<p>Can anyone share with me their experience with Northwestern's School of Music? Most specifically, GPA, SAT and other stats at the time of acceptance? My D's ACT is 32 and SATs are high, but her high school counselor is telling her that NU is a "reach," not taking into account that she may be applying to the music school.</p>
<p>To go to NU's music school, you need to be accepted by the music school and the university. A friend of mine was accepted to the music school, and not the university so he didn't get in... </p>
<p>It's a good school. You can have great music experience and great academics at the same university which is great. Also be sure though that you want do both, because I think you're required to do much more academics at a university's music school than at a conservatory.</p>
<p>This goes back 5 years, but before she visited Northwestern, it was near the top of the list for D for vocal performance. She was extremely disappointed with her visit- found the music school dismal and somewhat cut-off from the rest of the university. She was not impressed at all and did not even apply. I have heard others express the same sentiments. My understanding is that they are either remodeling or building a new building ?????? If you really bond with a particular teacher, it could be fine, and the academics are certainly strong. For vocal performance, I give the edge to Rice, Michigan and Indiana over Northwestern.<br>
That said, you can have slightly lower stats if you are a clear performance major, but still have to be ballpark.</p>
<p>Like Cosmo said, the music school has very little, if any, pull in getting students accepted by the university. </p>
<p>While most GC don't know "nuttin" about music schools/conservatories, they do usually know their "name" universities. Therefore if she/he says it's a reach, then you have to go under that assumption. Her ACT score certainly looks good, but they do rely on class rank and GPA, along with the required courses, which they WILL NOT budge on. </p>
<p>My D was considering NW, but was told she'd have to take another math course her senior year. She considered that option vs. more practice time and did the "simple math." The final answer was "thanks, but no thanks" to the Wildcat option...</p>
<p>Our school doesn't rank students, but it is a highly respected prep school. The NU website and Collegeboard.com suggests 3-4 years of math, but you're saying they require four?</p>
<p>"the music school has very little, if any, pull in getting students accepted by the university"</p>
<p>This isn't quite accurate. Music Admissions is not the same office or process as Undergraduate Admissions. Performance music applicants are accepted or rejected by the music school faculty based on audition. The audition acceptance info then goes to Music Admission who evaluates the high school transcript, test scores, etc. I know that the faculty does have some pull in getting border-line students accepted, but also know that some "cases" are beyond their ability to influence. The audition score relative to others (i.e. top of heap or bottom quartile) also has some impact on individual admissions decisions. </p>
<p>The Music Admissions staff likes to see challenging course work. I'd contact Music Admissions directly with questions on high school course work.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that the music department can have some sway also. One person who I know was admitted believed that to be the case. Two vocalists from my D's high school went to NU in the last few years. Both had great, but different experiences and both had excellent performance opportunities. One went the classical route and the other gravitated towards musical theater.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild,</p>
<p>They are building a new one. Press</a> Release Feb 19 2008, General News, News, School of Music, Northwestern University</p>
<p>One of S's friends got into NW. He did not have top grades or test scores (and his counselor told him it was completely out of reach). He did have a very demanding course load. However, he is a talented musician and he got in (and he'll do fine...he's a smart, hardworking kid). I would not put a great deal of stock in what counselors say if they have no knowledge of music kids.</p>
<p>According to the latest stats (2007), the average SAT of the music school is around 1350, which is almost 70 points lower than the university average. Average percentile is 87 while the university average is 95.</p>
<p>New music building at NU won't be completed until 2012. Their applied instrumental faculty is excellent on most (if not all) instruments.</p>
<p>^the percentile refers to class rank.</p>
<p>I don't blame your dd from having been put off by the old music building, MOWC. I lived on south campus very close to it, and could often hear the sounds of piano playing because the windows were open -- charming for me, I'm sure, but I can't imagine the humidity conditions were good for fine pianos. The building was sorely out of date - you could tell it had been a charming building in its day but was inadequate for today. It really wasn't befitting Northwestern.</p>
<p>I've been waiting for a new music building since I was there in the 70's.</p>
<p>Soprano Mom, I agree with Symphonymom. If your daughter likes Northwestern, go for it! The audition does carry weight and the whole application package will be evaluated - not just run through a statistical wringer. I know many kids at Northwestern music. They had solid, but didn't all have "amazing" stats.</p>
<p>Several of the recent posts from those who dislike Northwestern's facilities have been previously aired:</p>
<p>Full disclosure - we do have Northwestern alums in the immediate family and I think a lot of the school!</p>
<p>Soprano Mom,</p>
<p>NU is definitely within her reach! My D will be atteding their music school this fall. She also had an ACT score of 32. She was in the top 5% of her graduating class and took challenging classes...lots of AP classes. Her grade point was around a 4.3</p>
<p>I will tell you that she came out of her audition feeling like a million bucks. It was her last one and her best one. It was very relaxed and the professors did interact with her at the end. She could tell that they liked her. It was just a different "feeling" than some of her other auditions. She felt like she was meant to be there. </p>
<p>Tell your Daughter to go for it! Feel free to PM me if you need to know anything else.</p>
<p>Linnlew
Our school doesn't rank and my D's GPA isn't quite that high, and her college counselor said that the Admissions Depart really "goes by the numbers." I'm disappointed and we haven't even started the process yet!! She is very comfortable with the audition process though, so I'm hoping that will carry some weight. Her counselor is pushing NYU and Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>Speaking of Northwestern, Eastman hired away the head of percussion at Northwestern, Michael Burritt, as of this fall. Does anyone know, or does anyone have the means of finding out, who the replacement will be? Thanks.</p>
<p>Linde,
Don't know the answer to your question, but UT Austin did the same thing with NU's bass professor (DaXun Zhang) last year. NU found a terrific replacement, Peter Lloyd, so you should be confident that they'll find a good replace for the percussion professor, too.</p>