Music + Academics?

College Search & Selection
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<p>(I can't believe that I haven't found this site earlier! It looks like a great resource!)</p>

<p>I'm a very academic student. I'm in the IB Diploma Program (HL English, History, Calculus, Chemistry & SL Physics, French). I'm generally a math/science person, although I do enjoy reading and discussing literature and history. (I just can't stand all the writing!) My average is ~103, I currently have the 6th highest GPA in my class of ~550. So yeah, I could very feasibly get into a great school.</p>

<p>BUT. I've studied flute for ~10 years and decided that I want to give it a go in college as a performance major. I know what I'm up against and that I'll be practicing nonstop, but I still want to do it.</p>

<p>So I'm looking for a school with a great music (flute) AND academic program, so that I can switch out music if need be. Here are some schools I know of...</p>

<p>McGill
U of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
Yale
Peabody/Johns Hopkins</p>

<p>McGill seems like a bad idea right now because I don't have my green card yet. Anyone know more about this?</p>

<p>U of Michigan is so BIG!!</p>

<p>Yale is my reach school; I can't rely on this. And I didn't like New Haven too much.</p>

<p>My math teacher said that she doesn't know anyone that was happy at Johns Hopkins.. too competitive or something.</p>

<p>If anyone has any insight on this, please share!</p>

<hr>

<p>random information about me:
- I live on Long Island, NY
- I need a school that will offer financial aid to international students! While I've lived in the States for 17 years (immigrated here when I was 5 months old), my parents and I still don't have our green cards. I'm here on an O visa.
- I'm looking to stay in the northeast or midwest. Nothing in the south (I can't take the heat)</p>

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<p>suuuueee- I suggest you repost in the Music major forum. There's a wealth of knowledge there. I'd also suggest you read through the three featured discussion threads at the top of the music major page, as well as the three sticky threads pinned at the top.</p>

<p>This will give you a pretty detailed overview. There's a broad range of experience posters at that forum across most instruments, and the experience runs from very music savvy high school students/parents, through those currently in various programs (conservatory, conservatory level within a university, and LAC's with very strong music programs. There are a couple of grad students as well.</p>

<p>Yale does not offer an undergrad instrumental performance degree. It is basically a professional conservatory level Masters and above program only.</p>

<p>There are plenty of choices out there for you. You might want to request a moderator to move this thread to the Music Major Forum.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
You might want to request a moderator to move this thread to the Music Major Forum.

[/quote]

Yes, please.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Take a look at University of Rochester, which includes the Eastman Conservatory of Music.</p>

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<p>There are additional factors to consider. If you are not a US citizen, financial aid may be an issue. Most financial aid at conservatory/conservatory level programs (Juilliard, Peabody, Eastman, U/Michigan, Oberlin, U/Indiana, Rice, etc is performance based, and is contingent upon your audition... the better your audition, the better your talent award. Merit stat and test score scholarships will be school specific, and may or may not be combined with talent aid... that varies by school.)</p>

<p>Another factor is your current level of ability. Points to think about, and questions to ask once you've read some of the overview materials I've cited. A BM program is a bit different in terms of admission criteria than most other straight academic programs. Different variables are considered, and each school treats them a bit differently.</p>

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<p>Rice is the place for you.</p>

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<p>MOWC- That was my initial thought as well. OP said nothing in the south, couldn't stand heat. Perhaps you might sing the praises of Texas weather based on your d's experience there. Oberlin may work very nicely also.</p>

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<p>Take a look at Northwestern - it has one of the better schools of music (that isn't a conservatory).</p>

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<p>Oberlin College</p>

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<p>I would not be so fast to remove McGill from the list. Look into the actual visa situation there, because generally Canada is less stringent than the USA, and McGill has a highly international student body. Plus, as a government-funded university, its tuition rate may be a fit with your financial situation. The music school is quite good, although every program at McGill seems a bit underfunded.</p>

<p>I would not be too concerned about the size of UMichigan. The Music school is in its own building in an isolated area of campus and is not overly big. But the out of state tuition rate may the concern.</p>

<p>You can search around College Confidential for information about financial aid for international students. This may have the most impact on your college list.</p>

<p>As you probably already know, flute is one of the most competitive instruments to audition on for a college/conservatory performance major. Even the very best players audition at many schools and hope to get into one of them on flute.</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon is excellent for flute, for example, but they only accept 1 or 2 students a year out of the dozens of all-state level players who audition.</p>

<p>Some other schools that combine good academics with reputable music schools are Oberlin, Vanderbilt, Case Western Reserve. No idea about FA for internationals.</p>

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<p>Taking it down a notch or two, and increasing the odds of merit aid, West Chester of Pennsylvania and Lebanon Valley have good music programs.</p>

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<p>I second University of Rochester.</p>

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<p>Do you happen to go to Northport? its a 1/4 shot with IB, adding in music makes it likely</p>

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<p>Since you are getting an IB diploma, why don't you apply to Oxford or Cambridge in the UK ?</p>

15

<p>Take a look at Lawrence University.</p>

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<p>I was just going to suggest Lawrence! I'll put in one word of caution about Lawrence and any other small schools. Make sure you meet the flute faculty and really click with them (or maybe just him or her). My neighbors are both Lawrence alums (the husband is a working musician with a graduate degree from Eastman). Both their daughters started out there. The one who wanted to be a trumpet performance major came home after a year. She loved Lawrence, but didn't really like the one trumpet faculty member.</p>

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<p>I know tons of people who were very happy at Hopkins--including some double majors (Peabody/Arts & Sciences). It is a fantastic place. Yes, it is competitive but if you're interested in music performance you won't avoid competition. Check it out and form your own opinion.</p>

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<p>wow thanks for all the responses! i'll look into everything you guys said.</p>

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<p>At Rice, you are not allowed to double major in music and something else. The School of Music is seperate from the rest of the school. I found this out from an admissions officer and as a result didn't apply there.</p>

<p>One of my best friends is a lot like you. She's won tons and tons of awards for flute and easily could've gone to a top conservatory, but she was also a valedictorian, had 2400 SATs and is just a brilliant person. She decided to go to Yale, where she is in the YSO as a freshman, absolutely loving it, and considering their five year dual-degree program. You spend four years studying an academic major and music on the side, and then one year exclusively at the Yale School of Music and you receive a masters in music.</p>

<p>I play flute myself, though I probably couldn't have gone to a great conservatory, but it got me $9,200 a year in music scholarships from Davidson College, where I will start next fall (I deferred my enrollment for a year to pursue music/songwriting/performing at home in Seattle). So, if money is an issue for you, definitely look at schools that offer merit money for music.</p>

<p>Also, a flute player from my school went to Lawrence and got a fair amount of money from them, but I personally didn't like his playing at all. I don't know if that says anything about their music program, but it turned me off.</p>

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<p>OBERLIN!
One of the best convervatories!</p>