My son is applying to some of the same schools for viola. He has two violas…we thought he would use the lesser one for school and the more expensive one for Regional Orchestra, pre-Conservatory quartets, lessons, performances, etc… but they are different sizes and he likes playing the more expensive one ($13k + $3k bow) vs his lovely sounding $4.5k +$600 bow. So he takes the more expensive one to and from school everyday! I was freaked out at first but it is well guarded and never forgotten.
Conservatory viola, ugh, that’s the next purchase!….when we purchased my kid’s $13k viola, we were informed that if he Studies music in college, we will need to purchase a viola that will cost a minimum of $18k….my son loves his $13k viola and does not think he needs to get a new one. I will ask his teacher when the time comes!
Princeton, Columbia and Penn share the same teacher so I am confused about the separation in the comment above.
Meanwhile, how was your list generated? My son’s list was generated by his teacher. Some of the schools on your list offer music performance while others offer a BA in music.
By the way, Stanford has no legacy boost. I have heard this said by my friends who have graduated the school…several friends who have graduated the school.
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Hi - my daughter ended up renting the second viola for a 12 month period (on a rent to own program). We figured this would give her the chance to use the new viola for her senior year and then, depending on where she is going and what her needs will be, we can return it or purchase it.
@Chucklesbythebay - the list was generate by her music teachers (orchestra directors, private teacher, and festival teachers) as well as her academic guidance counselor. With the schools that offer BAs, the plan was for her to more evenly split her focus between music and academics while taking private lessons (at the school or in the community), playing in the orchestra and chamber groups, and then continue her studies in performance at the Masters level (which she would likely be doing anyway).
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Is she considering a double degree? Some of the music departments listed do not have performance, but Tufts/NEC and Yale have well-known double degrees. Princeton has an exchange program with a conservatory in the UK. Columbia also has a double degree but I don’t think many do it (Julliard)
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@compmom - she is not looking to do a double degree with 2 separate campuses but is trying to do her best to create 3 groups of schools: (1 - her choice) Unis/colleges with Schools of Music (BM or BA) just lots of learning, exposure to music, performance opportunities (lessons as well as orchestras and chamber groups); (2 - her second choice) Unis/colleges with great music departments with on campus lessons and multiple performance opportunities; and (3 - if all else fails…) Unis/colleges with orchestras and that are in or very near major music cities where she could go get private lessons
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Wise daughter, great choices and great way to organize her search.
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I’m admittedly a little biased, but based on the three requirements you mentioned, I’d strongly recommend considering Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins. Baltimore/DC area provides ample performance opportunities, and both music school and university are wonderful.
Also plugging USC (which is on your daughter’s list albeit on the low end) and UCLA (which isn’t on her list). Los Angeles is fantastic for classical music, with lots of access to great performances by the LA Phil, LA Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera, plus so many high level regional orchestras and chamber ensembles. The faculty at both schools are loaded with musicians from these orgs plus the Hollywood studios.
And importantly to your original point, the mild So Cal weather is extremely kind to instruments. 
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Thanks - we tried to get her to look at Peabody @JHU last year but she was turned off by the conservatory dorm for the first year and the crime in & around Baltimore. Might be time to have her circle around and look at it again.
I think I really should also re-introduce UCLA to her & see what her thoughts are.
Thanks for the input
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Yeah, the Peabody dorms are merely acceptable, so I don’t blame her for that opinion. My son was thrilled to be out of there after his freshman year. Since then, he’s been in an off-campus apartment 3 blocks away and is much happier.
FWIW: The immediate neighborhood around the school, Mt. Vernon, is actually quite nice, even upscale . The next few blocks surrounding Mt. Vernon are good to fine, safe by typical urban standards. Like any inner city, there are some dicey blocks beyond that which are well known by the students and avoided easily enough. All of the same can be said about Homewood, the main JHU campus a couple of miles away, just in bigger circumferences.
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I’m tardy to the party but regarding instruments, my daughter has just one instrument - a valuable one - and it goes with her back and forth and everywhere with her. Don’t leave it somewhere you wouldn’t leave a baby is our motto. But I do know that some kids that live further out from her conservatory do utilize the lockers at school.
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That works better with some instruments than others. For example harmonica over kettledrums.
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My son has had a violin that’s at “investment” level with two bows at around $3K and $2K each. These are all insured by Anderson. He carried these everywhere in high school and now in college. A back up instrument, unless it’s also at an “investment” level with well-known origin, is hard to re-sell even at the same price as what you originally paid for. These level instruments are better off when upward trading. For this reason, I don’t recommend a back-up instrument unless you’re fine re-selling at a loss, if you can re-sell at all.
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