<p>Hello! I'm a rising senior and I'm preparing to apply to schools possibly as a double major in VP and ed. Anyways, my top choice school is ithaca at this point (I did the summer program for two years and loved it!) but due to the price tag and the fact I will most likely be going to grad school, it's a bit of a reach.</p>
<p>I was curious about the SUNYs and their options. I know purchase doesn't have music ed, but I keep hearing wonderful things and will apply regardless. Crane has the prestige, apparently, and I've heard fredonia is great as well. Does anyone have any opinions about each of their strengths and weaknesses? How good is the faculty, facilities, social life, etc at each of these schools?
Purchase is less than 2 hours from home, while Potsdam and fredonia are both close to 8 hours, which is a bit too much for me. I've also heard potsdam is in scenic nowhere, which frightens me because I like having a lot of options when it comes to going outside campus. Purchase is nice with its closeness to NYC. </p>
<p>Let me know any thoughts comparing these 3! I'm curious. </p>
<p>SUNY Fredonia and Crane each are well thought of for music ed in NYS each claims to produce at least 50% of the music educators in NY. I know the math doesn’t work… If you truly want to teach, then go to a good music teaching school. As an undergrad, you will have many more opportunities to practice your craft than if you wait for grad school plus the alumni network is helpful when looking for positions. At a hiring seminar that a local school district held for Crane students, the Music admin told them they only look at resumes from Crane, Fredonia, Ithaca and Hartt (in CT) because they have had success with teachers from each of these schools. </p>
<p>As for location, both Fredonia and Crane are isolated! If you like scenery, the trip to Potsdam is spectacular. As for social life, most music majors ed majors spend 10-12 hours a day at the music school so your circle of friends and social life tends to focus there. Potsdam runs buses for the major breaks to the Albany area, NYC and Long Island and I think Fredonia does too. The music sororities and fraternities at Crane are very active with charitable as well as social activities.</p>
<p>Try to schedule a sample lesson with the faculty and spend some time on each campus to see which is a better fit. Both SUNY music schools are quite competitive with academic and music scholarships and can outbid their counterparts if they want you.</p>
<p>One nice aspect of going to SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School is that you are 90 minutes from Ottawa and Montreal. Many of the professors perform at the Canadian National Centre for the Arts in Ottawa. Son and his friends run up to Ottawa several times a semester to hear their studio teachers perform with the National Orchestra. Ottawa is a fun city with good shopping. In the winter, the canal through the city is frozen and you can ice skate through the city. There are shuttle buses to bring you back to your car and kiosks selling food on the frozen canal along the way. </p>
<p>The choral director at my daughter’s college graduated from Crane for undergrad and got his Master’s at Eastman, and he’s just a phenomenal teacher who loved his time at Crane and he often nudges his favorite students into applying there. </p>
<p>My daughter is planning on composition but for that major she was told to stay away from Crane and that Fredonia would be a much better fit. They are both isolated campuses but you’re also not too far from Niagara Falls at Fredonia. I have friends who’s kids go to Crane and love it though.</p>