<p>First:</p>
<p>Decide now if you want to be a professional violinist and therefore major in violin performance or not. Only the very, very best make it in that business and its wickedly competitive and even people seated in professional regional orchestras professionally make a pittance and have to supplement their incomes with a “real job”. Fact. One in a million make it to the bigtime. And they ALL went to prestigious conservatories like Berkeley School of Music, Julliard School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Curtiss School of Music or the Oberlin Conservatory. If they went to an undergrad school, they then did a Masters in Performance at a Conservatory. </p>
<p>Kids who major in performance at “normal” colleges, even double major in Economics or Accounting or Business or Liberal Arts to get a job. Further, music majors suffer from severe grade deflation because professors want to give the a dose of reality in the world of music. Be prepared. </p>
<p>Many kids of your stature often play in a prestigious college orchestra for a hobby and to vent their feelings and frustrations or a distraction from the ordinary stuff. </p>
<p>COngratulations on your accomplishments. But the truth is, colleges get inundated with applications from kids with ALL STATE honors in Orchestra, particularly in violin performance. </p>
<p>Not dissuading you, only advising the truth and preparing you for reality. My recommendation? Unless you are prepared to go the Conservatory route and then being prepared for the wicked competition in the professional world and the starving artist lifestyle, then continue playing in college on a hobby level, major in something you like but which will get you a decent paying day job, and then perhaps hook up with a small community orchestra to play with later. Or get a masters degree in performance after you have a degree in something that can pay the bills. </p>
<p>The Arts are a gift. But its a crowded field of starving artists. Be warned.</p>