<p>Is anyone here applying to this program? If so, where else are you applying? I am very good at the trumpet, which I love, but I’m not sure a double degree is what I want. I just want a very good music program where I will definitly have time to practice and improve, and play in very good ensembles. NEC is sure to do that for me, but I don’t know if a double degree is what I want. The time commitment for the joint program scares me. Where else is there that I can get a great education (Harvard caliber) but also get great musical instruction and play in great orchestras or wind ensembles?</p>
<p>whats the NEC program? ive never seen anything about it mentioned on the site or their information booklet(s)/application</p>
<p>I'm applying for this program. It's a five-year combined bachelor's from Harvard and master's from NEC. It's brand new-- we're the first applicants. Info is on both NEC and Harvard websites. Time would definitely be scarce in Harvard/NEC (not a typical dual-degree-- in most, you get two bachelor's degrees, not one undergrad and one grad), but it might be worthwhile.
dvd56x, look into Yale, Rice, Bard, Peabody/Hopkins, Northwestern, Princeton, Columbia/Juilliard, Michigan, Vanderbilt, NEC/Tufts, Oberlin, Wisconsin, Carnegie Mellon, Eastman/Rochester, Boston U, Toronto, and McGill. I'd particularly recommend Yale, Rice, Bard, Columbia/Juilliard, Oberlin, and Northwestern. Also check out Indiana University-- the Honors College is surprisingly good.</p>
<p>NEC is New England Conservatory. its oepned up this year. i think its a little less selective than the Juilliard/Columbia program but yes check out the website. Juilliard/Columbia is a very good education/music program. also Oberlin</p>
<p>I could imagine that the music education received at NEC would be greater than from a music program at an ivy league school like Princeton because music is NEC's focus while it is almost an extracirricular for Princeton. But if you do the joint program with Harvard, will you really improve on your instrument much more than if you spent your free time at Harvard/Princeton practicing? I imaging both schools (princeton and harvard) both have similar academic work which takes comparable time. So is the only difference at Harvard you would be forced to spend your extra time at NEC doing the joint program, while at Princeton, you would find other things to do with that time other than to practice? I can't imagine Harvard taking it easy on you because you need time to practice your instrument...</p>
<p>The advantage of the Harvard/NEC program is that you get to play in NEC ensembles and participate to the extent you choose in NEC student life. That's a pretty big advantage!
As for whether H/NEC or C/Jui is more selective, it's hard to say, since H/NEC doesn't even exist yet. They're only taking 6 students for it this year...</p>