<p>I've been looking for schools that let you come up with your own major. Gallatin is my absolute favorite because it combines that individuality I'm looking for with the resources of NYU, but naturally I'm worried about getting in. A lot of other schools like that are small and located in the middle of nowhere. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just not for me.</p>
<p>Here's what I'm looking for, aside from the description in the title, in no particular order:
1) A school with a good music program.
3) A city/town with a lot of cultural/educational opportunities outside the school itself. A lot of museums, art galleries, etc.
4) A strong local music scene.
5) GLBT-friendly a must.</p>
<p>^ I'm like a broken record on this, but Eastman is not a music program generally available to U of Rochester students as it is a conservatory. (It is nice to be able to attend their performances though.) U of Rochester does, however, have a decent music program of its own.</p>
<p>I recall that Kenyon had kids doing their own majors. We ran into one kid who had put together a major on hip hop. I always wondered how his parents felt about paying $200k for that LOL. No where near a city or cultural stuff though.</p>
<p>When we toured American University, I was very impressed with the opportunities for designing one's own major. One example of this was the CLEG Major (communications, law, economics and government). It was designed by a former student, and because it was so popular, they decided to make it into a full-fledged major.</p>
<p>You should look at Hampshire. It appears to be out in the middle of nowhere, but because of the 5 colleges (including the tens of thousands of students at UMass) the surrounding towns have a lot of culture. </p>
<p>You can also take classes at UMass so all of the music resources there are available. Hampshire itself has a lively music scene and you definitely design your own major. </p>
<p>From your name you might be interested to know that there is a lively hardcore scene in western Mass and that the band Orchid formed at Hampshire.</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence. I think it fits all of your criteria to an extent, though, to be honest, music opportunities in the town right outside the college aren't great. It is, however, about 30 minutes from NYC, which you seem to like.</p>
<p>Location-wise, DePaul is like NYU in that it's in a fantastic section of Chicago, with easy access to Boystown (LGBTQ nightlife) and a lot of music venues. However, it has more of a campus and is less selective.</p>
<p>The list of majors is insane-- DePaul brings in a lot of students who are looking to study music/performing arts (majors in scene design, sound recording technology, etc.) but it also offers a design-your-own major option. (At least that's how I interpreted their Customized B.A.: ACADEMICS:</a> Majors)</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence allows you to design not only your own course of study but also your own courses. They, however, do not have "majors" so not only do they qualify for what you want but there the point is moot.</p>