I hope this is the right place to post. I’m looking for schools which have music programs open to non music students. I am in the NY area so anywhere close by would be nice. I’m looking to major in Computer Science and continue to play my bari sax all the way through, but not major. Minors would be nice, but not too sure how that would work out. A list I’ve compiled so far is:
CMU
Ann Arbor
Tufts
GPA is 3.92 and no SAT but PSAT is 1340 (680 for both)
Thank you!
UMass Amherst is quite good for both Computer Science and also for Music. Waterloo in Canada is also very good or excellent for both subjects. You would need to ask them to what extent you can take music classes, particularly music performance, as a CS major. Note that music performance lessons are actually quite expensive for a university to provide to their students because of the large amount of 1-on-1 lessons.
I do know that many universities with good music programs allow their music professors to give paid lessons to non-music majors. This is one way for relatively modestly paid music professors to augment their salaries.
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Tufts would probably be the most likely on your list, as CMU and UMich both have music schools with music majors to populate their ensembles. Your target is probably a medium sized school, big enough to support the kinds of ensembles you’d want to audition for and play in, but no so big you’re competing with a large music department full of majors. That’s my thought, anyway.
Tufts has a wonderful music department and no BM program, so that would be a good fit. Look at Clark University too. Sarah Lawrence or Vassar closer to NYC.
You don’t have to major or minor in music to continue playing. You can no doubt take music classes as electives or even gen eds, and make sure you can continue lessons. Performance would be extracurricular: there are usually auditions in the fall once you are on campus. Google schools and look at courses offered, curriculum for computer science, ensembles on campus and so on.
Schools with BM programs may offer the best opportunities (teachers and performances) to the BM students, so check websites carefully and maybe focus on schools without BM programs, as NYCMusicDad said.
I wouldn’t completely discount schools with well developed BM programs and lots of music majors. Many schools have music opportunities for non major students outside of their music schools. Especially some larger schools that have a large student body outside of the music school. The OP will need to research opportunities at each individual school.
True, it depends what exactly he wants. Marching band/pep band will be widely available. A big band fewer places. I did a quick Google out of curiosity and noticed BU which has a Fine Arts College also has a bunch of ensembles open to non-majors:
Check websites carefully and talk to the music departments, asking lots of questions- about the BA (non BM) students’ music opportunities, whether majoring in music or not.
There may well be lessons offered, but with grad students or professors? There may well be a non-majoror non BM ensemble, but is it the same quality as the one for BM music majors and does it have the same performance opportunities? There may be spots on the music major/BM ensemble for non-BM or non-majors, but how often and how many?
BU School of Fine Arts has a conservatory for music BM students. The opportunities listed in that link do not, I would think, compare with those for the School of Music. But check it out.
Every school is different. There are no generalizations that hold. It really does require research and questions.
I inferred from the question that TenderToast will be primarily be focusing on comp sci, but also wants to play his sax. Whether what’s sought is avocationally flexing the muscle or something more, only he/she knows.
With bari sax it’s also quite situational, you don’t often see more than one at a time, do you? Gerry Mulligan aside? You’d think there are a fair number of band directors out there happy to see a talented bari player show up.
Yeah, if the original poster just wants a chance to play, the field is pretty wide open and the focus can indeed be on finding the best computer science program. We have no idea of the level or intensity desired.
Carnegie Mellon actually has a BFA for performance http://www.music.cmu.edu/pages/instrumental-performance It is a great school for computer science, obviously, and also for intersection of music and technology 
Conservatory-type programs on a campus won’t always be limiting for non-conservatory students but it is just worth checking out, ditto the issue of BA/BS non- music majors’ opportunities.
My son at CMU is a non-music major but is able to participate in the Chorus with the majors (available by audition). I am not sure if there is a similar opportunity for instrumental ensembles, but here may be.
My DD is attending Marquette University, it does not even offer a music major (only a minor) and she has found countless ways to continue with her passion for music. She is a music minor (Broad Field Science/Secondary Ed major)and is in her school’s pep band (sax), wind ensemble (oboe) and jazz band (piano). Last summer she had a study abroad opportunity (by invitation and audition from a connection she made at MU) in Italy that involved studies at several Italian music conservatories and performing as part of the conservatory ensembles in concert. She played with the ensembles when they traveled here to the US too. She has found an on campus job with the music department. She has been asked by her music professors to play (piano and oboe) with a professional adult wind ensemble in Milwaukee. I think she has actually found more opportunities then she ever imagined possible as at non music major.
Case Western Reserve University has a number of ensembles for non music majors.
http://music.case.edu/general-information/