I need your help parents!

[bens120x]

<p>How are my chances?/ where else should i be looking?</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 3.4
Unweighted GPA: 3.0</p>

<p>SAT I: Math-690
CR-570
Writing- 690
SAT II: Math I-690
Math II-600</p>

<p>Rank: 70/253 (27%)</p>

<p>My interests:
Music, Physics. I am a serious violist and plan to continue it in college.</p>

<p>Have taken AP chem, AP physics, AP Calc, and all honors courses so far.</p>

<p>Extracurricuals(heres where I am good):</p>

<p>Music:
-Harvard University Orchestra
-MIT Philharmonic Orchestra
-Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at the New England Conservatory of Music
-Operatunity Performing Arts Center’s “Noyes Fludde” Pit Orchestra
-Youth Symphony Orchestra at the New England Conservatory of Music
-String Chamber Orchestraat the New England Conservatory of Music
-Youth Reparatory Orchestra at the New England Conservatory of Music
-Baroque Chamber Orchestra at the New England Conservatory of Music
-Milton High Schools String Ensemble
-Milton High School Quartet
-Pit orchestra for production of “Once Upon a Mattress”
-Jazz-II Ensemble
-Viola lessons to adolescent musicians</p>

<p>Music Competitions (state and region):
-Senior Massachusetts Southeastern District Orchestra 07
-Massachusetts All State Orchestra, Symphony Hall 07
-Senior Massachusetts Southeastern District Orchestra 06
-Massachusetts All State Orchestra, Symphony Hall 06
-Recommended for All-Eastern (Eastern part of US festival orchestra)</p>

<p>Volunteer(All of which over 100 hours have been commited):
-Volunteer at Blue Hills Reservation Camp Chickatawbut Hill(150 hrs)
-Volunteer at the Museum of Science Discovery Center (Over 500 hrs)
-Volunteer at Boston Children’s Hospital(120 hrs)
-Volunteer at Milton Hospital (100 hrs)
-Volunteer at St. Gregory’s Church, playing viola in the Youth Choir (over 300 hrs)</p>

<p>Internships:
-Engineering Curiculum Development at Muesum of Science (summer 06, and 07)
-Group and Fucntion Sales (Summer 05 and school year 05-06)
-Robotics Introduction at Muesum of Science (05)
-Engineering Introduction at Muesum of Science (07)
-Science Acting Theater Workshop at Muesum of Science (06)</p>

<p>Awards:
-Inducted into TRI M nation honor music society
-Honored as a “Rising Star” at President’s Dinner for Discoveries at the Museum of Science
-Awarded a Bronze Pin for service hours at the Museum of Science
-Awarded the "Most Valuable Contribution" by the Milton High Music Department
-Student of the Quarter for Community Service x2
-Awarded the "All-States" by the Milton High Music Department
-Awarded the "Districts" by the Milton High Music Department</p>

<p>Colleges I look at:</p>

<p>Wheaton(MA) early decision
Connecticut College
Holy Cross
Quinnipiac
RPI(w/out music major plans)</p>

<p>plan to major in music and physics</p>

[paying3tuitions]

<p>Ithaca College (in upstate NY) might be good for developing your music performance, and your academic stats look right for their range; i have no idea how well they teach physics. Gorgeous location, rural isolation, progressive town, same town as Cornell U but they are in two different locations completely within the Town of Ithaca -- anyway check it out</p>

<p>Also, post a thread on the College Selection and Admissions forum of CC. I know the other students sometimes eat you up alive over there, and parents are so much kinder.</p>

[violadad]

<p>bens120x- A couple of points... you state at the top of your post your interests are physics and music and at the bottom your major as music and physics.</p>

<p>Are you considering a double major?
If music is a potential major, in what concentration... viola performance, music theory, ed, composition?</p>

<p>None of the schools you listed are known for their music progams. If you are highly competent, you may be playing well above the level of many students in the program.</p>

<p>I would not necessarily recommend any, particularly for viola performance. Your best options within that group for viola are Connecticut (Anthea Kreston is a wonderful violinist and a very credible violist, and a great teacher) and quite possibly Holy Cross. </p>

<p>Quinnipiac has only a music minor, and from I have gleaned, no individualized studio instruction. I think your performance opportunities are limited there as well. Additionally there is a housing shortage, and upperclassman must live off campus. That may or may not be a problem.</p>

<p>Your past particpation in NEC YO ensembles, and participation in the Harvard and MIT Orchestras indicate you're probably playing at a fairly high level. (MIT is a music gem that few are aware of.)</p>

<p>If you're serious about music as a major (even as part of a double degree), I suggest you pop into the music major forum <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=604%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=604&lt;/a> and read some of the posts. A lot of the questions you pose have been and are currently being addressed there. Many small LAC's (seems to be you choice) with great music programs can be found there.</p>

<p>I'd start here <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=258796%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=258796&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>And consider re-posting in the music forum. You'll get some excellent suggestions.</p>

[Allmusic]

<p>I agree with Violadad. I am familiar with some of those orchestras you mention, and I think you would find the level of musicianship at most of the colleges you mentioned to be quite disappointing. That is a common problem for kids who have played at an extremely high level during high school...and if you want to continue to progress as a musician, you will need to be in a bigger pool of talented kids.</p>

<p>I don't know much about viola performance in non-conservatories (or much in conservatories either), but know that strong musicians need other strong musicians. I do know a good violist at Dartmouth who was disappointed, and one at Swarthmore who has been happy. I would suggest looking carefully at the music end of things, if you are interested in continuing down this path. It would be a shame to have progressed to the the point that you obviously have, and have no, or few, collaborative partners at the college level.</p>

[mythmom]

<p>I second the above post. Your music accomplishments are much more impressive than your academic accomplishments. Therefore, I would look at schools that require auditions for "conservatory" type programs that also offer dual programs with a liberal arts major.</p>

[bens120x]

<p>thanks for all the suggestions! it is really helpful! i wrote some of the points down! THANK YOU!</p>

[bens120x]

<p>To clarify, I would like to double major in music with a concentration on viola performance and major in physics. I really like Wheaton not only for the small liberal arts education, but it is close to boston, and I plan to study at the new england conservatory/boston area teachers also.</p>

[violadad]

<p>bens120x- I thought the proximity of Wheaton to Boston may be playing a part.</p>

<p>you said:
<i really="" like="" wheaton="" not="" only="" for="" the="" small="" liberal="" arts="" education,="" but="" it="" is="" close="" to="" boston,="" and="" i="" plan="" study="" at="" new="" england="" conservatory="" boston="" area="" teachers="" also.=""></i></p><i really="" like="" wheaton="" not="" only="" for="" the="" small="" liberal="" arts="" education,="" but="" it="" is="" close="" to="" boston,="" and="" i="" plan="" study="" at="" new="" england="" conservatory="" boston="" area="" teachers="" also.="">

<p>This is a bit troubling insofar as while it is not unheard of, it is highly unusal to study with two teachers simultaneously. Many will not even engage you if they know. It usually happens under very specific circumstances, under the auspices of a true master teacher and a like minded colleague, or a professor and top grad or former student... the Zukerman/Kopec pairing and the Vamos' are prime examples of a master teacher/colleague team.</p>

<p>Wheaton lists no currently assigned viola faculty on their webpages. Do you know of any NEC viola faculty also teaching at Wheaton? There are many very talented viola studio teachers in the Boston area affiliated with BU, BC, the Boston Symphony, some teaching at more than one institution.</p>

<p>What/who does your current studio teacher recommend? If you're seriously considering pursuing performance as a major, then it is imperative that you have a teacher than can move you forward as well as work with comfortably.</p>

<p>I strongly urge you to spend some serious time reading on the music major forum. You seem to be unaware of alot of the major issues confronting performance majors ... the importance of the specific teacher, overall strength of the performing organizations, the quality of the facilities, etc. </p>

<p>Additionally the double major has many potential pitfalls, and each school (some studio instructors) has their own policy regarding "splitting your time", and you need to be aware of this.</p>

<p>I may catch flak for saying this, but a physics undergrad degree can be obtained at many fine schools. This is not true with a performance concentration where the criteria for selection is far closer to selection of a grad or professional program.</p>

<p>I would suggest also to redirect your inquiry to the music forum or ask a moderator to move this thread if you're at all serious about performance.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>
</i>

[paying3tuitions]

<p>^^Thank you, violadad and other musically knowledgable people, for jumping in with expert guidance. </p>

<p>Bens120x, your post attracted excellent advisors.</p>

<p>I think I speak with others above: we all feel that your talents (musical and academic) need better alignment with your college list. Perhaps you're not shooting high enough in one, probably both, areas that excite you: viola and physics.</p>

<p>I don't know if you should be looking at places like Eastman School of Music/University of Rochester, or the double-degree program at Oberlin College and Conservatory. But someone in the music world should be helping you understand if you should be auditioning for such a place. The entry point for those places could be your viola, since your academic scores are very strong but not in the stratosphere. I even wonder if you'll be taking the SAT's again in the fall, whether you prepared well for them, and many more questions. I'm kind of imagining you like Matt Damon in the movie he wrote, set in Boston... </p>

<p>I wonder (you needn't answer) what's tying you to the New England Conservatory (family, a special teacher) and Boston. Also is anyone helping you figure out financial aid? And where's your school Guidance Counselor in this whole picture?</p>

<p>Please please listen to violadad and get the guidance we all want for you. Good luck.</p>

[mythmom]

<p>I, too, strongly encorage you to look at two above posts. Violadad is the expert here. And maybe, physics is too demanding a major to pair with a performance concentration. Where is your heart? Do you want a professionalmusic career or a physics career and a hobby? Answering these questions will help you zero in on the right school for you.</p>

[paying3tuitions]

<p>I just read through this page discussing the Eastman School of Music and how they integrate music and science into a workable program for musicians. To me, if you can study at New England Conservatory, you might be good enough to also consider a place like Eastman. Or Oberlin.</p>

<p>And (music experts, please support me if I'm right here, i don't want to misadvise...) If you have a special music teacher at NEC, don't special teachers also help students transition to other institutions if that's appropriate musically? In other words, if you tell the teacher of an instrument at NEC that you want help getting into another place, will they help guide you so you can continue to grow? I always meet teachers who were "so proud" of when they taught a student early on, but become "even prouder" when that student continues onward to a new challenge. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.esm.rochester.edu/degrees/ba_bs.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.esm.rochester.edu/degrees/ba_bs.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

[violadad]

<p>You're right paying3 on a number of points. Academics may be a bit weak or iffy for both Eastman/Rochester & the Oberlins. My guess too is that they're on the low end of the scale for JHU/Peabody.</p>

<p>But they could very well work at Lawrence, Temple, Gettysberg. Bard is a good possibility and Bard actually requires a double major for performance undergrads. The details are in some other threads on the music board.</p>

<p>And you're right on with the studio teacher being a great resource for transition to a college program. I'm just wondering if the OP has ever discussed plans with current teacher.</p>

<p>I know at the conservatory level, the NEC viola faculty include some of the very best in the country, but NEC is a strict conservatory.</p>

<p>BU could be an option. Many Boston Symphony members are faculty there.</p>

<p>And applying ED as a performance major is virtually unheard of unless you've been recruited. Too many variables in an audition.</p>

[bens120x]

<p>hey thanks guys</p>

<p>i have alot to think about! i'm gonna go look at the different schools websites you have been mentioning. I am also going to figure out "where my heart is". I'm pretty sure I want to do music only as a hobby, but its hard to choose! i'll post soon. I really appreciate this guys!</p>

[violadad]

<p>mythmom- You said it in a nutshell.</p>

[paying3tuitions]

<p>-- plus remember violadad's other advice to look through CC's Music board, too. </p>

<p>good work, bens120x</p>