<p>I just toured a bunch of schools, and came out really loving Wesleyan, and to a lesser extent Oberlin. I'm also interested in Brown, though i haven't toured yet. Here are the things I'm looking for in a school:</p>
<p>--Strong academics
--Not strict core curriculum (i went to Columbia and hated that there were specific classes you had to take, rather than just classes in certain fields)
--2000-8000 people
--Strong music program, which allows study in a variety of areas (composition, music history, performance, theory,) and is not only rooted in jazz and classical
--Artistic and creative student body, esp one where there is a strong, student directed collaborative music community (including contemporary styles like rock, funk, etc), from people informally jamming to having a strong student band scene. This is something i really liked about Wes.
--Racially diverse
--Fairly laid back atmosphere</p>
<p>I have a 3.85 unweighted GPA and 2300 on my SAT. I'd love some ideas for more schools. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Vassar, Bard (has a conservatory too) and Brown mainly.</p>
<p>Amherst, Hamilton and Kenyon worth a look.</p>
<p>If you liked Oberlin, you could potentially like Grinnell too.</p>
<p>Definitely have my eye on Bard, Brown, and Amherst. Thanks! I’ve heard Vassar doesn’t really encourage music other than classical or jazz…which is a fairly major dealbreaker for me</p>
<p>Williams has an excellent music department and lots of performance opportunities on campus. A strong overall emphasis of arts: the art history/art studio department is also one of the best in the country and theater is quite strong. </p>
<p>If you are female look at Smith.</p>
<p>There are very few distribution requirements at Vassar and Hamilton. Try to visit Vassar during your next college trip. There is a lively music scene beyond the classical and jazz. Check out the concerts offered during the two week Modfest in late January /early February. The Mahagonny ensemble is totally student -run and performs a variety of contempory music. There are many campus bands performing many styles. When S1 attended Vassar, his campus band had a gig playing somewhere on campus practically every week. </p>
<p>Hamilton has no distribution requirements, other than one PE class. I’m not sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for as far as a music scene goes. It’s also a little smaller than you’d like.</p>
<p>One of the strongest music programs in the country is Eastman, which is associated with U of Rochester. (Not sure about different styles of music though.) Rochester students get access to Eastman, though they don’t get access to everything. Rochester has no distribution requirements as far as specific classes, though they do require what they call concentrations - three related classes in a particular field. About 5800 undergrads, and some merit is available.</p>
<p>Might look into Amherst, Vassar and Hamilton and slightly less competitive but still excellent schools might be Skidmore, Bard.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I’ll definitely look at Vassar. Let me know if anyone has any more suggestions!</p>