<p>This thread may also be helpful. Similar topic: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1296059-most-selective-academic-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1296059-most-selective-academic-schools.html</a></p>
<p>Can anybody here speak to the level of competitiveness of Bard Conservatory (especially cello) and Bard College for academics?</p>
<p>SpiritManager will be able to tell you more about Bard Conservatory, as her son is a composition major there. My D2, who is an amateur violist, is a senior at Bard College, and has found the academics there stimulating and challenging. She is this week finishing up two senior projects, one a photography show at a gallery, the other an analysis of the interplay between precinematographic toys and Victorian nonsense literature that looks to be running about 130 pages long. These are on top of a regular courseload and an internship that takes her out of town two days a week. Classes are small, intensely discussion oriented, with high expectations for reading and writing.</p>
<p>I don’t happen to know either of the cello professors at the conservatory, but the viola and violin faculty are top notch.</p>
<p>The competitive level for Bard Conservatory is the same as for the very top conservatories, as it is very small, and they accept very few students - most years no more than one or two per instrument, same for composition. Sometimes they have a waiting list, and sometimes they don’t - being willing to have no one enroll on that instrument. On the other hand, until last year when one of the two accepted students chose Harvard/NEC because of the jazz opportunities - composition had a 100% enrollment of those accepted. </p>
<p>They offer very good merit aid, including full five year tuition scholarships - although the full tuition scholarship seems to be offered more often when there is also financial need. Many of the professors also teach at Curtis and Juilliard. Peter Wiley, whose son attends Bard College, is one of the cello professors - and he also teaches at Curtis. Most of the professors do teach at multiple schools, although not the composition faculty.</p>
<p>As for the academics, I do believe it’s second to none. Yes there are students at Bard College who were not at the top of their class, and did not get 2400 on their SATs - but they all are committed to learning, and the pursuit of learning, as are the professors, who are an extraordinary bunch. There is no grad school so the students reap the bounty of their professors’ generous and intense attention as well as phenomenal knowledge. The only downside to the academic education is the same as for most liberal arts college - if you’re choosing between Princeton, Yale and Bard (as a current accepted conservatory student is) the breadth of the course offerings, and the number of students in your other major will be much more limited. Not of less quality - but the choices will be fewer.</p>
<p>The conservatory tends to attract incredible students - those who are absolutely devoted to their musical education, but who are also passionately curious about the rest of the world. The double degree is not for everyone - but for the right student, it’s heaven.</p>
<p>Spiritmanager—You, as always, do a great service encapsulating the fantastic experience at Bard-----but I have a small clarrification: there is a (fantastic) graduate program for vocal performance. [Bard</a> College Conservatory of Music | Graduate Vocal Arts Program](<a href=“http://www.bard.edu/vap/curriculum.shtml]Bard”>http://www.bard.edu/vap/curriculum.shtml)</p>
<p>MusicaMusica - you’re absolutely right - there are actually quite a few graduate programs through or at Bard. It’s just that the faculty is generally different and so I don’t think about it. However, the conservatory students do end up playing with the graduate vocal students, and do interact a small amount with the vocal professors including Dawn Upshaw! Contemporaneous, my son’s new music ensemble, has had singers from the graduate program perform almost every season. They are an amazing group of singers. Really special.</p>
<p>Bard also offers a Masters of Teaching - both in general education, and, now, through Longy, in Music Education. They also offer graduate degrees in Conducting and Collaborative Piano. They have a grad program in Curatorial Studies, and other non-music grad programs, as well! However, the vast majority of the professors in the college only teach the undergrads.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the wonderful information about Bard. It does sound like a good fit for D who is now a sophomore, but I’m not sure she’ll be at this high conservatory level. She loves her academics, especially discussion based courses like her AP European History.</p>
<p>Cello-mom - for a non-audition top academic discussion-based college with a good music program look into Vassar. Sophie Shao who is one of the cello professors at Bard Conservatory, is an adjunct professor at Vassar. Also check out Williams, Smith, Sarah Lawrence, and Swarthmore.</p>