My daughter just completed her first year at a top conservatory. She’s now at a music camp. After years of being passionate about music, it looks like this year has sucked the life out of her. She’s never happy. She can’t take a gap year at her school without re-auditioning and the way things are going, I don’t think she could even get back in. Her tuition is costing us $$$$$. I would like her to transfer to a LAC so she can explore different academic avenues. Does anyone here have experience with successfully transferring from a conservatory to a liberal arts school?
Hmm, I have known two kids who pulled out of theatre conservatories. One didn’t return to school opting to work up the ladder… literally, lighting design lol. The other came home with her eye on a particular B.A. program. She spent a year taking as many general Ed classes at community college as she could and successfully transferred and graduated in 2 years.
We’ve also known a couple kids to drop out of BFA programs and transfer. One’s bfa had required some GE’s and so they were better off with the transfer but the other had nothing but performance classes and so added a 5th year because she needed to catch up on classes.
I’d certainly research it and see what her options are. Get a look at her courses and see if anything is potentially transferable. She might have to take a second year at a community college but there are some great LAC’s with strong music and other academic options.
It might be helpful to ask this on the music major forum here on CC, as well.
I know several young people who did this kind of transfer, from a conservatory to college.
I also know young people who found a certain conservatory did not fit them (for instance, never seeing the light of day due to classes, practice, rehearsals etc.) but were happy at a different one.
In some cases, a BA can be a much better fit. even for very talented kids.
Look at the Double Degree Dilemma essay on the music forum, near the top. It is about different ways to study music. I would add that students can major in music at an LAC, take lessons and do extracurricular music. The can also major in something else and do lessons and extracurricular performance.
She could take a gap year, or continue classes at a local college or online- various options.
Parents of musicians, on the music forum, will really understand this situation and give good advice I think- as will parents here on the parents forum.
My D’s friend left a tippy top BFA in Musical Theater program after two years. She took some college classes in the interim and applied to transfer to regular colleges and landed at Columbia University. So, it can be done.
- What does your daughter want?
- If she is just scraping by at Consevatory, maybe it is time to reassess the role of music in her life. Very few can do this as a profession.
- What does your daughter want? Make sure she can talk to you openly without feeling like a failure.