For a small liberal arts college, when filling out the common app, is it advantageous to say your preferred area of interest is music? Versus, say, biology which is a really popular major at most schools? This is for a kid with a lowish gpa that needs every boost he can get. And he is an incredibly talented musician who plans on continuing wjth music in college — may or may not major, though.
He should indicate a major her wants to pursue. It doesn’t make a huge difference, because they know many change. But be honest.
At the same time, he can submit a music supplement with recording/video/link, a music resume, and letter of recommendation from music teacher(s). This can provide a boost to an application whether he wants to major in music or not.
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He will definitely do those things. I am quite certain he will get some scholarship dollars. I think he is probably a better musician than most BM students at the type of schools he is applying to. And you answered my question, too — how much attention do they even pay to that on the Common App. Thanks!
Music schools are typically among the most competitive to get into within a given university. Not always, but typically.
If that’s the case for the university you’re targeting and if you’re primary goal is to become a music major, admissions officers within the music school will potentially take a candidate less seriously if they put a different major as their first priority.
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Many schools give merit aid to a vast majority of students - because they know people won’t pay the sticker price.
If you’re Harvard, people will readily paid $80K a year.
If you’re a C level school in name your state, most aren’t going to spend $80K a year. They’d go to their local regional/directional/city school or a community college so that LAC has to have competitive tuition.
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He is applying to SLACs, not large universities. For most if not all of his colleges, the music program isn’t in a separate “school” such that he needs to reapply for a new major if he changes his mind. He is a much better musician than student, so I was wondering if it helps at all with admissions to denote “music” as your primary area of interest since it’s a less popular major than say biology, psychology, business, etc.
Again, the major he declares is not important. But submitting a music supplement will help, usually quite a lot. He doesn’t have to be a music major to submit . Schools need extracurricular musicians.
The comment about schools of music is not relevant, as @murray94 wrote, unless the LAC has a conservatory or school of music and he changes his mind and wants a BM. And you cannot apply to a BM program at a music school without being a music major .
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