<p>Okay, here goes. I'm a senior in a tiny private high school in Santa Monica, CA. I've gotten A's and B's throughout, been extremely involved in extracurriculars (theater, soccer, music), and my SATs are 720 CR 530 M 620 Writing. </p>
<p>Now, I'm really having trouble finding good schools to apply to. Maybe I've just been discouraged by bad reviews, but there just doesn't seem to be the perfect fit for me. </p>
<p>Ideally, I'd love a liberal arts school with a great music program so I could do an English/Creative Writing major and minor in Music. University of Rochester and Oberlin are the only two schools that I've found with this. </p>
<p>Note: I have almost no formal music training, but I love music and would not be happy if it was not part of my college experience.</p>
<p>*minor in Music. University of Rochester and Oberlin are the only two schools that I’ve found with this.</p>
<p>Note: **I have almost no formal music training, but I love music **and would not be happy if it was not part of my college experience. *</p>
<p>So, are you looking for some kind of Music minor or just some Music appreciation classes? I don’t know enough about Music, but do you have to play some kind of instrument to get a music minor? </p>
<p>Or…are you looking for a school that has frequent musical performances for you to watch and enjoy?? </p>
<p>Are you testing again? Your math is lowish and many schools don’t count Writing for much.</p>
<p>*Maybe I’ve just been discouraged by bad reviews, but there just doesn’t seem to be the perfect fit for me. *</p>
<p>Eh…read reviews with a grain of salt. Who knows how accurate they are. They could be written by students from a rival school or some disgruntled student who got a bad grade for doing lousy work. </p>
<p>how much will your parents pay each year for your education?</p>
<p>What else do you want in a school besides the academic side? </p>
<p>Since she doesn’t have formal training, I’m not sure if she wants to just be at a school where she can take some Music Appreciation courses and enjoy various musical performances (symphonies, jazz, ensembles, whatever) or she wants to somehow minor in music without actually playing an instrument.</p>
<p>Can you minor in Music without a “performance” element?</p>
<p>There are vast choices of options, ranging from initial lessons for a beginner, to an accomplished, high level non-major being able to play alongside conservatory level talent and just about everything in between. </p>
<p>It will be completely dependent on each each institution’s music school or department’s policies and procedures. There really are no standards across institutions. </p>
<p>That’s why it’s important to know more specifically exactly what the OP wants, needs, and expects as a music minor before beginning to throw out names.</p>
<p>It’s more difficult to pursue/find a performance centered minor. The options shrink considerably.</p>
<p>Be happy to point out options, and similar threads.</p>
<p>Just a sampling, from this subforum alone, including some just as general info, background. I can easily pull a dozen and more. But the discipline and genre can important as well. Most, if not all of the Colleges That Change Lives have adequate to excellent music departments within an LAC (or LAC-like environment). Many here are far more in tune with whether or not the OP’s stats are in line. </p>
<p>Let’s clarify.
First off, my name can be misleading. I am a guy. No worries. </p>
<p>“I love music.” Should have been more specific there. I am a self-taught guitarist of intermediate skill, but with little “classical” training. I’ve also only been playing for about two years. (I have begun to explore jazz guitar and know some theory, but my real strengths are in folk, fingerstyle, and blues guitar.) </p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, most conservatory curriculum for guitars is centered on classical or jazz (correct me if I’m wrong.). Considering my lack of sight-reading skills, it’s probably more realistic to pursue a Creative Writing major/concentration (my other passion) with a
guitar performance minor or guitar lessons. This is why I’m looking at the University of Rochester, because of the Eastman School of Music (I also like the school itself, cluster system etc.) Same with Oberlin and their conservatory. </p>
<p>I have discounted Berklee, despite their excellent music programs, due to what I’ve read about the intellectual life, or lack thereof. </p>
<p>I did just take the SAT again, but the math just kills me every time. I’m not expecting more than a 20 point increase. </p>
<p>I have not discussed finances in-depth with my parents. We are well-off, but I believe that they expect me to pay for some. (I am most likely taking a gap year to work and study music, if that helps.) </p>
<p>As far as additional factors go, being close to/in a city would be preferable.
I’d probably like there to be things going on on campus.
Winter doesn’t matter to me, I love snow/rain/whatever. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for responding, I really appreciate the help. I’ll look into those links.</p>
<p>The clarification helps. Oberlin has exceptional opportunities in any number of genres, and there is the opportunity to study music within a BA curriculum or minor within the college, not the conservatory. Post to the music major forum, or send a private message to BassDad who has encyclopedic knowledge of all things musically Oberlin.</p>
<p>My “expertise” is classical, bowed strings, chamber, and many aspects of music education. Plenty of people in the music forum with extensive knowledge of the many LAC options, and a few with some of the more eclectic options musically. Most of the traditional programs tend not to focus on contemporary, folk, or indie, but take a look at Belmont just for reference. I don’t know their minor options of the top of my head. As far as Berklee goes, as an audition based admit, my guess is with the level of training and experience you’ve described, you may not be competitive from an audition standpoint. A number of folks with experience and first hand knowledge of Rochester & Eastman.</p>
<p>The CTCL schools (googling the term will get you a list) often seem very good options for the type of academic and music options you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Do some reading, come back with questions and I can point you to some references, potential contacts.</p>
<p>A performance minor is a rare bird. Instrumental instruction/faculty and costs vary widely in many of the BA/minor options, so a deep look at EACH school or department’s policies is a must.</p>
<p>Your musical interests seem to fit Wesleyan which is strong in jazz and world music. But your math score could be a problem. Another SAT II like that could help!</p>
<p>If the SAT math section gives you trouble, you should take the ACT…the math isn’t as “tricky.”</p>
<p>I know very little about this whole music area (but that won’t stop me…LOL). However, don’t some of these conservatories require auditions and such and expect formal training? </p>
<p>*I have not discussed finances in-depth with my parents. We are well-off, but I believe that they expect me to pay for some. (I am most likely taking a gap year to work and study music, if that helps.) *</p>
<p>Well, sit down and have the big money talk with them so you’ll know what you’re dealing with. Some of these schools have $55k per year price tags so if they’re well off, but won’t pay most/all of costs, you’ll have difficulties.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, all of the straight conservatories require an audition, and these are extremely competitive, and constitute the primary basis of admission. Academics play a minimal role. Conservatory programs attached to universities, colleges (think Rice/Shepherd, Northwestern, IU/Jacobs, and similar programs weigh both and each has a policy as to weight of audition versus academics. At Oberlin, you can be musically admitted to the conservatory, but not meet the academic bar at the college, but still pursue a BM solely within the con. It does get complicated <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1013418-quick-question.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1013418-quick-question.html</a></p>
<p>Formal training is the norm, but the level of training and depth of musical experience is all over the board. </p>
<p>For the purposes of a minor, an audition may or may not be required, it’s institution specific, and the devil is in the details, requiring a thorough understanding of each school’s policies. The minor links I posted give you more specifics.</p>
<p>My weighted GPA: 3.7
SAT: CR: 720 M: 530 WR: 620 (These will go up, as I’ve just taken the SAT.)
SAT English Literature: 800
AP Literature and Comp: 4 </p>
<p>Here’s my list of schools, based off of the advice given and my own research. Feedback? </p>
<p>Safety Schools<br>
Hope Coll </p>
<p>Target Schools
Emerson Coll<br>
Hampshire Coll<br>
Lawrence Univ </p>
<p>Reach Schools<br>
Oberlin Coll /Oberlin Conservatory<br>
U of Rochester<br>
Vanderbilt Univ </p>
<p>My school has asked me to apply to the following schools in order to inflate the number of schools our class gets accepted to. (It’s a tiny high school, 180 people.) Not crazy about these. </p>
<p>Bucknell Univ
Dickinson Coll
Lewis & Clark Coll
Purdue Univ<br>
U of Richmond
Southern Methodist Univ </p>
<p>Any thoughts on Columbia vs. NYU? They’re both reach schools for me. </p>
<p>More info: </p>
<p>I would be satisfied with guitar lessons from faculty member/student/private tutor instead of struggling to manage a performance minor. That’s probably better, actually, considering that I’d like some extra time to play intramural sports, date, etc. </p>
<p>I am half Latino (Cuban and Puerto Rican). Will this give me some sort of edge in the admissions process? (My personal statement relates my experiences in Cuba.)</p>
<p>I see you have Oberlin Conservatory listed. No need to apply to the con, if your intent is just participatory, or a minor. There are separate apps for the college and conservatory, and the con is major only, audition driven admit process. </p>
<p>Musically, most will satisfy what you are looking for, with the qualification that I know nothing of Hope, and that Bucknell, Purdue and URichmond are the three weakest from a music option standpoint. If your intent was a performance major, I would suggest some other options.</p>
<p>Both Columbia and NYU are fine for music, and NYC is a great jazz town. NYU is a bit more eclectic musically than Columbia. NYU is notoriously stingy with aid/scholarships.</p>
<p>Others here are far more qualified to address your academics (and the financial/scholarship potential) in relation to the applicant pools. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>rene, Take a look at Williams. Excellent English (with emphasis on writing) and excellent music department. Lots of performance opportunities even for non-majors. Dual majors are common. Lots of energetic, multifaceted kids. They would be VERY interested in a musical, creative, athletic half-Latino! I would also suggest Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Also, please clarify if your famly qualifies for NEED based aid. If you don’t know, ask your parents to use an on-line calculator to get an idea of what you may be eligible for. If you and your family are prepared to pay full tuition, that’s a plus. If you want or need MERIT aid your list will be very different.</p>
<p>Wesleyan (the one in Connecticut) is quite accessible to New York, and also Boston. Williams is quite accessible to nothing urban but it offers a lot of what you’re looking for. [Read Batting for Castro a shortstory by Jim Shepherd, Williams creative writing honcho.]</p>
<p>How do you reconcile Hampshire, Lawrence and Oberlin with that big city need?</p>
Thank you so much for your help. </p>