We are looking for a great fit but having trouble creating a list. My son really loves jazz and wants a music scene. Maybe to study but more importantly to have creative people around who appreciate music. Mostly, he wants a great campus spirit with traditions. He visited Boston College and loved the traditions and campus feel. Didn’t love small LACs in New England. Really likes the idea of being in places with music roots like Memphis and New Orleans. Nashville would be great but Vanderbilt is out of reach and the other local ones are too religious for him. Would love to hear suggestions! Thanks.
P.S. Does not want California or New York City but most else is on the table
Demographics
US citizen who lives overseas. Attends international school- private with diverse student body
Intended Major(s)
Environmental Science (most likely) or Music or Comparative religion or English
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.82
Coursework
3 AP classes as a junior. Next year taking a few APs and an advance research independent project on city park wildlife.
No cost constraints
Schools
Safety (certain admission and affordability) Loyola New Orleans
Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable) University of Colorado (legacy)
The University of Michigan has a highly ranked music program and is renowned for its school spirit (Go Blue!). You can’t beat Ann Arbor as a college town, and the music scene there and in nearby Motown is outstanding.
For the music interests, Univ of North Texas would be great. A renowned jazz studies program attracts strong musicians from around the country, and this tends to spill over into a strong local music scene in Denton. There are a couple of UNT music families who frequent these forums and could provide more specific info.
As far as “great campus spirit with traditions,” that’s in the eye of the beholder, I guess. UNT was traditionally more of a commuter campus, but it’s now trying to build a more residential culture. If OP is looking for a true rah-rah atmosphere with sports teams etc., there are other places that would be better choices, but UNT jazz is second-to-none.
Indiana University - world famous music school and I believe it has 3 different jazz bands and between various concerts and recitals (not all jazz) there are over 1k performances/year. Lots of school spirit.
Loyola Chicago: Chicago has an amazing musical history
U. of Kansas: About 30 miles from Kansas City, MO, which has a great jazz/blues music tradition, and Lawrence gets great reviews as a college town.
U. of Miami: Popular music school and there’s definitely a lot of music flowing through the city.
If Oberlin made the list because of its musically-inclined students, then I’d take a look at Shenandoah (VA), U. of Hartford (CT), SUNY Purchase (NY), U. of North Texas, and U. of Rochester, and perhaps Ithaca (NY) as well (which has the bonus of being in the same town as Cornell if he does want to sample the Ivy life).
If you’re going to visit University of Colorado, I’d also check out Colorado State. More laid back feel and they actually have a jazz studies major as well as some jazz ensembles so he’s likely to find some like minded music lovers. Fort Collins is also much more laid back (and cheaper to live off campus) than city than Boulder. It’s a great college town and has a few jazz bars.
Belmont University in Nashville! It is actually near Vandy, and it has a College of Music and Performing Arts, here: College of Music & Performing Arts | Belmont University ; but also a College of Entertainment and Music Business, here: Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business | Belmont University . If your son wants to study music, study the music business, or just be around music, Belmont can be a great choice. It also has D-1 sports, and its basketball team has been pretty good for a number of years. (Also, I wouldn’t describe Belmont as “too religious”; it disassociated from the Tennessee Baptist Convention about 15 years ago. Further, I know several kids and young adults who have attended/are attending, and none of them have described Belmont as “too religious”.)
U of Denver could be another to look at. The music school has a Jazz Studies program, and the city has a decent music scene (and good public transportation access from campus).
Definitely agree with UMiami, especially if his enviro science interests are marine-adjacent.
Loyola Chicago was suggested; there’s also DePaul, which has a Jazz Studies program in its music school. Both have a religious affiliation, but so does BC; I doubt either is too religious.
Richmond, VA, could be worth a look - it has an active music scene, lots of jazz clubs, and a jazz festival. There’s both Virginia Commonwealth (VCUArts has a jazz program), and U of Richmond, which has a strong music department; and there’s a cross-registration agreement between the two.
McGill in Montreal could also be worth considering.
Have you considered posting in the music major forum? You do not have to be a music major to use it.
I would caution that if he does not want to do a BM or major in music, he may need to avoid schools with a BM program, or at least ask what teachers and performance opportunities are accessible by non-BM students/non-majors.
