<p>I know this comparison has been made before in previous threads, but I just wondered if anyone has anything to add in the context of a viola grad student (me). In the long run I hope to audition for orchestras and teach (like probably the whole planet).</p>
<p>I have been accepted to both, and have about a 75% tuition award for Indiana and a full award for Michigan. All else being equal, I was just wondering what most posters would see as the good and bad points for each school at the moment, and if hypothetically you liked the studio teacher at both equally, how you might then proceed to make the choice. I also know that the teacher at Michigan has gone to bat for me on the fin aid award, while I think the teacher at Indiana has been relatively uninvolved in the admissions process, as I believe is usually the case there. I'm wondering how much impact that should have on my decision...</p>
<p>I have been obsessing over this for about a week now, and it's really difficult weighing the different factors.</p>
<p>One other thing I was particularly stunned by was the keyboard proficiency requirement at IU though -- it involves, among other things, scales and arpeggios (4 octaves) in all keys in both hands, an intermediate-difficulty piece from memory, and another piece given only 48h before. I don't know if I happen to be the only non-pianist grad student with no piano background, but I'm wondering if it would be wise to spend a not insignificant amount of time in performance grad school practising another instrument in order to graduate...</p>
<p>Anyway, any info or personal experiences on these two schools would be greatly appreciated =) And yes I do feel extremely lucky to have these sorts of choices to make...</p>
<p>Knowing that you will study with either Arad or Schotten puts you in what many would consider a most enviable position. I’m assuming you’ve done as much due diligence as possible. Both have a rep for mentoring extremely talented students. </p>
<p>If you have potential issues with the keyboard requirements for the MM at IU, are those at UMich any less stringent?</p>
<p>If you are more comfortable that a less stringent piano not detracting from your main purpose, go with UMich. </p>
<p>Weather?</p>
<p>All other things being equal, full tuition is hard to walk away from.</p>
<p>I think it was the poster cathymee who suggested you may have to flip a coin. If you are unhappy with the result of the toss, you go with the other option.</p>
<p>i would also add that although i’ve heard of arad, i don’t know anything about either teacher and would make the case for picking the school based either on the teacher or the school’s reputation/competitiveness (the environment really counts for a lot.) once i had to make a choice between a top-tier conservatory with a teacher whose pedagogy i wasn’t entirely convinced of and a somewhat lesser conservatory with who i thought was an amazing teacher. i went with the better conservatory and i’ve never, ever, ever regretted it. i was also really lucky with the teacher because it turned out to be exactly what i needed. the level of your peers is very significant (as well as the teacher, of course).</p>
<p>and i second what N8Ma said–i read your story, bratsche, it’s extremely inspiring. congratulations.</p>
<p>Thank you for the well wishes, I can only say that it has all turned out better than I dared to dream it would. I think I’m coming down on the side of IU for now… but I’ll hold on to these letters for another week first just in case. Haha. Especially since I’m still waiting on a few Apr 1 schools… but as things stand now, I don’t think those results will change anything unless I get a full ride from one of them (eminently unlikely).</p>