After a long year of touring and applying my son got accepted at Wesleyan, Bates, Tufts and W & M. We are going to go back for one more look this month. Wondering if anyone has any wise words about his selection recognizing that they are all wonderful schools.
My son is a jazz musician who also composes electronic music. He got really tired of his large public - city - high school - did not enjoy how most teachers there expect you are not going to do your best. He is also really not into partying. He enjoys ultimate and hanging out with friends.
The most important features in a school for him are a good music program (music not as a major - but perhaps a double major), friendly kids,c ollaborative learning environment, teachers who really know you, and an engaged learning environment.
Does anyone have any feedback on how these schools match up with my son’s interests?
Thanks, @Consolation. My biggest concern (like many parents is his happiness. He has felt like a “number” in high school. Would a smaller school feel like a better fit? Are they all pretty collaborative? Thanks.
It’s true that Portland has a diverse and lively music scene. (I live ten miles away, between there and Bates, actually. )
I assume that Bates probably runs some kind of shuttle, at least on the weekends, otherwise it could be tough to get there without a car. As much as I love Portland, I do think that Boston has more to offer when it comes to jazz
My image of W&M is not one of people who like jazz and composing electronic music, I admit. But that’s just an image: I’ve never known anyone who went there.
I’d be inclined towards one of the others. Bates and Wes are probably hipper than Tufts, especially Wes.
Tufts is the only one that’s in a major metropolitan area. Might that make a difference? A Tufts student who can’t find what he wants on campus would have more opportunities to find it elsewhere than a student at any of the other three schools.
Besides Miranda, another recent band with Wesleyan roots is MGMT. The musical scene there was huge when my D went there (around 10 years ago), and I doubt it’s much changed since. She wasn’t a major but played in the Gamelan orchestra there (world music is a specialty.) She loved everything about the school. She also went to a large public HS, originally went to a large public U, then transfered to Wes. It had parties, but it was not a “party” school. It was goofy and friendly and spoke to the true scholar-for-its-own-sake inside her. Can’t say enough good about it.
Thanks to all for your helpful responses! We are going on a whirlwind visit tour next week so will be checking them all out. He did see them all in the summer but that was with a different eye. With much appreciation,
Cat
Boston has a pretty vibrant Jazz scene. Good clubs on the Cambridge/Somerville side of the river. Berklee, probably the best jazz conservatory in the country is on the Boston side of the river and attracts the best in the business for concerts, etc. The music scene at Tufts itself is very active and very diverse. There is a joint degree program with New England Conservatory, and the practice rooms at Tufts are always jumping - so lots of opportunities to collaborate and hang out with other musicians, and lots of double majors in music and something completely different.
A man after my own heart! Jazz and Ultimate – two of my favorite things! Many moons ago, I was a high school kid looking for a high quality LAC with a strong jazz program, and Wesleyan stood head and shoulders above the rest. I applied ED and never regretted it. I was even on the ultimate team for a while (and still play today).
What does your son play? There are a number of pretty famous jazz musicians on the faculty at Wes, plus all the world music there (which I was also heavily involved in) might serve as a cool creative stimulus for a composer. And, as other posters have mentioned, the band scene at Wesleyan has historically been known for being unusually hopping.
Tufts regularly makes D-1 ultimate college nationals, so they’re a real power. Wesleyan and W&M also both have very good teams. Bates not so much, but I’ll bet they have plenty of fun.
My guess is you’ll find the collaboration, individual attention and academic engagement pretty similar at all those schools, though I’d tend to give the LACs the edge in those departments. That being said, Tufts and W&M are two of the finest mid-size schools out there, so he’s got a really great set of options.
Any chance he can do any overnights on his return visits? That is probably the best way to get a really good feel for the different schools if it’s at all possible.
Thanks @1012mom for your Boston and Tufts info! @rayrick All the overnights were booked but we are headed up to WesFEST next week. Looking forward to that! Thanks!
the music program at W&M is pretty small. The professors are good. There are a couple jazz groups. Almost all the music majors are double majors in something else unrelated. I do personally know of at least one person that got a graduate degree in music performance after leaving W&M, so the program can hold its own.
You should be able to compare course catalogs and see what the different schools offer online.
W&M is a great school and has everything else you’re looking for… but not sure musically it is the best fit. There is definitely not a “vibrant jazz scene” in Williamsburg. I do think your list of schools is fairly similar academically in terms of the types of students they attract.
W&M has the best weather
(I am a W&M alum that was heavily involved in the music program, and still take time away from my “day job” to work with high school musicians.)
Tufts has a relationship with the New England Conservatory that creates interesting opportunities for a musician pursuing a degree in something else. As a city kid, your son might miss urban activities, which Boston offers. It’s bigger than the other 2 New England options so less intimate, but that will also give him s little more space to do his own thing aND maybe find others who want to do it with him.
I’ve known many students who have chosen W&M and while it is big enough for most to find their niche it also doesn’t stand out to me as a fit for someone drawn to the creativity of jazz.
D3 narrowed choice down to Wesleyan or Bates and did overnights at both. Found more of a party scene and urban edginess to Wesleyan and Bates’ atmosphere more warm and openhearted. She has found at Bates amazingly inspiring professors and smart, diverse and friendly peers. It feels like a really dynamic place these days. She goes into Portland pretty frequently for music and has spoken about a good variety of musical options that come to campus (check out the Ronj Coffeehouse), so there are options although they won’t compare with Wesleyan or Boston.
It sounds like your son should particularly learn more about the music departments and opportunities from other musicians during his visits. I would say that if the music scene is the priority or deal breaker then Wesleyan has an edge over Bates. Don’t know enough about Tufts. (Inexplicably, over 30 colleges visited with 3 kids and we never got there.)
Be aware that next week is end of semester exam week for Bates – it’s early because of Short Term in May.
is his happiness. He has felt like a “number” in high school. Would a smaller school feel like a better fit? Are they all pretty collaborative? Thanks.