<p>It is a little further west than your preference, but another strong vote for Lawrence. Strong in physics and music, and also offers good merit aid. Could be a great match/safety depending on his test scores.</p>
<p>Ummm…I think Williams and Amherst have BAs in music, not music performance degrees. I could be wrong, however. </p>
<p>Thumper, I believe you are correct. </p>
<p>I would completely agree with the other posts about how difficult it is to participate in a conservatory program and a traditional college at the same time. These threads come up so frequently with the same recommendations for Eastman, NEC/Tufts, Peabody, CMU, etc., but the reality is that it is almost impossible AND the schools make it extremely difficult. We looked at the above and others, and were stunned at how difficult it would be to pursue both. If your child is undecided, he might be better off at a great school with a wonderful BA music program and a great physics program. </p>
<p>Williams is definitely a BA. I thought that was the direction that the OP’s son was leaning toward.</p>
<p>Music Performance is typically a BM degree, not a BA. The BA programs have more courses outside of actual performing than the BM programs which are heavily weighted in performance related courses. My BM kiddo took large ensemble, chamber ensemble, private lessons, and instrument studio class EVERY term. </p>
<p>Music BA with concentration in performance + BA in Physics = doable. Lawrence highly recommended for this combination.
BM/BA combination = basically impossible to do.</p>
<p>Don’t know where the OP is from, but we found Lawrence to be an extremely regional school. Some excellent programs, but mainly a WI/MI student body.</p>
<p>One conflict that may arise is if the student chooses to pursue graduate study in physics or music. Physics is competitive and the BS is the best choice for those wishing to seriously pursue that route. While a BA may be possible as a double major, the BS requires more classes. The physics GRE test is challenging, and students most likely to secure a good graduate position spend a significant amount of time doing research and taking classes. Likewise, successful music performance students are spending a majority of their time during the last two years performing and preparing for auditions. So while it is possible to line up the classes so one can take both, both fields require a large time commitment. If Lawrence or another college has a 5 year double program, that may be the best solution to not wanting to compromise either one. If music is the main focus, then the OP may pursue a BM/BA physics, and if physics is the main focus, look for a college strong in physics and music performance opportunities. </p>
<p>If you want a BM peformance degree, it will likley take about 5 years but possible at Northwestern (Bienan school of music), University of Miami (Frost school of music), Tufts/NEC (New England Conservatory) they have a duel degree program you get a BM at NEC and a BA or BS at Tufts. Harvard as so has a duel program with NEC you get undergrad at Harvard and Masters from NEC - (Almost impossible to get in). I believe that Columbia has a joint program with Julliard as well. My S is looking to double major as well. The thing my S liked about Frost and Bienan is that it is the same campus and you live in dorms with all majors, etc. Northwestern and UMiami also take some AP classes as credit and that makes the course load a little more managable.<br>
My S also applied to some of the other top schools Amherst, Princeton etc They don’t have BM degree but most of these type of schools also have great music programs. </p>
<p>The Tufts/NEC dual degree is extremely difficult and very few actually complete it. My daughter applied (not her first choice) and was actually waitlisted at Tufts (accepted at NEC). She was accepted everywhere else- including IU and Oberlin dual degree programs. After really looking into it, she (and we) realized how unrealistic it actually was, and she got a BM (vocal performance) from Rice.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/fall2006/double-duty-degree.html”>http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/fall2006/double-duty-degree.html</a>
Obviously very tough, but they make a big deal about it, and people successfully do it there, every year. Though I imagine others start then bail out.
Thing is, he would have to be good enough to get into the conservatory (and the college) in the first place.
Also, FWIW it is west of Cleveland…</p>
<p>The college itself offers a music major( ? or maybe just minor, not sure) , separate and apart from the conservatory. But it’s different. He’d have to check whether that would meet his needs.</p>
<p>This is the original poster - I am sorry that I was unclear. My son is interested in attending a liberal arts college/university, and receiving one BA, but wants a double major in music and physics. We’ve visited schools (e.g., Case Western) and met students who do this and say it’s possible. Do people still think this is so impossible to do in four years? Thanks so much, and sorry for the confusion.</p>
<p>Double major in music and physics is possible in four years for a kid who is a good planner and prioritizer. My kid knew a few his year at MIT; they all seemed to have a social life, participate in EC’s, have jobs, etc. But NOT a music performance degree- a regular double major in two academic departments from the same institution. I think the dual enrollment thing is what gets tricky.</p>
<p>Thanks Blossom. We are not looking at dual enrollment - we visited McGill and saw that it couldn’t be done in four years. Even if he was accepted at Oberlin, he would want to be in same school studying music and physics, not in the conservatory.</p>
<p>Yes, double majoring is possible - it’s only BM/BA that’s not. :)</p>
<p>I think it depends on what your child’s future goals are for majoring in both music and physics. My son loves music and has a great talent for playing, writing and composing, but also is good at physics. He’s actually studying audio-engineering technology at Belmont University and he is taking some audio physics classes that he loves. He is still figuring out his path. Something with music and physics together may be what will work for him.</p>
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<p>BA with double major in music and physics seems easily doable in four years. Plenty of kids at Williams (and other institutions with minimal – or no – distribution requirements) double majored in disparate fields like music/art plus math/science. Even triple majors are not out of the question.</p>
<p>What am I missing here? Is it the performance factor that’s making this question more complicated than it appears?</p>
<p>I think it’s worth noting the difference between dual degree (completing two separate and distinct degree programs and receiving two separate Bachelor’s degrees) and double majoring (completing the requirements for only one degree but taking classes required for two majors). My son is a dual degree student, and even with numerous AP credits and dual enrolling while in high school, I don’t think he would be able to complete a dual degree program in four years anywhere. Laying out the double major requirements, when he was making his college choice, we found that a double major was definitely possible in four years, depending on the school, and I think that’s what the OP has in mind for her child. Variables included how many AP credits were accepted, gen ed requirements, scheduling issues/conflicts, etc. Degree requirements are different than gen ed requirements and requirements for the major but are usually easy to find on the college websites. </p>
<p>I agree with a previous poster who mentioned that universities often say it is possible to double major or dual degree in something that includes a music performance degree, but the reality is that the individual professors may not be supportive at all. At one audition, several professors asked my son if he was “really serious” about obtaining two degrees (immediately after he finished playing). They took notes on his answer. A professor at a prestigious school on the east coast came right out and told my son that he prefers not to accept dual degree students, and if “it’s close,” he will go with the “music only” student. It may be different if the two degrees are both within the School/College of Music though (not music and an outside field such as science). The professors often feel that students are spread too thin and often have too many conflicts. If possible, try to read between the lines during college visits, sample lessons and on audition day. </p>
<p>Thanks percmom. We are definitely looking for dual major programs within one school, or even a physics major and music minor. I was trying to figure which schools have strong programs within the same school (e.g., not Oberlin conservatory and oberlin college, but physics and music within Oberlin College). he wants great lab experiences and a lot of opportunity play jazz, take some music theory classes, etc. </p>