input on a couple of grad schools please

I know we are getting to the wire here but I am stymied. I am a VP major, soprano and intend to go on to grad school for my MMus. My current professor has not been much help, I think because he is a little younger, but I have gotten some advice from others. I worked with a noted conductor this summer and he said any school he knows of will take me in a heartbeat (if they have room) so I may not be able to count on prescreen weeding out to help me out.
I prefer a smaller program with more opportunities for roles, not so much into “alternative” stuff and as little faculty politics/backstabbing. I am on a tight budget and cannot visit all the schools before auditions. (don’t live near the east coast so a weekend flight/hotel etc is $600 min) I went to one school for a practice lesson and was underwhelmed-chemistry was not there with the person that had been highly recommended.

So-BC or BU if I intend to pursue opera in the future? I have had a couple of friends/acquaintances who recently completed their MMs at NEC and were not happy with the overall experience for reasons I relate to.
Also considering Peabody, Yale, Northwestern and Bard. Someone suggested Kentucky but I cannot find anyone familiar with their program. Not interested in Indiana, Michigan, Juilliard etc. Said conductor also told me not to go to NYC until or unless I am totally ready as “you really only get one shot so you gotta make it count”

Have you looked at Boulder in CO or UMKC Conservatory? Smaller but respected programs. I have heard singers from Kentucky too and I think it would be similar to CO and KC. And fyi on BU, my D ended up doing a video audition due to tight funds. She explained to BU after she got her pre-screens back that she could not afford to travel to their locations and they allowed her to do a video audition and she was accepted there (but did not attend).

And…I’m not sure it’s an issue to go to school in NYC. It’s more of an issue not to audition for programs (i.e., YAP) before you are ready…as sometimes if they reject you once they will not hear you again. My D gets recommendations from her coach and teacher on what festivals/programs/companies to audition for and which to wait on. But that is a different issue than a grad school in NYC. You may want to clarify that.

I can make no promises about faculty politics however. My D was in New York for an audition recently and met with a friend who is in a graduate program there…and she said he spent most of the lunch complaining about politics at his school. I’m not sure how to get away from this. My D chose a less selective program for grad school for many reasons (but mainly money) and thought it would be more low key but alas she got caught in some faculty battles. So…I think a thick skin is required at most grad programs.

Good luck!

Money is an issue.I never heard of UMKC, Boulder is a huge program(I was told) and I just cannot see myself there . But thanks for the input. Yeah this conductor was talking about going to Juilliard mannes and manhattan.

I was going to suggest NEC! Bard has a good program as you know http://www.bard.edu/vap/
Have you considered Longy of Bard? I lived next door all summer and heard vocalists practicing! http://longy.edu/academics/graduate-degrees-and-programs/

UC Boulder isn’t a huge program for grad students and their faculty is excellent. UMKC is very small and will consider you if they need your voice type. Why aren’t you looking at U of Maryland?

I don’t want to rain on the parade here, but take the kind compliment from the conductor with a very large grain of salt. He’s been out of school a long time (if he’s “noted”) and things have changed radically. There are so many sopranos out there that schools are overwhelmed- and let’s also mention that programs have proliferated at an alarming rate, so more undergrads are being spat out into the system each year. Fewer than 30% of applicants overall get into VP grad programs and many, many take at least a year off between undergrad and grad to work on presentation and technique so that they can improve the odds.

If you can’t find anyone familiar with the grad program at Kentucky, you’re not looking hard enough. There is at least one very famous chat site for classical singers that also has a Facebook page; there are students and grads on there that can help you.