<p>I agree with team_mom. Any serious music student should be doing his/her research into which conservatory has the best teacher for his/her instrument. Of course, this is a very personal choice. There are many fine teachers, and serious students should be guided by their needs in that all-important student/teacher relationship, rather than by the perceived reputation of any school. Curtis unquestionably does have the finest reputation amongst musicians, and Julliard is a close second, if not tied. However, many of the same faculty teach in several conservatories in Philadelphia and New York, so students have more than one way to study with the teacher of their choice. The "second-tier" equivalent might be found in the mid-west, where Cinti. College Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, and IU enjoy fierce competition. BTW, their track-record in the professional world is as good as that of some of the more well-known conservatories, perhaps even better in a few outstanding departments (musical theater at CCM...seems like everyone on Broadway went there!!). Another way to look at the "second-tier for conservatories/university music school" issue is to consider the new "up-and-coming" conservatories, such as the ones at Bard or Gettysburg. These colleges are doing a fine job of attracting excellent faculty, and their reputations will likely develop into impressive ones with such outstanding professors training talented students. I'm sure that the south and the west have comparable schools, but I'm in the east, and my experience is more limited to this region.<br>
Just my $.02 (from a conservatory grad/professional musician) :)</p>