Scholarships for Non-Music Majors

Hi all-

I am currently a junior in high school and am interested in various opportunities regarding music (specifically violin) in college. I’m not interested in taking up a dual degree, but I want to take any advantage of my skills that I can. I’ve been playing for around 10 years now and was wondering if anyone knows of people getting scholarships for playing the violin/ sticking with it for a long period of time, if they’re not majoring. Would sending in a tape or going for an audition be something to consider?

Any input is appreciated, thank you!

@violin182, I think the benefit of submitting a music performance supplement with your application would be indirect, but still an advantage, especially if you indicate that you are interested in participating in musical ensembles as extracurricular activities. See the individual colleges’ websites for instructions on how to put together the supplement.
In most cases, the music department will evaluate the supplement, even if you do not intend to major in music.

Colleges award merit scholarships to students whom they’d like to attract based on a holistic evaluation – certainly based on grades and scores, but also abstract factors such as talent and diversity.

Colleges need to admit musicians who will take part in their various musical groups, especially smaller schools and schools that don’t have conservatories. Some non-conservatory colleges have more depth than others in musical options, but all have some kind of orchestra or band that needs dedicated musicians, even if they are non-majors.

What you need to communicate in your application is how your musical experience will contribute to the campus community. You can do this through the supplement, but also through your essays, a resume listing courses, performances and awards and possibly an additional reference from an instructor or mentor.

Merit aid is difficult to predict. If your grades and scores are above average for the college and the music department sees value in your talent, you have a good chance of receiving merit, but there’s no guarantee. You should also check each college’s net price calculator to see if you would be eligible for need-based aid.

Many people play violin through college so I don’t’ think there are scholarships for just “sticking with it”. In fact my D continues to play violin as part of her college orchestra and has no scholarship for it. I don’t know of any specific scholarships for excellence in violin for a non-music major. But if you do choose to submit a supplement I would be sure that it is of excellent quality (perhaps have your orchestra teacher review it). At the very least you can make your interest in continuing with the violin clear in your application.

Here is a list for you to consider.

http://musicschoolcentral.com/the-top-10-liberal-arts-colleges-for-music-in-the-us/

Luther (Iowa) and St. Olaf (Minnesota) both give music scholarships to majors as well as non-majors. Music is an essential part of campus life at both schools as well. Included in a Luther music scholarship is a free 1/2 hour lesson per week. If you want an hour, you have to pay extra, but it is not much extra.

There is also Lawrence University (Wisconsin)–but the conservatory is separate from the college, so it might be harder to be part of musical opportunities as a non-major. I don’t know the details on this; it’s just what I’ve heard from others.

Check out Oberlin also–I’m not sure how the conservatory and college are separate/together there.

Sorry so midwestern focused, but that’s where I’m from and what I know.
Best of luck. Keep playing that violin! My sister played the violin in the college orchestra for the scholarship (kind of like a job) but now, 15 years later, she’s in a quartet and loves it.

You might get better answers in the music major forum. Any other criteria you can provide? Do you want a LAC or a larger school? What level of selectivity/academic rigor are you looking for?

Music was a part of my kid’s application process, and meeting with faculty on campus and finding out about scholarships, was part of the college research process. Many schools have supplemental merit awards for arts-based performers, often not limited to music, and often including visual arts.

Lawrence University in WI has what seemed the most integrated Con and non-Con programs, in that all kids can audition for ensembles and are placed according to ability, not whether they are Con students. There are also merit awards for non-Con kids which cover the cost of private lessons with Con faculty so non-Con kids can continue with their music. Oberlin seemed much more separate, non-Con kids have their own designated non-Con Orchestra, and can take lessons from Con students. Non-Con kids can, technically, audition to take private lessons from Con faculty, but we got the sense they rarely are approved for those Con faculty lessons.

Knox College, College of Wooster, and Denison each has additional merit awards targeted to music. I believe Wooster and Denison require live auditions in Feb or so. Knox only required a supplement, not a live audition, I think. Skidmore has a highly competitive scholarship for musicians, and the scholarship includes the commitment to be engaged in performances or other ways to enrich the college community.

If Luther or St Olaf match what you’re looking for, be sure to add Concordia (Moorhead ) to that list. There are specific music scholarships that are based on auditions, but not limited to performance majors. The best of the Concordia string players often have the opportunity to be members of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony as well.

I looked at both conservatory and non-conservatory programs, and in my conversations with various music directors, the main thing I gleaned was that music scholarships rarely go to violinists. Here, the cliché is true: scholarships give the music department a chance to draw in essential players, so 9 times out of 10 they will go with a bassoonist or a tubist or some other less populous instrument–because most selective colleges do not lack for competent recreational violinists. An excellent music supplement can certainly help your application, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up too far concerning non-major scholarships; I was accepted to multiple conservatories with merit aid, but wasn’t even a finalist for music scholarships at other universities.

I think many “recreational” musicians do receive music scholarships–such as my sister on violin and my son on cello–two instruments which it doesn’t seem hard to find people for to complete an orchestra. I think the OP should give it a serious and hopeful try. In my family, it’s always been the “rule” that if one wants to major in music, one must do a double major in something a bit more “practical” as well. And many very fine musicians may not major in music for practical reasons, but they still want to be seriously involved–and, who knows? They may eventually go on to become professional musicians. Kids change their minds so much, and, for playing an instrument, it’s best not to let it go, or one loses one’s ability.

i think you may be going about this wrong.

Recreational scholarships are usually very small, and not going to make a big difference.

If your stats are high enough, then you should be looking at schools that will give you large merit for THOSE and that will also let you play in their ensembles/etc without being a major.

For instance, at my kids’ undergrad, if your stats are high enough, you could get free tuition. And, you’d be allowed to play as a non-major in one of their ensembles, etc. However, there would be little/nothing for playing.

There are more schools that will give you large scholarships for stats.

Yes, mom2collegekids, you are absolutely right. The music scholarship is just a small one on top of an academic scholarship. I don’t know what I was thinking!