<p>(Please don't suggest new schools, these are in my reach/geographic preference unless realllly necessary)</p>
<p>I am in a predicament! I plan on majoring in some type of engineering(still deciding). I am looking at Wheaton and RPI, a LAC and a Research Univeristy. Now, I would choose RPI, but I also enjoy music. I don't want to major or minor in it, but I want to play it. Should I go to Wheaton although it may not be great at Engineering, but offers mediocre music, or go to RPI where the Engineering is great and the music program is small but existent. I want to have a good future. plz help me!</p>
<p>Go to RPI, and be the big fish on the small pond of music there. There may also be opportunities for community orchestra/band etc. off-campus. Or you could start an on-campus club to play whatever sort of music is your favorite, make a bunch of new friends, and develop some leadership skills.</p>
<p>If you don't want to major or minor in it, I'd also strongly recommend RPI - or any school that has your major and where there is <em>some</em> opportunity to pursue the music.</p>
<p>I'm a mom of an Engineering student, also strongly interested in music - but not as a major or minor. Just wants to find people to play with and he did take for-credit instrumental lessons (like private lessons, really; and you do pay extra for this - at least at his school) at school, which he really liked. Most people will tell you that the interesection between Engineering students and students interested in music is very large - so you are quite likely to find kids to play with/jam with. As moominmama says, if there is not quite the situation you want (say, if you want chamber music and it's not happening), it gives you the chance to start a club or EC. All colleges really encourage that these days.</p>
<p>The alternative of going to a school which isn't strong/known for Engineering and has - in your words - "mediocre" music, doesn't make sense to me.</p>
<p>Now.. since you asked us not to recommend other schools, I won't ;). But you mentiont that Wheaton and RPI are in the reach category for you. So, can we assume you've got some safe and match schools which have the Engineering and music possibilities that you want?</p>
<p>When we visited RPI on accepted students day four acapella groups sang, the band played and I think there was a violin group playing as well. Or was that WPI? They've all blurred together a bit now... RPI has gread engineering and I had the definite sense there was a fair amount of music playing on campus. Troy is big enough you might even find groups off campus to join if necessary.</p>
<p>My son, who is a decent cellist, checked out the music offerings (not a capella!) at all the engineering schools he looked at (including RPI) and found the most participation to be Worcester Polytech by far. I know you didn't want any more schools suggested, but, well, there it is.</p>
<p>Worcester also offers a scholarship by audition for a string ensemble. My son was invited to audition, but chose not to, so I don't know anything more about it than that.</p>
<p>Have you switched gears and want the best engineering? Clearly, it's RPI.</p>
<p>You use the terms "mediocre" for music and "not great" in describing Wheaton. I may be obtuse, but why would you entertain a school at all if it was deficient in BOTH your area of interest?</p>
<p>Now if something is keeping you in the geographic area of Wheaton, seriously consider WPI in Worcester. It's a top engineering school. It's also a member of the Worcester College Consortium, <a href="http://www.cowc.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cowc.org/</a> allowing the potential for additional music opportunities at the affiliated schools.</p>
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I don't want to major or minor in it, but I want to play it.
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<p>Then go to a school that either does not offer a music major or offers only a liberal arts music major, not a professionally oriented music major.</p>
<p>Reason: At schools that offer serious, professional music majors, the musical ensembles are dominated by music majors. Ordinary mortals who simply play an instrument well but don't intend to devote their lives to it may not be able to qualify for those ensembles. But at a college where there are orchestras and bands to fill but few or no music majors to fill them, non-majors are more than welcome in those ensembles.</p>
<p>A neighbor of ours, who is a serious player of a wind instrument but who does not plan to make a career out of music, chose a particular university in part because of its excellent marching band program -- an extracurricular activity that he had loved in high school and wanted to continue in college. It turned out that almost all of the students auditioning for the marching band were from the university's school of music; my neighbor didn't stand a chance. His audition was unsuccessful. He will never get closer to marching band than watching them perform from the stands. At a university that doesn't train professional musicians, his chances of qualifying for marching band -- or orchestra, or choir, or jazz band, or wind ensemble or whatever other musical group interested him -- would have been much better.</p>
<p>Marian--it depends on the university. In my experience, the Conservatory connected with the university is full of musicians that have little to no interest in marching band, so the field is wide open to non-majors. The mus. ed. majors will play in it, but not the "performance" majors.</p>
<p>"Should I go to Wheaton although it may not be great at Engineering, but offers mediocre music"</p>
<p>Does Wheaton even HAVE an engineering program? Often engineering students who attend LACs follow a 3-2 dual degree path where they attend the LAC for 3 yrs and get a degree in science/math/comp science and then attend another school with an engineering program to get their engineering degree. Unless there is some other major reason for attending Wheaton besides a not great/non-existent engineering program and mediocre music why not go somewhere that offers both?</p>