Options for adult students?

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I'm 25 years old and considering going back to school to complete the bachelor's degree that I never finished. </p>

<p>A bit about my backstory: I had a difficult time with college the first time around, not because of academic ability (I graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, had high SAT scores, and went to a small state school on a full academic scholarship) but because of some personal problems I had at the time. I became deeply depressed, stopped going to classes and handing in assignments, and was "asked to leave." (That's a euphemism for "I flunked out.")</p>

<p>Since then, I've been pursuing a career in musical theatre, but I've come to realize that this path isn't for me for several reasons. I crave more stability than the life of an actor can provide for me, plus I've discovered that music and singing are what I love to do, much more so than acting is. I'm ready to go back to school to study music so that I can have both better training and more options as a performer, as well as an opportunity for a more stable, steady job that's still in the field that I love (the 'survival' desk jobs I end up in now make me want to throw myself off the roof of a very tall building.)</p>

<p>I'm mainly interested in pursuing either a double major in music education and vocal performance, or finding a music education program that focuses heavily on the performance aspect.</p>

<p>It's very important for me to find a school that will embrace the idea of accepting a student who is no longer a teenager. (I recently sang in a choral ensemble with a woman in her 30s who was attending a well-regarded conservatory school and was frustrated with the derogatory manner in which the instructors treated her.) It would also be helpful for me to find a school that already has an adjusted application process for adult students, as these schools are generally more willing to let personal background and experience outside of the classroom be a factor in their admission decisions.</p>

<p>I'm not planning on going back to school until Fall 2008, so I have plenty of time to make a decision on where I want to go, but I need suggestions and thoughts on programs that might be right for me.</p>

<p>I currently live in New Jersey, but I'm not averse to relocating -- although I would like to stay within a reasonable distance from any major metropolitan area. Right now, two schools that appeal to me are Rutgers and the University of Hartford. Any thoughts on either of those programs? How about other schools that might fit my needs? I'm kind of stumbling around blindly right now, and I need all the guidance I can get!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions!</p>

<p>--RB</p>

2

<p>It is not clear from your post whether you are a male or female. Certainly male voices mature later than female, and that factor could make you more marketable as a mature student. A female student in her 30's, like your acquaintance, will have fewer future possibilities unless she is a rare voice type (dramatic soprano, for instance), and the faculty members were likely expressing their frustration with how limited they knew the chances to be. </p>

<p>Many schools have a chance for you to apply using academic bankruptcy, where your low grades and any credits earned are ignored. There is usually an age or time elapse element to it. Rutgers does have both programs you want, but it is not an easy academic admit. You would have been fine coming out of high school, however. Of course you have to do quite well on an audition to be admitted in a performance program, but you know that. Good luck. Lorelei</p>

3

<p>My guess would be to look into large state U's. Around here, UGA is the flagship, and there are bunches of older students who return to school for a variety of reasons. The music program and music ed program are excellent. GA State is another one with a great music program that attracts a lot of older students. A friend of mine seriously considered returning there to study voice - she is in her 50s.</p>

4

<p>Welcome. My son graduated this May from Hartt with his BM in viola performance, but matriculated as a 5 year double major (perf/music ed) and decided to drop the ed portion in the eleventh hour.</p>

<p>Hartt has both a very solid music ed program and a good vocal program. They also offer double majors <a href="http://harttweb.hartford.edu/adm-degree-undergrad.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://harttweb.hartford.edu/adm-degree-undergrad.htm&lt;/a>. Hartt is basically a conservatory within a university setting and your interaction with the non conservatory students can be as much or little as you want it to be. As for "older students", my son played with masters and doctoral students in their late 20's- early 30's. He has not mentioned any "discriminatory" issues due to age, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. The overall environment however was cooperative rather than competitive, at least among the instrumentalists. He's made lasting friends both with students and faculty. Edward Bolkovac is head of vocal studies, and Dr. John Feierabend is head of the music ed department.</p>

<p>There's a Hartt Admissions director that occaisionally posts to this board with a direct contact number. You might want to address specific admissions questions directly. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=255424&page=9%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=255424&page=9&lt;/a> </p>

<p>There are active performing groups in Hartford, Springfield and Worcester MA, and Boston is about 2 hours away.</p>

5

<p>Actually, the state u's are some of the cheapest places to get a music ed degree, particularly if you can qualify as an in-state resident. There's the added benefit that most state programs will make sure you have all the requirements for teaching certification within that state; all you need do is graduate with all the requirements and take the required (state) certification tests and formally apply for certification. </p>

<p>The vocal performance aspect may narrow the selection based on your own criteria.</p>

6

<p>In terms of the age issue, graduate students are frequently older, and this is less of an issue for faculty. Undergrads, particularly in the arts, are thought to need the advantage of those years of training before bad habits are set. OTOH, grad applicants are often turned away because regardless of the talent, the problems are too much to hope to fix....the result of bad or no teaching.</p>

7

<p>Please feel encouraged to contact me at (860) 768-4148. If you have any further questions about programs at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Violadad is correct; we do have bachelor's level students of all ages. </p>

<p>If you are interested in the business end of the arts you may also want to look into Arts Management programs. Hartt offers two Arts Management majors: Performing Arts Management (BA) and Music Management (BM).</p>