(Sorry I have to ask non major question in music major, because nobody is answering my question at NWestern thread.)
My DD (junior) is a serious pianist who spent several years in Pre college, but is applying to NW as a non-music major. However, she would like to continue taking lessons and participate in chamber groups.
Are the practice rooms available equally to music major and non-music major students at colleges such as NW, UMich, Vanderbilt? Or, will she be better off at LAC than colleges w conservatories attached because she will be treated like a second-rate citizen at those places as non major?
At my kid’s school (conservatory within a school) the practice rooms are NOT available to non-music majors. In fact the piano majors get the really nice pianos and the vocal majors get the lesser quality and never tuned pianos. I would think NW would be similar since it is a large program and lots of students competing for the practice rooms.
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Thank you SO much for answering! 
I was afraid this was the case. I will encourage my DD to apply to more LAC+ Colleges without music school.
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Before giving up, you might want to call the schools’ conservatories and ask. It probably depends a lot on the size of the facilities. The university closest to me allows anyone who has access to the building to use the practice rooms. Oberlin also told us they (usually) allowed nonmajors access to the practice rooms on a first come first served basis. (This year things are a little different.) But we have visited campuses where there were signs posted that nonmajors were not allowed to use the practice rooms.
Edit: I just wanted to add, if you are somewhat shy about picking up the phone like I am: every conservatory I’ve called has been extremely friendly and helpful. They really don’t mind questions like this, and you don’t necessarily have to identify yourself.
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You need to contact the colleges and ask. Where my music major kid went to college, the practice rooms were actually in an area that was only accessible to music majors. There was a special key code to get into that area.
Where my not music major kid went to college, if you were taking private lessons, you had access to the practice rooms.
You have a couple of things to find out…
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Does Northwestern have piano lessons for students who are not music majors.
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Where are these non-majors allowed to practice…because if lessons are allowed, practice is an expectation usually.
Contact the schools.
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When we toured Northwestern, D was told that there were practice rooms in the dorms. She ended up not applying so I don’t know if that’s in all the dorms or just in some.
I live near the university and I can tell you that there are plenty of opportunities for private lessons off campus, within walking distance, if it doesn’t work out to take them on campus (and they do offer 0 credit lessons for non majors):
https://music.northwestern.edu/academics/nonmajors#lessons
Don’t rule out larger schools. My D goes to Purdue and has always had practice rooms in her dorms (with various levels of quality of instrument) so it isn’t just LACs that will give her access. We’ve been super impressed with the quality of musicians even though there isn’t even a music major offered there.
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Thank you for taking time to answer my question 
I think DD will at least apply to NW and such (regular decision, not ED because of this fear. ED to regular colleges), in addition to colleges without music.
But I really want her (I am sure she wants) to have access to piano all the time.
One more thought…my daughter took her keyboard with her to school this year (and away on her co-op). She was worried that Covid would limit her access to the practice rooms. Clearly it’s not the same as having access to a real piano but for my D she plays for stress relief so it was important for her to have something. She also came home last semester with a new sonata under her fingers so it does work in a pinch ; )
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I have a friend whose kid, a CS major, chose Northwestern over CMU specifically for the abundance of oppurtunities to play piano.
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At Hopkins where my DS is, there was one piano in the whole big dorm building. Hopkins could be a big mistake if you thought “oh, since Hopkins has Peabody, there must be lots of opportunities for anyone.”
Chicago has many choices for private teachers outside of NW faculty, I am aware.
Glad to hear it’s working for your daughter at Purdue with a keyboard.
A keyboard could work. Some of the new ones have key adjustments to make them the same as how a piano feels. The bonus is you can use headphones and practice anytime.
I forgot about practice rooms in the dorms. My non-music major had those in her school, but because she was taking private lessons and played in their orchestra, she had use of the practice rooms and a locker in that area if she wanted to use it for storage of music related “stuff”.
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Being able to use headphones was a big deal for my D because it opened up a range of options in terms of time to practice. She also purchased pedals that she has attached to the keyboard which better simulates the real thing.
I will say that whenever she comes home she goes straight for the grand piano after hugs to us and the dog.
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I seem to recollect the issue was not availability of practice rooms with pianos, but access after hours as Bienen was key card restricted to music students after 6pm or something. Will ask my D to confirm -graduated Bienen '20 in VP, now at IU. Note that there was no differentiation between access to practice rooms for VP students and piano majors. All pianos were well tuned and lovely within Bienen. She had a piano and practice room in her freshmen dorm and they were rarely used. As an upperclassman, she had a keyboard in her room and this was a godsend in the depth of winter!
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UMich has many practice rooms in the dorms, with pianos, for anyone to use. Lots of music options open to all, majors and non-majors alike. They have a school of music, not a conservatory, so maybe the vibe is different? I can’t speak to piano lessons specifically, but I would reach out to the school to inquire.
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Thank you so much, everyone. This helped me and my daughter a lot!
My daughter is my third child, so I know we should research everything before we go. With my first child, we applied and went according mostly to SAT+GPA , location, and ranking only, without considering much about “fit”. That was a mistake the beginners make.
Later, after sending two boys (totally different types) to colleges, we also found out the college admissions is like purchasing a house- you cannot possibly know everything about it until you live there. But it is worthwhile to dig as much as possible beforehand.
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My sorority house had a very nice piano and I think the only limitation would be during quiet hours (evenings, very early mornings). There were also a ton of churches surrounding the campus and some people used those after making arrangements with the priests/pastors.
I think non-music majors are always going to get the least desirable times so she’d have to be flexible.
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I am having flashbacks to the practice room in my dorm (non US university). The walls of my dorm were super thin, and music practice in the rooms strictly forbidden.
The “official “ practice room was in the second basement, below the rubbish dump and the garages. The steel door would clang shut with such an ominous boom I was always afraid I might never get out and eaten up by the rats. It was also tiny and full of pipes making noises, and the walls and ceiling covered by cobwebs. Amenities? A ceiling light.
After trying, and failing, several times to concentrate on my practice down there, I asked everyone on my floor about times they were reliably out in the late mornings and to please come and knock on my doors if they ever felt disturbed and I’d stop immediately. Thankfully, not being a music major and only having to practice occasionally for orchestra, that worked out for all of us.
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