<p>I am a classical voice applicant for the class of 2015. I am planning on pursuing a double-degree in performance and liberal arts (history/religion/ethnomusicology). I cannot make a decision between Oberlin and Rochester. </p>
<p>Based on voice professors, Eastman seems like a much better fit for me. Based on quality of life, Oberlin seems like a better fit simply because I would definitely fit in with the student body and it is not a 20-minute commute back and forth between the conservatory and everything else. When I visited Oberlin, I felt a certain comfort there which I did not feel as much when I was at Rochester the very next day. </p>
<p>This brings me to my next conundrum. If I went to Rochester, where would it make the most sense for me to dorm? I find a certain appeal in living in the Eastman bubble up North but I do want a "college experience", after all. </p>
<p>Say I gave up on pursuing this double-degree and decided to do only music...where would I find the most musical solace? </p>
<p>Both schools have very amazing, very different things to offer. I suppose I wanted to simply put this out there on the web to see if anyone anywhere has anything worth sharing that might make the pendulum swing in either direction.</p>
<p>What are your academic stats? You don’t need to list them, but you do need to think about it. For example Oberlin average SAT scores in reading and writing are higher than Rochester’s. Here are numbers from actual enrolled freshman in 2009 (my D2’s entry class):</p>
<p>Rochester
SAT Math 677 average
640-720 range of middle 50%</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading 652 average
590-690 range of middle 50%</p>
<p>SAT Writing 590-690 range of middle 50% </p>
<p>Oberlin
SAT Math 674 average
620-710 range of middle 50%</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading 700 average
640-740 range of middle 50% </p>
<p>SAT Writing 690 average
640-730 range of middle 50% </p>
<p>As for music, you’ve already identified one big difference: in New York, the campuses are separated. In Ohio, it’s the College and Conservatory on the same campus. You also have to ask yourself whether you prefer urban or semi-rural.</p>
<p>I don’t think there is an easy answer to your question. My oldest son was a cello major at Eastman, youngest was a bio major at Oberlin. My Eastman son says that doing the double degree at Eastman is very difficult. I think it is a bit easier for vocalists than it is for instrumentalists, but it is still hard. Oberlin makes it easier. On the other hand, your primary teacher is one of the most important things in the development of any musician. You need to have someone that you feel comfortable with but who will also push you beyond where you thought you could go. You also need to be with a voice teacher who will teach you to be a healthy singer. </p>
<p>I am sure that you can find a place at Eastman where you will feel comfortable, but Eastman is a small community with a high level of intensity. Living at River Campus will help lower the level of intensity, but if you decide to just go with the music degree alone, you will need to live at Eastman, I believe.</p>
<p>There is a lot to be said for going to the school where you think your teacher will be a better fit and learning to deal with the quality of life issues once you are there. That does not help very much until you know who your teacher would be at each school, unless you feel that all of the Eastman teachers would be a better fit than any of the Oberlin teachers. When would you find out your studio assignment at each school? Oberlin tries to defer that until the summer, well after the response deadline. Sometimes they can be persuaded to make the assignment before the response date of May 1, however. I do not know what the practice is at Eastman.</p>
<p>Normally, the quality of the other students with whom you will be working would come into play, but these are two very solid schools that both attract very talented students. Consider that Oberlin is undergrad only so you would not be competing against grad students for roles in the opera productions. (From your screen name I assume you have a strong interest in opera.)</p>
<p>Finally, don’t get too hung up on the test scores for Oberlin. It is not at all unusual to start off in the Conservatory and transfer into the double degree program. Once they have you on campus anyway, converting to the five year plan is a bit easier than being admitted to the College as an incoming freshman. As a Conservatory student, you get an average of one elective class in the College per semester. If you do good work in those classes and earn the recommendation of two different teachers from the College, the transfer into the double degree program is pretty straightforward.</p>
<p>If you have not already found the Music Majors section of College Confidential, I think there is a lot of information available there that you should look into. You may wish to ask the same questions there because there are a lot of very helpful and knowledgeable people who frequent that part of the site. It is at [Music</a> Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/]Music”>Music Major - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Did you have lessons with multiple teachers at each school and that’s why you feel the vocal professors at Eastman are a better fit? Or perhaps you have talked to students there? Just wondering.</p>
<p>By the way, thank you EVERYONE for responding to this post. I did not expect such insightful, informative feedback. Many, many thanks. Each one of you is helping me make one of the biggest decisions I have ever had to make.</p>