Hello, I am having a hard time deciding between these schools. Would anyone be able to provide info about the general atmosphere and level of student musicianship at these schools, specifically for the violin program, as well as how demanding G.E. requirements are, do-ability of minoring/majoring in other fields, etc? I was also wait-listed at Eastman, so information about Eastman would be helpful as well. Thank you!!
Congrats on your acceptances. DS is violin major at Jacobs so I can give you a bit of info about IU. Cannot speak to the major/minor issue though. As you likely know, Jacobs is big as far as music schools go. As such, there are over a hundred violinists ranging from those who are pursuing music education (and not focusing on performance) to those pursuing an AD in violin. I believe the gen ed requirements work out to 1 gen ed course/semester over the 4 years (you can meet some of them with SAT scores and AP courses). There are SO MANY choices in terms of the gen ed courses that I am sure you can find what you are looking for (not sure if you want demanding or not). Good luck with your decision and feel free to PM me if you want further details.
CIM is a small and very selective conservatory so the level of musicianship is very high. There aren’t any education majors-there are performance major undergrads through those going for their masters, Ph.Ds and AD certificates- but everyone gets orchestra playing time. There is a Gen Ed class each term required on the Case Western campus and this is really facilitated by the placement of the conservatory on a corner of the university’s campus; it’s quite walkable and there are campus busses that make the loop throughout the area as well. You can also do a 5yr Dual Degree if you happy through CIM.
The gen meds are as demanding as you want to make them, but the theory and the music history tracks are tough. Because the school is small, everyone knows everyone else and it’s a friendly place- easy to set up chamber groups or find someone to work with on a new piece. PM me if you have specific questions!