<p>Just looking for some insight from folks who may be familiar with the music programs at either U. of Washington or the U. of Oregon. My D recently decided to take a closer look at those schools after talking to a music professor she met at a band festival and then doing some research on the internet. We have just a few days of her Spring break (already have appointments closer to home) to fly to West Coast and probably can only do 1 school. Of course, whether or not we can make appointments to meet with the professor of her instrument at this late date will also help determine which school to visit.</p>
<p>I'm familiar (actually, VERY familiar), especially with the composition faculty. There's no comparison, really. University of Oregon is world-class, with the largest and best composition department on the west coast, public or privatea and including California, with well-known faculty, and visiting faculty from Yale on a regular basis. UW is best known for its piano faculty (Robin McCabe). You will find excellent instrumental teachers at both schools, with some of the adjuncts at UW playing in the Seattle Symphony. The summer festival at UO (Oregon Bach Festival) has students hobnobbing with some of the finest musicians/conductors/composers from around the world. </p>
<p>One could do well at either place, and you need to check the specialty area, of course.</p>
<p>for those in Seattle area
free concert today featuring the award winning Garfield High school orchestra alongside the Seattle Symphony
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Side by Side in the Neighborhood with the Seattle Symphony. All GHS Orchestras, in a FREE RARE CONCERT in the GHS Gymnasium at 7:30 on Thursday, March 3. Holst's magnificent 'The Planets' will be performed side by side with Garfield and the Seattle Symphony. This great piece is enjoyable by all - let's welcome the Seattle Symphony with a full Doghouse! Tell your students to attend and bring your friends and family!
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<p>Mini, just curious but what is your feel for the academics outside of the music department at U of Oregon? My daughter is thinking about taking a look there, even though it is way bigger than all of the other schools she is considering.</p>
<p>I don't know a lot. There are definitely some world-class departments, such as environmental studies and ecological sciences, and they attract a lot of writers. There is an honors college (for which they charge more!) As for the rest, well, it is a big state school (but much smaller the UW), with all the pluses and minuses that go with. GREAT town! We did give it some thought because of the superb composition faculty, but felt that, given our financial status and my d.'s capacity to attract a lot of attention at top private u.'s and LACs, for us it was not a good "value", either academically or financially.</p>
<p>Thanks Mini. My daughter, as you know, has her heart set on an LAC but I would like her to at least look at some smaller universities just in case she changes her mind between now and next fall.</p>
<p>Although I am not personally familiar with the U of O music department, we live in Oregon and my son attends the local high school part-time. Many of the top music students there do go to U of O, and I have only heard good things about it. The campus is nice--we have visited for music competitions and other things--and it is supposed to have great academics for a state university. My son is not applying there, but only because he prefers to go out of state and see some new territory during college.</p>
<p>Caolyn - UofO was one of the school's suggested to my junior son - she particularly thought that he should look into the honor's college. I remember a thread a while back where I thought you visited couple of Oregon schools - or was that someone else?
Are you an Oregon resident? Have you seen the campus yet?
Coming from Ca with a fairly strong university system, I'm not sure I could justify out of state tuition (and honor's is more?!) so I'm wondering what it is about the school that she found so worth his time. We may have to fly up to Eugene to take a look- I've always wanted to see Eugene!</p>
<p>ASAP, No, we didn't visit U of O on our trip to Oregon. The cost of U of Oregon for out of state actually isn't that much more than instate at the UC's given the recent and expected UC fee hikes. It's still much cheaper than most private colleges. </p>
<p>With the exception of UCSC, none of the UC's have really appealed to my daughter and most are much larger than U of O or don't have the atmosphere she's hoping for. She also REALLY wants to get out of California if she can! She adored Oregon - liked the climate (different from So Cal but not excessively cold and she likes rain), liked the people, likes the "quirky" sound of Eugene. But, I do know from "sources" that class sizes, at least at the intro. level at U of O tend to be just as large as the UC's (but the honors program avoids some of this). Still, we plan to probably return to Oregon in the fall for a sleepover at Lewis & Clark and might try to fit in a visit to U of O then.</p>
<p>Oregon and Washington must have similar out-of-state fee structures, Carolyn. My D's out-of-state tuition at Evergreen is equivalent to in-state UC $$$.</p>