<p>My daughter got a mailer for this school yesterday. Looks interesting. It is located at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and boasts that it is a total immersion program which only accepts 80-100 students each year. My DD will be a music ed major w/ a possible minor in Spanish. </p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about this college?</p>
<p>I don't know specifically about this program, but back when the dinos roamed, my high school choir director was a Indiana University of PA graduate. He was far and away the best conductor I've ever worked with, and the much of the classical music I continue to sing as an adult, I learned from him while in high school (and at a very high quality). If the school's music program produces that quality of teacher, I would vote for it.</p>
<p>Visited this college a couple of years back. The honors college is quite interesting and extremely supportive of the students. Over 90% of those who choose grad schools get into their 1st or 2nd choice. I personally believe that is because by the time they are seniors, they have had so much support and advice that they know the best choices for them. </p>
<p>The biggest benefit of the program is also the biggest weakness. Honors kids are housed in a seperate building with the honors program directors on the first floor and seminar rooms in the building. Cafeteria is right across from this building. It is a very small, nurturing environment where the students and staff take care of each other. However, it is possible to rarely interact with any other component of the college. You can interact if you choose to but a quiet introvert may never do that and I think that is a big drawback. </p>
<p>I have to say, I found the people on the campus very helpful and inviting. They seemed really warm. The honors people were interesting but a little more standoffish. Probably because of the environment they are in. The library left a lot to be desired but I'm sure through interlibrary loan you could get what you needed. </p>
<p>Overall, I would say if your close enough to visit, it is worth it. It is hard to get a feel for that honors college without the visit and it has some very positive things going for it along with a few negatives.</p>
<p>MomOf3Stars:
IUP is my undergrad alma mater, but like thumper, I'm from the dinosaur days and can't give you much current information. Music ed has always been a strong program and the marching band has always been very good, obviously getting a lot of university support. I run into IUP music grads all the time in my travels with my son, the family musician. The honors college wasn't in existence when I was there, but I have several friends who have been pleased with their kids' experience. I'm sure Indiana has grown, but it's still a pretty small town, with Pittsburgh being the closest city appx. 60 miles away. I would recommend that your daughter check it out, especially if there's scholarship money associated with the honors college.</p>
<p>I think we may take a visit to an overnight open house. It is quite a drive but may be well worth it especially if IUP is a good school for music education. The out-of-state tuition is about $18,000 w/ room and board for the honors college but that is a far cry from in-state (NY) private schools we have been looking at in the $30-$40K range. That said, we will have to figure in travel costs and other factors like aid and scholarships but this may definitely be a trip to take.</p>
<p>I, too, am from the dinosaur age, but when I was going to school in PA in the 70's IUP had one of the best music ed programs in the state.</p>
<p>BE VERY CAREFUL of IUP...I live 40 minutes away from it. It is reputed as one of the country's most party-savvy schools. There are parties all the time and drug issues. Yes, the music program is actually very decent and so is the honors college, but...it's an easier than normal honors college to get into, so be wary. But who knows maybe your daughter will enjoy it.</p>
<p>JeremyBeach - Thanks for the info on that. It does make me a little more wary that it is a party school.</p>
<p>I hate to be the bearer of bad news but EVERY college (except maybe a select few) are "party schools" to a greater or lesser degree. And I also hate to add this...if your child decides to be a music education major anywhere, he/she will have precious little time to party in excess (although I'm sure many try). Music Education is a very rigorous course of study beginning in freshman year at many schools. In addition to fulfilling the music education requirements, these students also must fulfil the studio requirements for an instrument (voice included)...and that means private lessons, juries, large and small ensembles, and studio classes.</p>
<p>Thumper - Also good to know that info. We live in a small town and in the country and my DD is the only serious musician in her school thus far. That said she pretty much hangs out only w/ music/drama types and honor students so their idea of a wild time is putting mentos in a bottle of diet coke on New Years Eve and watching "Fiddler on the Roof" on DVD to get an edge for school musical auditions.
Do I worry that she will go nuts partying when she goes to college? Sure, it has happened to the best of kids. I am comfortable in that she has seen enough examples of how that lifestyle can be extremely detrimental and that she does know the value of an education and our expectations of her behavior outside of the classroom.
So yes, we are still very interested in IUP. It is farther away from home than I would like just because it is not within a 4 hour drive to go and pick her up and transport her things but we might manage. For an out of stater it is still a wonderful bargain compared to most of the private schools she is looking at (Eastman, Ithaca). Definitely a visit may be in order.</p>
<p>Hi, I am a freshman at the Cook College. Everything about the collage has really impressed me. The sense of community and support here is very strong. The staff goes out of their way to provide information and help. For example my roommate wants to be a neurophysiologist and in her first meeting with an adviser here she learned of a specified neurophysiologist program in Oxford. One of the advantages of being in the honors college is the great opportunity of funding for educational programs like the one in Oxford. Mr. Cook is actively involved in the collage; in fact he visited just last Monday. His large contributions provide the means for motivated kids. As for a social life, your daughter sounds like she will do just fine here. While IUP does have a party reputation, Cook College is a little different. For example this Friday night Im swing by the Poetry Slam in Dereks room, baking a cake with the girls and then heading up stairs for movie night. What I love is that all of this is done by students because its what they want to do on a Friday night.</p>
<p>Concur with blueski89! Wish I had seen this thread before. D is a freshman Vocal Performance major and in the Honors College. She LOVES IUP. Has a wonderful relationship (begun at a summer program) with her studio teacher and has been impressed by all the other (music) faculty she has met. She loves the Honors dorm and has made like-minded friends, participating in weekend evening activities similar to those described by blueski! (Note to first time college parents- excessive partying is everywhere, not just at IUP or any other state school). While only one course (but 5 cr. hrs), she has also been impressed by the honors work required!! The music facilities are beautiful, the state of PA is pouring $$ into the campus and out-of-staters with good grades get a nice tuition discount. She knew she did not really want a conservatory setting for undergrad, and seems to have found a place that suits her very well. I think she has the best of both worlds, 2 small communities, music and honors, within a (fairly) large university setting.</p>
<p>My daughter just received a mailing. She is interested in pre-med. How is their pre-med curriculum and do they have a high rate of acceptance into medical school?</p>
<p>Is it worth the trip from Florida to visit the campus?</p>
<p>Firstly, this is the forum for discussing music; your question is probably better off in another forum.</p>
<p>Aside from that… I think the whole college-visit routine has become over-rated</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about the school, but I’m a fan of visiting local schools that are of a variety of types and sizes. Or we visit schools when we travel for other events. We did not make specific long-distance trips to see specific schools; it puts too much pressure on the situation. </p>
<p>Apply to schools that are farther away based on what you’ve learned from the local schools. </p>
<p>Save the big, expensive, long distance trips for during auditions, or after admission. </p>
<p>Especially if financial aid is part of the decision-making process - what’s the point of investing $ in a visit to a school only to find out you’re accepted but the financial aid package is not sufficient for it to be a viable option.</p>
<p>For example, from seeing several local schools, or ones that were near other activities we were doing, my daughters established that they want more than 3000 students, they did not want extremely rural, one wanted urban with a well-defined campus, they want to be able to leave the campus and get to an airport easily etc. Their ultimate school may not meet every criteria, but it helped them evaluate and prioritize</p>
<p>My kids both feel, barring any extreme conditions, they can be happy wherever they are. It is what you make of the situation. We never learned anything from a college tour that we didn’t know from the website or literature. </p>
<p>Application fees are a lot less expensive and time-intensive than long-distance visits. And, if this means doing a few more applications, you’re still ahead of the game financially, and your child is putting in the extra work to make it all happen (instead of sleeping/texting in the car while you’re doing all the driving!)</p>
<p>just my 2 cents…</p>