<p>We definitely have an arts supplement in the works. I think it is the best way to substantiate all your music ECs on the app. We visited a professor at a very well known university, whom we have a music connection with, and he said to send a CD to the flute teacher. Admissions always asks the music department who they want them to accept!! Found that very interesting.</p>
<p>Anyone with info on USC and Thornton music minor?</p>
<p>USC…
Thornton is a good music school .They have an auditioned “Minor in Musical Studies” and they recommend that you contact the Music dept you are interested in.
There are MUCH stronger biology departments in So Cal and she might be turned off by the strong Greek and social scene. Then again, I went to UCLA and as you might understand, I’m a little biased…;)</p>
<p>Clarification regarding University of Rochester and Eastman. For the most part the Rochester students study with Eastman DMA graduate students. Many of the faculty at both Eastman and the U of R campus in the music dept teach at both campuses, both those classes are generally theory, ear training, music history and the music history electives. Students take a theory test during freshman orientation for placement in different level theory classes. They audition for private lessons. Freshman that pass the audition are assigned secondary lessons, a half-hour slot. Following first semester freshman year, they either continue at the secondary level or advance to primary lessons, one hour. My d is a senior with primary lessons in voice. Lessons are either on the Eastman or Rochester campus depending on the instructor they are assigned to and how their schedule works that semester. There are performance opportunities through the U of R ensembles and they can audition for Eastman performance groups as well.</p>
<p>Musicamusica - how are the music opportunities at UCLA? The west coast schools almost seem like they are in a different country to us East coasters. No one knows anything about them. What would be like for an OOS at a UCal school?</p>
<p>I am not as familiar with the opportunities at UCLA for instrumentalists, as much as I am for vocalists. You have probably read about cut backs in the UC system, but the music school recently got a large infusion of cash (Thankyou Mr Herb Alpert) If you are planning on visiting So Cal, you should keep UCLA on your list. A reminder-- OOS fees are climbing (in state too). The Los Angeles area has a vital classical music scene. Even in this economy there are lots and lots of opportunities for young artists.
Has your D considered a strong science program(like Cal Tech) that encourages extracurricular music?</p>
<p>UCLA has reconstituted its music department (after a big infusion of funding from Herb Alpert), but as of a couple of years ago, you could not minor in performance there, and the music major was in a different “school” (the College of Arts and Architecture) than biology (College of Letters and Sciences); the application allows you only to apply to one or the other, and if you are not admitted to the College of Arts and Architecture, you don’t get into UCLA. So it is not really an option for you.
UC Berkeley does offer a minor in music, but the music program is largely academic; there is an orchestra, though, and plenty of chamber music opportunities. The biology department is very strong. The tuition would be high for an out-of-stater.
I am referring here only to the top UC’s based on what you said about your daughter’s stats. Getting into UCLA or Berkeley from out of state would be comparable to getting into a top school anywhere, like an Ivy. They are highly competitive even for Californians, and even more so for out of state students.</p>
<p>Does it have to be an actual music minor? Or is the concern more that there should be rich musical performance and study opportunities for non-majors? </p>
<p>My daughter had a great deal of difficulty figuring out what kind of school she wanted. She applied to conservatories, double degree places, and non-conservatory-but-lots-of-music places. It sounds to me like your daughter is interested in one of the latter, with the additional limitation of not-colder-than-Jersey. That makes things considerably harder, since some of the better options we ran across were: (and I think they all have great biology departments)
Brandeis
Wellesley
Tufts
U of Rochester
Oberlin
Smith
…and they’re all colder than Jersey. So if at all possible, rethink that req…</p>
<p>Bard is just a <em>little</em> bit colder (not exactly a bio heavy hitter, though).
Emory, Vanderbilt and Pomona all have reputations as being pretty good for music-performance-intense kids. </p>
<p>Columbia, Harvard and Yale are usually the favored Ivy’s, but there’s no reason not to look at Stanford too – i’m pretty sure there are some very happy music kids there.</p>
<p>Does it have to be an actual music minor? Or is the concern more that there should be rich musical performance and study opportunities for non-majors? </p>
<p>I think Ds concern is the latter above. I’m glad to see you mentioned Brandeis since that is on her list as is Yale and Columbia which are reaches for anyone. I think we will need to check out Tufts also. With the Greek/party scene being a turnoff for her, we have had to rule out Vandy and Emory. She won’t even consider the cold climate of Rochester, which would probably also be a good option!</p>
<p>USC is generous with scholarships for top students; if your daughter is a National Merit Finalist, she would qualify for 1/2 tuition automatically. There are also scholarships that offer full tuition (but you have to show up in person for the interview). USC is a rising star, with strong programs, so could be worth exploring (though as a UC alum, I just couldn’t bear the thought of my kid rooting for the Trojans!)</p>
<p>^shame on you Mamenyu. (oh well…I can grudgingly give it up for SC at times too)
(from someone who only roots for Cal when they are playing the Trojans)
D got a generous offer from USC for grad school…but THANK GOD it wasnt generous enough for her to jump the fence on us. :o</p>
<p>forgot to add-------GO CAL —BEAT SC!!!</p>
<p>yeah, Go Bears! (or Bruins, depending on which half of the state…or Banana Slugs, for that matter (UCSC)! Same problem with Stanford…</p>
<p>Stanford…??? Is that school still in business? ;)</p>
<p>Stanford has a top-notch academic musicology department (no ethno, no theorists), and lots of performance opportunities, with adjunct profs. and a resident string quartet. It is somewhat frat-oriented, but not like USC…and as to sports…Stanford has been losing to Cal in recent years!</p>
<p>So, it sounds like the ‘cold’ is not such a major factor…a kid who can stand the ‘cold’ at Yale or Brandeis can probably stand it at U of Rochester too!! </p>
<p>Your daughter should take a second look at Vanderbilt. We did, and it was definitely on my daughter’s very short list. There are plenty of happy, outgoing, successful students there who are not involved in traditional Greek life (I say traditional because there is a music sorority but it doesn’t strike me as having all that much in common with the rest of campus Greek life). Also, merit aid at Vanderbilt (likely if she has fabulous academic achievements) is a wonderful thing… as it is Rochester and Brandeis, too.</p>
<p>I would not even approach it that way. She should consider the schools she is most interested in attending in general. Then she can look at how fussy they are about including/excluding music majors and minors. Schools which have something to prove
(University of Washington) exclude non-majors, where schools that are doing better overall ( Northwestern, Yale, etc.) tend to be more flexible.<br>
As far as a lessons go, I would recommend attending school near a major city. She need not restrict herself to the teachers on the faculty of a given school, if lessons are important.</p>