I think the point nobody has made is not can you get into school X, Y or Z?
More importantly which school can you get into and excel / get amazing performance opportunities?
Being at the top means a lot monetarily and from an experience standpoint.
These are all great questions.
@compmom I’m not sure if UG VP is something to avoid. I do know that there are more programs than ever and so many singers who really may never work professionally are being accepted into them. When it comes to auditioning for MM programs and getting the funding needed ( I heard it said somewhere on here that if you’re paying for grad school it’s a good gauge of where you stand in the talent pool. although don’t quote me 
I think you need to be a smart singer first and foremost. Perhaos an UG degree in a language, with a huge amount of theory and expert sight singing skills combined with a wonderful teacher might be enough for a rare & stellar talent to then go on to a top tier MM program. Though, I’m not sure they would also have the repitoire, coaching, movement, dance, acting etc. that a singer really needs to compete and perform professionally. So while it does take the voice time to mature there are so many other things that a VP student needs to be working on while they protect, train and nurture their young voices.
The audition is what counts for a MM acceptance. There are many paths to achieve the voice needed to succeed in those auditions. Foremost is a teacher that can develop a young singer. Performance opportunities while great are not the biggest factor. DD had no roles as an UG, had a fabulous teacher and when she went to grad school had major roles for both years. As an undergrad there can be other opportunities in recitals and scenes programs.
While you can no longer judge by those who are even just 10 years out of grad school, DD’s friends who are little older than her and are having some success in YAPs and in small roles had many different undergrad experiences, but all had fabulous grad experiences. They all had great undergrad teachers, for them. Students who were in the MM program at Rice did not all come from conservatories. One who was in her studio came from a smaller regional university. She won the MONC competition and is working, including at the MET, now. Those without the BM grounding had to stay an extra year to catch up on course work they had not covered as an undergrad, something to consider.
If you do not do a BM, then the things that you have to learn need to be covered somehow. Lessons, performances, music theory, language, sight singing, etc. Stepping into a MM cold will not happen. As @colorsturakid mentions, there is more to this profession than juist singing but there are many paths to achieving it. Many will say a well rounded education is just as important for a singer since that gives a good grounding in more life experiences from which to draw in performances. DD found the combination of an excellent university and excellent music school with a great teacher fit the bill for her. She is just starting into the YAP audition world so we will see how successfull it all has been, in about 5 years.
“BA students get grad students for studio teachers”
I think that this quote may not have been aimed at students doing a BA in music on an instrument or voice, rather I think the quote was where kids do music in college but do not major in it. Universities with music schools can have rules that non majors cannot use the faculty of the music school for lessons (depends on the school obviously), likewise for performance non majors may be in their own orchestra and chamber programs. In programs with that segregation, where the student goes let’s say for a degree in computer science but does music “on the side”, they very well may end up getting lessons from grad students. I could be wrong, but this was my read of that quote.
Wow–this thread really expanded while I was away! There’s so much information that I will now take into account when reviewing my choices again.
I just have two more questions:
- Would you advise me to continue the dual major route? I want to focus entirely on music and honing my instrument, but I am not sure if that’s a good idea.
- Would it be smart to apply for Carnegie Mellon if my family is low-income? My singing teacher told me to check it out once, but I wrote it off when my counselor told me it would probably be too much for me. (I have a history of mental illness and have been taking therapy for two years.)
Also, good luck to all the music students who are attending university/conservatory! And, godspeed to those auditioning right now 
All this information was really interesting for a music parent who knows little about voice, and must have been helpful to RequiresMiking.
Does Westminster Choir give merit scholarships? The young woman we know who went there loved it.
@RequiresMiking are you ruling out Carnegie Mellon because of the cost/scholarship potential? Or the perceived intensity of the school?
Also, have you read this essay about dual degrees, on the Peabody/John Hopkins site? Not sure I copied the link correctly:
www.peabody.jhu.edu/conservatory/admissions/programs/doubledegree.html
@RequiresMiking - There is no doubt that the CMU voice program is very intense, as all degrees there are. But the have mental health resources available. You would need to visit and talk to students. After Freshman year you are no longer taking the equivalent of 21 credit hours a semester.
As far as cost, if the have need, you may be very surprised how good an aid package you will get.
@CollegeDadofTwo @drummergirl I was ruling out CMU based on intensity and cost. However, I have begun an application for its voice program.
I was interested in Peabody, too, but the same counselor dissuaded me from applying. I took his word for it, because his predictions are usually correct.