<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I've been looking into Northwestern University lately, but I am unsure of the promise for financial aid...what are people's experiences with scholarship for music performance there? In addition, has anyone gotten positive results from auditioning early decision? </p>
<p>Any other information about the music school/audition/acceptance process would also be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Most aid at Northwestern is need based. They do give out small merit scholarships, but they’re limited. However, they meet need, and often without loans.</p>
<p>Thanks! Do you know if they give out merit scholarships for those applying early decision?</p>
<p>I don’t think it makes a difference if it’s early decision or not, but we’re not talking about much money. As in under $5,000, unless things have changed in the last few years. Others with more current knowledge may know more than I. Northwestern used to have a reputation of giving out no music merit scholarships at all.</p>
<p>^The information above is correct-very little $ is given for merit in the undergrad department.</p>
<p>My son was accepted to Northwestern 2 years ago, and at that time he got a small ($2500) merit scholarship to offset the work study portion of his need based aid, and that was only after he started negotiating with his top 3 choices. They told him they wanted him badly (he was accepted into the highly competitive trumpet program) but were unable to do more due to the Northwestern merit aid only policy. He ended up elsewhere and his spot was never filled that year.</p>
<p>BTW - rumor has it that the major reasons Northwestern’s celebrated trumpet professors are leaving to go to Rice next year is that they were losing too many top choices due to money and Northwestern’s struck academic admissions policy.</p>
<p>Very interesting…thank you so much for this information!!</p>
<p>That may or may not be the reason that they are leaving. I have no idea.</p>
<p>But it is certainly true that Northwestern loses out on many top players every year because of grades/test scores. The school is very competitive and very academic. It is not a conservatory, it is a university. And it (understandably)has to keep it’s school averages high to maintain it’s reputation. </p>
<p>The unfortunate result of this is that the music school suffers, to some extent. Musicians who have spent hours and hours practicing may be extremely capable players, but they are turned away from the school because of grades. This is a problem that I hear the music professors at NU talk about every. single. year after audition season. The top players that they wanted to have are lost to other schools, and Northwestern gets the remainder.</p>
<p>^ the above is (of course) a generalization in some ways. There are great players with great test scores, and also the opposite, and every variation of applicants. BUT it is certainly a disappointing thing when high-caliber musicians are turned away from the Northwestern school based on academic achievements that do not directly influence their music career path.</p>