Was not a fit, he loved the teacher but did not love the rest of the school, and is not planning on doing a BM or the BMA so I think that is out of the running.
So really…is he looking for BA Music programs where he can double major with something else too?
Yes. Exactly. BA music where he can double major or major in something else and minor in music and take lessons and be part of ensembles (chamber and orchestra)
I suggest looking at UNC - you can double major music and something else - formal music audition process. Extremely strong music.
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Thank you, it is actually on the list!
Can you PM me? I saw that your child was accepted to Williams and your profile is private so I cant pm you.
So this is where we are, S24, New Jersey, GPA 3.92UW, 4.6W (all As and A-s), Highest rigor, SAT 1530, ECs centered around music, Precollege music program since 7th grade, competitive summer programs for music, no real awards other than National Italian exam, possible NMSF, will enter with undecided major/ music BA
Reach
Williams-ED
Brown
Princeton?
Cornell?
Vanderbilt (through Arts and Science)
Hamilton?
Tufts?
Davidson
Match
U Richmond
Skidmore
William and Mary (is this a reach for out of state?)
U Tulsa (probably only if NMF)
Wake Forest
Safety
Binghamton
UVM
Fordham
I am so confused about the match vs reach, are any of these matches actually reaches for him? How much does the music spike move the needle?
I think he would be happy at Fordham or UVM so I am not sure we need more schools or an instate safety but although we are full pay I am not sure about paying full price for these schools, especially Fordham.
That will completely depend on the college.
Your kid has very nice admissions stats, and a strong commitment to his EC. I think that shows.
The reaches are…reaches, but they are for everyone.
I think this is an apply and see situation.
@parentologist has a kid with similar stats and also strong music as an EC. This parent is convinced that his kid got accepted because of the music supplement sent. And that may be true.
I will say…at many of your reach schools…there are a LOT of very strong musicians applying. I personally am not convinced this will move the needle a lot…but the music supplement certainly can’t hurt.
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He is doing a lot of work for the match schools too, meeting the teachers, reaching out to the departments, just as much for the reach schools. Other kids with similar stats and in his music program all went to Ivy plus schools this year, but I want to make sure that he has a balanced list.
On paper the matches are matches, but it is hard to say these days. Among the matches, I think Wake is a reach unless you go ED - recently, they’ve taken a lot there and I know a couple of kids who went RD (with really high stats) and got denied. Tufts is another school that likes ED - partly because they have a complex about being a backup to the Ivies. Have you looked at any/all of these schools? S22 really liked Brown (favorite so far) and William & Mary off this list.
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He loved brown, vanderbilt and Williams, we are going to skidmore in a few weeks and will see Fordham late this summer (we are local). My older son goes to school in Winston Salem so will see the two NC schools in November when he has his show and will go to Virginia to see those two schools probably for october break. The others we will probably visit in the spring and he will do virtual lessons. He did not like Vassar, Wesleyan and Oberlin which were all on his initial list.
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He needs to look very closely at the teacher for flute at each school. This is the first step. Imagine going to a college to major in writing, where there is only one wriring teacher, and then finding out that the teacher is unpleasant to work with, with a style you dislike. If he wants a double major in flute and an academic subject, he should consider flagship U s with schools of music and many academic majors. Right now, he wants performance flute, small LAC, rural cold, and an undecided academic major, but he doesnt want oberlin or bard. If he is willing to give up the BA in performance flute, but have the opportunity to play in symphony and pit orchestras, then the field becomes much wider.
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I wouldn’t categorize UVM (likely below 50% acceptance rate for class of 2027) or Fordham (50% acceptance rate) as safeties. If your S is NMSF/NFM (what’s his PSAT index?), he may get some decent merit at Fordham. Tulsa is a highly likely/safety.
U Richmond is getting reachy (22% acceptance rate), I agree with the above that Wake is reachy in RD. Make sure to apply EA everywhere you can…Richmond, Bing, Tulsa, UVM, Fordham.
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We have changed some of the criteria (ha) no more cold and no more LAC only. He does not want state flagship or audition. The plan for each school is to meet the teacher first. Some have already been eliminated based on poor fit. He has reached out to several and will meet in the fall since we started too late for this spring. I was surprised by how outstanding some of the teachers are from some of the medium sized schools and not ultra competitive LACs. This does make his search a little more complex which is why I think I am being overly cautious on crafting his list to make sure that each school is in the right box and that he has some good match schools.
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We are in NJ, his index was 222. This year the cutoff was 223, hoping for a little pandemic learning loss for his cohort!
Hard to figure out what is a true safety for him. According to SCOIR no one from his HS has ever been rejected from Fordham, UVM or Bing with his stats (or Wake, William and Mary or Skidmore) but it has not been updated yet for this year. U Richmond is new for our school but two kids with much lower stats than him are attending this year.
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From what you describe, barring any bombs in the file, he will get into those schools.
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I defer to Scoir and his HS history for sure…but still make sure he applies EA where possible.
ETA: hopefully Scoir shows data by round of admission, and for the ED admits at schools where your S will apply EA or RD, I would throw those out of your comparison.
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Absolutely! I will move Richmond into the reach pile and the other two into the match though. He will apply EA to the ones that offer it so if there is an issue we should know early and he can add another SUNY or we will keep looking.
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If he is going to minor in music, or do music as an extracurricular, I don’t understand any discussion of auditions or even sample lessons.
One one of my kids got into the same “tippy top” school as parentologist’s and I am 99% certain it was due to the music supplement, which included an unusual opportunity they had been fortunate to have and some stellar letters that included some comments on character, not just music.
Kids in top conservatory programs tend to get into reaches in my experience, unless that has changed.
In non-audition schools where my kid might apply, they did meet with the chair of the dept. But some schools don’t even have instrumental teachers: your find your own, and might get funding and credit (Harvard for example). One LAC offered to find a teacher for my kid’s instrument.
When you are looking for merit aid, the whole process is exhausting! I was not as well-informed back then as many parents like you are, and in some ways that made things simpler.
The music major forum really is excellent- and not just for music majors. Again, if he is in a top conservatory program his supplement may help. Make sure to get some helpful letters that go beyond musical talent.
Thank you for the advice! He is going to major in music and something else at a non audition based school with the goal of a BA music. He wants to continue his instrument at a high level but not in a conservatory program. All of the programs he is looking at have outstanding teachers for his instrument, most are well known for their music program. I have not seen on any of the music supplement pages places for extra recommendations but I will certainly look, his primary teacher and orchestra leader (who he had as a little dude and again this year) have both offered to write him a letter without prompting so we will definitely look into that.
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