I would think that Boulder Co, would have a more free-spirited quirky atmosphere than Denton, TX.
Hi, OP I have a question for you. I am interested in CU Boulder and I see that you got a full ride, congrats! Is CU in-state for you or out of state? It is out of state for me, and I am currently a junior who is trying to weigh whether or not CU is giving scholarships mostly to in-state students vs OOS. Thanks for any info, and good luck choosing your school!
Alex…read the thread. This student is a performing arts major. Her merit awards are performance awards, not academic awards.
CU Boulder and not look back.
I lived in Shreveport and am familiar with the Centenary music program. IMO, it’s not very good.
We are instate and didn’t think CU gave scholarships like that so were considering UA as our safety instead of CU.
OP, could you let us know what kind of scholarship CU gave you. Thanks.
Erin’s Dad - can you provide any more detail?
Nw2this. The OP has stated that her scholarships are performance awards in the arts.
CU gives very few general scholarships (the state grant for each student is worked into the tuition amount),and the OP said these were performing scholarships. My friend’s daughter from OOS was offered $6k. I think most scholarships to CU, in or out of state, are very small unless they are a big one like Daniels or Boettcher. Tuition is high at CU and so is room and board. It gets no cheaper to live off campus as apt are expensive - my nephew is paying about $1400 to share an apt next year and it’s no palace.
OP needs to decide if the music program at each school is what she’s looking for. It does no good for someone who is only interested in classical piano or jazz sax to go to a school that doesn’t offer that. I assume CU does offer what she wants because it offered a scholarship. I thinks someone would be crazy to turn down CU (Boulder over Shreveport? Ithaca?), but only OP can decide. That gpa of under 3.0 is not going to put her in the top of the school for core classes as CU is a tough school.
Ithaca has a great music conservatory…but only if it’s affordable and has what the OP wants to study.
If you decide to take the CU scholarship, please find out in writing what the required minimum GPA is to keep your scholarship. If they require above a 3.2, you may want to factor the stress of keeping up your GPA into your decision.
Now, maybe your decision would be to go to CU as long as you could keep up the GPA, then transfer to UNT if you lose the CU scholarship.
You should at least be aware of what the scholarship is going to require in terms of GPA, and how often will they check it? My D’s GPA gets checked at the end of every spring semester.
Sorry for not posting more info. Both my wife and I are involved in music and lived in S’port from 2000-2003. We had members of Centenary in our choir and attended performances at the college (primarily vocal but some instrumental). We were never impressed with the coaching they had there. I believe the Shreveport Symphony would be somewhat indicative of the level of playing/teaching in the area and they were just not good. By way of comparison we have a local state school in Dayton which has a fantastic music theater program, and Dayton has an excellent Philharmonic Orchestra with some top notch players and teachers. [BTW, when I mentioned this thread to my wife she said “you didn’t recommend Centenary, did you?”]
I don’t know much about the CU program but would be surprised if it weren’t at least as good as Centenary. UNT though is well known for turning out good musicians.
Just my 2 cents.
If both schools offered such a good package will they fly you in for a visit? I think you need to see the programs and talk to faculty and students at both places. CU and Centenary.
Centenary is close enough to drive over for a visit. I don’t really know much about it but it is a very small school. Smaller than I would have liked I think (and I went to a small LAC).
UNT has a great reputation for music. You might want to ask in the music major forum about CU to see if anyone has more knowledge of their program.
Do not take on too much debt as a performing arts major! Well paying jobs are few and far between… you’ll have difficulty paying off those loans over time. Sounds like you have 2 good options… Unless you’d hate it, I’d suggest the one where you’ll have the least debt / out of pocket.
@peachydominique , you’ve received a lot of good feedback here. I agree with so many who have already “spoken.” I like @powercropper’s advice a lot (post #30).
Gosh, in my opinion, this is a no-brainer. CU Boulder, for sure!
The town and the school sound like a perfect fit for how you described yourself! Not only that, but the music school is GOOD! I’d say it’s VERY GOOD! I have a son there now, in their graduate program, on a full-tuition scholarship with a stipend. It is not a “top-tier” program, but I would put it at the bottom of the top “set” of music schools in the country or at the very top of the second tier of music schools. It’s a very good music school – and it’s FREE for you!! That is a golden opportunity, and like so many others have said, one cannot state it often enough – if you’re planning on a career in the arts, you will be very wise (you will definitely not regret) a decision to go for the cheapest option available, as long as it is a good school in your field, and as long as it is a good fit for you. And I swear, you sound like you’re made for Boulder! It is a fabulous, fabulous town! My son LOVES the area!!
The music school: Some great faculty members who know what they’re doing. They know how to sing, and they know how to teach. Many performance opportunities. Some really great student musicians – vocal and instrumental. I was extremely impressed with their recent Ekstrand Graduate Student competition. The two top winners were national and international performers already (they were instrumentalists, but 2 voice students made it to the finals, too). The winners were AMAZING! The voice program is very cohesive. Everybody is on the same page, and that page can be summed up by “Put the student’s best interest first!” There’s no game-playing or vying for students or fighting between studios. The student’s voice education comes first. Of course, my son has claimed that this very thing has gotten in his way at times. It’s hard to push even the most logical-sounding proposal through for approval – all parties must agree – everything takes “a committee,” which can really slow things down. But, that’s just the downside of the upside. There are many other reputable CU programs outside of the school of music as well, which might be useful to you, given your wide range of interests.
I have visited the school many, many times over the past few years. I LOVE what I see and hear in my son’s education. He was accepted to some better, “top-tier” schools, but he attended CU Boulder because it was free with a stipend. He does not regret it! He has had many opportunities there – several competitions, several performances, faculty who have his back in all that he tries to achieve. He’s happy there.
Please note that in any school of this size, undergrads will likely have fewer roles than grad students. The auditions will get you the roles, no matter your year, but, naturally, the grad students tend to have better auditions, due to their ages and experience levels.
My son had the opportunity to attend UNT for undergrad, at just a hair under a free ride. He did not attend. We also know several students who did attend, and who are attending, in voice, in orchestra, in jazz, and in piano. It has a great reputation for music, particularly their jazz program. BUT, you weren’t admitted into the jazz program, so it sounds like you wouldn’t be attending as a music major. That’s a pretty big downside, if music is what you’re into. Besides, after 4 years of undergrad and 2 years of grad school in music, my son would say that UNT’s reputation is actually more mixed than common knowledge would have one believe. From what I’ve heard over the years, students can easily get lost in the crowd. Especially for undergrads, performance opportunities and personal attention can be hard to come by at UNT – which is actually true at many big universities. Except for the tippy-top, most talented students, undergrads can easily fall through the cracks.
Of course, this can happen at CU Boulder, as well. (I take it you were admitted into their music program?) It’s also a big school, like UNT. The one fairly consistent gripe I hear about CU Boulder from my son is that there is a fair amount of inconsistency, and even obstruction, in terms of getting logistical stuff done – which is a common problem in many big universities. You might hear that this particular thing must be done this way by this time, only to discover that “this way” is logistically impossible, or that the due date was actually THIS date, or that another related office insists that it has to be “that way” instead, and done by “that” due date. The student worker in charge of a particular area may seem to not give a flying flip if something’s broken or if you’re having trouble turning in object A to person B. (Expect copy machine hell, btw.) My son HATES that sort of thing. He was spoiled by a very well-organized, very impressive private undergraduate experience where stuff like that rarely, rarely reared its head. So, the contrast is palpable for him. I have to laugh, of course, as the kind of annoying thing he repeatedly runs into at CU Boulder exists at many big U’s. He just got spoiled rotten by all the personal attention at his excellent undergrad U, lol.
But, here’s the thing: You get to go to CU Boulder for free!! That alone tells me that this is the school for you! Why? Well, because they obviously really want you, and surely see you as a good fit for them. And schools are pretty much experts at identifying their “good fits.” From your description in your OP, I can definitely see you there having a great time and learning a lot! But also, this: if they’re willing to pay for you to attend, then there’s something about you that they want and that they’re going to encourage. Well, that’s the best education of all! It’s what my own kids aimed for with great success! Our method to our madness: Apply only to schools that are a great fit for you, including at least one great (or as great as can be) financial safety. Then, attend the one that gives you the lowest Cost of Attendance! It is a recipe for happiness! Good things happen for people on top scholarships! My own kids have found open doors in every direction by following this recipe! 
There is no question that CU Boulder is the wisest choice here. Best of luck to you!