Please help us make a decision. If only consider each school’s faculty, education qualify, opportunities for musical growth and help in career pursuits in classical music performance, how do you rank these options? Please elaborate on your reasons, and pros and cons. Thank you for your insight and input.
Are finances similar, or not an issue?
Not considering the financial factors.
Piano Performance at Carnegie Mellon is a BFA. I know some people are happy there but I think there are other better choices.
If you want a BM I would go with Oberlin (if you get off the waitlist), Ithaca or Manhattan, depending on your preferred location (NYC? rural? college town?) and whether you prefer a freestanding conservatory or a conservatory that is part of a college. At Oberlin and Ithaca you would take classes and live with non-music students.
Personally I would choose Oberlin if you get in. Then either Manhattan or Ithaca based on location preference and freestanding versus college.
But that’s me.
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I know you asked about the program, but have you considered the importance of a sense of place? All the pros and cons of the physical setting? Have you toured? MSM, OCon and IC are so different. When D toured MSM, she got the sense that students seldom leave the building, despite the NYC location. OCon is amazing and in the perfect little college town, but there isn’t much to do. Lots of students have cars and head off for the weekend. While IC is sprawling, the SOM is right smack in the middle of campus - it felt like the heart of the whole school. There’s even an enclosed pedestrian bridge which connects to SOM from dorms (Towers and Terraces) on the south side of campus. Plus, IC is totally accessible (walk, bus or bike ) to downtown Ithaca, no doubt the best college town in the county. When we toured, it was a 75 degree day and the Commons (a pedestrian mall) was a sea of students in blue (IC) and red (Cornell). It was so lively and fun. Full disclosure, I’m biased. My D committed to IC for a BM in composition.
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Also, is it CIM/CWRU or just CWRU? Regardless, University Circle is one of the most dynamic neighborhoods I’ve ever visited. It’s amazing and very resource rich.
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Eliminate the ones you definitely aren’t interested in or can’t afford. At this point, you should be down to no more than three schools. You need to be ruthless right now.
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Thank you all for your help.
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