Hello everyone,
I was just wondering what people’s experiences with the general atmosphere at the University of Hartford. I’m considering attending the Hartt School for Music Composition next year, but if the general campus environment is bad, that would obviously be a downside. I’ve read very mixed reviews about it, and I was just wondering what people’s experiences are.
Thanks!
I don’t know anything about Hartt so hopefully others can answer. But if you look for bad reviews on schools, which is common at this time in the process, you WILL find them. My D went to a school with a long list of cons that I diligently dug up. All schools have cons…so it is important to decide if this particular con is true in general and true for YOU. For example, a con in vocal performance is often listed as having grad students at the school. In general, maybe that is a “concern” for many but in the end my D decided it wasn’t a concern for her…and (after a bit of a shock at their talent in Freshman year) it was a positive. If someone asked my D about that, she’d give a pretty straight-forward answer on how it worked for her.
I would suggest that you go back to why you applied in the first place. List the positives for YOU. Then I would suggest reaching out to the music admissions dept (or prospective teacher) and ask for a student “ambassador” to connect with. Then ask them general and specific questions about the program and environment. Sure they may be a cheerleader for the school…but how they react to the concern can tell you a lot…how they deal with it and how it matters or not to them. Note my D did this once … and it was all by text so very easy to communicate. I hope this helps.
D3 graduated several years ago, so my info may be dated but… her experience was that the Hartt students formed a pretty tight group socially and professionally, and had fewer interactions with other students on campus outside of housing/clubs/classes. She ended up moving off campus for her last two years, which worked for her.
My D is currently a Junior in the Musical Theater program, and @stradmom is right - the Hartt students don’t have a whole lot of interaction with the general campus unless they go out of their way to join clubs, etc. It is very much a conservatory type environment. My D has lived off campus since the end of freshman year, and I think that is common. If you have the chance to visit and set up a shadow day, it is totally worth it. That is what my D did and it is what sold her on the program. She has been very happy there, but I can’t speak to the composition department specifically.