but these are schools to look at.
Good luck.
Thank you all so much for all your help! What do you know about Butler’s program? And are there any other decent-but-not-Michigan/Indiana/Northwestern caliber schools that I might like?
There are so many schools for you to choose from. What state are you in? (As for Butler, I’m afraid I know nothing about it. Do you live in Indiana?) What are your grades and test scores? Have you spoken to your parents about finances? Do you know for certain you’re not eligible for need-based financial aid? Many private colleges can be surprisingly affordable.
I have a lot of money for college and my brother didn’t get any need-based aid from his (private) college. I’m from IN, currently in WI. I have a 4.4 weighted, 4.0 unweighted and I’m anticipating a 32-34 on the ACT.
Great - you should be able to find merit with those stats. You live in Wisconsin? Then Lawrence is well worth a visit. Both strong music and strong science. And merit aid. What about Madison? Have you considered it? Every one of the schools we’ve listed above are worth checking out and many would offer you merit aid. You might also look into the University of Chicago. No performance department, but a strong composition department. Not sure about merit aid, however. University of Kentucky offers significant scholarships, and has a strong music department. Washington University at St. Louis is another school to look into. Really - for a BA in music there are so many options.
I believe Butler has a good music program. I know a kid who did a BM there and then went to IU for grad. Well not as known for music as Lawrence or St Olaf, I think it would be a good school for a BA and your goals. Certainly a better fit than IU for a BA in music. I hear it gives good merit for academic achievement. A neighbors D went there for business and liked it a lot. It is in a more metropolitan area. Lawrence and st. Olaf are in small towns. So that may be a consideration for you or not.
We know someone who went to Webster University in St. Louis for music. They have a varied prgram and a popular BA, along with BM in composition. Check them out at webster.edu
I’m also under the impression that Butler has a good music program, and their academics are strong. With your stats I would expect that you would receive some merit money. It’s a good combination of a mid-size school with the opportunities of a large city.