<p>for my S. Projected GPA 3.5-3.6 UW 4.1-4.2W (mostly tough AP and Honors classes) .
SAT expect 1900-2000
4 years Varsity CC and 4 years varsity Track
NHS, Decent but not overwhelming E.C.s
Plays in a Band, profitable gigs (even Friday nights) at local clubs including School of Rock. Lot of depth w/this E.C. including mixing, recording, merchandising, website design, marketing, outside shot at a record contract ,and has first CD about to press.
Music is not primary objective in college, but would still like to have access to the perks of a good program (recording studio, entertainment management, maybe even a music theory minor).
Would consider college anywhere in U.S.</p>
<p>University of Miami</p>
<p>Aiming a little higher. D. was accepted to UMich w/similar stats. (also UCLA, McGill, Bucknell).</p>
<p>Hmmm, maybe not too much of a reach but Syracuse, Drexel. University of Michigan would be a reach with a program (Mich uses unweighted GPA on a 4 pt. scale for sophomore and junior year only.) USC has a program and I would think USC would be a reach. Berklee (in Boston) is for very serious musicians, but has a program.</p>
<p>Is cost an issue. Will you consider public and private? Size? What do you think he wants to study?</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon would definitely be a reach, but probably not excessively so in HSS (Humanities and Social Science School), you’d have to do your homework as to how feasible minoring and/or taking classes at their music school would be. (I do know a computer science major minored in music playing bagpipes a few years back.) <a href=“Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University”>Home - Computing Services - Office of the CIO - Carnegie Mellon University;
<p>Cost is not an issue; would consider both public and private. thx for your replies. For some reason he has NYU in mind (my wife is a legacy there, but it did not help my daughter). I think NYU and USC are realistic reaches, less than 50:50.</p>
<p>Why does he need reach schools? If he has a good list of schools that are good matches and likely schools, he really does not need reach schools.</p>
<p>USC would be a reach but a good one to keep on the list. If the SAT comes in around 2100, the senior year classes are solid and the essays stellar, you’ve got a decent shot. USC is strong for interdisplinary programs and double majors and the music school is great, so it might be a good fit for some continuation is music.</p>
<p>If the economy stays bad through another college round, and I think it will, this is a good candidate to reach higher than we would have thought in the last couple of years. I would focus on getting the SAT as strong as he can and definitely apply to NYU/USC level privates as well as some good LACs where his stats look a little low like Vassar and schools in it’s range.</p>
<p>Oberlin and Reed in the LAC world; the former because it is a cradle of alternative rock stars and the latter because it’s in Portland which would fit the bill completely. Both are great, demanding colleges that look more for spark than for numbers in their admissions (assuming basic good-student qualification, which the OP’s son would have).</p>
<p>How about Vanderbilt, in another music mecca? Probably an achievable reach.</p>
<p>How long ago the older sister’s admission? 3.5/2000 seems very reachy for UCLA or Michigan out of state now.</p>
<p>older sister is an entering freshman this Sep OOS. GPA was 3.6UW/4.2W; top 10%,almost all honors and AP courses and a strong 4-year varsity athlete ( soccer team went to state finals). She has alot more ECs than my son, she is fluent in French and a licensed sailor. She really benefited from a holistic approach to admissions I believe as her scores were acceptable but not exceptional. Not sure if all schools are need blind, but we did not apply for financial aid as we are lucky enough not to need it. She’s Type A, a self-starter , great under pressure and that probably came through on her essays. My son is at the other end of the spectrum–funny, laid back, very creative, non-competitive.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>So he wants a large, urban school? Or not necessarily?</p>
<p>In the LAC world, I like Reed but Macalester might fit better. My S liked the music scene at Colorado College and it’s definitely laid back. Wesleyan, but it’s probably out-of-reach. Oberlin, if rural is o.k.</p>
<p>Brandeis? (music dept. founded by Leonard Bernstein, facilities might be good?)</p>
<p>Chapman in Orange County has by all accounts an excellent music program. I haven’t looked at its stats, so not sure if it’s a reach or match. Lots of creative types there because of the theater and film programs, and easy access to the LA music scene.</p>
<p>Boston University.</p>
<p>University of Maryland (which has easy access to Washington, DC).</p>
<p>I suspect, from his interest in NYU and USC, that he’s thinking that if he can’t find the musical opportunities he wants on campus, he could find them in a city environment. So he might want to consider these two good city or near-city schools, as well as those in NY and LA.</p>
<p>Connecticut College in New London, CT. Check out their music program as a non major.
They also need men!</p>
<p>^^^ Great suggestion. My S1 went there (not musical though) and thoroughly enjoyed it. And in my experience they do appear to favor men slightly.</p>
<p>What he is looking for in college, what major is being considered. My D is Music Composition minor, music classes have been easy so far, primarily R&R for her after her major classes (pre-med). I would say, Music Minor is very attainable, except with Engineering major. I would advise not to be involved in many EC’s / minors or any social activities in any engineering program, it is tough. Other than that he should be fine in any place. My D graduated with GPA=4.0uw at the top of her HS class and loves her state college very much, very challenging classes, a lot of opportunities for top students that are not open to general student body. </p>
<p>Did you look into Case Western? It is private but good mostly for engineers and pre-meds.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that although universities are hurting for money and would love the full paying students the number of applications has gone up and with that the lower acceptance rates. I think schools that were a match are now, in some cases, a reach. My daughter is a freshman this year. She had a 2160 SAT and a 4.3 W GPA with really stallar EC’s. Was rejected by USC (impacted major, should have applied undeclared) and accepted at UCLA (undeclared). We have been shocked lateely by so many great kids not getting into the schools they thought were matches. Make sure your S has a good combination of safety, match and reach schools that he would be happy with.</p>
<p>May be more of a match school, but Tulane in New Orleans can be a great place for a musician who may not be majoring in music. A couple good friends of S had much success in their music career though neither majored. Opportunities are everywhere. The music department is decent too.</p>
<p>(I should mention that Tulane’s selectivity is going up though. They had 44,000 applications for about 1500 freshmen starting this fall.)</p>